Play summary

ACT 1
Act 1 Scene 1:
A quarrel starts between the servants of the two households. Escalus, the prince of
Verona, has already warned them that if they should fight in the streets again they will
be executed.

Montague and his wife have not seen their son Romeo for quite some time and decide
to ask Benvolio where he could be.

They also ask him to find out why Romeo had been acting so strangely. When Benvolio
eventually finds Romeo, he discovers that he is lovesick for Rosaline.

Act 1 Scene 2:
Paris has only one thing on his mind and that is to marry Juliet. Capulet is rather
protective over his only child and thinks she is too young to be married. However, he
promises to ask her. Capulet wants to have a masked ball that evening and sends a
jester (servant) to invite the listed guests. The jester lands up asking Romeo and
Benvolio to help him read the list. They see Rosaline’s name and decide to go to the
party.

Act 1 Scene 3:
In Capulet’s house, just before the feast is to begin, Lady Capulet calls to the Nurse,
needing help to find her daughter. Juliet enters, and Lady Capulet dismisses the Nurse
so that she might speak with her daughter alone. She immediately changes her mind,
however, and asks the Nurse to remain and add her counsel. Before Lady Capulet
can begin to speak, the Nurse launches into a long story about how, as a child, an
uncomprehending Juliet became an innocent accomplice to a sexual joke. Lady
Capulet tries unsuccessfully to stop the wildly amused Nurse. An embarrassed Juliet
forcefully commands that the Nurse stop.

Lady Capulet asks Juliet what she thinks about getting married. Juliet replies that she
has not given it any thought. Lady Capulet observes that she gave birth to Juliet when

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she was almost Juliet’s current age. She excitedly continues that Juliet must begin to
think about marriage because the “valiant Paris” has expressed an interest in her.
Juliet dutifully replies that she will look upon Paris at the feast to see if she might love
him. A serving man enters to announce the beginning of the feast.

Act 1 Scene 4:
Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio (kinsman to the prince and a friend to Romeo) are on
their way to the masked ball held at the Capulet’s house. Mercutio is happy and
excited, but Romeo is nervous and troubled.

Act 1 Scene 5:
The masked ball is well underway and everybody is having fun. Romeo suddenly sees
Juliet dancing with the others and instantly falls in love with her. Tybalt discovers that
Romeo is at the ball and wants to throw him out. Capulet is not interested in fighting
at this ball and tells Tybalt to control himself. Tybalt, however, challenges Romeo to a
fight the next time they meet. Romeo finds a chance to speak to Juliet, and she
instantly falls in love with him. They kiss and part. It is only a little later that they find
out, to their disgust, that they belong to opposing families.

ACT 2
SUMMARY: Romeo can only think of his new found love: Juliet! Rosaline is no longer
Romeo’s first love. He compares the beauty of Rosaline to that of Juliet. He soon
realises that there is no comparison, Juliet is the one! The only problem that they have
is that they are of opposing families and therefore their love may only be expressed in
secret.

Act 2 Scene 1:
Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio are on their way home from Capulet’s masked ball.
Romeo is so much in love with Juliet that he decides to return to Capulet’s home.
Benvolio and Mercutio look for him but he is nowhere to be found…
indeed, Romeo has just jumped over the wall and is now in the garden of the Capulets.

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Act 2 Scene 2:
Romeo sees Juliet appear on the balcony of her bedroom. She does not know that he
is down there below in the bushes. Juliet expresses her love for Romeo but she finds
is sad that he is of the opposing family. Suddenly Romeo jumps out of the bushes and
declares his love for Juliet! They declare their love of each other although Juliet doubts
such a sudden commitment. Nevertheless, Juliet promises to send a servant to Romeo
the following morning to find out more about the wedding arrangements.

Act 2 Scene 3:
Friar Laurence is in the garden gathering herbs. He is surprised to see Romeo. The
friar asks Romeo about Rosaline only to hear that she is no longer Romeo’s first love.
Romeo tells him about Juliet and demands that they are married that very day. Friar
Laurence believes that this marriage between Montague and a Capulet (Juliet) may
just end the family feud and therefore agrees to marry them immediately.

Act 2 Scene 4:
Mercutio and Benvolio wonder where Romeo is because they saw him last at the
Capulet’s ball. They then discuss Tybalt and the challenge of a duel between the two
families. Romeo arrives on the scene and jokes with Mercutio. The nurse arrives and
is mocked by Mercutio until she becomes angry. Mercutio and Benvolio leave and the
nurse approaches Romeo. He tells her that Juliet must come to Friar Laurence for
confession. He will marry them that very afternoon.

Act 2 Scene 5:
Juliet is pacing up and down her room because the nurse has been away for three
hour! The nurse arrives but first complains about her aching body. Juliet cannot wait
to hear the news from Romeo. Eventually the nurse tells her to meet Friar Laurence
and that they will be married that very same day.

Act 2 Scene 6:
Friar Laurence and Romeo are waiting for Juliet to arrive. The Friar talks to Romeo
about the moderation of love. Juliet appears and the Friar marries the two lovers at
once.

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 Act 3
Act 3 Scene 1:
Benvolio tries his best to avoid a fight between the Capulets and the Montagues.
Mercutio is ready for a fight and does not want to listen to Benvolio. Tybalt arrives on
the scene and Mercutio picks on him. Tybalt makes it clear that he only wants to fight
Romeo. Romeo enters and does not want to fight because he has just married Juliet.
Mercutio gets angry and draws his sward to fight Tybalt. Tybalt stabs him beneath the
arm of Rome who tried to stop the two. Romeo is infuriated at this and kills Tybalt!
Benvolio tells Romeo to flea just as the Prince arrives. He banishes Romeo from
Verona because he killed Tybalt.

Act 3 Scene 2:
Juliet is waiting for Romeo to arrive but instead the nurse arrives. She brings the sad
news that Tybalt has been killed by Romeo. Juliet is relieved to hear that Romeo is
alive but sad that Tybalt is dead and that Romeo had killed him. She is also angry
because the nurse scolds Romeo. The nurse says that she will find Romeo and bring
him to Juliet that night.

Act 3 Scene 3:
The Friar tells Romeo that he has been banished from Verona and suggests that he
should stay in Mantua until things settle down. Rome is very upset and the Friar tries
to comfort him by saying that it is better being banished than to be sentenced to death.
The nurse arrives to give a ring to Romeo. The Friar also tells Romeo to go and comfort
Juliet.

Act 3 Scene 4:
Capulet explains to Paris that Juliet will marry him. They set the date for Thursday.
Paris is very happy about the arrangement. Lady Capulet is asked to inform Juliet
about the plans.

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Act 3 Scene 5:
Romeo and Juliet have spent their first night together. In the morning Romeo must
leave at once because Lady Capulet is on her way to Juliet’s room. Juliet does not
want Romeo to go. Her mother speaks about revenge for Tybalt’s death as well as
wedding arrangements. Juliet is alarmed and full of grief. She does not agree to
anything her mother has just told her. Her father is furious, for she does not want to
listen! Once the parents have left, the nurse tries to persuade Juliet to marry Paris and
forget about Romeo. Horrified, Juliet leaves for Friar Laurence’s cell.

Act 4
Act 4 Scene 1:
Paris is at the cell of Friar Laurence. He tells the Friar about his plans to marry Juliet.
Juliet arrives on the scene and responds to Paris with wit and ambiguity. He leaves
and Juliet tells the Friar that unless he stops the marriage between her and Paris, she
will commit suicide. But the Friar already has a plan. He tells Juliet that he has a
sleeping potion which she must take. This potion will make her appear to be dead.
She will be buried in the Capulet vault. Romeo will be informed and the minute Juliet
wakes up he will be in the vault and will take her to Mantua.

Act 4 Scene 2:
Capulet is keeping himself busy with preparations for his daughter’s wedding. Juliet
returns from Friar Laurence and tells her parents that she will marry Prince. Capulet
is delighted!

Act 4 Scene 3:
The moment has arrived for Juliet to drink the potion that the Friar has given her. She
sends out her mother and the nurse so that she can be alone. Juliet is a little uncertain
but still drinks the potion. Immediately she falls into a deep sleep and appears to be
dead.

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Act 4 Scene 4:
The wedding is about to begin. Everybody is in a good mood. Paris has arrived with
his party. The nurse is sent to fetch Juliet from her room.

Act 4 Scene 5:
The nurse enters Juliet’s room. She sees Juliet fast asleep but soon believes that Juliet
is dead! Juliet’s parents, the nurse and Paris are shocked and immediately go into
mourning. The Friar arrives and tells them to stop and to prepare for the funeral. Peter,
one of the servants, jokes with the musicians as they pack up their instruments which
were meant for the wedding.

Act 5
Act 5 Scene 1:
Romeo is very happy after dreaming about Juliet. Balthasar, his servant, arrives to tell
him that Juliet is dead. (At this point Romeo does not know what the Friar and Juliet
are up to.) Romeo immediately decides to commit suicide and wishes to die beside
Juliet. He buys some poison to drink so that he can die. Romeo leaves for the Capulet
tomb.

Act 5 Scene 2:
Friar John meets Friar Laurence and tells him that he was unable to deliver the
message to Romeo. The Friar is very worried now because things could go horribly
wrong. He decides to go to the tomb so that he can be with Juliet as soon as she
wakes up so as to avoid disaster.

Act 5 Scene 3:
Paris is in the Capulet’s tomb to mourn Juliet’s death. Romeo arrives and sees Paris
in the tomb. Paris thinks that Romeo wants to ruin the tomb and a fight begins. Paris’
page runs to fetch a guard. In the meantime, Romeo kills Paris. Romeo sees Juliet’s
body and mentions her beauty. He drinks the poison and dies beside her. Friar
Laurence arrives moments after Romeo’s death. Juliet wakes up and sees Romeo
dead next to her. The Friar tries to persuade Juliet to leave him because he hears the

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guards arriving. Juliet refuses to go. The Friar, unable to persuade Juliet to come with
him, leaves her behind. Juliet stabs herself and dies beside Romeo. Meanwhile, the
Montague and Capulet families hear about the tragedy. They arrive at the tomb along
with Prince Escalus. The Friar explains what has happened. Shocked and sad, the
two families decide to reconcile.

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