The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Scene Summaries
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Romeo and Juliet
Act I: Plot Summary
Prologue
A summary of the basic plot of the play. It states that two families in Verona have been bitter enemies for centuries. The fighting has broken out again between the families. A child from each of the warring families meet and fall in love, and it is the death of the children that finally ends the feud between the parents.
Scene I:
The scene opens with a fight on the streets of Verona between servants from the Montague and Capulet households. While attempting to stop the fight, Benvolio (Romeo’s cousin) is drawn into the fight by Tybalt, family of the Capulets. More citizens become involved and soon the heads of both households appear on the scene. At last, Prince Escalus arrives and stops the riot. Montague and his wife discuss Romeo’s recent gloomy behavior with Benvolio and ask him to discover why. Romeo is in love with Rosaline. Benvolio tells him to forget Rosaline by looking for another, but Romeo insists that this would be impossible.
Scene II:
Paris, a relative of the prince, asks Capulet for his daughter Juliet’s hand in marriage. Capulet invites Paris to a party to be held that night. Capulet sends off the guest list with a servant cannot read the names. He meets Romeo and Benvolio whom he asks for help. The guest list includes Rosaline. Romeo decides to go to the party, even though it’s dangerous. Benvolio hopes that Romeo will see another lady there to help him forget about Rosaline.
Scene III:
Lady Capulet questions Juliet about her feelings about marriage and then informs Juliet of Paris’ proposal. When her mother mentions that Paris will be coming to the party that evening, Juliet agrees to go.
Scene IV:
Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio, and others from the Montague household make their way to the Capulet party. Because Romeo continues to be lovesick for Rosaline, Mercutio teases him. Mercutio then gives his famous Queen Mab speech in which he describes how the fairy delivers dreams to humans as they sleep.
Scene V:
Romeo arrives at the Capulet party. Romeo sees Juliet and falls in love with her instantly. Tybalt recognizes Romeo’s voice and sends for his sword to kill him. The fight is prevented as Capulet reminds Tybalt that Romeo is a good person. Romeo and Juliet kiss, but are interrupted by the Nurse, who sends Juliet to find her mother. Romeo asks the Nurse who Juliet is and on discovers she is a Capulet. Juliet then discovers from the Nurse that Romeo is a Montague.
Romeo and Juliet
Act II: Plot Summary
Prologue:
The opening lines of the Prologue address the speed with which Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love. Romeo and Juliet move forward in pursuit of their love.
Scene I:
This scene takes place outside the Capulet orchard. Romeo hopes to see Juliet again after falling in love with her at first sight during the Capulet party. He leaps the orchard wall when he hears Mercutio and Benvolio approaching. They don’t know that Romeo has met and fallen in love with Juliet.
Scene II:
Romeo stands under Juliet’s bedroom window. Juliet appears on the balcony and thinking she’s alone, reveals her love for Romeo. She is upset over the feud between the two families. Romeo listens. After the two talk and agree to marry. Juliet promises to send a messenger the next day so that Romeo can tell her what wedding arrangements he has made. The scene ends as day breaks and Romeo leaves to seek the advice of Friar Laurence.
Scene: III:
Romeo arrives at Friar Laurence’s cell in the morning. The Friar is collecting herbs and flowers while he talks about their powers to help AND to poison. Romeo tells him of his love for Juliet and asks the Friar to marry them later that day. He agrees to help the couple in the hope that the marriage might ease the fighting between the two families.
Scene IV:
Mercutio and Benvolio search for Romeo. Benvolio has discovered that Tybalt has sent Romeo a challenge to fight, and Mercutio is amused at this idea. Romeo then arrives and jokes with Mercutio. The Nurse arrives with her servant, Peter. Romeo tells the Nurse that Juliet should meet him at Friar Laurence’s cell at 2 p.m. that afternoon to be married. The Nurse is to collect a rope ladder from Romeo so that he can climb to Juliet’s window to celebrate their wedding night.
Scene V:
Juliet waits impatiently for her return. The Nurse teases Juliet withholding the word of the upcoming wedding. Instead, the Nurse complains about her aches and pains. The Nurse finally tells Juliet that she is to marry Romeo that afternoon at Friar Laurence’s cell.
Scene VI:
Romeo and Friar Laurence wait for Juliet, and again the Friar warns Romeo about the quick decision to marry.
Romeo and Juliet
Act III: Plot Summary
Scene I:
Benvolio and Mercutio are walking on the streets of Verona when Tybalt arrives looking for Romeo. Mercutio tries to draw Tybalt into an argument so that they can fight. Romeo appears and Tybalt insults him, but Romeo refuses because he is now related to Tybalt. Mercutio, disgusted by Romeo’s not wanting to fight, answers the insults for Romeo. Tybalt and Mercutio fight. To stop the battle, Romeo steps between them and Tybalt stabs Mercutio. Mercutio’s wound is fatal and he dies crying “A plague o’ both your houses!” Blinded by anger over Mercutio’s death, Romeo attacks Tybalt and kills him. Romeo is forced to flee a group of citizens . After Benvolio gives an account of what has happened, the Prince banishes Romeo from Verona under the penalty of death and orders Lords Montague and Capulet to pay a heavy fine.
Scene II:
Juliet waits impatiently for night to fall so that she can celebrate her wedding night with Romeo. The Nurse arrives and tells Juliet what has happened. Upon hearing that Romeo has been banished, Juliet is overwhelmed by sadness. The Nurse tells Juliet that Romeo is hiding at Friar Laurence’s cell and Juliet sends the Nurse with a ring, bidding Romeo to come and “take his last farewell.”
Scene III:
Friar Laurence tells Romeo that the Prince has sentenced him to banishment rather than death. Romeo is upset because he feels banishment as a form of living death when he cannot be with Juliet. The Friar tries to reason with Romeo, but young Romeo is too upset. The Nurse arrives and tells Romeo of Juliet’s grief. The Friar advises Romeo to go to Juliet that night as he had planned, and then before daybreak, flee to Mantua. The Friar promises to find a way to announce Romeo and Juliet’s marriage publicly and thereby gain a pardon for Romeo to return safely.
Scene IV:
Late on Monday evening, Capulet and Paris discuss how Juliet’s grief over Tybalt’s death has prevented Paris from continuing his courtship of Juliet. Suddenly, as Paris prepares to leave, Capulet offers him Juliet’s hand in marriage. He tells Paris that Juliet will obey his wishes and marry Paris on Thursday. Paris agrees to the arrangements, and Lady Capulet is sent to tell the news to Juliet.
Scene V:
Romeo and Juliet say goodbye before Romeo leaves for Mantua. Juliet’s mother arrives and, believing that Juliet weeps for Tybalt rather than Romeo, tries to comfort Juliet with her plan to have Romeo poisoned. Lady Capulet then tells Juliet the happy news that she is to marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet is stunned and tells her mother that she cannot be married so quickly. Her father enters expecting to find Juliet excited about the wedding he arranged on her behalf. When she expresses her sadness, he becomes enraged and demands that Juliet obey him and prepare to be wed. Capulet threatens to disown his daughter if she continues to oppose him. The scene ends with the Nurse advising Juliet to listen to her father. Juliet decides to seek the advice of Friar Laurence.
Romeo and Juliet
Act IV: Plot Summary
“Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear!”
Scene I:
Friar Laurence devises a plan to prevent Juliet’s marriage to Count Paris: On Wednesday, the night before her wedding, Juliet will take a drug inducing a deathlike coma for forty-two hours. In the meantime, Friar Laurence will send a message to Romeo, who will return to Verona and wait, with the Friar, in the Capulets’ burial vault until Juliet awakes. The lovers will then escape to Mantua.
Scene II:
Juliet asks her father’s pardon and agrees to the wedding. Highly pleased, Lord Capulet moves the wedding forward to Wednesday.
Scene III:
Juliet takes the sleeping potion on Tuesday night.
Scene IV:
The household prepares for the wedding, and Lord Capulet sends the Nurse to waken Juliet.
Scene V:
The Nurse discovers Juliet and believes her dead, as do the Capulets and Paris. The Friar orders them to prepare Juliet for burial in the family tomb.
Romeo and Juliet
Act V Plot Summary
“For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo”
Scene I
Romeo’s servant, Balthasar, arrives in Mantua with news that Juliet is dead. Romeo buys poison from an apothecary and sets out for Verona, determined to enter Juliet’s tomb and kill himself there.
Scene II
Friar Laurence learns that his messenger, Friar John, was unable to deliver to Romeo the letters explaining Juliet’s coma. He sets out for the Capulet tomb, afraid that Juliet, who is to revive within three hours, will awake alone.
Scene III
Paris, at the Capulet tomb to strew flowers and scented water, sees Romeo opening Juliet’s tomb and tries to arrest him. Paris ignores Romeo’s calm pleading for peace, and Romeo kills him. Only then recognizing Paris, Romeo lays him in the tomb, where, finding Juliet still in her trance, he drinks the poison and dies. When Friar Laurence arrives, Juliet awakens and sees Romeo’s body. The Friar, panicked, hears the watchman approach, but Juliet will not leave with him; left alone, she stabs herself. The watchman finds the bodies of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris and summons the Capulets, the Montagues, and the Prince. Friar Laurence is brought back to explain what has happened. The Prince promises that “Some shall be pardoned, and some shall be punished,” and the Capulets and Montagues are reconciled.
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