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1/1
When a sword fight breaks out between the servants of two feuding houses, Prince Escalus of Verona threatens the Capulet and Montague with death should such a disturbance occur again. Lord and Lady Montague ask Benvolio if he knows the cause of Romeo’s depression. When Benvolio asks Romeo, he is told that the woman Romeo loves has refused his declarations of love. -
1/2
Lord Capulet and Count Paris discuss a possible marriage between Paris and Juliet, Capulet’s daughter. Capulet sends a servant to invite various people to a party at his house. The servant meets Romeo and Benvolio in the street and, not recognizing them as Montagues, invites them. -
1/3
Lady Capulet tries to talk to her daughter of the Count Paris, but the talkative Nurse interrupts with lengthy anecdotes of Juliet as a child. Lady Capulet asks Juliet if she favors the Count as a possible husband. -
1/4
Outside the Capulet house, Romeo is in no mood to go to the Capulet party. The others argue with him; Mercutio tells of a fanciful dream he has had about Queen Mab; and Romeo agrees to accompany them. -
1/5
The servants clear the tables; Lord Capulet welcomes an old relative; and Romeo enters, sees Juliet, and instantly falls in love. Tybalt, recognizing Romeo’s voice, is outraged and calls for his sword. His uncle, Lord Capulet, prevents the fight. Romeo makes his way to Juliet, and while they dance, they exchange words and kisses. Before he leaves, Romeo discovers that Juliet is a Capulet, The Nurse tells Juliet that Romeo is a Montague. -
2/1
Romeo hides from Mercutio and Benvolio. Mercutio tries to “conjure” him into appearting, but Benvolio concludes that he simply wants to be alone. -
2/2
Wandering in the Capulet orchard, Romeo sees Juliet, who has stepped onto the balcony. He then hears her lamenting that Romeo is a Montague. When Romeo speaks to her, Juliet is simultaneously pleased by his presence but frightened for his safety. As the two pledge their love, the Nurse calls Juliet into the house. Juliet withdraws but reappears twice: once to ascertain that Romeo is serious about marrying her, and a second time just to be with him for a little longer. -
2/3
It is dawn and Friar Laurence, confessor to both Romeo and Juliet, is gathering herbs and meditating on good and evil. Romeo enters and bewilders the Friar with his riddling talk. Romeo confesses he is in love with Juliet and wishes to marry her. The Friar is surprised that Romeo has so suddenly forsaken Rosaline but agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in hopes that the marriage will bring an end to the hatred between the two families. -
2/4
Benvolio and Mercutio wonder where Romeo went after the ball. Benvolio mentions a letter Tybalt sent to Romeo; Mercutio makes fun of Tybalt’s pride in his swordsmanship. Romeo enters but doesn’t reveal where, or with whom, he had been. The Nurse enters, Benvolio and Mercutio exit, and once Romeo stops the Nurse from talking, he gives her a message for Juliet. Juliet is to come to Friar Laurence’s cell that afternoon to be married. -
2/5
After being gone three hours, the Nurse enters complaining of exhaustion and breathlessness. Eventually, she tells Juliet to meet Romeo at Friar Laurence’s that afternoon since Friar Laurence has agreed to marry the young lovers. -
2/6
In this brief scene, Friar Laurence and Romeo await Juliet’s arrival. Romeo burns with love while Friar Laurence warns him to love moderately. After Juliet arrives, she and Romeo speak of their love and then leave with the Friar to exchange marriage vows. -
3/1 (1)
Benvolio, Mercutio, and others walk in the town square. Fearing trouble, Benvolio urges that they go home. Tybalt enters and, seeing Romeo, turns to challenge him. When Romeo avoids the fight, his seeming cowardice infuriates Mercutio, who draws on Tybalt. -
3/1 (2)
Romeo tries to stop the fight, but Tybalt stabs Mercutio and flees. Mercutio exits, supported by Benvolio, who soon returns with word of Mercutio’s death. Tybalt returns; Romeo kills him and then flees. The Prince, the Montagues , and the Capulets enter. Benvolio reveals what has happened. Prince Escalus announces that Romeo shall be exiled from Verona. -
3/2
Juliet awaits eagerly the coming of night and the arrival of Romeo. The nurse enters, shocked at the news of Tybalt’s death. Finally she reveals that Romeo has killed Tybalt and is banished. The nurse promises that she will bring Romeo and Juliet that night. Juliet sends her forth to Romeo with a ring as token of her love. -
3/3
Friar Laurence tells Romeo he has been banished from Verona; then the nurse tells Romeo what Juliet’s state of mind is. Romeo becomes so distraught he threatens suicide. The Friar restrains him and urges him to go to Juliet but not leave by daybreak. -
3/4
Lord Capulet speaks with the Count Paris, explaining that Juliet has been greatly affected by the death of Tybalt. Then, he promises Paris that the young couple will be married on Thursday, three days hence. -
3/5
Romeo and Juliet reluctantly bid each other farewell before Lady Capulet enters and informs her daughter that she will be married in two days. Juliet refuses and thus angers both her parents. When Juliet turns to the nurse for comfort the nurse counsels her to forget Romeo and to marry the Count. Juliet determines to ask Friar Laurence what to do. -
4/1 (1)
Count Paris explains to Friar Laurence that Lord Capulet desires a hasty marriage because Juliet’s sorrow for Tybalt is perhaps dangerous to her health. Juliet enters and her responses to Paris’s courteous statements of affection are cool. -
4/1 (2)
Once Paris leaves, Juliet turns to Friar Laurence, promising to commit suicide rather than marry Paris. Friar Laurence offers her a potion that will make her appear dead for “two and forty hours.” During that time, he will send to Mantua for Romeo and when she awakens in the family tomb, he and Romeo will be there. -
4/2
As Lord Capulet organizes the wedding, Juliet enters and asks her father to pardon her previous behavior. A delighted Capulet moves the wedding from Thursday to Wednesday and Lady Capulet protests at the sudden change of plan. Lord Capulet dismisses her fears. -
4/3
Juliet dismisses her nurse. In a long soliloquy she reveals both her fears and her determination. At last she drinks the potion and slips into unconsciousness. -
4/4
While Juliet lies still and quiet upstairs, downstairs is in a frenzy of wedding preparations. When the Count and his musicians arrive, Capulet sends the nurse to awaken Juliet. -
4/5
The nurse comes to awaken Juliet and is horrified to discover her apparently dead. As Juliet’s parents lament their daughter’s death, Friar Laurence and Count Paris enter. Friar Laurence calms and comforts the mourners with the consolation of religion. After the family leaves to make funeral arrangements, the musicians that have accompanied Paris exchange comic insults with Peter. -
5/1
In Mantua, Romeo muses on his odd dream wherein he was dead but Juliet revived him with a kiss. The servant Balthasar enters with the report of Juliet’s death. Romeo determines to return to Verona and join Juliet in death. To that end, he enters an apothecary’s, or pharmacist’s, shop and buys a vial of strong poison. -
5/2
Friar Laurence had given Friar John a letter to deliver to Romeo in Mantua. Before he could go to Mantua, however, Friar John had been locked in a house that the authorities believed to contain a plague victim. Hearing this, Friar Laurence asks for a crowbar and sets off to be with Juliet in the tomb when she awakens from her sleep. -
5/3 (1)
Paris and his page enter the churchyard. Paris strews flowers on Juliet’s grave but hides when his page alerts him that someone comes. Romeo and Balthasar enter. Romeo gives Balthasar a letter to be delivered to Lord Montague after sunrise. Balthasar hides himself, as he is worried about romeo’s state of mind. Romeo enters the tomb, and Paris comes forward thinking that Romeo is going to defile the bodies of Tybalt and Juliet. -
5/3 (2)
Romeo refuses to leave, Paris draws his sword, the page runs for help, and romeo stabs Paris. Romeo carries Paris into the tomb, speaks his final loving words to Juliet, and swallows the poison he has brought with him. Friar Laurence appears and discovers the bodies of the two young men. Juliet stirs, learns that Romeo and Paris are dead, and stabs herself. The Prince, Lord Montague, Lord Capulet, and Lady Capulet arrive. The friar explains what has happened.
