Act I......Scene 1:One morning in Verona, two young servants of Capulet, Sampson and Gregory are joking around with each other with puns and friendly teasing. Suddenly they are confronted by Abraham and Balthasar, two servants of Montague. The mild joking and humor soon turn bitter, aggressive, and dangerous between the foes. It is not long before a fight inevitably breaks out. Benvolio, the nephew of Montague comes in and tries breaks it up, but ends up fighting with the hot-tempered Tybalt, and a riot erupts. The prince of Verona, Escalus, joined by the Capulets and Montagues, enters and stops the havoc. He warns everybody if another fight should break out because of this ancient blood feud, then they would pay with their life. Afterwards the Montagues speak with Benvolio about Romeo. Romeo follows his parents' exit with an entrance and talks with Benvolio about his love life. He is feeling depressed because of love sickness for a girl named Rosaline (a girl that he cannot have for she refuses to get together with anyone).(SPACE)Scene
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Romeo and Juliet with Friar Laurence
Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...2:That afternoon, Paris works on his hopes for a marriage to Juliet. He speaks to Capulet and tries to arrange a deal with him for Juliet's hand. Although Capulet respects Paris, he is still unsure, and ultimately, no agreement is reached. Paris is invited to a ball, which Romeo and Benvolio find out about from Capulet's illiterate servant who asks Romeo to read the ball invitation for him. Benvolio convinces Romeo to go to this ball with the intent to show his friend that there are many girls better than Rosaline, and thus lift him out of his depression.(SPACE)Scene 3:At the Capulet house that evening, the Nurse and Lady Capulet speak to Juliet about her marriage and her duties and responsibilities as a wife and mother. Lady Capulet persists that Paris would make an excellent husband, but Juliet does not seem to like the fact that her mother is so forcefully persuasive on the topic. The conversation ends when a servant arrives and announces that the ball is about to begin.(SPACE)Scene 4:Romeo and his friends head to the Capulet's ball in a masked procession full of people in costumes and musicians carrying torches. Upon arrival, Romeo still feels melancholy, and he is not in the mood for a party. This leads to an argument about love between Romeo and his friend Mercutio, and many allusions to Cupid are made. At last, Mercution convinces Romeo to keep his spirits up, and not to spoil the evening for the other members of the Montague group. Romeo agrees to continue on with the party, yet he cannot help but fell that his whole life will somehow be forever shaped by this night.(SPACE)Scene 5:This scene takes place in the hall of Capulet's house. Capulet, being a good host, tells everybody to have a good time, and to join in on the dancing and music. Capulet discusses a previous masque with a friend, when Romeo enters. He soon sees Juliet, and he is astounded at her beauty. He forgets all his feelings of despair in depression as he falls in love at first sight. Tybalt, however, is attending the ball as well, and he recognizes Romeo. Furious, he informs Capulet of this and threatens to the Montague. However, Capulet does not want his evening ruined and orders Tybalt to stay put. Saying nothing, Tybalt exits the party. Shortly after, Romeo and Juliet meet and fall deeply in love with each other. The Nurse tells them who each other are. (SPACE)Act II: Scene 1:Romeo at this time wants to be alone, and he hides within a wall of Capulet's orchard while Benvolio and Mercutio look for him. Mercutio mocks Romeo, scoffs at his ideals for romantic love, and indicates that he believes only in the physical kind of love. Finally, Benvolio and Mercutio give up their search for Romeo and decide to go home.(SPACE) Scene 2:Romeo, madly in love, decides to go see Juliet. He hides in the garden outside of the Capulet mansion, and he sees Juliet talking on a balcony. He overhears her declaration of her love for him, and he is at first unsure if he should show himself or listen some more. At last, he decides to show himself, and the two lovers, overjoyed to see each other, discuss their love. Juliet attempts to restrain her passion so she would not make herself too easy a prize, and she informs Romeo that she will marry him if his intentions are good and pure. Romeo assures Juliet that he is an honorable man. After deciding to marry, the two lovers part with great reluctance as Romeo goes off to make all the necessary preparations.(SPACE)Scene 3:Early morning, a brief time after Romeo parts with Juliet, he meets his Franciscan friend, Friar Laurence, and he agrees to marry them. He warns Romeo, however, that it has only been a short time since Romeo has met Juliet and apparently gotten over his love for Rosaline. He believes that perhaps Romeo is acting hastily and warns that rushing into marriage blindly could have dire consequences. His decision to wed the two lovers is due in part to his love for Romeo as a son, but he also hopes that the marriage might be the key to ending the bloody feud between the two warring families.(SPACE)Scene 4:On the street that day, Romeo is having fun with his friends joking around about rapier fighting. They pester the good-natured nurse with many of their jokes containing sexual connotations. Mercutio's hate for Tybalt is revealed here, and his courage to confront the hot-tempered fighter. After all the jokes, Romeo goes off to talk with the nurse about the wedding. The Nurse approves of Romeo's proposal and agrees to deliver to Juliet Romeo's instructions that they are to wed that very afternoon in Friar Laurence's cell. Romeo offers to pay the Nurse for her troubles, but she refuses to accept any money.(SPACE)Scene 5:In Capulet's orchard, Juliet has been anxiously awaiting the word of Romeo for three hours. When the Nurse finally arrives she plays around with Juliet and even intensifies her anxiety by holding back all the answers to Juliet's excited questions. She finally stops kidding around and delivers the news to meet Romeo at Friar Laurence's cell in the afternoon, where the wedding will take place.(SPACE)Scene 6:At Friar Laurence's cell that afternoon, Romeo awaits Juliet's arrival, full of ecstasy and excitement. The Friar warns Romeo to be patient and to show moderation despite his mad love for Juliet. At last Juliet enters, and as the two declare their undying love for each other, Friar Laurence prepares to perform the final wedding ceremony.(SPACE)Act III Scene 1:While the two friends are having a conversation, Mercutio tells Benvolio that his temper is too uncontrollable. Suddenly, Tybalt enters the scene, angrily looking for Romeo. After a short, bitter confrontation between Tybalt and Mercutio, Romeo finally enters. However, now that he has married Juliet, all his hate for Tybalt and the Capulet family has faded away, and is replaced by radiant love. Tybalt, always looking for a fight, challenges Romeo, but Romeo of course refuses to fight his new "family member". Mercutio, however, sees this as blow to Romeo's family honor, and as a good friend he decides to fight on Romeo's behalf. Although both have a rapier in hand, the fight was never incredibly serious. Things went awry, however, when Romeo intervenes with only the best intentions to stop the fight. In the course of this action, Tybalt accidentally stabs Mercutio and mortally wounds him. Mercutio dies cursing the Capulets and the Montagues, while Tybalt leaves the scene. Romeo, irrational and thirsty for vengeance, angrily pursues Tybalt and kills him in combat. The town is shocked and outraged to find that more deaths have occurred as a result of the Montague-Capulet feud. The angry Prince arrives at the scene and declares that Romeo be banished for his crime. Furthermore, he states that if Romeo is ever seen within the wall of Verona again, he will be killed on the spot.(SPACE)Scene 2: This scene is mainly Juliet's soliloquy, in which she states her feelings for Romeo, and her deep desire to be with him forever. When the nurse enters and informs Juliet of Tybalt's death and Romeo's permanent banishment, Juliet seems mush more saddened by the banishment of her lover than the death of her cousin. Nurse then promises Juliet that she will find Romeo and arrange a final meeting for the two before Romeo has to leave forever.(SPACE)Scene 3:The grief-stricken Romeo goes to his friend Friar Laurence for comfort and counseling. The Friar tries to help by telling Romeo that maybe the exile punishment will grow less severe with time, and that one day he will be reunited with his loved one. Just then the Nurse enters the Friar's cell and tell Romeo how terribly Juliet is suffering over his exile. This seems to be all that Romeo can take as he threatens to kill himself, but the Friar strictly forbids this and tell Romeo of his plan. He devised a way for Romeo to escape to Mantua where he should remain safe until the whole situation cools down.(SPACE)Scene 4:Capulet talks with Paris, and an agreement for a wedding is finally reached. Capulet has no idea that Juliet is already married, and he assumes that she will go along with his wishes to marry Paris.(SPACE)Scene 5:Romeo departs for Mantua after spending one final night with Juliet. As Lady Capulet recalls the death of Tybalt, she swears that the Capulets must have vengeance for the loss of one of their family members. Lady Capulet knows that Romeo is hiding out in Mantua, and she promises that she will have him killed. Juliet finds of from her mother that she is to marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet, of course, declines and her father angrily threatens to disown her if she does not follow his wishes. The Nurse, always trying to avoid a problem, recommends that Juliet follow her family's wishes, but Juliet refuses to betray Romeo, and she goes to see Friar Laurence for help.(SPACE)Act IV:Scene 1: When Juliet arrives at Friar Laurence's cell, she runs into Paris and finally meets him. Ironically, Paris is there to make arrangements for the marriage, while at the same time, Juliet is there to seek help to prevent the marriage. After Paris leaves, the Friar gives Juliet a potion which will simulate the appearance of her death. The Friar's plan is for Rome to briefly return to Verona and rescue the "dead" Juliet from her tomb, and then take her back with him to Mantua. Scene 2: Capulet is making arrangements for the wedding, when Juliet returns home from her meeting with Friar Laurence. Following the plan concocted by the Friar, Juliet pretends to have a change of heart, and agrees that she will go along with the wedding. The Nurse and Juliet go to Juliet's room to prepare the wedding clothing. Capulet is overjoyed of his daughter's acceptance to go along with the wedding, and he moves the wedding a day forward.Scene 3: Juliet wishes to be left alone in her room while she contemplates the situation. Now that she is forced to take the potion one day ahead of the scheduled time, she is unsure of the consequences. She worries about what may happen to her and she even questions the Friar's intentions for a brief moment. However, she decides that the Friar is very trustworthy, and in the long run, it would be better to drink the potion and take her chances than to marry Paris. She drinks the potion and falls on her bed.Scene 4:The next morning, Capulet is busy supervising all the preparations being made for Juliet's wedding feast. He urges his servants to hurry so that everything will be prepared on time. Capulet tells the Nurse to awaken Juliet so that she may dress properly for the occasion. Paris has already arrived, and Capulet urges everybody to hurry. Scene 5:When the Nurse goes to Juliet's room to awaken her, she cannot for the potion was in its full effect. Juliet is finally declared to be dead, as the joyful atmosphere of the wedding suddenly turns grim. Friar Laurence and the musicians arrive for the ceremony, but find Capulet, Lady Capulet, and the Nurse mourning over Juliet's sudden death. The Friar then announces to everyone that there is no need to mourn, for Juliet has now found eternal peace and happiness in heaven. Capulet now shifts all his preparations from a weeding party to a funeral. At the end of the scene, Peter (the Nurse's servant) talks to the musicians and they joke around about music. It would appear that Peter does not fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation. Act V: Scene 1: Balthasar goes to Romeo to bring him news of Juliet's death. Romeo decides to go visit Juliet's tomb, despite what may happen to him if he is caught. He wished to lie dead beside his beloved, despite Balthasar's advice against it. Romeo looks for an apothecary who will sell him the lethal poison. He finds an individual who is hesitant at first, but Romeo finally persuades him, and makes the purchase. Scene 2: In this scene, it is discovered the Friar Laurence's carefully laid plans were spoiled. He had sent Friar John to bring news to Romeo that Juliet was never truly dead, but Friar John was unable to deliver this message because he apparently came into contact with a plague carrier, and was forbidden to leave Verona. However, Friar Laurence has another plan. He decides to go to Juliet's tomb himself, awaken her, and take her back to his cell until Romeo could come himself to retrieve her. Once united, the two could then escape Verona. Scene 3: That night, in the churchyard of Verona, Romeo, accompanied by Balthasar, goes to put flowers on Juliet's grave and to pay respects to his loved one. Ironically and unbeknownst to Romeo, Paris is arriving at exactly the same time for the exact same thing. Romeo tells Balthasar to say away so he can have a moment alone with Juliet. Balthasar walks away, but stays hidden close by to monitor Romeo's actions, fearing of what he may intend to do. Romeo begins opening the tomb, when Paris arrives. Paris knows that Romeo is a Montague, and believes that by slaying Tybalt, he is responsible for the grief, and eventually, the death of Juliet. He challenges Romeo, and they fight. Romeo kills Paris, but grants him his final wish by placing his body in the tomb beside Juliet. Romeo seeks forgiveness for his actions, declares his undying love for Juliet, drinks the potion, and dies. Friar Laurence arrives too late, and sees blood on the tomb and Romeo's body. Just then, Juliet awakes from her sleep, but upon finding Romeo dead, she decides to commit suicide. The Watch, alerted by Paris' Page, informs the town to the tragedy in the tomb. The Prince and the Capulets arrive first and are shocked at the horror which has recently taken place. Then Montague arrives and informs everyone that his wife had died over Romeo's exile. Friar Laurence explains the whole story to the Prince and how it led up to all the deaths. The Prince is given Romeo's letter to his father by Balthasar, and he makes his final statement on the events which took place during this entire ordeal. The feud between the Montagues and the Capulets has finally ended.
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