Romeo and Juliet Summary

The Tragedy of Romeo and JulietThe Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
As told with the appropriate amount of sarcasmAs told with the appropriate amount of sarcasm
William ShakeSpeare 1564-1616

PROLOGUEPROLOGUE
Verona, Italy
Montagues & Capulets:
◦ Generations of hate
◦ Kids fall in love
◦ Secret marriage
◦ Suicide
◦ Families overcome the hate at tragic cost
* (Foreshadows the deaths of Romeo & Juliet)

Shakespeare’s PurposeShakespeare’s Purpose
Introduce the age-old feud between the
Montagues & Capulets
Introduce Romeo as a romantic, moody
teen who is sulking because of a breakup

Act IAct I
Purpose
◦Exposition of the play
Characters
Setting
Conflict

Act I, scene 1Act I, scene 1
Old hatreds are rekindled between:
◦ The servants of Capulets & Montagues
◦ Tybalt and Benvolio
◦ The Capulets & Montagues
Prince of Verona decrees:
“If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives
shall pay the forfeit of the peace”

Act I, Scene I.Act I, Scene I.
Romeo Montague is heart-sick because
he’s been rejected by Rosaline
He asks his friend Benvolio, “ …teach me
how I should forget to think!”
Benvolio encourages, “By giving liberty
unto thine eyes. Examine other beauties”
Bro,
what do
I do?!
Go find
another
chick.

Act 1, Scene II.Act 1, Scene II.
Paris- a young count, related to the
Prince, asks Lord Capulet to marry his
daughter, Juliet
Capulet asks Paris to wait until Juliet is a
bit older than her present age – almost 14
He then invites Paris to a party at his
home to woo Juliet
Because 14 year
olds are WAYYY
different than 13
year olds

Illiterate servant delivers invitations
Finds Romeo and his pals, and asks them
for assistance in reading the invitations
Romeo sees Rosaline’s name on an
invitation and decides to attend
Some guys just
can’t let go.

Problem: The Capulets and Montagues are
bitter foes
Benvolio promises that he’ll assist Romeo
in comparing Rosaline to other more
beautiful women, and “. . .make thee
think thy swan a crow”
Romeo pouts that he’ll attend but have no
fun. insert sad face emoji
An 8 next to a
10 is no longer
an 8

Act I, Scene III.Act I, Scene III.
Lady Capulet asks her daughter,
Juliet, to “check out” Paris as a
potential husband
Juliet complies, but has no
interest in marriage

Act I, Scene IIIAct I, Scene III
We meet Juliet’s nanny, the
nurse, who is especially
protective of her
We also find out that Juliet’s 14th
birthday is approaching –
Lammas Eve Apparently, they
didn’t have
protection against
child marriage.

Act I, Scene IV.Act I, Scene IV.
Romeo, Benvolio, & Mercutio are about to
crash the Capulet party
Romeo vows he won’t have any fun
because he’s depressed about Rosaline’s
rejection:
“I am too sore enpierced with his
[Cupid’s] shaft to soar with his light
feathers. . .under love’s heavy burden do
I sink.”
i.e.- he’s being a party pooper

Act I, Scene IV.Act I, Scene IV.
Romeo begins to tell his pals about an
ominous dream he had
Mercutio mocks him
Romeo rebukes him, and then tells about
his dream, which makes him reluctant to
go to the party

Act I, Scene IVAct I, Scene IV
Romeo feels Fate has
predetermined that some
event tonight will cost him
his life
It’s like he knows!!!

Act I, Scene V.Act I, Scene V.
Lord Capulet begins the
party, inviting all to dance.
Romeo spies Juliet, and
immediately falls heavily in
love with her, instantly
forgetting about Rosaline:

“O, she doth teaches the
torches to burn bright! It
seems she hangs upon the
cheek of night as a rich jewel
in an Ethiop’s ear –Beauty
too rich for use, for earth too
dear!”

Act I, scene 5Act I, scene 5
Tybalt, Lady Capulet’s nephew, spies
Romeo, recognizes him as a Montague,
and prepares to kill him.
Lord Capulet orders Tybalt to “endure”
Romeo’s presence, remembering the
Prince’s decree.
Tybalt obeys, but will seek revenge at
another time:
Tybalt is in no
way a boasting
hot head.

Tybalt remarks after Lord
Capulet has exited:
◦“I will withdraw; but this
intrusion shall, now seeming
sweet, convert to bitt’rest
gall*”

Act I, Scene VAct I, Scene V
The Infatuation
The Kiss
The Enemy

Romeo and Juliet’s attraction is
immediately electric – love at first sight!
Yet, when they kiss they do not know
each other’s identity.
Juliet’s nurse breaks the news to each.
The witch spoiled
a perfectly awful
teenage love
story

Romeo’s reaction:
◦ “Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is
my foe’s debt”
Juliet’s response:
◦ “My only love, sprung from my only hate!...
Prodigious of love it is to me that I must love a
loathed enemy”

Act II, Scene I.Act II, Scene I.
Romeo’s friends go looking for him
They still think he loves Rosaline
Mercutio calls out by teasing about
Rosaline and Romeo hides
After much joking, they give up and go
home.

Act II, Scene I.Act II, Scene I.
Romeo separates from his friends by
jumping over Capulet wall
For Mercutio, love is a physical conquest
Romeo views love as romantic and
spiritual

Act II, Scene II.Act II, Scene II.
Romeo sees Juliet:
“But soft! What light through yonder
window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is
the sun! Arise fair sun and kill the envious
moon”
Rosaline is the moon,
so maybe Romeo is not
as nice as he seems…
Men. Ya can’t live with
them and ya can’t kill
them.

Famous Balcony Scene
Romeo can’t decide to speak or listen to
Juliet.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a
rose by any other name would smell as
sweet…”

Romeo finally responds
He’d rather die than live without Juliet
Juliet questions if their love came too
quickly and easily.
She wants him to prove his love by
proposing marriage!
Gee. Ya
think???
Hypocrite
much?!?

Romeo says he will have the wedding
arranged by 0900.
Goes to Friar to arrange the marriage

Act II, Scene III.Act II, Scene III.
Romeo explains he doesn’t love Rosaline
and now loves Juliet.
◦ “Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set
on the fair daughter of rich Capulet: As mine
on hers, so hers is set on mine.”
Friar Lawrence is the only intelligent one
and tells Romeo he doesn’t understand
true love.

Act II, Scene III.Act II, Scene III.
“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run
fast.”
Decided to marry them to settle feud
between families.
Because someone has to be the adult

Act II, Scene VI.Act II, Scene VI.
After Capulet party, Benvolio and Mercutio
search for Romeo
Mercutio blames Rosaline
Clueless to Juliet

Tybalt has sent letter to Romeo
challenging him to a duel.
He can’t imagine the romantic fight the
fiery Tybalt.
◦ Hubris
Nurse shows up looking for Romeo

Juliet must go to confession before
marriage
Romeo uses rope to climb into Juliet’s
room for their wedding night.

Act II, Scene V.Act II, Scene V.
Juliet waits for nurse to arrive; she’s 3
hours late
Tells parents she’s going to
“shrift”/confession
She needs it. This
child is trouble

Romeo and Juliet meet at Friar Lawrence’s
cell and he beckons them:
“…Come with me… for by your leaves, you
shall not stay alone till Holy Church
incorporate two in one”

Friar Lawrence prays that God will bless
the wedding regardless of what else might
happen
Warns “things” happen fast and often end
as quickly
“These violent delights have violent ends.”
It’s like he
knows!!!

Quick wedding and filled with images of
impending doom
Sure they might die, but hey they’re
married and that’s all that matters, right?
That’s sarcasm! These people are cray
cray!!

Act III, Scene I.Act III, Scene I.
Mercutio and Benvolio are looking for
Romeo, oblivious to the fact he married
Juliet
Here comes Tybalt-looking to fight Romeo
Romeo arrives-happy as ever
Mercutio challenges Tybalt-leading to his
death
Curses both families as he dies

Act III, Scene I.Act III, Scene I.
Romeo believes loving Juliet has made him a
coward
Vows to kill Tybalt-successfully
Benvolio tells Prince exactly what happened
Lady Capulet demands Romeo’s death
Prince Escalus banishes Romeo from Verona
When in reality,
that’s always
been the case

Act III, Scene II.Act III, Scene II.
Juliet is unaware of the deaths
Nurse arrives with rope and tells Juliet the
happenings
Juliet believes Romeo is dead
Inconsolable for his exile-worse than
death
I know exactly whatyou’re thinking…DRAMA QUEEN!!

Act III, Scene III.Act III, Scene III.
Romeo hides in Fr. Laurence’s Room
Romeo-banishment is worse than death
Laurence’s plan-Romeo to go to Juliet
after Capulet’s are asleep
Romeo is to leave before dawn for Mantua
Drama, Drama, Drama

Act III, Scene IV.Act III, Scene IV.
Juliet’s parents believe she is grieving for
Tybalt
She’ll marry Paris in 3 days
Because that’s supposed to cheer her up

Act III, Scene V.Act III, Scene V.
Romeo spends night with Juliet
Juliet refuses to marry Paris
Lord Capulet will disown-his honor is more
important than her happiness
She panics-she’s already married
Pretends to go along with plan and leaves to
go to confession
Again, this child
needs it!

Act IV, Scene I.Act IV, Scene I.
Paris goes to Laurence
Laurence tries to postpone wedding
Juliet arrives for confession
She must avoid marriage or she will kill
herself

Act IV, Scene I.Act IV, Scene I.
Fr. Laurence’s plan:
Juliet must pretend to die
Agree to marry Paris then drink sleeping
potion
She will sleep for 42 hours
She is buried in Capulet tomb

Act V, Scene I.Act V, Scene I.
Romeo has not received letters from Fr.
Laurence
Balthasar brings news of Juliet’s death to
Romeo
Buys Poison from Apothecary-needs the
money
It’s all about the
money, money,
money (insert
singing rhythm)

Act V, Scene II.Act V, Scene II.
Fr. Laurence was quarantined in a house
Could not deliver letter
He must go free Juliet

Act V, Scene III.Act V, Scene III.
Paris and servant go to graveyard
Paris hides to wait and see who comes
Romeo and Balthasar arrive
Paris sees Romeo and believes he is there
to desecrate the tomb-tries to stop him

Romeo says he’s there to kill himself
Paris refuses to leave and fights Romeo
Paris’ servant sees fighting and tells the
guards
Romeo kills Paris
Drinks poison and dies

Fr. Laurence arrives
He finds Romeo and Paris dead
Juliet awake
She realizes he’s dead and stabs herself
Lord Montague arrives and says wife died of
grief
It’s like JoJo
said, “It’s too
little too late”

Lord Capulet and Lord Montague end the
feud
Lord Montague builds pure gold statue of
Juliet

Now isn’t this like such aNow isn’t this like such a
totally romantic story?!?!totally romantic story?!?!
That is most definitely sarcasm. The moral of this lesson,
don’t be a blubbering idiot like Romeo or a drama queen like
Juliet. And no, love does not conquer all, or Heath Ledger
would be alive, tacos would be healthy, and spiders would
not exist.

Romeo and Juliet Summary

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Romeo and Juliet Summary