Romeo and Juliet door William Shakespeare

Act 1 Benvolio tries to stop a fight between Capulet and Montague servants, but is attacked by Tybalt. The prince threatens the death if the families disturb the streets in this way ever again. Romeo has been unhappy, and his parents, Lord and Lady Montegue, discuss this with Benvolio. Romeo reveals to Benvolio that he is in love, but that the girl is rejecting him. Capulet agrees to allow Paris to woo his daughter, Juliet. Learning that Rosaline, the girl Romeo loves, is to be a guest at the Capulet ball, Benvolio suggests that they gate-crash it. Lady Capulet tells Juliet of Paris’s request to marry her and Juliet agrees to consider Paris as a possible husband. Romeo is worried about going to the Capulet ball because of a troubling dream. Mercutio says that the dream was only caused by Queen Mab, who comes to people in their sleep and gives them strange fantasies. Tybalt is angry that Romeo has gate-crashed the ball and threatens revenge. Romeo meets Juliet and they fall in love, but both are later dismayed to learn that they are from rival families.

Act 2 Leaving the party, Romeo hides from his friends and refuses to come when Mercutio calls him. Hiding inside the Capulet’s garden, Romeo sees Juliet at a window and hears her declare her love for him. They express their love for one another and Juliet asks Romeo to send a message the next day telling her when and where they can be married. Romeo visits Friar Lawrence. When Romeo tells him about Juliet, he agrees to marry them because it might help to heal the bitterness between the feuding families. Benvolio tells Mercutio that Romeo has been sent a challenge to a duel by Tybalt, a dangerous fighter. Juliet’s nurse arrives and Romeo asks her to tell Juliet to meet him that afternoon, when the Friar will marry them. When the Nurse finally returns to an impatient Juliet, she passes on Romeo’s instructions. Friar Lawrence warns Romeo about the danger of his sudden love for Juliet, but agrees to marry the lovers in secret.

Act 3 Tybalt comes looking for Romeo, determined to get revenge. When they meet, Romeo refuses to fight him. Angry with Romeo for putting up with Tybalt’s insults, Mercutio challenges Tybalt himself and is fatally wounded. To get revenge for the dead Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt and then flees. The Prince banishes him from Verona. When the Nurse reports that Romeo has killed Tybalt, Juliet grieves for him, but is also distraught at Romeo’s banishment. She asks the Nurse to bring Romeo to her. The Friar unsuccessfully tries to comfort Romeo, who is devastated at being banished. The Nurse arrives to tell him that Juliet wants to see him before he leaves. Capulet tells Paris that Juliet is mourning for Tybalt, but decides that she will marry Paris in three days’ time. At dawn the next day, Juliet makes Romeo leave before he is captured. When told that she is to marry Paris, Juliet refuses and her father angrily threatens to throw her out unless she agrees. The Nurse advises her to go through with marriage to Paris, but Juliet plans to seek help from the Friar.

Act 4 Juliet sees Paris at the Friar’s cell. Realising how desperate Juliet is, the Friar suggests Juliet take a potion to make her seem dead. The Friar will write to Romeo and arrange for him to collect Juliet when she wakes in the Capulet tomb. On the Friar’s advice, Juliet apologises to her father and pretends to agree to marry Paris the following day. Despite imagining the horrors of what might go wrong, Juliet drinks the potion. Hearing Paris arriving for the wedding, Capulet orders that Juliet should be woken up. The Nurse finds Juliet apparently dead. The Friar tries to comfort the mourners as plans are made for her funeral.

Act 5 In Mantua, Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead. Deciding to join Juliet in the tomb that night, Romeo buys poison and leaves for Verona. Friar Lawrence learns that the letter he had sent to Romeo has not been delivered. He rushes off to the tomb. At the Capulet tomb, Romeo is challenged by Paris. They fight, and Paris is killed. Romeo looks at Juliet for the last time, kisses her and drinks the poison. Friar Lawrence enters to find Romeo dead. When Juliet wakes, the Friar tries to explain what has happened, but flees when he hears people approaching. Juliet kisses Romeo and stabs herself. The Friar, under arrest, explains to the Prince what has happened. In their grief, Capulet and Montague make peace.