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Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Background
The background to the Romeo and Juliet play by William Shakespeare is give in a chorus at the start of the play. This explains that the story concerns the Montagues and the Capulets, two noble families of Verona, who have feuded for many generations.
Here is a summary of the Romeo and Juliet play. This summary is based on that provided by Wikipedia.com. This page of the web site is therefore copyleft, meaning that you may use this material, either as it stands or by editing, but you may not copyright it and claim it as your own. Should you use it, it should be clearly shown as copyleft.
Act I
The Romeo and Juliet play starts with a typical street brawl between the two families, started by their servants and put down by the Prince of Verona. The Prince declares that the heads of the two families (known simply as "Montague" and "Capulet") will be held personally accountable (with their lives) for any further breach of the peace, and disperses the crowd.
Paris, a young nobleman, talks to Capulet about marrying his thirteen-year-old daughter Juliet. Capulet demurs, citing the girl's tender years, and invites him to attract the attention of Juliet during a ball that the family is to hold a day later. Meanwhile Juliet's mother tries to persuade her young daughter to accept Paris's wooing during their coming ball. Juliet does not want Paris, but, being a dutiful daughter, accedes to her mother's wishes.
This scene also introduces Juliet's nurse, the comic relief of the play, who recounts a bawdy anecdote about Juliet at great length and with much repetition.
In the meantime, Montague and his wife fret to their nephew Benvolio about their son Romeo, who has long been moping for reasons unknown to them. Benvolio promises Montague that he will try to determine the cause. Benvolio queries Romeo and finds that his melancholy has its roots in his unrequited love for Capulet's niece, a girl named Rosaline (an unseen character).
Romeo is infatuated but laments that she will not "ope her lap to saint-seducing gold." Benvolio tries to snap Romeo out of his dark mood, to no avail: despite the good-natured taunts of his fellows, including the witty nobleman Mercutio (who gives his well known Queen Mab speech), Romeo resolves to attend the masque at the Capulet house, relying on not being spotted in his costume, in the hopes of meeting up with Rosaline.
Romeo attends the ball as planned, but he does not see Rosaline and falls instead for Juliet. They proclaim their love for one another with their "love sonnet".
Tybalt, Juliet's hot-blooded cousin, recognizes Romeo under his disguise and calls for his sword. Capulet, however, speaks kindly of Romeo and, having resolved that his family will not be first to violate the Prince's decree, sternly forbids Tybalt from confronting Romeo. Tybalt stalks off in a huff. Before the ball ends, the Nurse identifies Juliet for Romeo, and (separately) identifies Romeo for Juliet.
Act II
Emboldened, Romeo risks his life by remaining on the Capulet estate after the party breaks up, to catch another glimpse of Juliet at her room, and in the famous balcony scene, the two eloquently declare their love for each other. The young lovers decide to marry without informing their parents, because they would undoubtedly disallow it due to the hate between the clans and the planned union between Paris and Juliet.
Juliet sends the nurse to find Romeo. Accompanied by one Peter, who carries her fan, the nurse exchanges some spicy raillery with the bawdy Mercutio.
With the help of Juliet's Nurse and the Franciscan priest Friar Lawrence, the two are wedded the next day. Friar Lawrence performs the ceremony, hoping to bring the two families to peace with each other through their mutual union.
Act III
Events take a darker turn. Tybalt, still smarting from the incident at the Capulets' ball, meets up with Romeo and attempts to provoke a sword fight. Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt because they are now kinsmen - although Tybalt doesn't know it, as he doesn't yet know that Romeo has married Juliet.
Mercutio, who is also unaware of the marriage, is incensed by Tybalt's insolence - and Romeo's seeming indifference - and takes up the challenge himself. In the ensuing swordplay, Romeo attempts to allay Mercutio's anger, momentarily placing his arm around him.
By doing so, however, Romeo inadvertently allows Mercutio to be fatally wounded by Tybalt. Mercutio dies, wishing "a plague on both your houses." Romeo, in his anger, slays Tybalt. Although under the Prince of Verona's proclamation Romeo (and Montague and Capulet, as well) would be subject to the death penalty, the Prince instead fines the head of each house, and reduces Romeo's punishment to exile in recognition that Tybalt had killed Mercutio, who had not only been Romeo's friend but a relative of the Prince. Romeo flees to Mantua after attempting to see Juliet one last time.
Just after Romeo leaves Juliet's bedroom unseen, Capulet breaks the news to his daughter Juliet that he has agreed to fix the date of Paris and Juliet's wedding as three days hence, to console her perceived mourning for Tybalt, although it's Romeo's exile she is upset about. Unwilling to enter this arranged marriage, telling her parents that she will not marry, and when she does, "it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate." Capulet flies into a rage.
Act IV
Friar Lawrence, a dabbler in herbal medicines and potions, gives Juliet a potion and a plan: the potion will put her in a death-like coma for two and forty hours; she is to take it before her marriage day, and when discovered dead, she will be laid in the family crypt. Meanwhile, the Friar will send a messenger to inform Romeo, so that he can rejoin her when she awakes.
The two can then leave for Mantua and live happily ever after. Juliet takes the potion, and things proceed as planned.
Act V
The Friar's messenger is unable to reach Romeo due to Mantua being under quarantine, and Romeo learns only of Juliet's supposed "death" through a family servant. Grief-stricken, he buys some strong poison, returns to Verona in secret, and proceeds to the Capulets' crypt, determined to join Juliet in death.
Upon arrival he encounters Paris, who has also come to mourn privately for his lost love. After killing Paris in a duel, Romeo drinks the poison after seeing Juliet one last time, exclaiming: "O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.." (Act 5. Scene III) Friar Lawrence then arrives and, entering upon the room, finds the dead bodies of Romeo and Paris. It is at this point that Juliet awakes and, seeing the surrounding death, seeks answers. Friar Lawrence, afraid of being apprehended by the city guards, urges Juliet to flee with him. Knowing all is lost, she replies to the Friar's offer with "Go, get thee hence, for I will not away." (Act 5. Scene III) Juliet cannot imagine a rewarding life without Romeo and so she stabs herself fatally with his dagger. The two lovers lie dead side by side, devoted until the last breath of life.
Romeo, Juliet, and Paris are found dead shortly thereafter by a squire, who runs off to alert others. As word spreads throughout Verona about the deaths, the two feuding families and the Prince converge upon the tomb. They are horrified to find Romeo, Juliet, and Paris all lying dead, and Friar Lawrence (who has hurried to the crypt but is too late to prevent the tragedy) reveals to them the love and secret marriage of Romeo and Juliet.
The feuding families are reconciled by their children's deaths and agree to end their violent feud, as explained by the prologue. The play ends with the Prince saying, "A glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished; For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
This summary is based on that provided by Wikipedia.com. This page of the web site is therefore copyleft, meaning that you may use this material, either as it stands or by editing, but you may not copyright it and claim it as your own. Should you use it, it should be clearly shown as copyleft.
