English 154/180
Harlan
PLOT SUMMARY OF ROMEO & JULIET
Prologue: A narrator called Chorus explains that the play is set in Verona, Italy, where two noble families (Capulets and Montagues), “alike in dignity,” have a long-held feud. Only the deaths of their ill-fated children will resolve the families’ conflict.
I, 1: We first meet Sampson and Gregory, servants of the Capulet family, walking down the street on the lookout for Montagues. Sampson brags about what he will do to his enemies, but Gregory mocks his threats, and soon their conversation turns comical about having their way with the Montague women. When two Montague servants do appear, the Capulet men bite their thumbs as a sign of disrespect but are careful not to insult their counterparts directly. Then one of the young Capulet noblemen, Tybalt, arrives and the Capulet servants feel compelled to start a sword fight. At the same moment a young Montague nobleman, Benvolio, appears and tries to part the combatants. Enraged by his efforts at peace making, Tybalt attacks him. Other members of the two families join the fight, including the two patriarchs Capulet and Montague, over the objections of their wives. At this point Prince Escalus enters and ends the fight. He angrily states that this is the third brawl the feuding families have had and that the next person who starts a fight will lose his life.
Montague asks who started the fight. He and his wife are glad their son Romeo was not in the fight. He has been acting strangely, avoiding company and locking himself in his room. Benvolio has also noticed his friend’s anti-social behavior, and as Romeo approaches Benvolio promises that he will try and find out what is bothering him.
Romeo is melancholy and Benvolio recognizes the symptoms of unrequited love. Romeo readily admits that he is in love. He describes at length how awful love makes him feel and makes him neglect his friends. The lady he is in love with does not return his affection, despite his best efforts. Benvolio urges him to look at other women, whom he offers to show his friend.
I, 2: After meeting with the Escalus, Capulet tells a young nobleman, Paris, who is related to the Prince, that he believes that it should be easy for him and Montague to maintain the peace. Paris wants to marry Capulet’s young daughter, Juliet. Capulet believes she is too young, but Paris is insistent. Capulet says that if Paris can win her love, he will allow the match. To give the young man a chance to start his courtship, he invites Paris to a party that night at his home. He gives a list of those invited to the party to a servant with instructions to contact them, and then he and Paris leave.
The servant cannot read the names and seeks help from two young men who now enter, Romeo and Benvolio. Since the last scene Benvolio has learned that Romeo’s love is a girl named Rosaline. Now while Romeo reads the list of those invited to the party, he sees that Rosaline will be there. The servant, assuming the two men are not Montagues, invites them to come as well. Benvolio urges Romeo to join him at the party in order to see his love in comparison with many of the other beauties of Verona who might be better choices for Romeo’s attentions. Romeo agrees to “crash” the party but only in order to admire Rosaline’s beauty.
1, 3: At Capulet’s home, Lady Capulet asks the Nurse to call Juliet. The Nurse has raised Juliet and is very chatty. When Juliet’s mother asks how old Juliet is, the Nurse tells a long embarrassing story about Juliet as a baby. At three Juliet had fallen and received a bump on her forehead. The Nurse’s husband had laughed and told the little girl that when she “had more wit” she would fall on her back [assume a sexual position] rather than on her face. The little Juliet had agreed. The Nurse finds this story so hilarious she tells it over and over. Lady Capulet finally breaks in and asks Juliet how she would feel about a marriage proposal. She describes Paris as a great catch. The Nurse, who has lost her own daughter and her husband and who dotes on Juliet, is overjoyed at the prospect of this marriage. Juliet, who is only 13, is surprised by the suggestion and promises to consider the offer but not to respond without her parents’ permission. They all leave as the party guests begin arriving.
1, 4: It is night and Romeo, Benvolio and their friends are going to crash the Capulet party. Following the protocol for courtly gentlemen, Romeo wants to have their page deliver a speech upon their arrival, but Benvolio thinks it will be all right for them just to go and dance without any formality. Romeo, playing the part of the melancholy lover, says he is too heavy with sorrow to dance and will just watch and hold a torch.
Romeo’s good friend Mercutio, a kinsman of the Prince, attacks Romeo’s behavior and urges him to dump love if it makes him feel so bad. He wants him to return to his old lively self. Romeo says he is oppressed in addition by a bad dream. Now Mercutio says that Romeo has been visited by Mab, the queen of the fairies. Although tiny, she has all the trappings of royalty including a coach with almost microscopic dimensions. Mab visit humans in their dreams when they are guilty of obsessive behavior such as love, lust, avarice, etc. Mercutio becomes carried away with his exaggerated account of Mab until Romeo stops him. They go on to the party, although Romeo remains disturbed by his dream that something catastrophic is fated to happen to him that night.
1, 5: Capulet plays the genial host at the party, ordering the servants to prepare the banquet room for dancing and urging the ladies to dance. The Montague boys enter wearing masks and begin to mingle. As he said Romeo stands on the sidelines and watches. He sees Juliet for the first time and instantly falls in love. He resolves that when the dance ends he will find her and at least touch her hand. At that moment Tybalt recognizes Romeo and, sure that he has come to mock the Capulets, decides to kill him. Before he is able to act, Capulet intercedes and angrily orders Tybalt not to start a brawl at the party. He observes that Romeo is considered a “virtuous and well-governed youth” throughout Verona. Tybalt is thwarted but promises that he will make Romeo pay for this insult.
In the meantime Romeo, unaware of the threat, has found Juliet and taken her hand. He pretends that he is a religious pilgrim at the shrine of her beauty and begs that she allow him to kiss her. She protests but then finally relents. Before their relationship can develop any further, the guests begin to leave and the lovers are separated. Romeo asks the Nurse who Juliet is and is horrified to learn she is the daughter of his archenemy. Juliet asks the Nurse to find out who the mysterious youth is and is devastated when she learns his identity: “My only love sprung from my only hate.”
II, Prologue: The Chorus confirms what we already know: Romeo’s previous love for Rosaline has been replaced by love for Juliet and the two youngsters must discover how to love each other despite their families’ hatred.
II, 1: Benvolio and Mercutio leave the party and call for Romeo outside. Tipsy with drink Mercutio makes obscene jokes about Rosaline to taunt the hidden Romeo. They finally go home without him.
II, 2: Romeo emerges from hiding, and because he cannot bear to leave he slips into the Capulets’ garden. Juliet comes out onto her balcony, and Romeo likens her to the sun which has killed the envious moon (goddess of virginity). Unaware of his presence below Juliet professes her love for Romeo and asks that he give up his name. If not, she will give up hers. After all, she reasons, it is only his name which is her enemy: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Unable to contain himself, Romeo steps out of the shadows and takes her at her word: “I’ll be new baptized.” She is shocked that she has been overheard by anyone, but Romeo assures her he will change his name for her. She tells him he is in mortal danger from her kinsmen, but he dismisses the threat and says he would risk any danger to win her love. Juliet now realizes she has violated the rules of courtship by revealing her true feelings to the boy first. She offers to take her declaration of love back and play the game of coy denial if he wishes her to. But she will accept his promise of love and will be true, despite her love appearing easily won.
Romeo now plays the conventional lover and tries to swear his love by the moon. But Juliet is no longer interested in the elaborate ritual of wooing. She loves Romeo but she has misgivings about how quickly their love has moved. She suggests they part for a while, and when Romeo protests he has no satisfaction, she asks what satisfaction he expects. (Remember, on Shakespeare’s stage they are physically separated on different levels of the stage.) He asks for a declaration of her love to match his. She reminds him she has already given that before he asked for it. Nevertheless, she reassures him that her love is as “boundless as the sea…The more I give to thee/The more I have.”
The Nurse calls for Juliet from inside, and Juliet goes in, asking Romeo to wait. She quickly reappears and asks Romeo to send word tomorrow when and where he proposes to marry her. The Nurse calls again, and Romeo despairs that he might not see Juliet again that night, but she returns and calls him back. They chat for a while to delay his departure, and Juliet observes, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” When he does leave, Romeo decides to seek help from his spiritual advisor, Friar Lawrence.
II, 3: Friar Lawrence is tending his garden early the next morning. He observes that many of the herbs and flowers serve medicinal purposes for people, while others, even though beautiful to look at, are deadly poison. When Romeo enters the friar guesses from his appearance and the time that Romeo has not been to bed. He immediately guesses that Romeo has been with Rosaline, but Romeo assures him he has forgotten all about Rosaline. He now loves the daughter of his enemy. Rather than being pleased Lawrence accuses the young man of being fickle. Even though the friar has advised Romeo to get over Rosaline, this change in affections is too sudden. Nevertheless, he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet because he hopes it will bring peace to the feuding families.
II, 4: That morning Benvolio and Mercutio look for Romeo on the street. Mercutio blames his love for Rosaline for his friend’s behavior. Benvolio worries that Tybalt has sent Romeo a challenge, but Mercutio declares that Romeo is already dead from love’s excesses of emotion. As for Tybalt Mercutio hates him for his phony style of sword fighting, borrowed from the Italians, and his affected speech, stolen from the French. When Romeo arrives, Mercutio taunts him for his exaggerated suffering for love, evoking many of the famous lovers from literature and ancient mythology. To everyone’s surprise Romeo responds to the gibes in good humor and answers Mercutio barb for barb. Overjoyed by his friend’s transformation, Mercutio ironically declares Romeo to be rid of love: “Is not this better than groaning for love?”
The Nurse enters. Juliet has sent her to get the details of Romeo’s plans for their marriage. Excited about taking part in a clandestine elopement, the Nurse has decided to play the part of a noble lady, despite her obvious shortcomings in speech and manners. She has dressed in an elaborate outfit and has drafted one of the other servants into playing the part of her page and carrying a mask to protect her “pale, delicate complexion.” It is apparent to all that she is pretending to be something she is not, and Mercutio in particular takes great exception to her presence. He mocks her with bawdy references and a suggestive comic song until she loses her temper and further reveals her own social limitations.
Once she is alone with Romeo, the Nurse asks his intentions, and he reveals his plan. Juliet is to get permission to visit Friar Lawrence for confession, and Romeo will meet her there and they will be married. Then that night the Romeo’s servant will deliver a rope ladder to the Nurse who will arrange Romeo’s access to Juliet’s bedroom. The Nurse can’t resist a final “sales pitch” for Juliet as a trophy wife.
II, 5: Back home Juliet waits impatiently for the Nurse’s return. When she does come in, the Nurse deliberately teases Juliet by delaying her message. Exasperated, Juliet pleads with her to reveal Romeo’s message, and the Nurse finally does. She then taunts Juliet’s virginal blushes and mockingly complains that she will have to do all the work while Juliet will get the rewards of the wedding night.
II, 6: At Lawrence’s cell Romeo impatiently awaits Juliet’s arrival. When he comes in they exchange their declarations of unending love. Seeing their passion Lawrence hurries them off to the ceremony.
III, 1: That afternoon on the streets Benvolio urges Mercutio to go indoors to avoid the Capulets who are around looking for trouble in the heat of the day. Mercutio in outrageous humor accuses Benvolio of being the prime troublemaker and instigator of violence. When Tybalt and his friends enter asking for Romeo, Mercutio is deliberately insulting. Then Romeo arrives, and Tybalt in plain language insults him and challenges him to a duel. To everyone’s surprise Romeo answers this provocation with gentle words and refuses to be drawn into a fight. As Tybalt turns to leave, Mercutio, enraged by Tybalt’s apparent victory and his friend’s puzzling behavior, challenges the Capulet. During their fight Romeo reminds them of the Prince’s warning and then tries to physically part them. As he does, Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm and then flees.
At first Mercutio is angry with Romeo and the fact that Tybalt escaped unhurt. He speaks and behaves as he normally does, and so his friends do not at first realize that he has been seriously hurt. He is helped out, calling for a doctor and cursing both Romeo and Tybalt: “A plague on both your houses!” Benvolio soon returns with news that he has died. Romeo cries out that Juliet’s love has made him effeminate. When Tybalt returns, Romeo challenges him and kills him. Now Romeo cries out, “Oh, I am Fortune’s fool!” and flees.
The Prince and citizens, including the Montagues and Capulets, quickly gather. The Prince asks Benvolio to explain what happened, which he does, emphasizing Romeo’s attempts to defuse the violence and downplaying Mercutio’s provocative actions. The Prince spares Romeo life, over the objections of Lady Capulet, explaining that Romeo had avenged his friend’s death. However, he declares that Romeo is banished from the city.
III, 2: Juliet awaits the Nurse’s arrival with the rope ladder that will enable Romeo to spend the night with her. The Nurse returns in shock, and at first she inadvertently suggests that Romeo is dead, then Tybalt. Juliet is in shock, until the Nurse explains what has happened. Juliet’s first reaction is to condemn Romeo, but she quickly forgives him. However, news that he has been banished fills her with despair and she threatens to kill herself. The Nurse leaves to find Romeo to come back and comfort her.
III, 3: Romeo hides in Friar Lawrence’s cell. When he learns that the Prince has banished him from Verona, he is devastated, despite the Friar’s assurance that banishment is a merciful sentence. For Romeo to be separated from Juliet is a form of death, and he rejects all the Friar’s well-intentioned arguments to the contrary: “Thou canst not speak of what thou dost not feel.” When the Nurse brings word that Juliet is in a similar state, Romeo gives way to despair and tries to kill himself. Friar Lawrence now marshals all his arguments to convince Romeo that he should not feel as he does. Romeo is only comforted by a ring that Juliet has sent him with the Nurse. She and the Friar make preparations for Romeo to comfort Juliet that night.
III, 4: While Romeo and Juliet are together, Capulet and Paris talk again. Capulet and his wife are concerned by Juliet’s apparent excessive grief over her cousin Tybalt’s death. Capulet suddenly agrees to Paris’ offer and declares that he and Juliet will be married in three days. He sends his wife upstairs to tell Juliet of his decision.
III, 5: Early the next morning Romeo prepares to leave Juliet’s bedroom. She tries to convince him that it is not yet morning, that he can stay longer. When he declares that he will stay if she wants him to, even though it will mean his death, she tells him to go. They bid farewell, and Juliet has a premonition that this will be the last time they see each other.
Lady Capulet enters and finds Juliet weeping. She assumes it is continued grieving for Tybalt and tries to console her daughter by assuring her that Romeo will pay for his deed. Lady Capulet will send someone to Mantua, where Romeo has fled, to poison him. Lady Capulet tries to cheer Juliet up by telling her the news of her impending marriage to Paris, but Juliet angrily rejects that prospect. When Capulet enters he is quickly enraged when he learns of Juliet’s opposition. He threatens physical violence and declares he will throw her out of the house unless she goes ahead with the wedding. When the Nurse tries to intervene he threatens her as well, and he and his wife leave. The Nurse now advises Juliet to forget Romeo and go ahead with the marriage to Paris. Juliet realizes she is now on her own and goes off to seek advice from the friar.
IV, 1: At Lawrence’s cell the friar is discussing wedding plans with Paris. When Juliet enters, she rebuffs him which he takes as her playing coy. Lawrence sends him away. Weeping Juliet says if the friar cannot help her escape an unwanted marriage, she will kill herself. He asks her what she would be willing to endure to resolve the situation, and she describes the things she fears most and yet would gladly face, including being locked alive in a burial vault. The friar explains that he can give her a potion which will make her appear dead. He will arrange for her entombment in the family vault and will notify Romeo to come and rescue her.
IV, 2: Juliet returns home and asks her father forgiveness. In his excitement about her change of heart, Capulet moves the wedding to the next day, telling his wife he will help finalize all the arrangements.
IV, 3: That night Juliet dismisses the Nurse. Her first concern is that the potion will not work, and she determines to stab herself rather than marry Paris. Then she worries that the potion may be a poison concocted by Lawrence to hide his complicity in the marriage. After deciding he is honest, she then worries that she will awake before Romeo arrives to rescue her and will be locked in the tomb. Filled with terror by that prospect, she nevertheless takes the potion.
IV, 4: The next morning the Capulets rush to complete arrangements for the wedding while they good-naturedly banter among themselves.
IV, 5: The Nurse goes up to awaken Juliet. When she discovers what she assumes is the girl’s body, she pours out her grief, followed in rapid order by Juliet’s parents and Paris. Friar Lawrence arrives and urges that she be entombed quickly because the heavens frown upon the Capulets for some reason. The grief-stricken servants ask the musicians to play something appropriate for the occasion.
V, 1: In Mantua Romeo has dreamed that he died and that Juliet came and restored him to life and happiness. Then Romeo’s servant Balthsar arrives with the news that Juliet has died and been buried. Romeo vows that he will sleep with his wife in her grave. He seeks out a poverty-stricken apothecary and seeks to buy poison from him. Despite the man’s protest that it is a capital offense to sell such drugs, Romeo convinces him that he has no choice and purchases a deadly poison.
V, 2: Lawrence had sent the message to Romeo about the staged death of Juliet by means of another friar. That man was caught in a house that was placed under quarantine and so he was unable to deliver the letter to Romeo and returns it to Lawrence who now rushes to the graveyard to rescue Juliet.
V, 3: At the graveyard Paris arrives to sing an elegy to his dead bride. He hides when he hears someone approaching. He watches as Romeo, filled with passion, tries to break into the Capulet tomb. Assuming Romeo means to desecrate the grave, he challenges him. Despite Romeo’s warning not to interfere, Paris tries to stop him and is killed. Romeo drags Paris’ body into the tomb. He is astounded by Juliet’s beauty even in death. Experiencing a sudden lifting of his spirits, Romeo realizes that he has reached the end of his life’s journey. He takes the poison and dies at Juliet’s feet.
Juliet awakens as Lawrence enters to rescue her. When she asks where her lord is, the friar has to tell her of the accident and urges her to escape now before they are discovered. As the watchmen enter the tomb, Lawrence flees and leaves Juliet to make the same decision Romeo did. When she finds her husband has not left any poison behind, she quickly takes her knife and stabs herself.
The Prince is summoned and soon the Capulets and Romeo’s father arrive. (Romeo’s mother has died in the interim.) The friar is found and tells in details what has happened. The Prince points out how the hatred of their parents has doomed their children. A contrite Capulet and Montague vow that they will cease the feud and will build monuments to honor each other’s children.