Romeo and Juliet

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Act 1 Prologue : Building anticipation for audienc

  • The audience are told of a quarrel between two families in Verona 
  • The famailies are the Montegues and the Capulets 
  • The quarrel has become increasingly violent 
  • We learn that the bitterness and fighting will only be ended through the death of montegues son and capulets daughter
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Act 1 Scene 1 : Trouble on the streets of Verona

  • Capulets servants meet servants from the Montegue household and provoke them 
  • Benvolio , a Montegue , aims to keep the peace , but fiery tybalt , cousin to the Capulets arrives and there is afight on the streets of Verona 
  • The fight is stopped by the Prince , who is not pleased about the disturbance 
  • Benvolio recounts the events of the Montegues , who ask where their son Romeo is - he has been keeping himself to himself and Benvolio vows to find out why
  • Romeo reveals to Benvolio that he is in love with a girl (Rosaline) who will not return his feelings. Benvolio advises him to find someone new  
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Act 1 Scene 2 : Juliet's future in balance

  • Paris has come to Juliet's parents to seek her hand in marrage 
  • Capulet suggests she is too young as she is still only 13 , but will consent to the marrage is juliet agrees 
  • Capulet reveals that he will hold a feast that night , which Paris is invited to
  • A servant is sent out with invatations 
  • Benvolio and Romeo come across the servant and Romeo see's Rosaline's name on the list
  • Romeo decides to go to the ball to catch a glimpse of Rosaline , although Benvolio suggets he will see another , more beautiful , woman there 
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Act 1 Scene 3 : Mothers and marriage

  • Lady Capulet is looking for Juliet and meets the Nurse
  • The Nurse talks about her longstanding relationship with Juliet and recalls some memories from her childhood
  • Juliet arrives and ehr mother bluntly begins to talk to Juliet of marrage , suggesting that Paris would make a good match for her
  • Juliet agrees to consider Paris , but only if her parents approve  
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Act 1 Scene 4 : Dreams and misgivings

  • Romeo , Mercutio and the Montegues maken their way to the Capulets feast , with masks and torches
  • Mercutio tries to cheer up Romeo and encourage him to join in and dance
  • Romeo speaks of a dream he has had , which encourages Mercutio to talk of Queen Mab . a fairy who gallops through the night hours. 
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Act 1 Scene 5 : Romeo and Juliet meet

  • The scene opens with great activity as the final preperations are being made for the feast and we see Capulet give a warm welcome to the guests 
  • Romeo see's Juliet for the first time 
  • Tybalt notices Romeo and immidietly wants a fight. Capulet is angry with Tybalt and tells him to behave himself 
  • Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love , later discovering that they belong to the rival families
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Act 2 Prologue

  • The prolouge reminds the audience that Romeo has stopped being infatuated with Rosaline and has found real love with Juliet 
  • It also reminds the audience that Julet returns Romeo's love 
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Act 2 Scene 1 : Searching for Romeo

  • Benvolio and Mercutio are looking for Romeo after the ball 
  • They are still convinced that he is in love with Rosaline 
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Act 2 Scene 2 : The tender meeting of the lovers

  • Romeo has climed the wall into the Capulet's orchard 
  • He sees Juliet at her window and compares her to the sun and the stars 
  • He overhears her declaring her feelings for him and lets her know he is there 
  • Juliet is anxious for his saftey and is embarrassed he has heard what she said. Romeo reassures her of his love
  • They exchange a vow of love and Juliet asks him to arrange for them to be married 
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Act 2 Scene 3 : The Friar becomes part of a secret

  • We meet Friar Laurence and Romeo arrives to ask him to proform his marrage to Juliet 
  • The Friar expresses surprise that Romeo wishes to marry Juliet and comments on the fickle natue of young love 
  • Friar Laurence agrees to conduct the ceremony in effort to unite the warring families 
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Act 2 Scene 4 : Jokes and a warning

  • Benvolio tells Mercutio that Tybalt has sent to challange Romeo
  • Romeo enters ans there is some good-natured banter between them 
  • The Nurse enters looking for Romeo and warns him against deceiving Juliet 
  • Romeo reassures the Nurse of his honerable intentions and enlists her help in getting Juliet to come to confession that afternoon, where he will marry her 
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Act 2 Scene 5 : Juliet waits for news

  • Juliet waits impatiently for the Nurse to return from meeting with Romeo
  • When she arrives , the Nurse torments Juliet by not giving her the news that she wants straight away 
  • The Nurse tells Juliet that Romeo has arranged for them to be marrie and that she will help Romeo into the house for the wedding night 
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Act 2 Scene 6 : A secret marriage

  • Romeo and the Friar await for Juliets arrival at the Friar's cell 
  • Juliet arrivs and the young couple embrace 
  • Juliet reinforces her ture love for Romeo and Friar Laurence leads them away to be married  
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Act 3 Scene 1 : A fatal fight

  • Benvolio and Mercutio are in the street, but Benvolio is anxious not to meet the capulets as he feels sure that there will be another brawl
  • Tybalt enters , looking for Romeo. Mercutio is easily provoked by Tybalt
  • Romeo enters. Tybalt insults him , but Romeo tries to keep things peaceful. This enrages Mercutio even more , and he starts to fight Tybalt. 
  • Romeo tries to come between them to stop fighting , but Mercutio is fatally wounded
  • Romeo is in turmoil as a result of Mercutios death, he turns to Tybalt and kills him. Romeo flees
  • The Prince learns of the details of the fight from Benvolio, Romeo is banished from verona  
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Act 3 Scene 2 : The new bride awaits Romeo

  • Juliet , unaware of the afternoons events , awaits night and the arrival of her new husband
  • The Nurse enters , very upset and confuses Juliet who is led to think Romeo may be dead 
  • The Nurse finally revelas that Romeo has been banished for killing Tybalt 
  • To calm her distraught young mistress , the Nurse promises to go find and bring Romeo to her 
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Act 3 Scene 3 : The Friar restores order and hope

  • Friar Laurence tells Romeo that the Prince has banished him for killing Tybalt 
  • Romeo responds that he might as well be dead 
  • The Friar tries to calm Romeo who feels suicidal 
  • They are interrupted by the Nurse knocking on the door 
  • She tells them that Juliet is in the same emotional state as Romeo 
  • The Friar brings some order to the scene by reassuring Romeo that not everything is lost. Romeo is to spend the night with Juliet then go to Mantua the next morning and await news from the Friar 
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Act 3 Scene 4 : Capulet grief and another hasty we

  • The Capulets discuss with Paris the strenght of Juliets reaction to the news of Tybalt's death
  • They decide that her wedding with Paris should be arranged as soon as possible 
  • Lady Capulet is told to give Juliet the message that the wedding will takeplace in three days 
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Act 3 Scene 5 : A wedding night ends and a wedding

  • The lovers awake and realise that it is day. They both put off the moment of their final seperation 
  • The Nurse arrives with news that Lady Capulet is on her way to see Juliet. Romeo and Juliet part hastily and Juliet has a desp sense of foreboding 
  • Lady Capulet greets weeping Juliet with unexpected news of arrangements for the wedding with Paris 
  • Juliet is devastated and refuses to cooperate 
  • Her enraged father gives her a stark choice : marriage or disinheritance 
  • Juliet looks for guidance and comfort from the Nurse , who tells her to forget Romeo and maeet Paris 
  • Juliet realises that only the Friar , to whom she isn now going, can help her 
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Act 4 Scene 1 : The Friars plan

  • At the Friars cell (room) , Paris seeks advice about his forthcoming wedding. Friar Laurence is worried about his new marrage
  • Juliet arrives. Paris tries to gain an affirmation of Juliet's love but she avoides giving hmi a response. Paris leves juliet with the Friar 
  • Juliet reveals the depth of her despir to Frair Laurence. She produces a knife and decalres that she is ready to kill herself
  • The Friar proposes a plan to fake her death with a specail potion , which will then allow her to escape to Mantua
  • Juliet departs with the drug, as the Friar writes a letter explaining to Romro what is happening 
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Act 4 Scene 2 : Wedding preparations

  • The Capulets are organising the wedding 
  • Juliet returns from Friar Laurence to reveal to her delighted father she will marry Paris 
  • Capulet praises the part played by the Friar and goes to tell Paris the good news 
  • The marriage is brought forward to Wednesday 
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Act 4 Scene 3 : Juliet's act of desperation

  • Juliet is in her bedroom on the eve of her wdding ceremony 
  • She refuses her mother's request for help and also asks the Nurse to leave her 
  • Juliet considers the plan and describes her fears of waking in the tomb before Romeo arrives : she has horrible imaginings of skeletons and corpses 
  • She drinks the potion decisively and falls onto her bed 
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Act 4 Scene 4 : The preparations continue

  • It is three o'clock on the morning of the wedding day ; Capulet and his wife are still up making final preparations 
  • The Nurse is sent to rouse Juliet and ' trim her up ' , as Capulet realises that Paris has arrived
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Act 4 Scene 5 : The Friars potion has its effect

  • The Nurse is unable to wake Juliet , and discovers that the beide to be is apparently dead
  • Lord and Lady Caoulet are overcome with grief 
  • Friar Laurence and Paris are the last to arrive at the grim scene 
  • The family is englufed in misery
  • The wedding is transformed into a funeral as Friar Laurence takes charge of burial arrangements 
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Act 5 Scene 1 : Miscommunication in Mantua

  • Romeo is in Mantua , unaware of the true situation 
  • Balthasar has hurried from Verona to tell him of Juliets death
  • Romeo resolves to return immediately to be with her 
  • He finds an apotheary who supplies him with a deadly poison 
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Act 5 Scene 2 : Friar Laurence's plans fall apart

  • Friar John returns the letter Friar Laurence wrote to Romeo , with the news he was unable to deliver it 
  • Friar Laurence has to rethink his plan 
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Act 5 Scene 3 : A glooming peace

  • Paris visits the Capulet family vault to lay flowers and greive for Juliet 
  • He hides when Romeo and Balthasat approach 
  • Having sent Balthasar away , Romeo breaks into the vault 
  • Paris steps forward to challange Romeo. They fight and Paris is killed 
  • Romeo realises who he has killed and lays Paris besides the 'dead' body of Juliet 
  • Believing Juliet is dead , he takes the poison and dies ' with a kiss ' 
  • Friar Laurence arrives and meets Balthasar , learning Romeo is in the vault
  • He hurries inside to see Paris and Romeo dead. Juliet begins to wake up
  • The Friar hears the sounds of people approching and tries to persude Juliet to leave with him. She refuses. Frightened for his own saftey , the Friar leaves the Vault 
  • Juliet gazes at her dead husband. ther eis no poison left , so she takes Romeo's dagger and stabes herself 
  • The greif produced by the death of the lovers leads directly to the reconciliation of the Montegues and Capulets 
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