ROMEO AND JULIET

 SUMMARY

As the play opens, a brawl breaks out between both of the noble families', the Montagues and the Capulets. Benvolio tries to stop the fighting, but is involved when Tybalt arrives on the scene, Benvolio being a Montague, and Tybalt a Capulet. Soon enough the ruler of Verona, Prince Escalus, theatens both families by stating death will be enflicted upon any other individual who disturbs peace in the future. Later on Benvolio runs into his cousin, Romeo, son of Montague. Romeo confides that he is in love with Rosaline, but Rosaline does not return the affection. Benvolio tries to convince Romeo that there are other, more beautiful women out there, but Romeo is still heart-broken. Meantime, a kinsman of the Prince, Paris, is asking for Capulets daughter, Juliet, hand in marriage. Lord Capulet is ever so excited, but wants Paris to wait two years, for Juliet is only 14. Capulet does want Paris to win Juliet's heart though, so he sends a servant out to invite a list of people to a masquerade, where he convinces Paris that Juliet will fall in love for him there. Romeo and Benvolio, still discussing the matters of Rosaline, run into the Capulet's servant with the invite list. Benvolio suggests to Romeo that they shall go to the feast, so Romeo can see how many other beautiful women there are out there, and Romeo agrees to go, but only because he sees Rosaline's name on the list. The feast begins and Romeo, Benvolio, and their clever friend Mercutio sneak into the Capulet's house. Once inside, Romeo notices Juliet from afar and instantly falls for her, and is completely hypnotized by her beauty and dancing. Tybalt notices Romeo, and is outraged and ready to fight, but Capulet holds him back. Soon enough, Romeo speaks to Juliet and they instantly fall in love with each other, and kiss. Not knowing each other's names, Romeo figures out from Juliets nurse that she is the daughter of Capulet, and he becomes very upset. As Juliet learns she kissed the son of Montague, she becomes equally upset. Unable to stop thinking about Juliet, Romeo, after the feast, leaves Benvolio and Mercutio and leaps over the Capulet's orchard. He spots Juliet in a window and hears her speak his name. As Romeo calls out to her, they both exchange how they love each other. Romeo hurries to see Friar Lawrence and asks the Friar to marry Juliet and himself. Friar Lawrence believes their marriage will end the age old feud between the two families, and the next day, he marries the two lovers. The nurse, who has known about the secret all along, gets a ladder for Romeo to climb into Juliet's window for their wedding night. The next day, Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybalt, who is still enraged that they snuck into the feast. Tybalt wants to challend Romeo to a feud, and Romeo begs Tybalt to understand why he doesn't want to fight. Mercutio, enraged at Romeo's beg for peace, says he will fight Tybalt himself. Romeo tries to stop the two, but Tybalt kills Mercutio under Romeo's arm, and Romeo proceeds to kill Tybalt. The Prince declares Romeo forever banished from Verona, and Friar Lawrence arranges for Romeo to spend his wedding night with Juliet before he has to leave for Mantua. Juliet awaits in her room for Romeo, when the nurse enters to tell Juliet that Romeo has killed her kinsman, Tybalt. Juliet is sad to hear this, but realizes she belongs with her love, Romeo. Romeo sneaks into Juliets chamber that night, and the two make love, and the following morning they bid farewell. Juliet finds out that her father decides to let Paris marry Juliet in just three days, and Juliet asks her nurse for advice. Disgusted at listening to her nurse tell her to pretend that she never married Romeo, and to go on and marry Paris, Juliet runs to Friar Lawrence for poison to make her appear dead, for not to marry Paris. The Friar concocts a plan for the two to meet in Mantua, and as Juliet is put in her family's crypt, the Friar will retrieve her, and she will be free to live with Romeo. Juliet goes home and drinks the potion, and the nurse discovers her, apparently dead the next morning. The Capulets grieve and Juliet is put in the crypt as planned. Romeo hears of her death from another source, and makes the decision to buy a vial of poison from an Apothecary, and then hurries back to Verona to take his life beside where she lay. Romeo comes upon Paris, who is putting flowers on her grave, and Romeo kills him. Romeo then proceeds to go into her tomb and drink the poison, and dies beside her. Juliet then awakes and the Friar comes down to tell Juliet to leave with him, but Juliet refuses. Juliet sees her beloved Romeo, and kisses his lips, and then buries his dagger into her chest. Montague declares that Lady Montague has died from the grief of Romeos death, when they enter upon the site, and Lord Capulet and Montague agree to end their life long feud, and commit to a peaceful Verona.