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SORIANO, Shakira Mayim M.


Romeo and Juliet

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)


The play is set in Verona, Italy, where a feud has broken out between the families of
the Montegues and the Capulets. The servants of both houses open the play with a
brawling scene that eventually draws in the noblemen of the families and the city
officials, including Prince Escalus.

Romeo is lamenting the fact that he is love with a woman named Rosaline, who has
vowed to remain chaste for the rest of her life. He and his friend Benvolio happen to
stumble across a servant of the Capulet's in the street. The servant, Peter, is trying to
read a list of names of people invited to a masked party at the Capulet house that
evening. Romeo helps him read the list and receives an invitation to the party.

Romeo arrives at the party in costume and falls in love with Juliet the minute he sees
her. However, he is recognized by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, who wants to kill him on the
spot. Capulet intervenes and tells Tybalt that he will not disturb the party for any
amount of money. Romeo manages to approach Juliet and tell her that he loves her.
She and he share a sonnet and finish it with a kiss.

Juliet's Nurse tells Romeo who Juliet really is, and he is upset when he finds out he
loves the daughter of Capulet. Juliet likewise finds out who Romeo is, and laments the
fact that she is in love with her enemy.

Soon thereafter Romeo climbs the garden wall leading to Juliet's garden. Juliet
emerges on her balcony and speaks her private thoughts out loud, imagining herself
alone. She wishes Romeo could shed his name and marry her. At this, Romeo appears
and tells her that he loves her. She warns him to be true in his love to her, and makes
him swear by his own self that he truly loves her.

Juliet then is called inside, but manages to return twice to call Romeo back to her.
They agree that Juliet will send her Nurse to meet him at nine o'clock the next day, at
which point Romeo will set a place for them to be married.

The Nurse carries out her duty, and tells Juliet to meet Romeo at the chapel where
Friar Laurence lives and works. Juliet goes to find Romeo, and together they are
married by the Friar.

Benvolio and Mercutio, a good friend of the Montegues, are waiting on the street
when Tybalt arrives. Tybalt demands to know where Romeo is so that he can
challenge him to duel, in order to avenge Romeo's sneaking into the party. Mercutio
is eloquently vague, but Romeo happens to arrive in the middle of the verbal
bantering. Tybalt challenges him, but Romeo passively resists fighting, at which point
Mercutio jumps in and draws his sword on Tybalt. Romeo tries to block the two men,
but Tybalt cuts Mercutio and runs away, only to return after he hears tha. Mercutio
has died. Romeo fights with Tybalt and kills him. When Prince Escalus arrives at the
murder scene he chooses to banish Romeo from Verona forever.
The Nurse goes to tell Juliet the sad news about what has happened to Tybalt and
Romeo. Juliet is heart-broken, but soon recovers when she realizes that Romeo would
have been killed if he had not fought Tybalt. She sends the Nurse to find Romeo and
give him her ring. Romeo comes that night and sleeps with Juliet. The next morning
he is forced to leave at dusk when Juliet's mother arrives. Romeo goes to Mantua
where he waits for someone to send news about Juliet or about his banishment.

During the night Capulet decides that Juliet should marry a young man named Paris.
He and Lady Capulet go to tell Juliet that she should marry Paris, but when she
refuses to obey Capulet becomes infuriated and orders her to comply with his orders.
He then leaves, and is soon followed by Lady Capulet and the Nurse, whom Juliet
throws out of the room, saying, "ancient damnation" (3.5.235).

Juliet then goes to Friar Laurence, who gives her a potion that will make her seem
dead for at least two days. She takes the potion and drinks it that night. The next
morning, the day Juliet is supposed to marry Paris, her Nurse finds her "dead" in bed.
The whole house decries her suicide, and Friar Laurence makes them hurry to put her
into the family vault.

Romeo's servant arrives in Mantua and tells his master that Juliet is dead and buried.
Romeo hurries back to Verona. Friar Laurence discovers too late from Friar John that
his message to Romeo has failed to be delivered. He rushes to get to Juliet's grave
before Romeo does.

Romeo arrives at the Capulet vault and finds it guarded by Paris, who is there to
mourn the loss of his betrothed. Paris challenges Romeo to a duel, and is quickly
killed. Romeo then carries Paris into the grave and sets his body down. Seeing Juliet
dead within the tomb, Romeo drinks some poison he has purchased and dies kissing

Friar Laurence arrives just as Juliet wakes up within the bloody vault. He tries to get
her to come out, but when she sees Romeo dead beside her, Juliet takes his dagger
and kills herself with it. The rest of the town starts to arrive, including Capulet and
Montegue. Friar Laurence tells them the whole story. The two family patriarches
agree to become friends by erecting golden statues of the other's child.


The ruling house of Verona

• Prince Escalus: Prince of Verona

• Count Paris: Kinsman of Prince Escalus; desires to marry Juliet.
• Mercutio: Another kinsman of Prince Escalus; a friend of Romeo.

The Capulets
• Lord Capulet: Patriarch of the house of Capulet.
• Lady Capulet: Matriarch of the house of Capulet; wishes Juliet to marry Paris.
• Juliet: Daughter of the Capulets; the female protagonist.
• Tybalt: Cousin of Juliet, nephew of Lord Capulet.

Capulet Servants

• Nurse: Juliet's personal attendant and confidante.

• Peter: Capulet servant, assistant to the nurse.
• Samson: Capulet servant.
• Gregory: Capulet servant.


• Lord Montague: Patriarch of the house of Montague.

• Lady Montague: Matriarch of the house of Montague
• Romeo: Son of the Montagues; the male protagonist.
• Benvolio: Cousin and friend of Romeo.

Montague Servants

• Abraham: Montague servant.

• Balthasar: Romeo's personal servant.


• Friar Lawrence (Friar Laurence): a Franciscan friar and Romeo's confidant.

• Rosaline, an unseen character with whom Romeo briefly falls in love before
meeting Juliet.
• Chorus, who gives the opening prologue and one other speech, both in the
form of a Shakespearean sonnet.
• Friar John: Another friar who is sent to deliver Friar Lawrence's letter to
• Apothecary: Pharmacist/druggist who reluctantly sells Romeo poison.



When the play opens, it is nearing mid-morning on a Sunday in July. The main setting
is Verona, a city in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The city is about 65 miles west
of Venice. The ruler of Verona at the time of the legendary Montague-Capulet feud
was Bartolomeo della Scalla, who died in 1304. (In Italian the Scalla name is Scaligeri;
in Latin, it is Scaligerus). Part of the action in the play takes place in Mantua, where
Romeo goes after the Prince of Verona banishes him. Mantua is in the Lombardy
region of Italy, just west of the Veneto region and just south of the Swiss border. The
play ends four days later in Verona, shortly after sunrise.

The climax of Romeo and Juliet is when Romeo kills Tybalt, causing a turning point
that begins with Romeo's banishment and when Romeo, Juliet, and Paris die.

Lessons I learned:

I learned to appreciate the people who surround us. Life is too short. We must make
our best out of it. Don’t loose hopes because God is always be there to guide us to
the right path. Learn how to accept things. The movie shows how tragedy can result
from the intense attraction of young love. It gives a demonstration of the risks of
gang violence. It provides an example of the great weakness of suicide and provides
a warning of the dangers with holding grudges. The story illustrates the unpredictable
outcomes that can come from fighting and it is an example of the unintended
consequences of revenge.