Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare’s tragic play Romeo and Juliet commences in the midst of a long-standing feud between two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets, and is set in a small town in Italy alongside the Adige River in Verona. The play opens with a street brawl between the servants of the Mon- tague and Capulet as the distaste between the two warring families extends further than just the nobility. The fight is defused by Prince Escalus and he condemns both the families for their long-standing feud and their seemingly never-ending need to turn to violence. Prince Escalus warns that if anyone from either of the two families breaks the peace again, lives will be lost.

Meanwhile the Capulet family plans a feast to introduce their almost fourteen-year-old daughter, Juliet, to a potential suitor named Count Paris. Romeo, a Montague and his friends Benvolio and Mercutio, learn of the party through the mistake of the illiterate servant, Peter. After hearing this Romeo decides to attend the party, disguised, as it is a masquerade ball, hoping to see who he believes is his true love, Rosaline. However, before he can begin his courtship of Rosaline he sees Juliet and it is love at first sight. Initially Juliet is unaware that the person she has just fallen in love with is Romeo, a forbidden Montague, and they share a kiss with one another. However, his identity is soon discovered, and Juliet is saddened. Just as this occurs, Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt recognises the Montagues under their masks and forces them to leave the party. Romeo however, lingers on the property, determined to see Juliet again, after being removed from her company so suddenly. Romeo is granted the opportunity to speak with Juliet when she appears on the balcony outside her room, where they express their love for one another.

Romeo, now intent on marrying Juliet, rushes to see his long-time friend and confidant Friar Lawrence, who agrees to carry out the marriage. He does so as he sees the union a chance to mend the relationship between the two families. The following day, both Romeo and Juliet meet Friar Lawrence and they are married in secret. Juliet’s nurse, also privy to the secret, ar- ranges for a ladder to be placed near Juliet’s balcony so that Romeo can see her on their wedding night.

The following day there is an encounter between Benvolio, Mercutio and Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Tybalt who is still furious about the gate crashing of the party and challenges Romeo to a dual. Romeo, tries to delay the fight as he is now a kinsman of Tybalt due to his marriage to Juliet, however, Mercutio is not pleased with Romeo’s call for peace and begins to fight Tybalt himself.

A battle ensures, and Romeo jumps in between the fighting pair to defuse the battle, only to have Tybalt make contact with Mercutio, ending his life. Romeo in an utter rage retaliates and kills Tybalt. However, Romeo immediately flees the scene and the Prince soon declares that Romeo has effectively been banished from Verona for the rest of his life, as payment for his crimes.

Meanwhile Juliet is in her room and awaiting the arrival of her new husband. The Nurse enters and after a moment of confusion it is revealed that Romeo is the individual responsible for Tybalt’s death. Juliet is initially distraught as she now finds herself married to someone who had murdered one of her kinsmen, but she quickly overcomes this distress and realises that her loyalty lies with her husband Romeo.

Shortly after, Romeo sneaks into Juliet’s room, and their marriage is finally consummated. Morning comes, and the lovers are forced to leave each other, and they have no idea when or whether they will see each other again. Juliet discovers that due to the recent family turmoil she is to be married to Count Paris in less than three days. Confused as to what to do, she asks her Nurse for advice, where she is told that her best option is to pretend that Romeo is dead and marry Paris. Disgusted with her nurse’s disloyalty, Juliet sources out Friar Lawrence and together they devise a plan to have Romeo and Juliet reunited in Mantua, a town near Verona.

The night before Juliet is to marry Paris, she is to consume a poisonous substance that will make it appear as though she has died. The plan then consists of her body being delivered to the family crypt, where she will be reunited with Romeo and they will both be free to escape and live life in the company of each other without the prejudices of their warring families impeding upon their lives.

Juliet returns home after having devised this plan, only to discover that her wedding has been pushed forward one day. As such that night Juliet drinks the poison and is found supposedly deceased by her nurse in the morning, and the plan is set in motion with the grieving Capulet’s sending her body to the family tomb. Unfortunately, the message of the plan never reaches Romeo, the messenger Friar John is confined to a quarantine house and Romeo hears only that Juliet has died.

Absolutely distraught by this news, Romeo heads to an apothecary where he is sold a vile of poison. He then proceeds to travel back to Verona, insistent on taking his life at Juliet’s tomb. When Romeo arrives at the Capulet family tomb, he sees Paris scattering flowers and a fight ensures and Romeo kills Paris, before ingesting the poison and dying next to Juliet after having seen her lifeless body.
 
Almost immediately after, Friar Lawrence arrives to see that Romeo has killed both himself and Paris. Juliet then regains consciousness and realising that Romeo has died, she kisses his poisoned lips, and when this is not sufficient to end her life she drives his dagger into her heart and falls, dead, on top of his body.

The watch soon arrives, followed by the Prince and both the Capulets and Montagues. It is announced that lady Montague has died from the stress of learning of Romeo’s banishment. Both the Montagues and the Capulets, seeing their children’s bodies agree to end the long-standing feud and to have a gold statue erected of their children side by side in the square. Peace is once again restored in Verona.