PLOT OVERVIEW
The plot of Romeo and Juliet revolves around Romeo from the Montague family and Juliet from the Capulet family. These two families have hatred towards each other and are told by Prince Escalus that if either one of the families spill each other's blood, they would be punished by death.
Capulet, father of Juliet, chooses Paris to marry Juliet but a period of two years of waiting is agreed for Juliet to mature before they marry. Capulet then holds an exquisite ball where Lady Capulet tries to ask the nurse to persuasively convince Juliet to accept the courtship from Paris. Meanwhile, Benvolio, cousin of Romeo and Montague's son, asks Romeo to sneak into the ball as an escape to get over his depression with his former love, Rosaline. At the ball, Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time and immediately fall in love however, they soon both find out that their families are sworn enemies. After confessing their love to each other, they decide to secretly marry the following day.
Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, is angry at Romeo as he found out that Romeo had snuck into the ball. To express his anger, he challenges Romeo to a duel who rejects. Mercutio, a friend of Romeo, accepts the duel in his place. Romeo then tries to break the fight but Tybalt had already killed Mercutio. Furious, Romeo seeks revenge and kills Tybalt. Romeo is then exile by Prince Escalus and is sentenced to death if he ever steps foot in Verona. Romeo spends his last day with Juliet where they consummate their marriage.
The next day, Juliet's father arranges Paris to marry her but will disown her if she refuses. She pleads with her mother to delay the wedding but Capulet does not approve. Desperate, Juliet asks Friar Laurence, a friar of the Order of Saint Francis, for help in which he offers her a drug which will put her to a deathlike coma for two days and forty hours as an escape plan to run away with Romeo whilst her family will think that she is dead. He then promises to send a messenger to inform Romeo of the plan so he can reach her when she awakens. The night before the wedding of Paris and Juliet, she consumes the drug and is discovered 'dead'. She is then laid to rest in the family crypt.
On the way to deliver the message to Romeo the messenger, Balthasar, sees Juliet being carried to the family crypt and assumes that she is dead. Romeo unfortunately does not receive the message of the plan and experiences grief as he finds out the she is dead. Paris meets Romeo at the crypt and had argued which led to a fight to which Paris dies. To end Romeo's pain of the death of his loved one, he drinks poison and dies next to Juliet. However, she wakes up from the drug to find her beloved one dead. Juliet then stabs herself and dies. Both families find all three bodies in the crypt and vow to end the hate between both families.
Capulet, father of Juliet, chooses Paris to marry Juliet but a period of two years of waiting is agreed for Juliet to mature before they marry. Capulet then holds an exquisite ball where Lady Capulet tries to ask the nurse to persuasively convince Juliet to accept the courtship from Paris. Meanwhile, Benvolio, cousin of Romeo and Montague's son, asks Romeo to sneak into the ball as an escape to get over his depression with his former love, Rosaline. At the ball, Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time and immediately fall in love however, they soon both find out that their families are sworn enemies. After confessing their love to each other, they decide to secretly marry the following day.
Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, is angry at Romeo as he found out that Romeo had snuck into the ball. To express his anger, he challenges Romeo to a duel who rejects. Mercutio, a friend of Romeo, accepts the duel in his place. Romeo then tries to break the fight but Tybalt had already killed Mercutio. Furious, Romeo seeks revenge and kills Tybalt. Romeo is then exile by Prince Escalus and is sentenced to death if he ever steps foot in Verona. Romeo spends his last day with Juliet where they consummate their marriage.
The next day, Juliet's father arranges Paris to marry her but will disown her if she refuses. She pleads with her mother to delay the wedding but Capulet does not approve. Desperate, Juliet asks Friar Laurence, a friar of the Order of Saint Francis, for help in which he offers her a drug which will put her to a deathlike coma for two days and forty hours as an escape plan to run away with Romeo whilst her family will think that she is dead. He then promises to send a messenger to inform Romeo of the plan so he can reach her when she awakens. The night before the wedding of Paris and Juliet, she consumes the drug and is discovered 'dead'. She is then laid to rest in the family crypt.
On the way to deliver the message to Romeo the messenger, Balthasar, sees Juliet being carried to the family crypt and assumes that she is dead. Romeo unfortunately does not receive the message of the plan and experiences grief as he finds out the she is dead. Paris meets Romeo at the crypt and had argued which led to a fight to which Paris dies. To end Romeo's pain of the death of his loved one, he drinks poison and dies next to Juliet. However, she wakes up from the drug to find her beloved one dead. Juliet then stabs herself and dies. Both families find all three bodies in the crypt and vow to end the hate between both families.
SOURCES
Text from Shakespeare report (assignment)