Romeo and Juliet

Act One

Scene One There is a fight between servants of the

Capulet house and the Montague house The fight escalates until the prince gets

involved to enforce peace in Verona Montague, Lady Montague and Benvolio are

worried about Romeo because he has been sad and he isolates himself from others

Romeo is sad about a woman He is in love but Rosaline has decided to live a

life of chastity

Scene Two Capulet is questioned by Paris about Juliet’s

marriage prospects and declares that he wishes to marry her

Capulet believes Juliet is still too young(13), but he will consider Paris’s proposal

Romeo and Benvolio encounter a Capulet servant who has been sent to invite people to a party

The party is a Capulet tradition The servant cannot read, so he asks Romeo

and Benvolio to help him decipher the message

Scene Two Continued Romeo and Benvolio help Peter, and he in turn

invites them to the party so long as they are not Montagues

Benvolio wants to go to the Capulet party to help Romeo shake his sadness

Benvolio believes that if Romeo puts himself out there are looks at other beautiful women he will forget about Rosaline

Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio to the Capulet party

Scene Three Lady Capulet, Nurse, and Juliet are in Juliet’s

room before the party Lady Capulet tells Juliet of Paris’s marriage

proposal Lady Capulet believes this proposal is a good

one and that Juliet should accept it Nurse agrees with Lady Capulet and

reminisces about Juliet as a baby Juliet does not want to get married yet

Scene Four Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio go to the Capulet

party in masks Romeo is still miserable and does not want to dance Benvolio and Mercutio do their best to change

Romeo’s mood, but he still does not want to be at the party

Romeo says, “ I fear too early, for my mind misgives some consequence et hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date with this night’s revels, and expire the term of a despised life closed in my breast by some vile forfeit of my untimely death.”

Romeo is predicting that something bad will happen tonight and it will end with his death

Scene Five Capulet welcomes the masked men to his party Romeo notices Juliet and asks a servant about her

but the servant does not know who she is Tybalt recognizes that Romeo and his friends are

Montagues and confronts Capulet about their presence

Capulet tells Tybalt not to start a fight because they are in Capulet’s home and he has heard that Romeo has a good reputation and does not believe he is there to fight

Tybalt states, “I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall now seeming sweet, convert to bitterness gall.”

Scene Five Continued Romeo flirts with Juliet (they do not yet know

who the other is) “Let lips do what hands do” Romeo and Juliet kiss Romeo learns who Juliet is from Nurse “O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” –

Romeo “If he be married my grave is like to be my

wedding bed.” – Juliet