💔 Romeo & Juliet - Plot Summary

Act 1🔗

In the city of Verona, two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are in a bitter feud. The play opens with a street fight between the servants of both families. The Prince of Verona, Escalus, intervenes and declares that further disturbances will be punished severely. Meanwhile, Romeo Montague is lovesick over a girl named Rosaline. His friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, encourage him to move on.

At a party thrown by the Capulets, Romeo sneaks in with his friends. There, he meets Juliet Capulet. They instantly fall in love, unaware that they belong to rival families. They share a passionate kiss, but soon find out about each other’s identities, which complicates their newfound love.

Act 2🔗

After the party, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet orchard to see Juliet. They speak on her balcony and declare their love for each other, vowing to marry. The next day, with the help of Friar Lawrence, who hopes their union will end the feud, they secretly marry. The excitement fades when Tybalt, Juliet’s hot-headed cousin, challenges Romeo to a duel for sneaking into the party. Romeo refuses to fight since he and Tybalt are now relatives by marriage.

Act 3🔗

Mercutio, angered by Romeo’s refusal, fights Tybalt instead. Romeo tries to stop the fight, but it results in Mercutio’s death. In a fit of rage, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona by the Prince. Devastated, Romeo spends the night with Juliet before leaving. Juliet is heartbroken to learn of Romeo’s banishment. Her parents, unaware of her secret marriage, plan to marry her off to Paris, a wealthy suitor.

Act 4🔗

To avoid the unwanted marriage, Juliet seeks Friar Lawrence’s help. He gives her a potion that will make her appear dead for 42 hours. She plans to take it, then escape to be with Romeo. Juliet drinks the potion, and her family finds her seemingly dead and buries her in the Capulet tomb. Meanwhile, Romeo, unaware of Juliet’s plan, hears that she is dead and returns to Verona, heartbroken.

Act 5🔗

Romeo buys poison and goes to Juliet’s tomb to join her in death. There he encounters Paris, who is mourning Juliet. They fight, and Romeo kills Paris. He then takes the poison beside Juliet. When Juliet awakens, she sees Romeo dead beside her. Heartbroken, she tries to kiss the poison from his lips, but when that fails, she stabs herself with his dagger.

In the end, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet lead the Montagues and Capulets to reconcile and end their feud. Their tragic love story serves as a warning about the consequences of hatred and the power of love.

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Complete the questions below:

1. What are the names of the two feuding families in Verona?
2. Who is Romeo initially in love with at the beginning of the play?
3. How do Romeo and Juliet first meet?
4. Why does Tybalt challenge Romeo to a duel?
5. What action does Romeo take after Mercutio’s death?
6. What plan does Juliet devise to avoid marrying Paris?
7. What happens when Juliet takes the potion given to her by Friar Lawrence?
8. How does Romeo find out about Juliet’s “death”?
9. What is the outcome of the confrontation between Romeo and Paris at the tomb?
10. How do the families of Romeo and Juliet respond to their children’s deaths?

Pick one of the three creative tasks below.

1. Alternate Ending Script: Rewrite the final scene of “Romeo and Juliet” where the characters find a way to escape the feud. Write it as a script, focusing on dialogue between Romeo, Juliet, and their families.

2. Character Diary Entries: Write a diary entry from either Romeo or Juliet’s perspective after they decide to unite their families rather than die. Describe their feelings and thoughts about love and family.

3. Scene Illustration: Create a comic strip or illustration depicting a new ending where Romeo and Juliet successfully convince their families to end the feud. Include dialogue or captions to convey the story.