ROMEO AND JULIET: FREE STUDY GUIDE / BOOK SUMMARY

LITERARY ELEMENTS

SETTING
The play is set in the thirteenth or fourteenth century in Italy in Verona and Mantua. Much of the
action takes place in Juliet’s house. Two cities of Venice are also mentioned in the play. The
Capulets and the Montagues, the main families of the play, are from noble lineage and wealth;
they dress well, live in fancy surroundings, and are served by many attendants. The play’s basic
setting, therefore, is rich and elegant.

CHARACTER LIST

Major Characters
Romeo
The hero and one of the protagonists of Romeo and Juliet. The son of Old Montague, he is at first
in love with Lord Capulet’s niece, Rosaline. When he goes to a feast given by Capulet, he attends
the feast in a mask, meets Capulet’s daughter Juliet, falls in love with her, and becomes
passionate and impulsive.

Juliet
The heroine and one of the protagonists of the play. She is the thirteen-year-old daughter of
Capulet. She is a happy, romantic, and an innocent girl who falls in love with Romeo.

Friar Lawrence
The person who is responsible for helping Romeo and Juliet. He is a good man with good
intentions.

Nurse
A friend, guide, confidante, and educator of Juliet. She has raised Juliet and is truly fond of her.
She is a realist, who is fond of talking and joking. She often provides comic relief to the play.

Minor Characters
The Montagues
One of the two major families of Verona. They are bitter enemies of the Capulets.

The Capulets
One of the two major families of Verona. They are bitter enemies of the Montagues.

Escalus
The Prince of Verona. He is tired of the fighting in his city and threatens anyone who disturbs the
peace with death.

Paris
A young nobleman and kinsman of the Prince. He is handsome and courteous and favorable to
the Capulets. They arrange for Juliet to marry him since they do not realize she is married to
Romeo.
Benvolio
A nephew of Montague and a friend of Romeo.

Mercutio
A relative of the Prince, who relies on satire and serves as comic relief to the melancholy mood
of Romeo. He is responsible for making the young lovers aware of the practical aspects of love.

Tybalt
Lady Capulet’s nephew, who is quick to anger. He constantly provokes Romeo to fight. In the
end, Romeo kills him.

Friar John
A Friar in the same church as Friar Lawrence. He is sent to deliver a message to Romeo in
Mantua about Friar Lawrence’s plan for the lovers.

Lady Capulet
The young wife of Capulet, who has an ugly temper. She is humbled by the death of her
daughter Juliet.

Lady Montague
The wife of Montague who hates the violence that plagues Verona. When she learns of the
suicide of her son Romeo, she grieves herself to death and becomes another victim of the old
family conflict.

Balthazar
Servant to Romeo.

Samson and Gregory

Servants to the Capulets.

Peter
Servant to Juliet’s nurse. He helps keep the family quarrel alive.

Abraham
Servant to the Montagues. He also helps keep the family quarrel alive.

PLOT

INTRODUCTION

Tragedy as well as comedy deals with a conflict between an individual force

(which may be centered either in one character or in a group of characters
acting as one) and environing circumstances. In tragedy the individual (one
person or a group) is overwhelmed; in comedy the individual triumphs. In
tragedy, as in comedy, five stages may be noted in the plot development: (i)
the exposition, or introduction; (2) the complication, rising action, or growth;
(3) the climax, crisis, or turning point ; (4) the resolution, falling action, or
consequence; and (5) the denouement, catastrophe, or conclusion. Let it not
be thought for a moment that each of these stages is clearly differentiated. As
a rule they pass insensibly into each other, as they do in life. Especially is this
true in a play like Romeo and Juliet, where the weaving of the plot is so close
and compact.

ANALYSIS BY ACT ACT SCENE

I. THE EXPOSITION, OR INTRODUCTION (TYING OF THE KNOT)

Prologue. The Prologue briefly gives the setting and theme of the play and
prepares us for a drama of pathos in which the destiny of two lovers is
determined by fate and external circumstances, rather than by character.

Act I, Scene i. The thread of the feud action is here introduced with the peace-
making Benvolio on the side of the Montagues and the fiery Tybalt on the
Capulet side. The quarrel is suppressed when the Prince enters and, in the
presence of the heads of the two houses which have thrice disturbed Verona's
streets with broils, declares that death will be the penalty if civil peace is again
threatened by their hatred. This warning is a preparation for the tragic climax.
The love action is suggested. The strangeness of Romeo's new mood is
discussed by his parents and Benvolio. When Romeo enters, it is soon
discovered that the cause is unrequited love. Benvolio's determination to
teach Romeo to forget this lady prepares the way for the change in the hero's
feelings in the masquerade scene.

Act I, Scene ii. The entrance of Juliet is prepared for; County Paris is a
claimant for her hand. Romeo consents to attend the Capulet masquerade. In
the chance meeting of Romeo and Benvolio by the servant as he sets out to
invite guests to the feast may be read the significance of the part played by
accident in determining the outcome of the play.

Act I, Scene iii. Juliet is introduced. Lady Capulet announces to her daughter
in the presence of the garrulous nurse that Paris is seeking her in marriage
and that she is to meet him that night at the feast.

Act I, Scene iv. Mercutio joins with Benvolio in urging the reluctant Romeo to
forget his sad love affair and to enter into the spirit of the feast. The scene
ends with a vague foreboding of the consequences hanging on the night's
events. The complete mastery of fate over the destiny of these star-crossed
lovers is emphasized in Romeo's helpless cry: "But He, that hath the steerage
of my course, direct my sail" (lines 112-113).
II. THE COMPLICATION, RISING ACTION, OR GROWTH (TYING OF THE
KNOT)

Act I, Scene v. The feast is on. Romeo catches sight of Juliet and immediately
is in love with her. Already the counteracting forces are at work. Tybalt, the
chief antagonist, hearing his voice, recognizes him and is enraged that a
Montague should dare attend a Capulet feast. He leaves the hall with a
determination to punish this intrusion. This is the motive to the complication of
the feud action. Romeo and Juliet meet, love at sight, and part; and the
dramatic entanglement has begun.

Act II, Scene i. This scene explains Romeo's presence in the next. Mercutio's
observations about Rosaline and love in general show that his companions
know nothing of the change in Romeo.

Act II, Scene ii. By a masterly device the usual delays attending lovemaking
are removed and the dramatic interest and entanglement intensified. By
chance, again, Juliet in her confession of love to the heavens and the night is
overheard by her lover himself, and he comes to her call. In this, the
famous balcony scene, the lovers plan marriage. Through the scene are
scattered presentiments of evil.

Act II, Scene iii. The soliloquy of the Friar reflects the doom that awaits the
love of Romeo and Juliet, while his knowledge of herbs prepares us for his
later intrigue. He promises reluctantly to officiate at a secret wedding and sees
in this union a possible reconciliation between the hostile houses. The scene
ends with the significant words : "Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast."

Act II, Scene iv. The first part of this scene, where it is revealed that Tybalt
has sent a challenge to Romeo, prepares us for the crossing of the feud
action and love action. It also furnishes an opportunity for Mercutio to express
his disdain of Tybalt. The second part completes the arrangement for the
marriage.

Act II, Scene v. After suspense to which the Nurse's garrulity gives humorous
relief, Juliet wrings from her the message sent by Romeo.

Act II, Scene vi. The marriage rite is performed, but even this joyous scene is
not without its warning (lines 9-10):

These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die.
III. THE CLIMAX, CRISIS, OR TURNING POINT (THE KNOT TIED)

Act III, Scene i. The threads of the feud action and the love action cross each
other. Tybalt in seeking out Romeo comes upon Mercutio, who exchanges
daring words with him. By chance, Romeo comes that way. Tybalt calls him
"villain," but he controls his anger at this insult out of respect to his secret new
alliance with a Capulet. The hot-blooded Mercutio is angered at what seems
to be a vile submission and takes up the fight. Romeo and Benvolio come
between them, but Tybalt strikes Mercutio a last revengeful blow and then
runs off. The blow is fatal and the death of his friend rouses Romeo to
revenge. Tybalt comes back in triumph but £oon is the victim of death at the
hands of Romeo. Citizens and members of the two houses gather. The Prince
hears an account of what has taken place and Romeo is sentenced to
banishment.

IV. THE RESOLUTION, FALLING ACTION, OR CONSEQUENCE (THE

UNTYING OF THE KNOT)

Act III, Scene ii. Juliet is told of her cousin's death and her husband's
banishment. After she has become almost distracted with confusion and
despair, the Nurse finally says that she knows where Romeo is hid, and goes
to take him a ring from Juliet and ask him to come that night to take his last
farewell.

Act III, Scene iii. When Romeo hears his sentence of banishment he gives
way to despair. What the philosophy of Friar Laurence fails to do in the way of
comfort is effected by the message from Juliet. The Friar warns him to depart
by break of day for Mantua and promises to keep him informed of happenings
in Verona.

Act III, Scene iv. The action of the Paris love suit begins to take definite
shape. Capulet sets the following Thursday as the wedding day of his
daughter and the county.

Act III, Scene v. The lovers bid farewell and the shadow of the tragic
catastrophe falls on their parting words. Hardly has Romeo escaped, when
Lady Capulet comes in to tell Juliet of the wedding to take place on Thursday.
The enmity of the family now concentrated on Romeo as the slayer of Tybalt
makes it impossible for Juliet to confess her marriage. She pleads for time,
but her angered father bursts forth in abuses, her mother turns a deaf ear, and
even the Nurse fails her in her time of greatest need. Her only hope is in the
Friar and to him she resolves to go.

Act IV, Scene i. Juliet shows wonderful self-control in her meeting with Paris
at the Friar's cell, but after he has gone her anguish finds full expression. The
Friar suggests a daring intrigue by which Juliet shall take a drug that will make
her appear dead for forty-eight hours. This will relieve her from her marriage
to Paris and will afford an opportunity for Romeo to take her shortly away to
Mantua.

Act IV, Scene ii. Capulet, regardless of his daughter's feelings, is insistently
making preparations for the marriage, but she is just as determined and far
more skillful in thwarting his purpose. She feigns willing submission and
seems eager for the day.

Act IV, Scene iii. After cheerfully attending to the preparations for her
wedding, Juliet asks to be left alone for the night that she may pray. In spite of
terrifying misgivings and fears, she drinks the potion. The intrigue of the Friar
is begun.

Act IV, Scene iv. A scene of irony and suspense. The household is astir
preparing the trappings of the feast, the bridegroom is at hand, but the bride
cannot be found.

Act IV, Scene v. The Friar's intrigue seems to be succeeding. The drug has
produced the semblance of death and the wedding feast is turned into a
funeral. The merry talk of Peter and the musicians gives relief and is a
reflection of the insincerity and lack of true feeling in the Capulets' attitude
toward their daughter.

Act V, Scene i. The scene shifts to Mantua. Irony and ominous foreboding are
found in Romeo's cheerful thoughts, caused by a strange dream. When
Balthasar brings him news of Juliet's burial, but no word from the Friar, the
audience realizes that there has been some dangerous mistake in the
carrying out of the intrigue. After Romeo has determined to be with Juliet that
night in the monument, and has, by bribing a poverty-stricken apothecary,
procured the means in the shape of an instant-working deadly drug, all seems
lost — yet a slight hope remains that chance will intervene and avert the tragic
end.

Act V, Scene ii. The flaw in the carrying out of the Friar's plan is explained.
Again accident has proved the enemy of the lovers, for just as the messenger
was about to depart for Mantua, the doors of the house at which he stayed
were sealed because of the pestilence. As Friar Laurence hastens to the tomb
to be present when Juliet awakes, there is a hope that he may arrive in time to
meet Romeo and stay his death.

V. DENOUMENT, CATASTROPHE, OR CONCLUSION (THE KNOT

UNTIED)

Act V, Scene iii. Chance is hostile to the end and drags down not only the two
lovers but Paris as well. After this tragic ending of the love action and the feud
action, the Friar explains the marriage and intrigue. His words are
supplemented by the letter that Romeo leaves with Balthasar. At last the
family feud is ended by the death of the star-crossed lovers.

POINT OF VIEW
Romeo and Juliet actually uses both first person and third person points of view.
... The Chorus or Prologue introduces the story in the beginning in first person to
the audience and the Prince concludes it at the end in first person. The entire middle
part of the story however is told from a third person point of view.

CONFLICT
The major conflict in Romeo and Juliet is not between the two main characters,
but between their families, the Montagues and the Capulets. All of the other
problems in the plot stem from this feud, and the two lovers must keep their love a
secret and go to great lengths to fight the greater forces against them.