Very Short Summary
Verona, Italy, Renaissance era. Two wealthy families, the Montagues and Capulets, maintained a bitter feud. At a Capulet ball, young Romeo Montague secretly attended and fell in love with Juliet Capulet.
That same night, Romeo secretly met with Juliet in her garden, where they confessed their love and decided to marry. The next day, with the help of Friar Lawrence, they wed in secret. However, their happiness was short-lived when Romeo's friend Mercutio was killed by Juliet's cousin Tybalt. In a rage, Romeo killed Tybalt and was banished from Verona.
Unaware of her secret marriage, Juliet's parents arranged for her to marry Count Paris. Desperate, Juliet sought help from Friar Lawrence, who gave her a potion to fake her death and sent a message to Romeo explaining the plan. However, the message never reached Romeo, who instead heard news of Juliet's apparent death.
Devastated, Romeo bought poison from an apothecary and went to Juliet's tomb. There, he encountered and killed Paris, then, seeing Juliet's seemingly lifeless body, he drank the poison.
O true apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
When Juliet awoke moments later and found Romeo dead, she took his dagger and killed herself. The grieving Montague and Capulet families, finally understanding the tragic consequences of their feud, reconciled over their children's deaths and erected golden statues in their memory.
Detailed Summary by Acts
Act titles and their division into sections are editorial.
Prologue. Ancient Grudge and Star-Crossed Lovers
In Verona, two noble families, the Montagues and Capulets, maintained a bitter feud that had lasted generations. Their ongoing conflict regularly erupted into violence, disturbing the peace of the city. Against this backdrop of hatred, two young lovers from these warring families were destined to meet and die, their tragic fate sealed by their families' enmity.
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Act 1. Love at First Sight
Street Brawl and Romeo's Love for Rosaline
The story began with a street brawl between servants of the two houses, which quickly escalated into a larger conflict. Prince Escalus, ruler of Verona, intervened and declared that any further fighting would be punishable by death.
Meanwhile, Romeo Montague was suffering from unrequited love for a young woman named Rosaline. His cousin Benvolio found him wandering in a sycamore grove, lamenting his romantic troubles. To help Romeo forget Rosaline, Benvolio suggested they crash a feast at the Capulet house, where she would be present among other beauties of Verona.
The Capulet Ball and First Meeting
At the Capulet feast, Romeo first laid eyes on Juliet, the young daughter of Lord Capulet. Instantly forgetting Rosaline, he was captivated by Juliet's beauty. The attraction was mutual, though both were unaware of each other's identity. Their immediate connection was interrupted by Tybalt, Juliet's hot-headed cousin, who recognized Romeo and wanted to fight him for daring to intrude on the feast. Lord Capulet, however, prevented any confrontation to maintain peace at his celebration.
My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy.
Act 2. Secret Marriage
The Balcony Scene
Unable to stay away, Romeo sneaked into the Capulet garden after the feast. There, he witnessed Juliet on her balcony, confessing her love for him to the night air. Their passionate exchange of vows followed, despite the danger of discovery.
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
Marriage Arrangements and Ceremony
The next morning, Romeo sought help from Friar Lawrence, who agreed to marry the young lovers, hoping their union might end the feud between their families. With the assistance of Juliet's Nurse as messenger, the secret wedding was arranged and performed that same day.
These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.
Act 3. Tragedy Unfolds
Deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt. Romeo's Banishment
The very day of the secret wedding, violence erupted in Verona's streets. Tybalt, still angry about Romeo's presence at the feast, challenged him to a duel. Romeo, now Tybalt's kinsman by marriage, refused to fight. His friend Mercutio stepped in to defend Romeo's honor and engaged Tybalt in combat.
When Romeo attempted to stop the fight, Tybalt fatally wounded Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Enraged by his friend's death, Romeo pursued and killed Tybalt. As chaos erupted, Romeo realized the magnitude of his actions.
O, I am fortune's fool!
Prince Escalus, upon hearing the full story, spared Romeo's life but banished him from Verona on pain of death. The news devastated both Romeo and Juliet. After spending one secret night together as husband and wife, Romeo fled to Mantua, while Juliet remained in Verona, grief-stricken by her cousin's death and her husband's exile.
Juliet's Forced Marriage to Paris
Unaware of his daughter's secret marriage, Lord Capulet arranged for Juliet to marry Count Paris, a noble kinsman of the Prince. When Juliet refused, her father threatened to disown her. Even the Nurse, who had helped arrange her marriage to Romeo, advised her to marry Paris, suggesting that Romeo was as good as dead to her.
Act 4. The Desperate Plan
Friar Lawrence's Solution
Desperate and alone, Juliet sought help from Friar Lawrence, who devised a risky plan. He gave her a potion that would make her appear dead for forty-two hours. During this time, she would be placed in the family crypt, where Romeo, informed by letter, would come to rescue her when she awoke. They would then flee Verona together.
Juliet's 'Death'
Juliet returned home and agreed to marry Paris to placate her father. That night, she took the potion. When her nurse came to wake her for the wedding, she found Juliet apparently dead. The Capulet household erupted in grief, and the wedding preparations were transformed into funeral arrangements. Juliet's body was placed in the family crypt.
Act 5. Fatal Misunderstanding
Romeo's Death
The Friar's crucial letter explaining the plan never reached Romeo in Mantua. Instead, Romeo learned of Juliet's apparent death from his servant Balthasar. Devastated, he bought poison from an apothecary and rushed back to Verona, determined to die beside his wife. At the Capulet tomb, he encountered Paris, who had come to lay flowers at Juliet's grave. They fought, and Romeo killed Paris.
Entering the tomb, Romeo found the seemingly dead Juliet. He drank the poison and died kissing her. Moments later, Friar Lawrence arrived, having learned that his letter had not been delivered. He found Paris's body and entered the tomb just as Juliet was waking up.
Juliet's Death and Reconciliation
Upon discovering Romeo's dead body, Juliet refused to leave with the Friar. After he fled, she kissed Romeo's poisoned lips, hoping to die with him. When this failed to kill her, she took Romeo's dagger and stabbed herself, falling dead across his body. The watch arrived, followed by the Prince, the Capulets, and Lord Montague, who revealed that his wife had died of grief.
Friar Lawrence, apprehended by the watch, explained the entire story. The Prince confirmed his account through Romeo's letter to his father. Faced with the tragic consequences of their feud, the Capulets and Montagues finally reconciled over their children's bodies. Lord Montague vowed to erect a golden statue of Juliet, while Capulet promised to do the same for Romeo.
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!