Engage
My initial reaction to this play was that I do not understand this what-so-ever. I thought this mostly because it was written with words and phrases we do not use any more. For example: thou, hence, for my short date of breath, hither, and writ. All of these are very confusing.
Describe
Once we went over what this play is really about I started to understand. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet starts off in the streets of Verona; in Verona there are two families that have despised each other for a long time: the Capulets, and the Montagues. Now the Capulets and the Montagues are always getting into fights, sword fights that is, and the prince was starting to get angry with them for disturbing his streets so much. So finally the prince decided to punish anybody that sword fights again. After the prince leaves Romeo comes walking into town really sad because the lady he loves is a nun. Everyone has been trying to cheer him up but it wasn't working until Mercutio convinced him to go to a Capulet party, secretly (because they are Montagues). This Capulet party wasn't any ordinary party it was a party that only invited single women and men; kind of like a blind date for whoever went. So when Romeo and Mercutio arrived right away Romeo spotted a lovely girl (whose name was Juliet). Of course Romeo went right over to talk to her not knowing that she was a Capulet, and it was love at first sight. After Romeo left Juliet and Romeo soon figured out that their families hated each other, "My only love, sprung form my only hate!"
Later that night after the party was over Romeo snuck off into the Capulet's orchard right outside Juliet's balcony just so he could see her again. Once Juliet noticed him they started talking about there love for each other. Eventually Juliet challenges Romeo's love for her; if Romeo has them married that day then she will know he loves her, but if he doesn't she will know he doesn't love her. So Romeo sets off to Friar Lawrence's cell (the priest) to ask for him to marry them that day. Finally Friar agree's and all Romeo needs to do now is tell somebody to give the word to Juliet. When Juliet finds out that they will be married she runs down to Friar Lawrence's cell as fast as she can, because she knows he loves her.
The next day in Verona Romeo (Montague) runs into Mercutio (Montague) who has run into Tybalt (Capulet). Romeo see's that Mercutio is taunting Tybalt so Romeo tries to break them up but Mercutio doesn't listen. This taunting eventually turns into a dual, Mercutio vs. Tybalt. Romeo is still trying to break them up (mostly because of the prince's rule), but they just won't listen. After a while Tybalt stabs Mercutio without anybody really seeing it and Tybalt walks away because he doesn't want to get in trouble. Mercutio then says, "I am hurt. A plague a' both houses! I am sped! Is he gone and hath nothing?" But nobody believes Mercutio and everybody thinks that he is joking, until Benvolio pronounces that he is dead. This makes Romeo furious, so Romeo grabs a sword and runs after Tybalt to fight for revenge. Once he finds Tybalt they start fighting right away, and eventually Romeo ends up killing Tybalt. Romeo runs and hides realizing what he has done, and Benvolio is left to tell the prince the story. The prince ends up punishing Romeo by banishing him from the city of Verona; which means he is pretty much banished from his wife Juliet. When the nurse hears of this terrible news she right away goes to tell Juliet. Juliet is devastated by the news; her cousin is dead (Tybalt) and her husband banished. Her dad, Lord Capulet takes this as she will not be seeing Romeo again so he asks Paris to marry Juliet. This makes Juliet even angry and more depressed because she doesn't like Paris and she can't disobey her fathers commands, so she decides to go to Friar for help.
When Juliet arrives at Friar Lawrence's cell she tells Friar that she needs advice soon otherwise she will kill herself just so she doesn't have to marry Paris. So the Friar says, "...If, rather than to marry County Paris, thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, then is it likely thou wilt undertake a thing like death to chide away this shame, that cop'st with death himself to scape from it; and, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy." This is saying that he has a solution to getting out of the shame of marring Paris instead of killing herself. Friar hands Juliet this vile filled with a special juice from flowers that puts Juliet in something similar to death (like a coma) for a certain amount of time. Friar then tells her to take the vile on the night before the wedding (which is two days away), and he will send a letter to Romeo of the plan that they have. When Juliet gets back she sees her father is working hard to get her wedding prepared. Juliet, secretly says her goodbye's to her mother, father, and nurse for the few days she will be gone. Juliet also apologizes to her father for denying his commands. This makes Lord Capulet so happy that he moves the wedding a day earlier, which messes up the letter that Friar is going to send to Romeo. That night when Juliet gets some time alone she says one last prayer and drinks the vile. The next morning the nurse goes to wake her for her wedding and finds Juliet "dead". She calls Juliet's parents to the bedroom to see what she has found. When Juliet's mother and father see that she is "dead" they all mourn together over Juliet's bed. So instead of a wedding they plan a funeral for her that day and Juliet is then put in the Capulet's family tomb.
Romeo is now staying in the town of Mantua after he was banished. He still hasn't heard anything from Friar or any news about Juliet yet. He has sent his servant Balthasar to Verona to get news about Juliet, and is waiting for him to return. When Balthasar finally arrives he tells Romeo that Juliet is dead, which makes Romeo angry. Without thinking Romeo knows what he must do; he goes out and buys himself a cup of poison, then sets off to go to the Capulet's tomb where Juliet lies. When Romeo arrives he notices that Paris is also at the tomb visiting Juliet. Romeo is really angry that his wife is dead (not knowing that Juliet is actually faking her death for him), so he tells Paris to stay out of his way. But Paris doesn't listen to Romeo thinking that he is going to harm Juliet so Paris announces that he is going to arrest Romeo. This makes Romeo even angrier and they end up getting in a sword fight, in which the mad man (Romeo) wins and kills Paris. After the fight Romeo goes over to Juliet and says his last goodbye's and kiss's her one last time. Then he drinks the cup and dies instantly. When Romeo and Paris were fighting Romeo's servant heard the fight outside the tomb so he decided to get help (Friar). When Friar arrives Juliet finally awakes, and Friar tells her to come with him. But Juliet first asks where is her beloved Romeo and Friar points to the ground near her. Juliet is devastated but before she has time to think she here's noise coming; which scares away Friar because he doesn't want to be blamed for the killing. Juliet loves her dear Romeo so much that she want to die with him, so she try's to kiss him to get some of the poison off his lips. But this doesn't work, so instead she sees Romeo's dagger, takes it, and stabs herself quickly. Once the prince, Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet, Montague's, and watchmen arrive they see Paris, Romeo, and Juliet freshly stabbed. Before anyone can do anything they must figure out what happened, so the Friar steps forward out of his hiding place and tells the truth of Juliet; which is that he gave her the vile to fake her death, and because of Juliet's "death" Romeo and Paris are also dead. Then everybody realizes how tragic Romeo and Juliet's love actually was, "A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; some shall be pardon'd, and some punished; for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
Later that night after the party was over Romeo snuck off into the Capulet's orchard right outside Juliet's balcony just so he could see her again. Once Juliet noticed him they started talking about there love for each other. Eventually Juliet challenges Romeo's love for her; if Romeo has them married that day then she will know he loves her, but if he doesn't she will know he doesn't love her. So Romeo sets off to Friar Lawrence's cell (the priest) to ask for him to marry them that day. Finally Friar agree's and all Romeo needs to do now is tell somebody to give the word to Juliet. When Juliet finds out that they will be married she runs down to Friar Lawrence's cell as fast as she can, because she knows he loves her.
The next day in Verona Romeo (Montague) runs into Mercutio (Montague) who has run into Tybalt (Capulet). Romeo see's that Mercutio is taunting Tybalt so Romeo tries to break them up but Mercutio doesn't listen. This taunting eventually turns into a dual, Mercutio vs. Tybalt. Romeo is still trying to break them up (mostly because of the prince's rule), but they just won't listen. After a while Tybalt stabs Mercutio without anybody really seeing it and Tybalt walks away because he doesn't want to get in trouble. Mercutio then says, "I am hurt. A plague a' both houses! I am sped! Is he gone and hath nothing?" But nobody believes Mercutio and everybody thinks that he is joking, until Benvolio pronounces that he is dead. This makes Romeo furious, so Romeo grabs a sword and runs after Tybalt to fight for revenge. Once he finds Tybalt they start fighting right away, and eventually Romeo ends up killing Tybalt. Romeo runs and hides realizing what he has done, and Benvolio is left to tell the prince the story. The prince ends up punishing Romeo by banishing him from the city of Verona; which means he is pretty much banished from his wife Juliet. When the nurse hears of this terrible news she right away goes to tell Juliet. Juliet is devastated by the news; her cousin is dead (Tybalt) and her husband banished. Her dad, Lord Capulet takes this as she will not be seeing Romeo again so he asks Paris to marry Juliet. This makes Juliet even angry and more depressed because she doesn't like Paris and she can't disobey her fathers commands, so she decides to go to Friar for help.
When Juliet arrives at Friar Lawrence's cell she tells Friar that she needs advice soon otherwise she will kill herself just so she doesn't have to marry Paris. So the Friar says, "...If, rather than to marry County Paris, thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, then is it likely thou wilt undertake a thing like death to chide away this shame, that cop'st with death himself to scape from it; and, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy." This is saying that he has a solution to getting out of the shame of marring Paris instead of killing herself. Friar hands Juliet this vile filled with a special juice from flowers that puts Juliet in something similar to death (like a coma) for a certain amount of time. Friar then tells her to take the vile on the night before the wedding (which is two days away), and he will send a letter to Romeo of the plan that they have. When Juliet gets back she sees her father is working hard to get her wedding prepared. Juliet, secretly says her goodbye's to her mother, father, and nurse for the few days she will be gone. Juliet also apologizes to her father for denying his commands. This makes Lord Capulet so happy that he moves the wedding a day earlier, which messes up the letter that Friar is going to send to Romeo. That night when Juliet gets some time alone she says one last prayer and drinks the vile. The next morning the nurse goes to wake her for her wedding and finds Juliet "dead". She calls Juliet's parents to the bedroom to see what she has found. When Juliet's mother and father see that she is "dead" they all mourn together over Juliet's bed. So instead of a wedding they plan a funeral for her that day and Juliet is then put in the Capulet's family tomb.
Romeo is now staying in the town of Mantua after he was banished. He still hasn't heard anything from Friar or any news about Juliet yet. He has sent his servant Balthasar to Verona to get news about Juliet, and is waiting for him to return. When Balthasar finally arrives he tells Romeo that Juliet is dead, which makes Romeo angry. Without thinking Romeo knows what he must do; he goes out and buys himself a cup of poison, then sets off to go to the Capulet's tomb where Juliet lies. When Romeo arrives he notices that Paris is also at the tomb visiting Juliet. Romeo is really angry that his wife is dead (not knowing that Juliet is actually faking her death for him), so he tells Paris to stay out of his way. But Paris doesn't listen to Romeo thinking that he is going to harm Juliet so Paris announces that he is going to arrest Romeo. This makes Romeo even angrier and they end up getting in a sword fight, in which the mad man (Romeo) wins and kills Paris. After the fight Romeo goes over to Juliet and says his last goodbye's and kiss's her one last time. Then he drinks the cup and dies instantly. When Romeo and Paris were fighting Romeo's servant heard the fight outside the tomb so he decided to get help (Friar). When Friar arrives Juliet finally awakes, and Friar tells her to come with him. But Juliet first asks where is her beloved Romeo and Friar points to the ground near her. Juliet is devastated but before she has time to think she here's noise coming; which scares away Friar because he doesn't want to be blamed for the killing. Juliet loves her dear Romeo so much that she want to die with him, so she try's to kiss him to get some of the poison off his lips. But this doesn't work, so instead she sees Romeo's dagger, takes it, and stabs herself quickly. Once the prince, Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet, Montague's, and watchmen arrive they see Paris, Romeo, and Juliet freshly stabbed. Before anyone can do anything they must figure out what happened, so the Friar steps forward out of his hiding place and tells the truth of Juliet; which is that he gave her the vile to fake her death, and because of Juliet's "death" Romeo and Paris are also dead. Then everybody realizes how tragic Romeo and Juliet's love actually was, "A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; some shall be pardon'd, and some punished; for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."