Picture: Home Pageplot Line Diagram - Story Plot Line Home Page." Plot Line Diagram. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
Act I:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Tybalt Capulet and Lady Capulet
Juliet Montague and Lady Montague
Benvolio Sampson and Gregory
Mercutio Nurse
Romeo Paris
Prince Escalus
Abraham
Setting-
Verona, Italy
Most scenes are in the streets of Verona and in the Capulet house.
Conflict-
Romeo (the protagonist) is upset over Rosaline, his former love, who did not return his feelings. "One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun ne'er saw her match since first the world begun." is what Romeo said about Rosaline. He uses a metaphor to compare her beauty to the sun, until he meets Juliet (the other protagonist), the only daughter of his worst enemy, and falls in love with her.
Mood-
Starts out serious and dark but ends joyful and festive.
Time-
Fourteenth century, over the course of one day (24 hours)
Milieu-
Fathers tended have parties for the daughters to find them satisfactory suitors.
Rising Action:
The Capulet and Montague families have a deep hate for each other, and have had many fights because of it. Prince Escalus is tired of the two families fighting and threatens to kill the lords/heads of the two families. To allow Paris to meet his daughter Juliet (the protagonist), Capulet (an antagonist) decides to throw a party. Capulet has kind of already decided that he wants Juliet to marry Paris, and this foreshadows that there may be conflicts between Juliet and her father in the future. Benvoli0 and Romeo (the other protagonist) come across Peter, who is a servant for the Capulet family and can not read. Peter has Romeo read him the guest list which informs Romeo about the party. Benvolio (Romeo's foil) and Romeo then decide to invite themselves to the party. Meanwhile, Lady Capulet and Juliet's Nurse find Juliet and commence a dialog about having Juliet marrying Paris. Juliet says that she is honored that Pairs wants to marry her, but has no desire to marry him or anyone else. She is told to think about it and see what she thinks of him tonight at the party.
Climax:
Benvolio, Mercutio and Romeo go to the party. Tybalt (an antagonist) notices Romeo at the party and tries to get the attention of Capulet, but Capulet does not care, and tells Tybalt to leave Romeo alone. This is good because confrontation may have caused fighting and then the Prince would be angry.
Falling Action:
Romeo is dancing when he sees Juliet and goes to dance with her. Romeo and Juliet talk, dance, and kiss. The mood is joyful, festive and carefree.
Resolution:
Juliet is desperate to know who Romeo is when he is leaving the party and asks Nurse to find out for her. She and Romeo both find out that they have fallen in love with the enemies of their families. The mood changes to love, and despair at this conflicting turn in events.
Act II:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Romeo Mercutio
Juliet Benvolio
Friar Lawrence Nurse and Peter
Setting-
Verona, Italy
The first scene is outside Capulet's orchard, scene two and five are both in Capulet's orchard, the third and fifth scene take place in Friar Lawrence's Cell.
Conflict-
Romeo and Juliet fall further into love and decide the only way to prove their feelings is to get married but they must do so in secret.
Mood-
Romantic and secretive, full of joy and young love
Time-
The fourteenth century, less than one day
Milieu-
Friars were spiritual advisers.
Rising Action:
After the Capulet's party, Romeo wants to be with Juliet again so he lingers around the Capulet's orchard alone. Mercutio and Benvolio search for the missing Romeo and when he does not come to the calls, they figure he wants to be left alone. Romeo then hears Juliet's soliloquy upon her balcony. She is dismayed by the fact that her new love is a Montague, her sworn enemy. There is dialogue between the two protagonists as Romeo talks to her and they discuss how they would go against their parents to be with one another.
Climax:
Romeo and Juliet pronounce their love to each other and say they want to get married. This has become known as "The Balcony Scene" and is perhaps one of the most famous from the entire play. It captures the one of the many themes of Romeo and Juliet; they fall so deep in love at first sight that they are willing to rebel and ignore the intense hatred of their families. The mood is very romantic but also secretive, since Romeo must not get caught by the Capulet's.
Falling Action:
Romeo visits his spiritual adviser and friend, Friar Lawrence (who serves as a foil to Romeo's character), and describes his new love to Juliet. Friar Lawrence serves as a foil to Romeo's character; Romeo is rash at decision making and he often gets into difficult situations without thinking them through, whereas the Friar is hesitant and reluctant to jump into anything too soon. This is Romeo's tragic flaw. Romeo wants Friar to marry him to Juliet. Friar protests at first because he views it as foolish and he thinks Romeo's rushing into things. Later, he agrees, saying they must do so in secret. Juliet sends her nurse later that day to get word from Romeo about their wedding.
Resolution:
Later that same day, Romeo waits with Friar for Juliet in Friar Lawrence's cell. As soon as she arrives, they rush off to get married in private.
Act III:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Benvolio Lady Capulet, Capulet
Mercutio Nurse
Tybalt Friar Lawrence
Romeo, Juliet Prince
Paris Montague
Time-
In the 14th century; just over one days time
Conflict-
Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo and Benvolio are fighting in the streets of Verona. Tybalts stabs Mercutio and kills him. The Prince's punishment for Romeo is he gets banished from Verona to Mantua. Juliet is morns over her cousin's death and Romeo's banishment. Meanwhile Capulet is making Juliet marry Paris against her will.
Milieu-
Arranged marriages were very common.
Setting-
Verona, Italy
Streets of Verona
Friar Lawrences cell
Capulet household
Mood-
It starts out very angry but later the emotions change into sad and lovesick.
Rising Action:
Mercutio and Benvolio (antagonists) are in the square when Tybalt (antagonist) arrives; they argue andproceed to fight, which Romeo tries to stop. Mercutio gets stabbed and killed. Mercutio foreshadows when he says "ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man." Romeo (protagonist) kills Tybalt because he is being vengeful for Mercutio’s sake. The Prince comes and Benvolio explains what happened.
Climax:
Romeo is banished and Juliet is depressed because of that and because her cousin was just slain by her husband. Juliet has several soliloquies about marrying Paris.
Falling Action:
The nurse goes and finds Romeo at Friar Lawrence’s cell where he is crying and trying to kill himself. The Friar tells him to be strong and go visit Juliet. Romeo and Juliet spend Romeo’s last night in Verona together and he sadly leaves in the morning to go to Mantua. Later that day Capulet (antagonist) tells Juliet (protagonist) that she is going to marry Paris, but she declines. Capulet proceeds to tell her that if she doesn’t marry Paris he is going to kick her out on to the street. Juliet tries to reason with the nurse but the nurse thinks that she might as well marry Paris because Romeo is as good as dead if she can’t see him.
Resolution:
Juliet lies and tells the nurse to tell her mother she is off to the Friar’s cell for confession because she disobeyed her father. There Friar tells Juliet what she needs to do to avoid getting married to Paris.
Act IV:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Friar Lawrence Capulet and Lady Capulet
Juliet Paris
Nurse and Peter
Servingman, Fellows, and Musicians
Setting-
Verona, Italy
Friar Lawrence's cell for one scene, then the rest of the scenes in the Capulet's house
Conflict-
Juliet's father told her that she has to marry the Count Paris or she can't live in his house any more. She is in despair because she is in love with Romeo and secretly married to him.
Mood-
Dark and dangerous, grows more hopeful throughout the act
Time-
The fourteenth century, over the course of one day (24 hours)
Milieu-
Arranged marriages are very common: there were very little marriages because the couple was actually in love. If women were found out on the streets, they would be taken advantage of, and most likely raped.
Rising Action:
Juliet is the protagonist in this scene. She goes to the Friar and tells him that her father(the antagonist) has promised her hand in marraige to Paris, and that he says she must marry him. The Friar (Juliet's foil) and Juliet come up with a plan. Juliet will go to her father and agree to marry Paris. The Friar gives Juliet some potion that she must drink the night before her wedding, which will make her stop breathing and look like she is dead. In reality the potion will put her to sleep for forty-two hours. The Friar will send Romeo a letter in Mantua by another friar explaining their plan so that he knows she is not really dead and so that he can rescue her. Her family will then bury her in the Capulet family tomb, and forty-two hours later she will wake up and Romeo will come and get her. She can then escape with her husband. Juliet goes and tells her father that she has changed her mind and she will marry Paris, and her father is so happy that he moves the wedding up a day unexpectedly (this is foreshadowing that something is going to go wrong because communication by friar is slow and Capulet moved the wedding up a day). That night is the night before her wedding, so Juliet takes the potion.
Climax:
The audience is on edge to see whether the potion actually worked and did what it was supposed to do. This is what Juliet's nurse says when she comes into Juliet's room to wake her up for the wedding: "What dress'd, and in your clothes and down again? I must needs wake you. Lady! Lady! Lady! Alas, alas! Help, help! My lady's dead! O weraday that ever I was born! Some aqua vitae, ho! My lord! My lady!" -Nurse. The Nurse finds Juliet "dead."
Falling Action:
Everyone is upset and sad when they find out Juliet is "dead", and they start to prepare for Juliet's funeral instead of her wedding.
Resolution:
Juliet is buried with Tybalt in the family's tomb.
Act V:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Romeo Montague, Capulet, and Lady Capulet
Juliet Friar John and Friar Lawrence
Paris Balthasar
Prince Escalus
Page, Watchmen, Apothecary
Setting-
Verona, Italy and Mantua, Italy
Scene 1: in Mantua; Scene 2: in Friar Lawrence's cell; Scene 3: at the Capulet's tomb
Conflict-
Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo explaining the plan that he and Juliet concocted doesn't reach Romeo in time. Romeo's servant, Balthasar, reaches Romeo first and tells him that Juliet is dead.
Mood-
Dangerous, tense, sad
Time-
The fourteenth century, over the course of one day (24 hours)
Milieu-
Apothecaries are people who sell spices, herbs, and drugs. People were buried in family tombs in their finest clothes and their bodies were left to decompose, so Juliet is "buried" in the Capulet family tomb with Tybalt (who is freshly dead).
Rising Action:
Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo telling him about the plan that he and Juliet concocted doesn't reach Romeo in time. Romeo's servant, Balthasar, reaches Romeo first and tells him that Juliet is dead. Romeo is in despair and goes to buy a poison from an Apothecary. Paris (the antagonist) is laying flowers on the Capulet tomb for his "dead" love. His Page hears something coming so Paris hides as Romeo comes up to the tomb. Romeo (the protagonist) forces the tomb open, and Paris comes out and confronts Romeo, calling him a villain because he killed Tybalt and supposedly caused Juliet's death (they thought she died from grief over Tybalt). They fight and Romeo kills Paris. Then he drags Paris into the tomb and goes to sit by Juliet's side.
Climax:
Romeo says "Here's to my love!" and then drinks the poison. He kisses Juliet (the other protagonist) one last time and dies. This is the climax because the audience doesn't really think Romeo is going to kill himself until he actually drinks the poison and dies. It is kind of expected that Juliet is going to wake up and stop him and they are going to live happily ever after. After all, all love stories end happily... right?
Falling Action:
The Friar enters the tomb and finds Romeo dead and Juliet waking up. He tells Juliet they must go, but she refuses. He leaves her and she stabs herself with Romeo's dagger and dies. Watchmen enter the tomb and find Paris, Romeo, and Juliet all dead. The Prince, Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Montague look into the tomb and are sad to find the bodies of their loved ones. The Friar explains what had happened to the crowd.
Resolution:
The Montague and Capulet families forgive each other. Capulet calls Romeo and Juliet "Poor sacrifices of our enmity!" as the families realize how stupid and petty their feud had been and what it had caused them to lose.
"For their never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."- Prince Escalus
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Tybalt Capulet and Lady Capulet
Juliet Montague and Lady Montague
Benvolio Sampson and Gregory
Mercutio Nurse
Romeo Paris
Prince Escalus
Abraham
Setting-
Verona, Italy
Most scenes are in the streets of Verona and in the Capulet house.
Conflict-
Romeo (the protagonist) is upset over Rosaline, his former love, who did not return his feelings. "One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun ne'er saw her match since first the world begun." is what Romeo said about Rosaline. He uses a metaphor to compare her beauty to the sun, until he meets Juliet (the other protagonist), the only daughter of his worst enemy, and falls in love with her.
Mood-
Starts out serious and dark but ends joyful and festive.
Time-
Fourteenth century, over the course of one day (24 hours)
Milieu-
Fathers tended have parties for the daughters to find them satisfactory suitors.
Rising Action:
The Capulet and Montague families have a deep hate for each other, and have had many fights because of it. Prince Escalus is tired of the two families fighting and threatens to kill the lords/heads of the two families. To allow Paris to meet his daughter Juliet (the protagonist), Capulet (an antagonist) decides to throw a party. Capulet has kind of already decided that he wants Juliet to marry Paris, and this foreshadows that there may be conflicts between Juliet and her father in the future. Benvoli0 and Romeo (the other protagonist) come across Peter, who is a servant for the Capulet family and can not read. Peter has Romeo read him the guest list which informs Romeo about the party. Benvolio (Romeo's foil) and Romeo then decide to invite themselves to the party. Meanwhile, Lady Capulet and Juliet's Nurse find Juliet and commence a dialog about having Juliet marrying Paris. Juliet says that she is honored that Pairs wants to marry her, but has no desire to marry him or anyone else. She is told to think about it and see what she thinks of him tonight at the party.
Climax:
Benvolio, Mercutio and Romeo go to the party. Tybalt (an antagonist) notices Romeo at the party and tries to get the attention of Capulet, but Capulet does not care, and tells Tybalt to leave Romeo alone. This is good because confrontation may have caused fighting and then the Prince would be angry.
Falling Action:
Romeo is dancing when he sees Juliet and goes to dance with her. Romeo and Juliet talk, dance, and kiss. The mood is joyful, festive and carefree.
Resolution:
Juliet is desperate to know who Romeo is when he is leaving the party and asks Nurse to find out for her. She and Romeo both find out that they have fallen in love with the enemies of their families. The mood changes to love, and despair at this conflicting turn in events.
Act II:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Romeo Mercutio
Juliet Benvolio
Friar Lawrence Nurse and Peter
Setting-
Verona, Italy
The first scene is outside Capulet's orchard, scene two and five are both in Capulet's orchard, the third and fifth scene take place in Friar Lawrence's Cell.
Conflict-
Romeo and Juliet fall further into love and decide the only way to prove their feelings is to get married but they must do so in secret.
Mood-
Romantic and secretive, full of joy and young love
Time-
The fourteenth century, less than one day
Milieu-
Friars were spiritual advisers.
Rising Action:
After the Capulet's party, Romeo wants to be with Juliet again so he lingers around the Capulet's orchard alone. Mercutio and Benvolio search for the missing Romeo and when he does not come to the calls, they figure he wants to be left alone. Romeo then hears Juliet's soliloquy upon her balcony. She is dismayed by the fact that her new love is a Montague, her sworn enemy. There is dialogue between the two protagonists as Romeo talks to her and they discuss how they would go against their parents to be with one another.
Climax:
Romeo and Juliet pronounce their love to each other and say they want to get married. This has become known as "The Balcony Scene" and is perhaps one of the most famous from the entire play. It captures the one of the many themes of Romeo and Juliet; they fall so deep in love at first sight that they are willing to rebel and ignore the intense hatred of their families. The mood is very romantic but also secretive, since Romeo must not get caught by the Capulet's.
Falling Action:
Romeo visits his spiritual adviser and friend, Friar Lawrence (who serves as a foil to Romeo's character), and describes his new love to Juliet. Friar Lawrence serves as a foil to Romeo's character; Romeo is rash at decision making and he often gets into difficult situations without thinking them through, whereas the Friar is hesitant and reluctant to jump into anything too soon. This is Romeo's tragic flaw. Romeo wants Friar to marry him to Juliet. Friar protests at first because he views it as foolish and he thinks Romeo's rushing into things. Later, he agrees, saying they must do so in secret. Juliet sends her nurse later that day to get word from Romeo about their wedding.
Resolution:
Later that same day, Romeo waits with Friar for Juliet in Friar Lawrence's cell. As soon as she arrives, they rush off to get married in private.
Act III:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Benvolio Lady Capulet, Capulet
Mercutio Nurse
Tybalt Friar Lawrence
Romeo, Juliet Prince
Paris Montague
Time-
In the 14th century; just over one days time
Conflict-
Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo and Benvolio are fighting in the streets of Verona. Tybalts stabs Mercutio and kills him. The Prince's punishment for Romeo is he gets banished from Verona to Mantua. Juliet is morns over her cousin's death and Romeo's banishment. Meanwhile Capulet is making Juliet marry Paris against her will.
Milieu-
Arranged marriages were very common.
Setting-
Verona, Italy
Streets of Verona
Friar Lawrences cell
Capulet household
Mood-
It starts out very angry but later the emotions change into sad and lovesick.
Rising Action:
Mercutio and Benvolio (antagonists) are in the square when Tybalt (antagonist) arrives; they argue andproceed to fight, which Romeo tries to stop. Mercutio gets stabbed and killed. Mercutio foreshadows when he says "ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man." Romeo (protagonist) kills Tybalt because he is being vengeful for Mercutio’s sake. The Prince comes and Benvolio explains what happened.
Climax:
Romeo is banished and Juliet is depressed because of that and because her cousin was just slain by her husband. Juliet has several soliloquies about marrying Paris.
Falling Action:
The nurse goes and finds Romeo at Friar Lawrence’s cell where he is crying and trying to kill himself. The Friar tells him to be strong and go visit Juliet. Romeo and Juliet spend Romeo’s last night in Verona together and he sadly leaves in the morning to go to Mantua. Later that day Capulet (antagonist) tells Juliet (protagonist) that she is going to marry Paris, but she declines. Capulet proceeds to tell her that if she doesn’t marry Paris he is going to kick her out on to the street. Juliet tries to reason with the nurse but the nurse thinks that she might as well marry Paris because Romeo is as good as dead if she can’t see him.
Resolution:
Juliet lies and tells the nurse to tell her mother she is off to the Friar’s cell for confession because she disobeyed her father. There Friar tells Juliet what she needs to do to avoid getting married to Paris.
Act IV:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Friar Lawrence Capulet and Lady Capulet
Juliet Paris
Nurse and Peter
Servingman, Fellows, and Musicians
Setting-
Verona, Italy
Friar Lawrence's cell for one scene, then the rest of the scenes in the Capulet's house
Conflict-
Juliet's father told her that she has to marry the Count Paris or she can't live in his house any more. She is in despair because she is in love with Romeo and secretly married to him.
Mood-
Dark and dangerous, grows more hopeful throughout the act
Time-
The fourteenth century, over the course of one day (24 hours)
Milieu-
Arranged marriages are very common: there were very little marriages because the couple was actually in love. If women were found out on the streets, they would be taken advantage of, and most likely raped.
Rising Action:
Juliet is the protagonist in this scene. She goes to the Friar and tells him that her father(the antagonist) has promised her hand in marraige to Paris, and that he says she must marry him. The Friar (Juliet's foil) and Juliet come up with a plan. Juliet will go to her father and agree to marry Paris. The Friar gives Juliet some potion that she must drink the night before her wedding, which will make her stop breathing and look like she is dead. In reality the potion will put her to sleep for forty-two hours. The Friar will send Romeo a letter in Mantua by another friar explaining their plan so that he knows she is not really dead and so that he can rescue her. Her family will then bury her in the Capulet family tomb, and forty-two hours later she will wake up and Romeo will come and get her. She can then escape with her husband. Juliet goes and tells her father that she has changed her mind and she will marry Paris, and her father is so happy that he moves the wedding up a day unexpectedly (this is foreshadowing that something is going to go wrong because communication by friar is slow and Capulet moved the wedding up a day). That night is the night before her wedding, so Juliet takes the potion.
Climax:
The audience is on edge to see whether the potion actually worked and did what it was supposed to do. This is what Juliet's nurse says when she comes into Juliet's room to wake her up for the wedding: "What dress'd, and in your clothes and down again? I must needs wake you. Lady! Lady! Lady! Alas, alas! Help, help! My lady's dead! O weraday that ever I was born! Some aqua vitae, ho! My lord! My lady!" -Nurse. The Nurse finds Juliet "dead."
Falling Action:
Everyone is upset and sad when they find out Juliet is "dead", and they start to prepare for Juliet's funeral instead of her wedding.
Resolution:
Juliet is buried with Tybalt in the family's tomb.
Act V:
Exposition:
People-
MAIN CHARACTERS SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Romeo Montague, Capulet, and Lady Capulet
Juliet Friar John and Friar Lawrence
Paris Balthasar
Prince Escalus
Page, Watchmen, Apothecary
Setting-
Verona, Italy and Mantua, Italy
Scene 1: in Mantua; Scene 2: in Friar Lawrence's cell; Scene 3: at the Capulet's tomb
Conflict-
Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo explaining the plan that he and Juliet concocted doesn't reach Romeo in time. Romeo's servant, Balthasar, reaches Romeo first and tells him that Juliet is dead.
Mood-
Dangerous, tense, sad
Time-
The fourteenth century, over the course of one day (24 hours)
Milieu-
Apothecaries are people who sell spices, herbs, and drugs. People were buried in family tombs in their finest clothes and their bodies were left to decompose, so Juliet is "buried" in the Capulet family tomb with Tybalt (who is freshly dead).
Rising Action:
Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo telling him about the plan that he and Juliet concocted doesn't reach Romeo in time. Romeo's servant, Balthasar, reaches Romeo first and tells him that Juliet is dead. Romeo is in despair and goes to buy a poison from an Apothecary. Paris (the antagonist) is laying flowers on the Capulet tomb for his "dead" love. His Page hears something coming so Paris hides as Romeo comes up to the tomb. Romeo (the protagonist) forces the tomb open, and Paris comes out and confronts Romeo, calling him a villain because he killed Tybalt and supposedly caused Juliet's death (they thought she died from grief over Tybalt). They fight and Romeo kills Paris. Then he drags Paris into the tomb and goes to sit by Juliet's side.
Climax:
Romeo says "Here's to my love!" and then drinks the poison. He kisses Juliet (the other protagonist) one last time and dies. This is the climax because the audience doesn't really think Romeo is going to kill himself until he actually drinks the poison and dies. It is kind of expected that Juliet is going to wake up and stop him and they are going to live happily ever after. After all, all love stories end happily... right?
Falling Action:
The Friar enters the tomb and finds Romeo dead and Juliet waking up. He tells Juliet they must go, but she refuses. He leaves her and she stabs herself with Romeo's dagger and dies. Watchmen enter the tomb and find Paris, Romeo, and Juliet all dead. The Prince, Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Montague look into the tomb and are sad to find the bodies of their loved ones. The Friar explains what had happened to the crowd.
Resolution:
The Montague and Capulet families forgive each other. Capulet calls Romeo and Juliet "Poor sacrifices of our enmity!" as the families realize how stupid and petty their feud had been and what it had caused them to lose.
"For their never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."- Prince Escalus