STUDY NOTES
ROMEO AND JULIET
➔ By: William Shakesphere
➔ When Written: Likely 1591-1595
➔ Where Written: London, England
➔ When Published: “Bad quarto” (incomplete manuscript) printed in 1597; Second, more
complete quarto printed in 1599; With clarifications and corrections, printed in 1623
➔ Literary Period: Renaissance
➔ Genre: Tragic play
➔ Setting: Verona, Italy
➔ Climax: Mistakenly believing that Juliet is dead, Romeo kills himself on her funeral bier
by drinking poison. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead, and fatally stabs herself with
his dagger.
➔ Antagonist: Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, Tybalt
,HISTORICAL CONTEXT
- In the early years of the Renaissance, Italy was divided up into several smaller
city-states which often warred with one another.
- Rome was mostly in ruins (sometimes called the “cradle of capitalism”) flourished
under early financial innovations spearheaded by the Medici clan of bankers and
politicians.
- In the cities, politically powerful wealthy elites became patrons of the arts and a
luxury class emerged quickly.
- But social inequality throughout the majority of the country was profound, and most of
Italy belonged to the peasant class.
- Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy—but the play knowingly wags its finger at the warring
Capulets and Montagues, wealthy families who can’t look past their own insularity and
haughty self-importance to be good to one another, or to allow their children the
chance at real love. Shakespeare drew on many poems, novels, and myths in the
construction of Romeo and Juliet—but the play also may very well have been a timely
critique of Renaissance-era social inequality and the trivial concerns of the upwardly
mobile elite.
Plot Summary
● In Renaissance-era Verona, Italy, two noble families, the Montagues and Capulets, are
locked in a bitter and ancient feud whose origin no one alive can recall.
● After a series of public brawls between both the nobles and the servants of the two
families, which shed blood and disturb the peace in Verona’s city streets, Prince
Escalus, the ruler of Verona, declares that anyone in either family involved in any
future fighting will be put to death.
● Every year, the Capulets throw a masquerade ball. The Montagues are, of course, not
invited. As Capulet and Lady Capulet fuss over the arrangements for the party,
ensuring that everything is perfect for their friends and guests, they hope that their
daughter Juliet will fall in love with the handsome count Paris at the ball.
● At 13, Juliet is nearly of marriageable age, and the Capulets believe that marrying
Paris would allow their daughter to ascend the social ladder in Verona.
● During the party, two Montagues, 16-year-old Romeo and his cousin Benvolio, along
with their bawdy, quick-tongued friend Mercutio, a kinsmen of Prince Escalus, crash
the affair.
● Romeo attends the party reluctantly, and only because he is hoping to see Rosaline, a
young woman he has been hopelessly in love with—and unsuccessfully pursuing—for
quite some time. His lack of romantic success has made him noticeably forlorn as of
late, his friends poke fun at their lovesick friend’s melodramatic state.
● Tybalt, a hotblooded member of House Capulet, notices the intrusion of the Montagues
and recognizes them in spite of their masks—but when he draws his rapier and
, begins approaching them to provoke a fight, Capulet urges Tybalt not to embarrass
their family.
● When the masked Romeo spots Juliet from across the room, he instantly falls in love
with her. Juliet is equally smitten. The two of them speak, exchanging suggestive jokes,
and then kiss.
● As the party ends, Romeo and Juliet, pulled away from one another to attend to their
friends and family, separately discover who the other truly is. Both are distraught. As
the party winds down and Romeo’s friends prepare to leave, Romeo breaks off from
them, jumps an orchard wall, and hides in the dark beneath Juliet’s bedroom window.
● She emerges onto her balcony and bemoans her forbidden love for Romeo, Romeo is
determined to be with her in spite of the obstacles they face.
● Romeo and Juliet exchange vows of love, and Romeo promises to call upon Juliet
tomorrow so they can hastily be married. The next day, Romeo visits a kindly but
philosophical friar, Friar Laurence, in his chambers.
● He begs Friar Laurence to marry him to his new love, Juliet. Friar Laurence urges
Romeo to slow down and take his time when it comes to love
● But Romeo insists he and Juliet know what they’re doing. Friar Laurence comes
around, realizing that a marriage between Romeo and Juliet could end their parents’
age-old feud.
● Later that day, Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybalt, who is furious that the
Montagues crashed the Capulet party. Tybalt has, in a letter, challenged Romeo to a
duel, and Mercutio and Benvolio are worried about the impulsive Romeo rising to the
skilled Tybalt’s challenge.
● When Romeo shows up to find Tybalt, Benvolio, and Mercutio exchanging verbal barbs
and teetering on the edge of a fight, Romeo does all he can to resist dueling with
Tybalt.
● He and Juliet have just hastily visited Friar Laurence’s chambers together and are
now married. Romeo doesn’t want to fight Tybalt, who is now technically his
kinsman—but he knows he can’t reveal the truth to Tybalt, either. Before Romeo can
explain his reasons for hesitating, Mercutio disgustedly steps in and challenges Tybalt
to a duel himself.
● Romeo tries to separate them, but Tybalt stabs and kills Mercutio under Romeo's arm.
Mercutio dies from his wounds, cursing both the Montagues and the Capulets.
● In a miserable, mournful rage, Romeo kills Tybalt, Benvolio urges him to hurry from the
square.
● The prince and the citizens’ watch arrive, along with the elders of House Capulet and
House Montague. Benvolio tells Prince Escalus what has unfolded, and the prince
decides to banish Romeo to Mantua rather than sentence him to death.
● Back at the Capulet manse, Juliet dreamily awaits the arrival of Romeo, whom she
believes is hurrying from church so that they can spend their wedding night together.
● Juliet’s reveries are shattered when her nurse enters and informs her that Romeo has
slain Tybalt and been banished from Verona.
