Sixteenth-century Italian comedies were especially high spirited. They enjoyed the fun of sexual and social intrigue, particularly portrayed as city life. Young men often fall in love with wealthy heiresses. The Nurses observation to Romeo, ‘he that can lay hold of her, shall have the chinks,’ suggests a common enough motive for love at that or any other time.
Act Summaries
Act 1: A meeting of servants from the Montague and Capulet families ends in a brawl. Prince Escalus threatens dire punishment if such fighting recurs. The Montague’s are pleased that their Romeo has not been involved and Benvolio is asked to discover the cause of romeo’s recent depression. Romeo reveals he has fallen in love with Rosaline but she does not return his affections. Benvolio suggests that he looks elsewhere.
Lord Capulet invites Paris who wishes to marry his daughter, Juliet, to a masked ball that evening. Romeo learns of the ball and decides to gate crash since Rosaline will be there, but Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love, unaware that each belongs to the rival family.
Act 2: Romeo overhears Juliet talking on the balcony and steps forward to declare his love. They agree to marry without delay. Romeo visits his friend Friar Lawrence, who consents to marry the couple in secret, hoping this may lead to an end in the family feud.
Act 3: There is more trouble between the families. Tybalt is looking for a fight with Romeo. Romeo steps between him and Mercutio to stop them fighting to stop them fighting. Accidentally Mercutio is fatally injured. Romeo reacts violently, he fights and kills Tybalt. Prince Escalus is again involved and sentences Romeo to immediate banishment.
Act 4: Juliet finds her Nurse and has now turned against her. The Friar comes up with a scheme for Juliet to go long with her parents plans but the night before the wedding to take a drug that will put her in a state of suspended animation. She will be placed in the family vault whilst the Friar arranges for Romeo to rescue her.
Act 5: Balthasar, Romeo’s servant rushes to Matua with the news of Juliet’s death. Distraught, romeo buys poison from an apothecary and hurries back to be with Juliet. The Friar learns that his message has not reached Romeo and sets off to the tomb to release her. Romeo arrives there first. He is challenged by Paris, who dies in a vein attempt to prevent Romeo from getting to the vault. He sees the still drugged Juliet and takes the poison. Juliet revives to discover Romeo dead beside her. The Friar has eventually arrived though he is unsuccessful in his efforts to make Juliet leave the vault, he then leaves because he fears the consequences of his involvement, and Juliet then stabs herself.
After the deaths of both Romeo and Juliet the two families decide to resolve their differences as they may have still been alive if they had not been at war with each other.
