At the ball Romeo sees Juliet and is immediately attracted to her. He forgets about Rosaline. Juliet is also attracted to him. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, realises that Romeo is a Montague and challenges him to a fight, but Capulet tells Tybalt that he should treat all of the guests, appropriately. Tybalt leaves but tells Romeo that they will meet on another occasion. Romeo and Juliet talk with each other, and then kiss without even knowing each other’s names. When Romeo finds out who Juliet is, and she finds out who he is, they are both upset.
After the ball Romeo goes to the Capulets’ garden. Juliet goes out to him they make love and decide to get secretly married. The next morning Friar Lawrence who believes that their marriage will settle the problems between their families marries them. On Romeo’s return from Friar Lawrence, Tybalt confronts him. Tybalt wants to fight, but Romeo does not want to fight someone who is now part of his family (by marriage). Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, takes up the challenge and is killed by Tybalt. This angers Romeo, and in a rage he kills Tybalt. When Prince Escalus hears of this, he banishes Romeo from Verona. Romeo spends his wedding night with Juliet, and then heads off to Mantua. Juliet is grieved that Romeo, her lover, has been banished. Her parents think that she is sad about Tybalt’s death, so to make her feel better, they arrange for her to be married to Paris.
Juliet does not want to marry Paris, and goes to Friar Lawrence for a word of advice, and some help. He gives her a sleeping potion and tells her that she should take it, the night before her scheduled wedding. He tells her that after she takes the potion, she will appear to be dead. Instead of being married to Paris, she will be taken to the family vault. He tells her that Romeo will be called to the vault, and that he will then take her back with him to Mantua. The wedding gets brought forward by a day, so Juliet has to take the potion takes the potion that night.
Friar Lawrence’s plan goes terribly wrong; his letter does not reach Romeo. Someone informs Romeo that Juliet is dead. After he hears this, Romeo heads back to Verona with some poison. He plans to die beside his wife. At the vault he meets Paris. Paris challenges him and in the fight that pursues, Paris is killed. Romeo feels that he cannot live without Juliet, and drinks the poison. He dies beside his wife. Juliet wakes up and realises what has happened. She decides to kill herself instead of living without the man she loves. She takes Romeo’s dagger and runs it through her chest. Capulet and Montague go to the vault where they find their children dead. As a result of the tragedy that has occurred, Capulet and Montague decide to unite.
Personal Response
In my opinion Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. It is a very tragic story. Two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, lose their lives as a result of the bitter rivalry and constant feuding between their families.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to all readers above the age of eleven. This book will bring pleasure to anyone who reads it. Their minds will be captured by Shakespeare’s poetry and verses and they will not be able to put the book down until it is finished.
Writing from Romeo Montague’s Perspective
Oh how I love Rosaline. I only wish that she would, in return, love me. I admire her so much. How soft and tender her skin is, how gracefully she walks, how sweetly she sings with her angelic voice. Rosaline is beautiful!
No other girl or woman on Earth can better her. What keeps her from loving me? I do not know. It cannot be my looks, I have money, my father is well known and I am well educated. What could it be? I do not want to live my life without Rosaline. I do not care for money, I do not care for fame and I do not care for riches. All I want, all I need, all I care for is Rosaline and her love. Without her in my life I feel incomplete, like a deck of 51 cards. If I cannot have Rosaline and her love I would rather die than to go through life without the person I love so dearly.