Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, tragedy written by William Shakespeare c. 1595. The play dramatizes the fate of two young lovers whose tragic deaths are brought about by feuding between their families and by their own passionate temperaments.

The Montagues and the Capulets are the two most important families in Verona. Romeo is a Montague, but Juliet is a Capulet, and their families are involved in a bitter feud. Romeo loves chaste Rosaline. Discovering Rosaline has been invited to a Capulet banquet, Romeo attends in disguise, but sees Juliet there, and falls in love with her. They kiss, initially not realizing their families are enemies; they exchange professions of love at Juliet's open window. They meet in secret and decide to wed. Romeo encounters Tybalt, who is a Capulet, and an exchange of insults escalates into a brawl. Mercutio, Romeo's friend, is mortally wounded by Tybalt; Romeo kills Tybalt, then flees to Mantua.

Capulet orders Juliet to marry Count Paris within three days. She feigns suicide, so that she and Romeo can meet in the family crypt and elope. In Mantua, Romeo hears of Juliet's death. Not receiving a letter of explanation from Friar Laurence, who married them and helped them to escape, Romeo believes that Juliet is truly dead and resolves to die beside her. He is seen breaking into the Capulet crypt by Paris. They fight beside Juliet's body and Paris is killed. Romeo drinks poison and dies. Friar Laurence comes to wake Juliet, and discovers the carnage. Juliet awakes, and seeing Romeo dead beside her grabs his dagger, kisses him, and kills herself.