Plot Structure of Romeo and
Juliet Climax or Turning Point: Tybalt
kills Mercutio, then Romeo kills
Tybalt. The Prince arrives and
orders that Romeo be banished
from Verona.
Rising Action: Romeo needs to
secretly marry Juliet fearing that a
Capulet and a Montague would never
be allowed to marry.
Exciting Force: Romeo meets
Juliet at the Capulet house and
completely forgets about
Rosaline.
Exposition: Romeo shows his
lust for Rosaline; normal
conversations in Montague and
Capulet families; Mercutio makes
fun of Romeo because of
Rosaline’s intent to never marry.
Falling Action: Paris will soon be
married to Juliet, and the Capulets
do not know about Juliet’s secret
marriage. Juliet decides to fake
her death with a potion the Friar
gives her.
Moment of Final Suspense:
Romeo is informed that Juliet is
dead when she is really asleep from
the potion. Romeo arrives at the
Capulet burial vault ready to drink
the poison the Apothecary sold him.
Catastrophe: Romeo drinks the
poison and dies. Juliet wakes up,
finds Romeo dead, and kills herself
with a dagger when the Friar is not
looking. Both families agree to stop
the hatred after the tragedy.