ROMEO & JULIET STAGE HISTORY:

Romeo and Juliet can be plausibly dated to 1595. Shakespeare must have written the play
between 1595 and 1596. The earliest date to considered to be too early, because of
Shakespeare’s writing style in the play. The later date allows the necessary time for the
compilation of the manuscript used to print the ‘bad’ quarto in early 1597.

STORY OF THE PLAY:

PROLOGUE: The chorus tells, briefly, the story plan.
ACT 1: Young men belonging to the feuding families’ fright in the streets, but are stopped by
the prince of Verona. Lord and lady Capulet consider a possible marriage for Juliet and Paris.
Party. Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love.
ACT 2: Romeo seas Juliet on her balcony. They get married.
ACT 3: Tybalt meets Romeo and picks a quarrel with him. Tybalt stabs Mercutio and
Mercutio dies. Romeo seeks revenge and kills Tybalt. The prince banishes Romeo from
Veronna.
ACT 4: Juliet visits Friar Laurence for help , and is given a sleeping potion which will make
her appear as if dead. The friar sends to Romeo to rescue Juliet. She takes the potion.
ACT 5: Friar Laurence’s message to Romeo does not reach him. Romeo thinks Juliet’s dead.
He kills Paris and kills himself. Juliet wakes up and kills herself.