William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

In Verona,(the two sevants of each family) Sampson and Gregory who are

the Capulet servants complain that they are insulted by the Montague

family who are Abram and Balthasar the servants appear and start

quarrelling in the market square. Benvolio (Lord Montague's nephew)

appears and tries to break up the quarrel, but Tybalt (Lady Capulet's

nephew) appears and picks a fight with Benvolio. At length, officers

try to break up the fight, even while Lord Capulet and Lord Montague

begin to fight one another. The Prince of Verona (Escalus) appears and

stops the fighting, proclaiming sentences of death to any that renew

the fighting. At Montague's house, he, his wife, and Benvolio discuss

how melancholy Romeo (Montague's only son) has been lately. Benvolio

vows to find out why. Speaking with Romeo, Benvolio finds Romeo is in

love with a woman who has sworn to stay chaste (Rosaline). Benvolio

suggests pursuing other women, but Romeo refuses. Separately, Paris (a

kinsman of the Prince of Verona) talks to Lord Capulet about wooing

his daughter Juliet for marriage. Capulet responds that she is too

young (nearly 14 years old) and must wait two years to marry, and then

only to the man whom she chooses. Still, Capulet invites Paris to a

party in the evening. Capulet's servant is sent to invite guests, but

he can't read the list so he entreats Romeo to do so. Upon hearing of

the party, Benvolio convinces Romeo to attend and compare his

unattainable love Rosaline to more beautiful women to get his mind off

Rosaline. At Capulet's house, Lady Capulet speaks to Juliet about her

feelings for marrying Paris while Juliet's Nurse listens on, telling

stories of Juliet's childhood. Juliet, although hesitant, promises to

be courteous. Masked, Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio head to the

Capulet party. Romeo is still depressed, saying he dreamt a fearful

dream of an untimely death that will result because of the evening's

events, but Benvolio just makes fun of him. At Capulet's house, the

Montagues attend the party (in masks), Romeo spies Juliet, and he