TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jump directly to the video and text for every scene in Romeo & Juliet

ADDITIONAL SCENE INFORMATION

Included here is a brief audio introduction to each scene in Romeo & Juliet, as well as a description of the action of the scene

Act1 Prologue

A chorus describes an ancient feud between the Capulets and the Montagues of Verona, and that a pair of “star-crossed” lovers will kill themselves, ultimately resulting in the end of the discord. 

Act 1 Scene 1

Sampson and Gregory, two members of the Capulet household, have a run-in on the street with Abraham and Balthazar, two members of the Montague household. Benvolio, a Montague, attempts to quell the brawl while Tybalt, a Capulet, attempts to escalate it. Capulet and Montague, restrained by their wives, attempt to enter the fray before it is broken up by the Prince. The Prince hands down an edict that promises death for any further public fighting. Montague demands that Benvolio explain how the brawl erupted, but the conversation quickly turns to Romeo, who has become melancholic of late. Benvolio attempts to extract the reason for Romeo’s melancholy when Romeo enters the scene, and he eventually learns that unrequited love is the source of his misery. 

Act 1 Scene 2

Paris asks for Capulet’s blessing to marry Juliet, but Capulet worries that she is too young and that Paris is too impetuous. Capulet invites Paris to a party that he is throwing so that he can compare Juliet with the other ladies of Verona to ensure that he is serious about his feelings for Juliet. Capulet then sends a servant out to deliver invitations to his party, but the illiterate servant cannot read the list of invitees. He asks Romeo and Benvolio for help, unaware that they are Montagues, and invites them to the party. When Benvolio learns that Rosaline, the object of Romeo’s affections, will be attending the party, he urges Romeo to attend so that he can find another, more beautiful, woman to obsess over. 

Act 1 Scene 3

Lady Capulet has the Nurse call for Juliet so that she can tell her that Capulet has found her a potential husband in Paris. Lady Capulet and the Nurse are ecstatic but Juliet is indifferent. Ultimately Juliet agrees to consider Paris at the Capulet party tonight. 

Act 1 Scene 4

Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio are about to enter Capulet’s party when Romeo, still downcast, tells his friends that he will abstain from dancing once inside. Benvolio and Mercutio attempt to rouse their friend, with Mercutio going so far as to engage in a prolonged speech meant to dismiss Romeo’s portentous dreams. In the end, Romeo agrees to attend the party and the three enter.

Act 1 Scene 5

Capulet welcomes everyone to his party and spends the night playing the role of dutiful host. Romeo sees Juliet for the first time but is discovered by Tybalt. Upon seeing Romeo, Tybalt immediately informs Capulet of the intrusion, but Capulet is uninterested in causing a scene at his party and allows Romeo to stay. Romeo, unaware of his discovery, approaches Juliet while masked and manages to steal a kiss before Juliet is whisked away. Romeo learns that she is a Capulet shortly before Juliet asks the Nurse to find out who Romeo is, where she discovers that he is a Montague. 

Act 2 Prologue

A chorus describes the newfound love between Romeo and Juliet, the obstacles that they face as a result of the ancient feud between their families, and how the power of their love will compel them to push through what stands in their way. 

Act 2 Scene 1

Romeo ditches Benvolio and Mercutio after the party and leaps a wall into the Capulet orchard. Benvolio and Mercutio call out to Romeo, attempting to lure him back, but ultimately decide to go home to bed when it becomes clear that Romeo does not want to be found. 

Act 2 Scene 2

Banquo meets his son, Fleance, in the middle of the night and tells him that he cannot sleep. Macbeth arrives shortly thereafter and Banquo delivers to him a diamond from Duncan, intended as thanks for his hospitality. Banquo attempts to engage Macbeth about the witches, and while Macbeth responds that he hasn't thought of them, he offers to spend time later on discussing their odd encounter. After Banquo and Fleance leave, Macbeth believes he sees a dagger floating in front of his face, but quickly realizes that he is hallucinating. The dagger eventually becomes bloody and points the way to Duncan's room, Macbeth's intended destination that night. Lady Macbeth then gives the signal that the time has come to perform the murder and Macbeth leaves to do the deed.

Act 2 Scene 3

Romeo goes from Juliet to Friar Laurence so that he can make arrangements to get married. Friar Laurence, disquieted by Romeo’s haste, chides Romeo, but ultimately agrees to perform the union with the hope that it will finally unite the Capulets and the Montagues. 

Act 2 Scene 4

Benvolio and Mercutio await Romeo the morning after losing him at the Capulet party. Romeo arrives shortly before the Nurse, who was sent by Juliet to find out where and when their wedding will take place. 

Act 2 Scene 5

Juliet waits for the Nurse to return with news from Romeo. When the Nurse arrives, she strings Juliet along before finally telling her to meet Romeo at Friar Laurence’s cell.

Act 2 Scene 6

Romeo and Friar Laurence wait for Juliet at Friar Laurence’s cell. Friar Laurence is still uncomfortable with Romeo’s eagerness, but is calmed by Juliet’s arrival. Romeo and Juliet see each other face-to-face, unmasked and in the light, for the first time before leaving to be wed by the Friar. 

Act 3 Scene 1

Tybalt comes upon Benvolio and Mercutio and asks them where Romeo is. Tybalt is still enraged at Romeo’s presence at Capulet’s party, and attempts to confront Romeo when he arrives. Romeo, professing love for Tybalt, rebuffs his challenges, which enrages Mercutio, who decides to challenge Tybalt himself. Romeo attempts to intercede during Mercutio and Tybalt’s fight, which leads to Mercutio accidentally being dealt a fatal blow. Romeo then slays Tybalt, and must flee to escape the Prince’s punishment for fighting in public. The Prince, upon arriving at the scene of the crime, refuses to hand down a death sentence for Romeo, opting instead to banish him from Verona as punishment. 

Act 3 Scene 2

Juliet learns of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment from the Nurse. She is crestfallen, and threatens suicide before the Nurse tells her that she knows where Romeo is and that she will arrange for him to come see her. 

Act 3 Scene 3

Friar Laurence arrives to tell Romeo of the Prince’s decree, but Romeo sees banishment as a fate worse than death. Friar Laurence scolds Romeo for his ingratitude, but he is interrupted by the Nurse, who comes to devise a way to sneak Romeo into Juliet’s room. The Friar concocts a plan that will have Romeo flee to Manchua after spending one last night with Juliet. Romeo is then to stay in Manchua until the Friar can smooth things over in Verona, allowing for his safe return. 

Act 3 Scene 4

Capulet hopes that a hasty marriage to Paris will pull Juliet out of her grief, which he incorrectly attributes to Tybalt’s death. He sets the wedding for Thursday, which is three days away, and sends his wife to tell Juliet of his plans before she goes to bed. 

Act 3 Scene 5

Romeo and Juliet, having spent the night together, say their goodbyes before parting. When Lady Capulet comes to tell Juliet of her impending wedding to Paris, Juliet refuses to go along with it. Juliet’s refusal sends Capulet into a rage, and he threatens to disown his only daughter if she fails to go through with the marriage he has brokered. Lady Capulet refuses to intercede on Juliet’s behalf and even the Nurse advises Juliet to forget Romeo and submit to a future with Paris as her husband. 

Act 4 Scene 1

Paris tells Friar Laurence of his impending marriage to Juliet, which the Friar attempts to delay. Juliet interrupts their conversation, and Paris attempts to talk to his bride-to-be. Juliet does not return his affections, and once Paris leaves she threatens to kill herself unless Friar Laurence can come up with a plan that will prevent the wedding and reunite her with Romeo. Laurence’s plan is to have Juliet drink a potion that will make her appear dead so that her body is placed in the Capulet tomb. Once the potion wears off she will awaken to find Romeo waiting for her, as the Friar will ensure that Romeo is informed of his new plan. 

Act 4 Scene 2

Macduff has come to England to plead with Malcolm to return to Scotland. Malcolm, fearing Macduff’s intentions, acts as though he himself is a man most unfit to be a king, and when Macduff laments these (false) revelations, Malcolm becomes convinced that Macduff has acted honestly and tells him that he has recruited Siward and an English army to attack Macbeth’s forces. Ross then arrives and echoes Macduff’s pleas before telling Macduff that his wife and children have been murdered. Macduff vows to personally attack Macbeth, and all three leave to begin their assault on Macbeth’s forces.

Act 4 Scene 3

Juliet chooses a dress for a wedding she has no intention of participating in before asking her mother and her Nurse to leave her alone for the night. When they depart she debates whether or not to take the Friar’s potion, fearing that it may in fact kill her or that waking in a tomb will drive her mad. In the end dismisses her fears and drinks the concoction. 

Act 4 Scene 4

Capulet, Lady Capulet and the Nurse are busy planning for Juliet’s wedding, with Capulet taking the lead in the organization. 

Act 4 Scene 5

The Nurse arrives to rouse Juliet only to discover that she has ‘died’. She informs Capulet and Lady Capulet, both of whom are distraught by the news. Friar Laurence arrives with Paris and three musicians, feigning shock at Juliet’s death, and insists that Juliet should be dressed in her best clothes and taken to church in preparation for her funeral. As the musicians begin to leave they are stopped by Peter, who delights in teasing them and in refusing to pay them. 

Act 5 Scene 1

Romeo is filled with joy over a dream he had of Juliet reviving him from death. His ecstasy is short-lived, however, as Balthazar brings him news that Juliet has died. He determines to ride back to Verona with a poison that he obtains from a reluctant Apothecary, intending to kill himself alongside his departed love. 

Act 5 Scene 2

Friar John, tasked with delivering the letter to Romeo that would inform him of Friar Laurence’s new plan, returns to Verona with the letter undelivered. He explains that he was sealed-up in a house on his way to Manchua due to an outbreak of the plague. Friar Laurence decides to rescue Juliet from her tomb on his own, and plans keep her in his cell and write again to Romeo to tell him to meet them there. 

Act 5 Scene 3

Paris comes to strew Juliet’s tomb with flowers but is interrupted by the arrival of Romeo. He attempts to apprehend Romeo but Romeo refuses to submit, fatally wounding Paris. Romeo drags the body of Paris into the tomb with Juliet, and then proceeds to drink the Apothecary’s poison and dies. Juliet is awoken by Friar Laurence, only to discover that Romeo lies dead beside her. Laurence, fearful of noises he hears outside, leaves Juliet alone in the tomb, whereupon she decides to stab herself. Members of the watch apprehend Friar Laurence, who explains to the Prince, the Capulets and Montague that he married Romeo and Juliet and of the tragic series of events that followed their nuptials. United in grief, Capulet and Montague agree to end their feud and build statues in memory of their dead children.