AQA English Literature GCSE Romeo and Juliet Overview of Text Act one Act 1 Scene 1 The action starts with a fight on the streets of Verona between the Montagues and Capulets The fight breaks up and the Prince threatens the patriarchs of the families that if another fight like this breaks out they will pay with their lives Act 1 Scene 2 After this Paris a young nobleman asks Lord Capulet for Juliet s hand in marriage Lord Capulet believes Juliet is too young but invites Paris to a feast that he is throwing giving Paris an opportunity to woo Juliet Act 1 Scene 3 The audience is then introduced to Lady Capulet Juliet and her Nurse They have a conversation about marriage and Juliet reflects that it is a fate that I dream not of Act 1 Scene 4 The audience is then introduced to a lovesick Romeo who through the encouragement of Mercutio chooses to go to Capulet s feast to distract himself from how much he misses Rosaline Act 1 Scene 5 The two lovers meet in this scene at Capulet s feast and fall in love but quickly find out that they belong to the opposing families Act two Act 2 Prologue Act 2 Scene 1 Mercutio and Benvolio are looking for Romeo after the feast Act 2 Scene 2 This is the iconic balcony scene where Romeo and Juliet confess their love for each other and plan to be married Act 2 Scene 3 Romeo meets with the Friar to ask if he will marry Romeo and Juliet Despite the Friar s reservations he agrees to marry the couple hopeful about the peace it could bring to the families Act 2 Scene 4 The Nurse meets with Romeo Romeo tells her that Juliet should meet him in Friar Laurence s cell They make plans to consummate the marriage Act 2 Scene 5 The Nurse tells Juliet about what she and Romeo had discussed Act 2 Scene 6 In this scene Romeo and Juliet are secretly married by the Friar Act three Act 3 Scene 1 Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight but Romeo refuses Mercutio steps in and is killed by Tybalt Romeo is then filled with a murderous rage and kills Tybalt The Price hears about this from Benvolio and then banishes Romeo Act 3 Scene 2 While Juliet waits at home for her new husband the Nurse returns to tell Juliet the news about Romeo s banishment Juliet is distraught about it Act 3 Scene 3 The Friar tells Romeo about his banishment and Romeo is troubled and threatens to kill himself The Nurse comes with news saying Juliet is in the same state The Friar comes through with a plan to save the couple He sends Romeo to Mantua Act 3 Scene 4 In light of Tybalt s death Capulet decides in hopes of making Juliet feel happier that his daughter must marry Paris without asking her opinion Act 3 Scene 5 Juliet is told about her fate to marry Paris She refuses to marry him which leads to her father threatening to disown her Juliet goes to the Friar to help Act 4 Scene 1 Paris goes to the Friar in preparation for the wedding Juliet is also there but tries to ignore Paris advances When Paris leaves Juliet starts to weep asking for advice from the Friar He sets in motion a plan to rescue the lovers He gives Juliet a potion that will make it look like she s dead and tells Friar John to go to Mantua to tell Romeo of the plan Act 4 Scene 2 Juliet comes back from the Friar s cell revealing that she will marry Paris and so the wedding is moved up Act 4 Scene 3 Juliet soliloquises her fears about the plan but takes the potion Act 4 Scene 4 The Capulets prepare for the wedding Act 4 Scene 5 The Nurse finds Juliet s dead body and the family begins to grieve as the wedding turns into a funeral Act 5 Scene 1 Romeo hears news of Juliet s death in Mantua and unaware of the Friar s plan finds an apothecary who gives him a poison Act 5 Scene 2 Friar John tells Friar Laurence that he was unable to give Romeo the letter outlining the plan Act 5 Scene 3 Paris protects Juliet s tomb Romeo enters trying to find Juliet the two fight and Paris dies Romeo sees Juliet drinks the poison dies Juliet wakes up as Friar Laurence arrives he then goes outside as he hears voices Juliet then takes Romeo s dagger and stabs herself The families of the lovers enter the scene and agree to make peace Summary The play starts with a prologue where the audience is told about the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet The action begins with a fight on the streets of Verona between the Montagues and the Capulets which disturbs its inhabitants After this Paris and Lord Capulet meet to talk about giving Juliet to Paris for marriage The audience then sees Lady Capulet and the Nurse giving Juliet advice about marriage Then the audience watches Mercutio convinces a lovesick Romeo to attend a party Act four Act five Act one at the Capulet s house to get his mind off unrequited love Rosaline This is where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time and instantly fall in love Act one Prologue A prologue was a traditional practice at the beginning of a play They summarise the events of the play and can therefore be seen as a dramatic device used to create tension as the audience becomes increasingly excited to understand how events play out The prologue tells the story of two star cross d lovers who are from two households who have an ancient grudge The audience learns that the children from the families must take their lives to be together The structure of the prologue is a sonnet which is the traditional form for a romantic poem this instantly depicts the story of Romeo and Juliet as a love story Key Quotes Two households both alike in dignity The first line in the play shows the likeness of the families which makes their feud more ironic To be both alike in dignity means that they had the same social standing In the Elizabethan times a person s social status was very important it dictated the way they lived their life the clothes they wore the friends they had everything From ancient grudge break to new mutiny The audience is told that the feud is ancient This adjective has connotations with something old sacred and almost untouched as though it had been like this since the beginning of time it is a force nothing can break It is then juxtaposed by the new mutiny which means that there is new violence which foreshadows the intensity that is brought about through the young lovers A pair of star cross d lovers take their life This may be one of the most famous lines in the play because it perfectly sums up the tragedy of Romeo …