Romeo and Juliet - Love Saga by William Shakespeare

CHARACTERS:

Capulets, Montagues : Two chief families of Verona at war

Romeo : Son to the old lord of Montagues

Rosaline : Beloved of Romeo

Benvolio : Friend of Romeo

Mercutio : Another friend of Romeo

Tybalt : A nephew of lord Capulet

Juliet : Daughter and heir to lord Capulet

Lawrence : Friar to a monastery

count Paris : The groom fixed for Juliet by her father

The two chief families of Verona , the rich Capulets and Montagues are at quarrel with each other. Their enmity is so severe even if servants of the two families cross each other on the road, they will fight with swords. Old lord Capulet once gave a great supper to which many fair ladies and noble guests are invited except Montagues. Rosaline, beloved of Romeo, but who does not love Romeo also attended. Benvolio, a friend of Romeo persuaded Romeo to attend the party with masks so that they cannot be recognized. The plan is for Romeo to see many ladies more beautiful than Rosaline.so that he will forget her.

To this feast of Capulets, Romeo with his friends Benvolio and Mercutio has attended wearing masks. Old Copulet invited them and asked them to dance with ladies. Romeo was struck with the exceeding beauty of a lady who danced there and praised her. Tybalt, the nephew of lord Capulet has recognized Romeo by voice and could have killed but for the Capulet coming in between. That lady is Juliet the daughter of lord Capulet. Romeo has fallen in love and Juliet also loved him for his good manners, looks and such features.

While returning from the party, Romeo without informing his friends, leaped the wall of an orchard and entered Juliet's house and hid below the room of Juliet. Juliet not knowing that Romeo is below came out of the house and said openly to herself that she is in love with Romeo and how good it would be had he not been from Montagues. O Romeo, Romeo ! said she, where art thou Romeo, Deny thy father, and refuse thy name, for my sake; or if thou wilt not, be but my sworn love, and I no longer will be a Capulet. Hearing these words Romeo came to know that Juliet also is loving him as he is loving her. He came out of the bush and both Romeo and Juliet found that they love each other very fondly even though they are from two families are almost at war with each other They have decided to get married the next day itself.

Romeo has met the friar in the monastery and requested him to get his marriage performed with Juliet. The good friar Lawrence thinking that with this marriage both the families will become friends has agreed. The next day friar performed the marriage of Romeo with Juliet. Juliet returned to her home. When Romeo with his two friends is returning , Tybalt has met them and picked up a quarrel. Against the good counseling of Romeo, his friend Mercutio and Tybalt drew their swords and fought. In the fight Tybalt killed Mercutio and challenged Romeo.

Against all his efforts to avoid the fight as he is now married to a Copulet, Romeo was forced to fight and in the fight Tybalt was got killed. The lords of both the families and the Duke himself have come there. The Duke became very angry and banished Romeo from Verona. Romeo felt that it is a death sentence to move out of Verona and not able to see his beloved Juliet. First Juliet felt angry,but later realized that if Tybalt is not slain, he would have killed Romeo. Lawrence has asked Romeo to go and stay in Mantua , for some time and he will inform about their marriage and talk reason to them, and see that Romeo returns back to Verona and live happily with his love Juliet.

But the next day lord Copulet has proposed the marriage of Juliet with count Paris a gallant, noble and young gentleman, a worthy suitor to Juliet if she had not seen Romeo. Juliet met Lawrence and told that she will die taking poison rather than marrying Count Paris forgetting Romeo. Lawrence asked her to be patient and have confidence in him and gave a potion asking her to drink before going to the bed. With its effect, she will go cold and become as if dead for next 42 hours. She agreed for it. Lawrence said he will send the message to Romeo and her Romeo will come before she regains her consciousness and take her to Mantua .

Going back she met the young count Paris and informed that she will become his bride. Her father lord Copulet also felt very pleased and once again Juliet became her darling daughter. On Wednesday night, Juliet drank off the potion. Next morning when count Paris came to pick her up, he came to know that she is dead. The entire house is in deep sorrow , and marriage arrangement turned out to be her funeral arrangements. She was buried in the vaults of Copulets, nearer to the corpse of Tybalt.

Bad news always travels faster than good, news brought the dismal story of his Juliet’s death to Romeo at Mantua, before the messenger sent by Lawrence has arrived appraising him of the mock funerals and his dear lady will be in the tomb for a short while, expecting when her Romeo will come and release her from the dreary mansion. Romeo purchased poison and returned to Verona at midnight and started to break open the monument. At that time count Paris came to the tomb to stew flowers and thought Romeo being a Montague has come to do some mischief. Romeo urged Paris to leave him. But a duel has started and Romeo has slain Paris in the fight. The page of Paris ran to inform to lord of Copulet about the fight. He took the body of Paris into the tomb to bury along with Juliet.

Here Romeo took the last leave of his lady and drank the poison he brought from Mantua and lay dead near Juliet. As the time of Juliet to get up has come , the friar Lawrence has come to take her to his home and was astonished to see the corpse of Romeo lying there. Before he could understand what has happened Juliet awoke out of her trance and asked the friar for her Romeo. Meanwhile voices have come indicating that many people are coming and out of fear Lawrence has run away. Seeing Romeo dead with a cup in hand , Juliet realized that he has died of poison and she with her dagger stabbed herself and lay dead by the side of Romeo.

Copulets and Montagues have arrived and the prince also came knowing about the commotion. Somebody has caught Lawrence and brought him. Asked by the prince, Lawrence has informed about the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, and the magic potion and all. After seeing the letters in the pocket of Romeo every one believed the facts told by Lawrence. The prince, turning to these old lords , rebuked them for their brutal and irrational enmities, and showed what tragedy occurred because of them. These old rivals agreed to bury their rivalry and be friends. But had they became friends before the young lives of Romeo and Juliet would have been saved.