What happens in Act 1
The Chorus sets the scene in the Prologue.
Romeo is pining for a girl called Rosaline. He loves her but his love is unrequited (ie it's not returned). So when Romeo and his friend Benvolio discover by chance that Rosaline will be at Lord Capulet's Annual Festive Party later that night, they both decide to go. Romeo to see Rosaline, and Benvolio to persuade his friend that there are more beautiful women to chase than Rosaline. There he meets Juliet and falls instantly in love with her. But they soon find out that Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet - the children of two long standing enemies. It seems their love is doomed before it can start.
When does this happen? Click here for Act 1 scenes...
Scene 1 – A public place in Verona
Time: 9am Sunday morning
How do we know?
Benvolio: Good morrow, cousin
Romeo: Is the day so young?
Benvolio: But new struck nine.
Scene 2 – Time: Sunday afternoon
Scene 3 – A room in Capulet’s House
Time: Later Sunday afternoon
How do we know?
Lady Capulet: This night you shall behold him at our feast
Scene 4 – A street outside Capulet’s House
Time: Sunday evening
How do we know?
In Scene 2, Capulet said “This night I hold an accustomed feast”
In Scene 3, Lady Capulet said “This night you shall behold him at our feast”
Scene 5 – The Great Hall in Capulet’s House
Time: Later Sunday evening
How do we know?
In Scene 2, Capulet said “This night I hold an accustomed feast”
In Scene 3, Lady Capulet said “This night you shall behold him at our feast”
What happens in Act 2
Romeo stays behind after the party has finished and finds himself in the orchard beneath Juliet's bedroom window. In the famous balcony scene that follows, Romeo and Juliet exchange their love vows and are determined to be married. The next morning, Romeo visits Friar Lawrence and persuades him to perform the secret ceremony.
When does this happen? Click here for Act 2 scenes...
Scene 1 –Outside Capulet’s House
Time: Sunday night, immediately Capulet’s party
How do we know?
Benvolio: Romeo! My cousin Romeo! Romeo!
Mercutio: He is wise, and on my life hath stolen him home to bed.
Scene 2 – In the Orchard beneath Juliet’s bedroom window
Time: Sunday night, immediately following the preceding scene and through till dawn on Monday
How do we know?
Juliet: ’Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone
Romeo: Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
Scene 3 – Outside Friar Lawrence’s Cell
Time: Early Monday morning, immediately following the preceding scene
How do we know?
Romeo: Hence will I go to my ghostly sire’s cell,
His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
Scene 4 – A street in Verona
Time: 12 noon on Monday
How do we know?
Nurse: God ye good morrow, gentlemen.
Mercutio: God ye good e’en, fair gentlewoman
Nurse: Is it good e’en?
Mercutio: ‘Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the dial is now on the prick of noon.
Scene 5 – Capulet’s House
Time: Early Monday afternoon, immediately following the preceding scene
How do we know?
Juliet: The clock struck nine when I did send the Nurse …
and later
Juliet: Now is the sun upon the highmost hill
Of this day’s journey, and from nine till twelve
Is three long hours, yet she is not come.
Scene 6 – Friar Lawrence’s Cell
Time: Later Monday afternoon
How do we know?
In Scene 5 …
Nurse: Have you leave to go to shrift today?
Juliet: I have.
Nurse: Then his you to Friar Lawrence’s cell
There stays a husband to make you a wife
What happens in Act 3
Tybalt, Lord Capulet's ill-tempered nephew, is angry that Romeo and his friends gatecrashed the Capulet feast. He searches out Romeo and tries to start a quarrel in the streets of Verona. Romeo - who has been married to Juliet for just an hour - tries to be friends with Tybalt. Mercutio - another friend of Romeo and a relation of Prince Escalus - reacts furiously and fights with Tybalt. Romeo tries to act as peacemaker but Mercutio is fatally stabbed by Tybalt. Romeo instantly avenges Mercutio's death by killing Tybalt and then flees the scene. As punishment, Romeo is banished from Verona. He has just one night to secretly meet up with his new wife.
Juliet's parents mistake Juliet's sorrow for grief for her dead cousin, Tybalt. They believe her mood will improve by marrying Count Paris, her suitor, on the forthcoming Thursday. But Juliet refuses and her father is enraged by her disobedience.
When does this happen? Click here for Act 3 scenes...
Scene 1- A public place in Verona
Time: Monday afternoon, an hour after Romeo has married Juliet
How do we know?
Romeo says: Tybalt, that an hour has been my cousin.
Scene 2 – Juliet’s room in Capulet’s House
Time: later Monday afternoon, three hours after the marriage, and two hours after Romeo killed Tybalt
How do we know?
Juliet : Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name, When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it?
Scene 3 – Friar Lawrence’s Cell
Time: Late on Monday evening
How do we know?
Friar Lawrence says to Romeo ’Tis late. Farewell; good night.
Scene 4 – Capulet’s House
Time: Night time, very early on Tuesday morning
How do we know?
Capulet says to Paris: ’Tis very late. She’ll not come down tonight.
And later in the scene: Afore me, it is so very late
That we may call it early by and by.
Good night.
Scene 5 – Juliet’s bedroom
Time: Night-time, very early Tuesday morning
How do we know?
In the previous scene:
Capulet says to Paris: ’Tis very late. She’ll not come down tonight.
And later in the same scene:
Afore me, it is so very late
That we may call it early by and by.
Good night.
What happens in Act 4
Juliet seeks the advice of Friar Lawrence. He proposes a plan that involves taking a magical sleeping potion to make her appear dead. She would then be placed in the family vault where he and Romeo could rescue her while they work out what to do next. Juliet agrees to the plan. Lord Capulet is overjoyed and brings forward the wedding to Wednesday. Juliet takes the potion, while the Friar writes to Romeo in Mantua.
When does this happen? Click here for Act 4 scenes...
Scene 1 – Friar Lawrence’s Cell
Time: Tuesday morning
How do we know?
In the previous scene, Juliet says:
Go in, and tell my lady I am gone,
Having displeased my father, to Lawrence’s cell
To make confession
We know that she has come straight away to see Friar Lawrence from the previous scene.
Friar Lawrence says to Juliet:
Wednesday is tomorrow;
Tomorrow night look that thou lie alone,
Scene 2 – Capulet’s mansion
Time: Nearly night time on Tuesday
How do we know?
Juliet has returned from confession with Friar Lawrence.
Lady Capulet says “’Tis now near night”
Scene 3 – Juliet’s bedroom
Time: Tuesday night
How do we know?
Lady Capulet says: Good night
Get thee to bed and rest, for thou hast need
Scene 4 – A room in Capulet’s mansion
Time: Wednesday 3am
How do we know?
Capulet says: Come, stir,stir! The second cock has crowed
The curfew bell hath rung, ‘tis three a’clock
Scene 5 – Juliet’s bedroom
Time: Early Wednesday morning, immediately following the preceding scene
How do we know?
In the preceding scene Capulet tells the Nurse to go and wake Juliet
Capulet says: Go waken Juliet, go and trim her up
In this scene the Nurse enters and says:
“Mistress, what mistress! Juliet! Fast, I warrant her, she."
What happens in Act 5
But fate intervenes again. The letter to Romeo in Mantua doesn't get delivered. Instead Romeo's servant, Balthasar, tells him that Juliet is dead. Grief stricken, Romeo returns to the Capulet tomb with poison he has bought from an Apothecary. Romeo drinks the poison and dies next to his wife. When Juliet awakes in the vault, she is overcome with grief and stabs herself. The deaths of the two young lovers finally ends the years of bad blood between the Montagues and the Capulets.
When does this happen? Click here for Act 5 scenes...
Scene 1 – Mantua
Time: later on Wednesday or on Thursday ...So which day?
Wednesday?
We know that Romeo can get back to Verona from Mantua by “that night” and Balthazar tells Romeo that he left Verona immediately after he saw Juliet being laid to rest in the Capulet vault. So this could mean that Romeo gets back to the Capulet vault (next scene) on Wednesday night.
Or Thursday?
However, in scene 3, Juliet is meant to wake from the effect of Friar Lawrence’s potion after 42 hours. That would make Scene 2 Thursday evening. Maybe Romeo didn’t leave Mantua until Thursday.
But maybe it IS Wednesday.
In in scene 3, Paris arrives to lay flowers and perform funeral rites at Juliet’s tomb. You would expect him to start doing this on the first night, not the second. On this basis, Scene 3 must be on Wednesday, therefore the Mantua scene is also on Wednesday.
Scene 2 – Friar Lawrence’s Cell
Time: Wednesday
Scene 3 – Outside and inside the Capulet tomb
Time: Wednesday night until nearly dawn on Thursday
How do we know?
Prince: What misadventure is so early up
That calls our person from our morning rest?
And later
Prince: A glooming peace this morning with it brings:
The sun for sorrow will not show it’s head.
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