Only five days continue the events described in the tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet." The summary can be stated very succinctly: a young man met a girl, they fell in love, but their clan hostility hindered their happiness. However , Shakespeare's work is quite voluminous. This article summarizes the love story of Romeo and Juliet in great detail.
Kavardak in the square
Panas are fighting - at lackeys forelocks are cracking. This is how the first scene of the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” can be described. We begin the summary with the brawl that takes place between the servants of Montecchi and Capulet. The reader does not yet know anything about what caused this enmity, many years and probably irreconcilable. Both young and old participate in it.
Benvolio, a friend of the protagonist, appears. He shouts: “Weapon away and instantly in places!” But after a few minutes, the scandal erupted with renewed vigor. Now adherents of both houses are already appearing, they are joining the fighting. Then there are townspeople with halberds and batons. The inhabitants of Verona are tired of this enmity and are trying to calm the servants of Montecchi and Capulet by force.
A fierce battle in the town square stops only after the appearance of the prince. However, even this esteemed gentleman has to read a long speech in order to calm the fighting. He calls them "killers of silence," "traitors who defile iron with fraternal blood." In fear of the death penalty, orders to end the battle.
Everyone disagrees. Montecchi and Benvolio remain. A summary of Romeo and Juliet is supplemented by quotes from the work translated by Boris Pasternak. Benvolio tells the story of Montecci.
The prince appeared, saw a mess, and the guard pulled the bully away.
With these words ends the story of Benvolio about the fight that happened.
Rosaline
Where is the main face of the plot of Romeo and Juliet? In a very brief summary it is not always mentioned that the son of Montecca, before meeting with Juliet, was in love with her cousin. Benvolio tells his friend’s parents what happened in the square. Lady Montecca asks the young man about where her son is. He replies that Romeo has recently been prone to solitude. Romeo has little interest in family feuds with Capulet.
Finally, the protagonist of the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” appears. In the brief content of the work it is not necessary to talk about what happened before the first meeting of the offspring of the warring families. But still, what is the grief of Romeo? As already mentioned, he is in love with a relative of Juliet. Romeo is detached, thoughtful, absorbed in his own thoughts. The image of impregnable Rosalina reigns in his thoughts.
Spouses Montecchi leave friends in private. In a conversation with a friend, Romeo shares his experiences. He chuckles at the suffering of a friend and recommend paying attention to other girls.
Capulet
What is the main character of Shakespeare's work “Romeo and Juliet” busy at this time? A summary of the second step will answer this question.
In the house of Capulet, a relative of the prince appears, the very one who separated the fighting in the square - Count Paris. He decided to visit the venerable family not by chance. Paris wants to marry Capulet's daughter. An interesting dialogue takes place between these characters. As you know, even from the very brief content of Romeo and Juliet, the heroine is not yet fourteen years old. Capulet first refuses the count.
Just wait two years, and we will proclaim our daughter the bride.
From the conversation between Paris and Capulet, the reader becomes aware that the latter also had other children. However, only Juliet survived. Because the old man is very careful about his daughter, and does not want to give her in advance prematurely. But in the end agrees.
Masquerade ball
A great celebration is taking place at the Capulet House. Of course, not one of the Capulet family was invited to the ball. However, Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio manage to break into the "enemy camp." They are dressed in fancy dresses.
Mercutio and Benvolio are constantly joking. Their friend is sad, as always. But the matter is not only in the hopeless love he suffers from in recent days - Romeo foresees the impending disaster. In the crowd, the main characters suddenly meet glances. This is the plot of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. From the summary, those who have not read the work of the classic will learn that the characters fall in love with each other at first sight.
Romeo realizes that he had never loved anyone before. Rosalina and other objects of his attention were "false goddesses." Romeo, like the other heroes of Shakespeare's work, often speaks out loud. It was by virtue of this habit that he was exposed at the ball at Capulet. Juliet's brother recognizes him by voice. Tybalt grabs his sword - he is ready to fight. But the relatives stop him, noting that Capulet's son has a calm and kind disposition and there is nothing wrong with the fact that he decided to visit them as a guest.
I am the embodiment of hated power
Romeo approaches Juliet in a monk costume. The first dialogue takes place between them. A few minutes later, the main character finds out that the girl with whom he is already in love is the daughter of Capulet. At this time, Juliet speaks with the nurse, and she pronounces murderous words: "His name is Romeo, he is Montecchi." Heroes understand that their love is doomed. Juliet calls herself the embodiment of hated power, because she is the daughter of Montecca's sworn enemy, and therefore Romeo.
By the Juliet's balcony
This is the most famous scene from Shakespeare's work, except for the final one. She is known even to those who read only a brief summary of the play “Romeo and Juliet” or watched one of the adaptations. Mercutio and Benvolio leave the ball. Romeo, meanwhile, enters the garden of Capulet, approaches his lover's balcony and hears her voice. Juliet sadly discusses the feeling that struck her that evening. The son of Capulet does not stand it and turns to his beloved. From this moment they are not afraid of anything. They are completely subordinate to love.
Brother of lorenzo
This person becomes Romeo's attorney. Juliet helps the nurse. Romeo calls on his brother Lorenzo to marry them. He agrees in the hope that the union of the young Capulet and Montecci will end the long-standing feud. But, as you know, there is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet.
The summary of Shakespeare’s tragedy will not convey the beauty of the syllable that Russian-speaking readers can feel thanks to talented translations. Hearing that Romeo is in love with Capulet's daughter, Lorenzo says:
In your second sweetheart - the denouement of your internecine strife.
About how the blood begins to boil in the veins
But the people of Verona are passionate people, especially on hot days, as Shakespeare claimed. Summary of “Romeo and Juliet” we continue the sad story of characters hot-tempered like gunpowder and looking for an opportunity to demonstrate their courage. At leisure, when there is no reason to cause bloodshed, Shakespearean heroes argue about which of them loves more quarrels. It's about Benvolio and Mercutio. Suddenly, Juliet's brother appears. Benvolio and Mercutio understand that skirmishes cannot be avoided. Young people begin to exchange barbs. The skirmish ends with the advent of Romeo.
“Here is the right person for me!” - screams Tybalt. And then calls his sister's lover a bastard. However, Romeo, to the surprise of friends, does not instantly grab the sword. He calmly tries to refute the opinion of his opponent. Romeo has already married Juliet, which means that Tybalt is his relative. Mercutio is furious. He tries to defend the honor of Montecca and grabs the sword. The duel between the son of Capulet and Mercutio ends with the death of the latter. Before dying, Romeo's friend curses the warring families.
The duel between Romeo and Tybalt
The main character is shocked. He realizes that he has betrayed a friend. Romeo became softer thanks to Juliet. However, he still had the strength to avenge his friend. He overtakes Tybalt, the battle begins - furious, fierce. In this fight Romeo wins. Tybalt is dying.
Benvolio convinces a friend to flee urgently. After all, the death of Juliet’s brother in a duel of Verona’s power will be regarded as murder. The main character faces execution. He is suppressed by what happened and leaves the area, which is immediately filled with indignant residents. The prince condemns Romeo to exile. If he does not leave Verona, he will be executed.
Juliet
Capulet's daughter is shocked by the death of her brother. However, Romeo justifies, because now she is his wife. Brother Lorenzo persuades him to leave the city and not return until the prince grants him forgiveness. Romeo is saddened. Leaving Verona is worse for him than death. However, he understands that in the words of Lorenzo the truth. If he does not leave immediately, he will die. Romeo goes to Juliet and they spend several hours together. It is difficult for the girl to part with her lover, yet she persuades him to leave.
Romeo leaves Juliet's room, and then Lady Capulet appears. She sees her daughter in tears, but is sure that the reason for them is the death of Tybalt. For some reason, the death of his son does not change Capulet's plans: they still plan to marry his daughter to Paris. Juliet in vain persuades mother and father to postpone the wedding. They are adamant.
Imaginary death
Juliet is in despair. She cannot and does not want to become the wife of Paris. For help, she turns to her brother Lorenzo. He offers the girl a plan that would scare anyone. But not Juliet, who, for the sake of her love, is ready to make any sacrifice. Brother Lorenzo gives his daughter Capulet a bottle of elixir. After drinking it, the girl will fall into a dream, which will last forty-two hours. Lorenzo warns: the implementation of the plan carries danger. But Juliet is not afraid of anything. She takes the bottle and leaves, inspired by the hope of meeting Romeo.
Juliet returns home, where she diligently plays the role of an obedient daughter. Preparing for the wedding. Capulet is happy: the daughter no longer disagrees. But suddenly the girl is seized with fear. What if Lorenzo cheated? And if the elixir does not work as promised by the monk? Nevertheless, she drinks the elixir in one gulp and falls into a lethargic dream.
In the morning, a terrible cry announces the house of Capulet: Juliet died. The failed groom is crushed by the terrible news. The musicians whom Capuletti invited were embarrassed to disperse. Here Lorenzo appears and recalls that the deceased should be attributed to the cemetery, to the family crypt.
In mantua
Romeo, meanwhile, is hiding in another city. While Juliet is taking the elixir, he has a strange dream: as if he had died. This dream will be prophetic. Romeo is looking forward to receiving letters from Lorenzo. While in Mantua, he has no idea what is happening in his hometown. He never receives news from Lorenzo. A servant comes to him and reports that Juliet is dead.
Tomb of Capulet
We conclude the summary of the chapters of “Romeo and Juliet” with a description of the scene, which, perhaps, is known to everyone. It happens in the tomb of Capulet. Here is the supposedly dead Juliet. Paris throws flowers at the failed bride, but suddenly he hears a rustle. He hides and sees Romeo. He gives the servant a letter addressed to his father, and sends it. He himself opens the tomb, comes in and sees the lifeless body of his beloved.
Before Romeo, Paris appears, threatening to arrest and execute. The fight begins. Romeo became distraught with grief, he fights on swords fiercely. Paris is dying. Romeo is left alone with Juliet. He is amazed: the beloved looks like she is alive. Romeo drinks poison.
Lorenzo appears. He was only a few minutes late. At this moment, Juliet wakes up and sees a dead Romeo. She only thinks about how to die as soon as possible. The trouble is that the son of Montecchi drank all the poison. Juliet finds a dagger and thrusts it into her chest.
The remaining characters appear. Lorenzo tells Montecchi and Capulet the sad story of their children. Years of enmity came to an end at the cost of the life of Romeo and Juliet.
Summary of acts will be more concise. Shakespeare's work consists of five parts. Summary of “Romeo and Juliet” on the actions can be stated according to the following plan:
- Meeting at the ball.
- Wedding.
- The death of Tybalt.
- Exile.
- The death of Romeo and Juliet.
History of creation
The plot of Shakespeare's tragedy is by no means original. The story of the imaginary death of a girl that led to the death of her lover, and then her death, was found in ancient literature. In the first century BC, Ovid told a tragic story in the poem Metamorphoses. The heroes of the ancient Roman writer were Piram and Fisb. The parents of the lovers were against their union.
Piram and Fisba met secretly, and one day the girl, on a date, saw a tiger. Frightened, she rushed to run, but dropped a handkerchief, which the predator tore to pieces. Piram subsequently found this scarf and decided that his lover was dead. Not trying to figure out what had happened, he immediately stabbed himself with a sword on the spot. Fisba returned. I saw the lifeless body of Pyram and followed the example of her lover - she committed suicide with the help of a sword. Shakespeare used this story in another of his works, namely in the comedy “A Midsummer Night's Dream”. It is worth saying that Montecchi and Capulet meet for the first time in the work of Dante Alighieri.
The plot of Luigi Da Porto's poem is also very similar to the plot of Shakespeare's tragedy. True, the main character is almost eighteen, and in the final scene Romeo dies after the awakening of her lover and manages to utter a few words. Shakespeare's Juliet stabs herself with a dagger. The heroine of an Italian writer dies, like Isolde, from a great mental pain. That is, she simply lies next to her lover and gives off the last spirit.
The work of Luigi Da Porto was recycled more than once. Then, in the middle of the 16th century, the plot of this short story came to England, where it gained a new life thanks to Arthur Brook. This writer created a poem, the name which fully corresponds to the name of Shakespeare's tragedy. It was Brooke's poem that inspired the playwright to create a play that has become a world classic. However, in Brooke's poem, the action takes place in the winter. Shakespeare has it in the summer. Events in the poem of Arthur Brook unfold for nine months. Shakespeare's heroes meet, fall in love and die within five days.
Shakespeare worked on the tragedy for four years. Romeo and Juliet is an example of a tragic genre. First, the main character dies at the end. Secondly, in the souls of the offspring of warring families there is no place for a tragic conflict. Romeo and Juliet have no doubt, they are sure that they are doing the right thing, following their feelings. It is worth recalling another of the details characteristic of this genre - the action takes place against a light background. Although the ending is tragic, the work is filled with jokes, humor, laid-back dialogues.
The tragedy has been filmed many times. In the nineties, a picture with the participation of Leonardo DiCaprio gained popularity. This is a rather unusual film adaptation: the text has been saved almost completely, but events are happening in our time. However, the best, according to most critics, remains the 1968 film, shot by Franco Zeffirelli.