Romeo & Juliet Act 1 Outline

Outline of this Act in Romeo and Juliet. The numbers in parentheses relate to the sticky notes.

Used as a review of this act.

1. Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Act 1 Outline

2. I.Prologue
A. Summary of the play
B. Setting: Verona, Italy

3. C. Old argument between
two families causes
fights/riots (3)
D. Only the deaths of
Romeo and Juliet can end
the argument (5)

4. II. Scene 1
A. Servants boast about
fighting Montagues (enemy) (6)
B. Capulet servant flips
Montague servant off which
starts a fight (riot)

5. C. Benvolio arrives and tries
to break up fight (8)
D. Tybalt provokes Benvolio
into fighting

6. E. Prince arrives, stops
fight, and sentences the
family that starts the next
fight/riot to death. (9)
F. Fight/Riot caused by
someone saying something
offensive. (11)

7. G. Romeo’s parents and
Benvolio discuss Romeo’s
mood. (12)
1. Benvolio has seen
Romeo wandering around.
2. He sees that Romeo
wants to be left alone; so,
he doesn’t bother him.

8. H. Romeo tells Benvolio that
he is depressed (17).
1. He loves Rosaline.
(Romeo is obsessed with
her.)
2. Rosaline wants
nothing to do with him; she
has sworn off love and men.

9. III. Scene 2
A. Count Paris, who is 21,
asks Lord Capulet if he can
marry Juliet.
B. [All of Juliet’s siblings
are dead] (19)
C. Capulet will agree to
the marriage only if Juliet
also agrees. (20)

10. D. Benvolio and Romeo
find out about the Capulets’
party.
1. Romeo reads the
guest list for an illiterate
servant.
2. Rosaline is invited
to the party.

11. E. Benvolio talks Romeo
into crashing the party.
1. Benvolio wants
Romeo to compare Rosaline to
other girls.
2. He thinks Romeo will
realize that there are other
women in the world.

12. IV. Scene 3
A. Lady Capulet goes to
see Juliet about marrying
Paris.
B. Nurse rattles on and
on; says Juliet will be 14 in 2
weeks.

13. C. Juliet says that she
hasn’t thought about marriage
at all.
D. Nurse thinks that
marrying Paris would be a good
idea.
E. Juliet agrees to meet
Paris at the party and consider
his offer of marriage.

14. V. Scene 4
A. Romeo, Benvolio,
Mercuito, and friends are on
their way to crash the party.
1. Romeo doesn’t want
to go as he is still depressed.
2. Says he will not
dance.

15. B. Mercutio tries to cheer
Romeo up by talking about his
dream.
C. Romeo fears that
something bad is going to come
of this night.

16. VI. Scene 5
A. Lord Capulet welcomes
all to his party.
B. Romeo sees Juliet
across the room and falls in
‘love’ with Juliet.

17. C. Tybalt, who is a
hothead, overhears Romeo
talking about Juliet and
instantly wants to kill him.
D. Lord Capulet stops
Tybalt from fighting in his
house and throws Tybalt out.
(33)

18. E. Romeo and Juliet meet
but do not exchange names.
F. They instantly fall in
“love.”
G. As people are leaving,
Nurse tells Romeo who Juliet
is. She is a Capulet and his
enemy.

19. H. Nurse also identifies
Romeo for Juliet. He is a
Montague and her enemy.
I. Both Romeo and Juliet
are depressed at these
discoveries.