1. ROMEO AND JULIET ACADEMIC ENGLISH 9

2. PLOT Romeo and Juliet is the story of two young people who fall in love, despite the fact that their families have been enemies for ages. The story takes place over five days– Romeo and Juliet meet, fall in love, get married, and die in a very short amount of time!

3. STRUCTURE Begins with Prologue (delivered by Chorus) Has five acts (each split into scenes) Relies heavily on figurative language Written in Iambic Pentameter Has an “ABAB” rhyme scheme

4. THE PROLOGUE Shakespeare borrowed this device from the Ancient Greeks Tells us a summary that includes the end of the story

5. THE CAPULETS Juliet Lord and Lady Capulet (Juliet’s parents) Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin) The Nurse

6. THE MONTAGUES Romeo Lord and Lady Montague (his parents) Benvolio (Romeo’s cousin) Balthasar (Romeo’s servant)

7. IMPORTANT NEUTRAL CHARACTERS Friar Lawrence: the local priest The Prince: sort of the mayor of Verona Paris: nobleman who wants to marry Juliet Mercutio: Romeo’s best friend who is NOT a Montague

8. SETTING Most of Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona, Italy Some of the action occurs in Mantua, Italy (a town not far from Verona) Most of the action happens on Capulet property It is summer