Members of the Capulet and Montague households are caught fighting in the streets. The Prince proclaims to Lord Capulet and Lord Montague that ‘If ever you disturb our streets again, / Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace’.

Paris asks Lord Capulet for Juliet’s hand in marriage but Lord Capulet feels she is too young. Lord Capulet decides to invite Paris to a ball instead so he can win Juliet over.

Juliet promises her mother, Lady Capulet, and her nurse that she will ‘look to like’ Paris when she meets him at the ball.

Romeo and his friends go to the Capulet ball even though they are Montagues. Tybalt sees Romeo there and is so offended he vows to seek revenge, saying ‘but this intrusion shall / Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall’.

Romeo and Juliet meet at the ball and are instantly attracted to each other. They kiss each other but soon discover the other’s true identity, with Juliet declaring ‘my only love sprung from my only hate’.

Romeo hides in the Capulets' orchard to try and catch a glimpse of Juliet. He sees her at her window and listens while she talks about him. He reveals himself and tells her he feels the same. They declare their love for each other and talk about marriage.

Romeo visits Friar Laurence and asks the Friar to marry him and Juliet. At first Friar Laurence refuses but then thinks this may be a way to end the feud between the two families, saying ‘In one respect I'll thy assistant be; / For this alliance may so happy prove, / To turn your households' rancour to pure love’.

The Nurse asks Romeo what his intentions are towards Juliet. He assures her they are honourable and that Juliet should visit Friar Laurence that very afternoon.

Juliet waits impatiently while the Nurse gives her the news about her marriage to Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet are married in secret. The Friar says ‘So smile the heavens upon this holy act’.

A fight breaks out between Romeo's friend Mercutio and Tybalt but, when Romeo tries to stop it, Mercutio is stabbed and dies. He curses both the Capulet and Montague houses, saying ‘A plague o' both your houses!’. In revenge, Romeo kills Tybalt. As punishment, the Prince banishes Romeo from Verona.

Juliet waits for Romeo to join her but discovers he has killed Tybalt. At first she curses his name, saying ‘O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!’, but soon realises she still loves him and wants to see him. The Nurse agrees to get him for her.

Romeo is hiding at Friar Laurence’s cell. He wishes he had been executed rather than banished as banishment means living without Juliet. The Nurse arrives and, with the Friar, convinces him to visit Juliet to consummate their marriage.

Paris asks Lord Capulet for Juliet’s hand in marriage again. This time he agrees and they set the wedding date for a few days' time.

Romeo and Juliet say goodbye to each other and he leaves for Mantua. Juliet is then given the news about her marriage to Paris. When she refuses to marry, Lord Capulet threatens to disown her, calling her a ‘disobedient wretch’.

Juliet tells Friar Laurence she will kill herself rather than marry Paris, saying ‘O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, / From off the battlements of yonder tower’. He gives her a potion that will make her appear dead. They plan for her to take it and be placed in the Capulet family tomb. Friar Laurence will send for Romeo and he can meet her there when she wakes up.

Juliet tells her father she is sorry for disobeying him and agrees to marry Paris. He is overjoyed and moves the date of the wedding forward.

Juliet takes the potion Friar Laurence gave her, saying ‘Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again’, and immediately falls down as if dead.

Juliet’s body is discovered and, as planned, is taken to the tomb.

While in Mantua, Romeo discovers that Juliet has died, exclaiming ‘I defy you, stars!’. He visits an apothecary who sells him some poison. Then Romeo travels back to Verona.

Friar John tells Friar Laurence that he was unable to give Romeo the message about Juliet’s death being fake as he was held up by the ‘searchers of the town’. Friar Laurence worries Romeo will hear the false news.

Romeo goes to Juliet’s tomb where he disturbs Paris, who is mourning for her. They fight and Paris is killed. Romeo takes the poison and dies. Friar Laurence arrives and tries to get Juliet to leave with him but he is scared by a sound and leaves. She then kills herself with Romeo’s dagger.

At the end of the play, the Friar tells the Prince, Lord and Lady Capulet, and Lord Montague what has happened. They agree to end the feud and honour Juliet with a ‘statue in pure gold’.