Romeo and Juliet

The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters "star-crossed lovers"—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers.

Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. Their families are enmeshed in a feud, but the moment they meet—when Romeo and his friends attend a party at Juliet's house in disguise—the two fall in love and quickly decide that they want to be married.

A friar secretly marries them, hoping to end the feud. Romeo and his companions almost immediately encounter Juliet's cousin Tybalt, who challenges Romeo. When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo’s friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. Romeo then kills Tybalt and is banished. He spends that night with Juliet and then leaves for Mantua.

Juliet’s father forces her into a marriage with Count Paris. To avoid this marriage, Juliet takes a potion, given her by the friar, which makes her appear dead. The friar will send Romeo word to be at her family tomb when she awakes. The plan goes awry, and Romeo learns instead that she is dead. In the tomb, Romeo kills himself. Juliet wakes, sees his body, and commits suicide. Their deaths appear finally to end the feud.

Romeo and Juliet character map

Understanding and interpreting Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet Through the Ages
Learn how Romeo and Juliet has been cut and molded to fit certain cultural expectations in different time periods.

Elizabethan Street Fighting
How do the duels in Romeo and Juliet reflect the street violence of Shakespeare's day?

Romeo and Juliet in performance and adaptations

Charlotte Cushman: When Romeo Was a Woman
Actress Charlotte Cushman was a 19th-century theatrical icon known for playing traditionally male roles, like Romeo, with a uniquely assertive and athletic style.

Olivia Hussey: The Girl on the Balcony
Olivia Hussey was just fifteen when Franco Zeffirelli cast her in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. Hear an interview with the actress.

Leonard Bernstein and West Side Story
Take a closer look at American composer Leonard Bernstein and the creation of West Side Story, the 1957 smash Broadway hit adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in four beautiful duets
Matthew Shilvock of San Francisco Opera writes about the Charles Gounod opera based on Shakespeare's love story.

Cultural influence

Juliet's Answer
Starting in the 1930s, people began sending letters asking for advice on love and romance to Verona, Italy. The letters were all addressed to Juliet.

Inside the Folger collection

Two film studios, alike in dignity
A program in the Folger collection raises questions about two lost film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet in 1916.

A carousel of tragedy
See inside a delightful artist's book inspired by Romeo and Juliet.

Jean Cocteau's Romeo
Explore a wonderful example of surrealist theater.

Romeo and Juliet
This painting by James Northcote captures a key moment in the play.

Famous quotes

Each quote is followed by the character who's speaking and the act, scene, and line number. Read the quote in context on the Folger Shakespeare site.

A pair of star-crossed lovers… (Chorus—Pro. 6)

…sad hours seem long. (Romeo—1.1.166)

If love be rough with you, be rough with love. (Mercutio—1.4.27)

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear. (Romeo—1.5.51–53)

You kiss by th’ book… (Juliet—1.5.122)

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? (Romeo—2.2.2)

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? (Juliet—2.2.36)

That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet. (Juliet—2.2.46–47)

Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say “Good night” till it be morrow. (Juliet—2.2.199–201)

A plague o’ both your houses! (Mercutio—3.1.111)

Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
(Romeo—5.3.92–93)

…never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. (Prince—5.3.320–21)