1. Romeo and Juliet Act One

2. Scene One  There is a fight between servants of the Capulet house and the Montague house  The fight escalates until the prince gets involved to enforce peace in Verona  Montague, Lady Montague and Benvolio are worried about Romeo because he has been sad and he isolates himself from others  Romeo is sad about a woman  He is in love but Rosaline has decided to live a life of chastity

3. Scene Two  Capulet is questioned by Paris about Juliet’s marriage prospects and declares that he wishes to marry her  Capulet believes Juliet is still too young(13), but he will consider Paris’s proposal  Romeo and Benvolio encounter a Capulet servant who has been sent to invite people to a party  The party is a Capulet tradition  The servant cannot read, so he asks Romeo and Benvolio to help him decipher the message

4. Scene Two Continued  Romeo and Benvolio help Peter, and he in turn invites them to the party so long as they are not Montagues  Benvolio wants to go to the Capulet party to help Romeo shake his sadness  Benvolio believes that if Romeo puts himself out there are looks at other beautiful women he will forget about Rosaline  Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio to the Capulet party

5. Scene Three  Lady Capulet, Nurse, and Juliet are in Juliet’s room before the party  Lady Capulet tells Juliet of Paris’s marriage proposal  Lady Capulet believes this proposal is a good one and that Juliet should accept it  Nurse agrees with Lady Capulet and reminisces about Juliet as a baby  Juliet does not want to get married yet

6. Scene Four  Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio go to the Capulet party in masks  Romeo is still miserable and does not want to dance  Benvolio and Mercutio do their best to change Romeo’s mood, but he still does not want to be at the party  Romeo says, “ I fear too early, for my mind misgives some consequence et hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date with this night’s revels, and expire the term of a despised life closed in my breast by some vile forfeit of my untimely death.”  Romeo is predicting that something bad will happen tonight and it will end with his death

7. Scene Five  Capulet welcomes the masked men to his party  Romeo notices Juliet and asks a servant about her but the servant does not know who she is  Tybalt recognizes that Romeo and his friends are Montagues and confronts Capulet about their presence  Capulet tells Tybalt not to start a fight because they are in Capulet’s home and he has heard that Romeo has a good reputation and does not believe he is there to fight  Tybalt states, “I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall now seeming sweet, convert to bitterness gall.”

8. Scene Five Continued  Romeo flirts with Juliet (they do not yet know who the other is)  “Let lips do what hands do”  Romeo and Juliet kiss  Romeo learns who Juliet is from Nurse  “O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” – Romeo  “If he be married my grave is like to be my wedding bed.” – Juliet