Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
Juliet is attending a costume ball that her father has thrown, and meets a young, handsome man called Romeo, who she falls in love with instantly. Tybalt, Lord Capulet's nephew, recognized Romeo as a member of the Montague family, who have been rivals with the Capulet family for years. He is about to go get his rapier, when Lord Capulet stops him.
The Prince of Verona had prohibited any fighting between the Capulets and the Montagues. Tybalt argues with Lord Capulet, saying that Romeo will only make a fool of their family that he sneaked into the Capulets' ball, but after Lord Capulet scolds him, Tybalt sullenly agrees to leave Romeo alone for now.
Romeo and Juliet are interrupted by an old woman who tells Juliet that her mother is summoning her. Juliet goes away, and then Romeo asks the elder who the lady is, finding out that her name is Juliet Capulet and that she is the daughter of Lord Capulet. He also finds out that the elder is Juliet's nurse.
After the ball, Juliet couldn't sleep and went to her balcony, thinking of Romeo. She finds him at the foot of her house and is shocked. Romeo tells her that he loves her, and she is skeptical of his honesty. Romeo then proceeds to ask her if she will meet him at Friar Lawrence's chapel at noon the following day to be married.
Juliet is conflicted about whether to say yes or no, but finally she consents. The next day, Romeo and Juliet were married.
Two of Romeo's closest friends, Mercutio and Benvolio, are waiting for Romeo in the town square of Verona after Romeo is an hour late. Romeo finally comes and is about to tell them his secret--that he married Juliet Capulet--but they are interrupted by Tybalt, who challenges him to a duel. Romeo is angry at first, but then he refuses to duel with Tybalt.
Tybalt insults Romeo, and Mercutio tries to get Romeo to fight Tybalt, but Romeo refuses. Mercutio steps up for Romeo and accepts the challenge for him.
Tybalt and Mercutio fight, and then Tybalt kills Mercutio with a blade to the heart. Romeo is enraged and fights Tybalt as well, killing Tybalt at the end of the duel.
Romeo is stricken by what he has done, and is afraid that Juliet will not love the murderer of her cousin; he barely notices when the prince's guards reach him.
The Prince of Verona passes his judgement on Romeo, banishing him to the city of Mantua and saying that if Romeo ever set foot in Verona, he would be put to death.
Friar Lawrence heard the news of Romeo's banishment and was sorrowful; he had secretly married Romeo and Juliet, hoping that the two families would overcome their hatred for one another.
Juliet comes in on Friar Lawrence and tells him that her father plans on marrying her off to Count Paris, whom she doesn't want to be with. Friar Lawrence tries to reassure her, but Juliet says that she couldn't bear telling her father about Romeo and instead tried saying that she was too full of grief to be married; but her father had not paid her any attention, and the wedding was to commence tomorrow.
Friar Lawrence gives her a bottle of liquid that will put her in a deep sleep resembling death that will wear off in two days. After that, she could sneak away to Mantua, where Romeo was.
After hearing the news of Juliet's death, Benvolio rode to Mantua to find Romeo. A monk tried to give him a letter that was for Romeo from Friar Lawrence, but Benvolio paid him no attention.
Benvolio told Romeo that Juliet had died, and Romeo was grief-stricken, sobbing all through the day. Romeo grew calm at last and declares that he must go to Juliet. Benvolio goes to instruct the grooms to saddle Romeo's horse, and once alone, Romeo gets a poison and vows to drink it at Juliet's side.
Romeo reaches the place where Juliet is and drinks the poison. Soon after, Juliet wakes up, seeing Romeo at her side, dead. She is deeply sorrowful, and she stabs the dagger into her heart to be with Romeo in death--and then, soon after, Friar Lawrence walks in on them both.
The Capulet and Montague family finally found their peace with one another by being united in their grief over Romeo and Juliet. In the end, they buried Romeo and Juliet together and even put up a statue in their honor.
7/10. It was written well, yet too dramatic for my taste. It's along the lines of Antony and Cleopatra, and this would be a good second play to read after you've finished that.
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