Click on any scene below for a side-by-side translation from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Prologue
The Chorus (kind of like a narrator) appears on stage and gives us the lowdown on the play we're about to watch (or read): It's set in Verona, where there are two families in the same soc...
Act 1, Scene 1
On the streets of Verona, two young Capulet servants, Sampson and Gregory, are hanging out and trash-talking the Montagues. Sampson says he won't take any sass from the Montagues. In fact...
Act 1, Scene 2
Meanwhile, Lord Capulet is hanging out with County (a.k.a. Count) Paris, Verona's #1 most Eligible Bachelor. Capulet says something like "I'm getting too old for this whole family feud thing and so...
Act 1, Scene 3
Lady Capulet asks Juliet's nurse (who just gets called "Nurse" through the whole thing) to call in Juliet and leave them alone to chat. Then she changes her mind and tells the nurse she can stay. S...
Act 1, Scene 4
Romeo and his posse are getting ready to crash the Capulets's party. Luckily, it's a costume party, so they can wear masks. Still, Romeo is worried about how they'll get in and what excuse they'll...
Act 1, Scene 5
The servants are bustling about, clearing tables and cleaning dishes, complaining about the mess the partygoers made at dinner, and trying to save some scraps for themselves.
Act 2, Chorus
The Chorus enters the stage and delivers a speech full of stuff you already know if you've been paying attention: Romeo has forgotten all about Rosaline and is now in love with the daughter of his...
Act 2, Scene 1
Romeo doesn't want to leave the Capulet property, so he ditches his friends and hides out in the orchard behind the Capulet house.
Act 2, Scene 2
Here it is, Shmoopsters—the famous balcony scene!Romeo is wandering aimlessly around the Capulet backyard when you-know-who appears on the balcony. Romeo gasps, and then launches into a paragraph...
Act 2, Scene 3
Friar Lawrence is out foraging for medicinal plants and herbs for one of his concoctions...and talking to himself about their uses. He delivers a lengthy speech about how herbs and plants have the...
Act 2, Scene 4
Mercutio and Benvolio still haven't figured out where Romeo went after the party. They think he's going crazy somewhere thinking about Rosaline.
Act 2, Scene 5
In an orchard at the Capulet place, Juliet waits for the Nurse to come back with a message from Romeo. Time is passing in super slo-mo for Juliet, so when the Nurse finally returns, she's desperate...
Act 2, Scene 6
Back at Friar Lawrence's place, the priest tries to convince Romeo to calm down a little. Marriage is for the long term, you see. "These violent delights have violent ends," he warns.Brain Snack: I...
Act 3, Scene 1
Things are starting to heat up—as they usually do in Act 3 of Shakespeare's plays. Benvolio and Mercutio are hanging out, trading insults and mocking the Capulets. Benvolio thinks they...
Act 3, Scene 2
Juliet, who hasn't heard about the whole murder/ revenge killing thing, is watching the clock for nightfall, when Romeo is supposed to sneak into her room. She compares her marriage to Romeo to a r...
Act 3, Scene 3
Romeo is hiding out at Friar Lawrence's, and Friar updates him on the Tybalt situation.
Act 3, Scene 4
Paris is still hanging around hoping he can marry Juliet...or at least get some face time with her. Unfortunately, Juliet's still way depressed about Tybalt/Romeo, so she's not coming down for soci...
Act 3, Scene 5
Romeo and Juliet wake after their first and (spoiler alert) only night together. They don't want to say good-bye, so Juliet tries to say the bird they hear is the nightingale (meaning it'...
Act 4, Scene 1
Paris has stopped by Friar Lawrence's church to make plans for his upcoming marriage to Juliet. The Friar is quietly freaking out, since he's not a big fan of enabling bigamy.
Act 4, Scene 2
Once again, just like at the beginning of the play, Capulet is planning a big party. Looks like he's pretty confident Juliet will come around. He sends one of his servingmen off with a list of peop...
Act 4, Scene 3
Juliet convinces the Nurse and Lady Capulet to leave her alone. She tells the Nurse she has a lot of prayers to say to make up for her sinning ways. Then she says the Nurse should stay with Lady Ca...
Act 4, Scene 4
Everyone is bustling around cheerfully trying to get things ready for the wedding that morning. The Nurse calls Lord Capulet an old housewife (guess he did stay up all night making preparations) an...
Act 4, Scene 5
The Nurse has trouble waking Juliet, which of course inspires her to make a couple of sex jokes. She says Juliet better rest up now, because the Count won't let her rest after the wedding. Then she...
Act 5, Scene 1
In exile in Mantua, Romeo wakes up feeling good. He has just had a dream in which Juliet found him dead, but then kissed him back to life. (That sound you just heard was the anvil of foreshadowing.)
Act 5, Scene 2
Wondering why Romeo didn't get the message Friar Lawrence sent him? Here's your answer. Friar Lawrence sent the letter with his friend, Friar John, who was delayed due to an unfortunate mix-up. (So...
Act 5, Scene 3
The Capulet tomb seems to be a popular locale. When Romeo arrives, Paris is already there, sadly tossing flowers.