A melancholy Romeo enters and is questioned by his cousin Benvolio, who learns that the cause of Romeo’s sadness is unrequited love. He threatens the Montagues and Capulets with death if they fight again.

Act 1, scene 1 A street fight breaks out between the Montagues and the Capulets, which is broken up by the ruler of Verona, Prince Escalus.Their deaths appear finally to end the feud. Juliet wakes, sees his body, and commits suicide. The plan goes awry, and Romeo learns instead that she is dead. The friar will send Romeo word to be at her family tomb when she awakes. To avoid this marriage, Juliet takes a potion, given her by the friar, that makes her appear dead. He spends that night with Juliet and then leaves for Mantua.Juliet’s father forces her into a marriage with Count Paris.

When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo’s friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. Romeo and his companions almost immediately encounter Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who challenges Romeo. 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. Entire Play 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.

Scenes from enemies with benefits