1-Romeo and Juliet

In Verona, Sampson and Gregory (Capulet servants)

complain that they will not put up with insults from
the Montague family. Abram and Balthasar (Montague
servants) appear and the four start quarreling.
Benvolio (Lord Montague's nephew) appears and tries
to break up the quarrel, but Tybalt (Lady Capulet's
nephew) appears and picks a fight with Benvolio. At
length, officers try to break up the fight, even while
Lord Capulet and Lord Montague begin to fight one
another. The Prince of Verona (Escalus) appears and
stops the fighting, proclaiming sentences of death to any that renew the fighting.
At Montague's house, he, his wife, and Benvolio discuss how melancholy Romeo
(Montague's only son) has been lately. Benvolio vows to find out why. Speaking
with Romeo, Benvolio finds Romeo is in love with a woman who has sworn to stay
chaste (Rosaline). Benvolio suggests pursuing other women, but Romeo refuses.
Separately, Paris (a kinsman of the Prince of Verona) talks to Lord Capulet about
wooing his daughter Juliet for marriage. Capulet responds that she is too young
(nearly 14 years old) and must wait two years to marry, and then only to the man
whom she chooses. Still, Capulet invites Paris to a party in the evening. Capulet's
servant is sent to invite guests, but he can't read the list so he entreats Romeo to
do so. Upon hearing of the party, Benvolio convinces Romeo to attend and
compare his unattainable love Rosaline to more beautiful women to get his mind
off Rosaline. At Capulet's house, Lady Capulet speaks to Juliet about her feelings
for marrying Paris while Juliet's Nurse listens on, telling stories of Juliet's
childhood. Juliet, although hesitant, promises to be courteous. Masked, Romeo,
Mercutio, and Benvolio head to the Capulet party. Romeo is still depressed, saying
he dreamt a fearful dream of an untimely death that will result because of the
evening's events, but Benvolio just makes fun of him. At Capulet's house, the
Montagues attend the party (in masks), Romeo spies Juliet, and he falls in love
with her. Tybalt sees Romeo and takes up arms, but Lord Capulet attempts to

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calm him, though Tybalt vows to revenge Romeo's intrusion the next day. Juliet,
too, falls for Romeo, but falls into despair when her Nurse informs her Romeo is a
Montague, as does Romeo when he learns Juliet is a Capulet.

While leaving the party, Romeo hides in the orchard while Mercutio and Benvolio
call for him to come out of hiding and go home with them; yet he will not. After
they leave, Romeo appears and speaks to Juliet under her window, saying "But
soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet
is the sun!" By and by they swear their love to one another. Juliet tells Romeo
she'll send a messenger to him the next day to learn the details of their wedding.
Having stayed up all night, Romeo visits Friar Lawrence's cell and tells him of this
new love for Juliet. Although Lawrence is critical at first, Romeo eventually
convinces him to marry them. In the street, Benvolio tells Mercutio that Romeo did
not come home that night, and that Tybalt has sent the Montagues a letter
challenging Romeo to a duel. Romeo appears and they tease him for hiding from
them. Juliet's nurse and servant Peter appear and Romeo tells her to tell Juliet to
go to the Friar's cell that afternoon to be married. The Nurse returns to Juliet and,
though she skirts around the message, she finally tells Juliet the wonderful news.
Soon, at the Friar's cell, he marries Romeo and Juliet, and Romeo plans to visit
Juliet's bedroom that evening.

At the street, Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybalt and Petruchio, leading to
Tybalt and Mercutio fighting since Tybalt tries to pick a fight with Romeo, but he
refuses. Romeo tries to break up the fight, but Tybalt slays Mercutio under
Romeo's arm, then Tybalt flees. As Mercutio dies, he declares "A plague on both
your houses," since he is only a friend of Romeo's and not his kinsmen. When
Benvolio informs Romeo that Mercutio is dead, Romeo seeks out, fights, and slays
Tybalt in revenge. Benvolio convinces Romeo to flee. The prince appears and
Benvolio explains all to him, at which the Prince exiles Romeo for slaying Tybalt. At
the Capulet's orchard, Juliet waits for Romeo when her Nurse appears and informs
her of Mercutio and Tybalt's deaths, and Romeo's banishment. Juliet falls into
despair, realizing she would rather Tybalt dead than Romeo, but also that a
banished Romeo is virtually dead. At the Friar's cell, he informs Romeo of the
Prince's edict of banishment, putting him into despair. Romeo states he would

2
rather be dead than banished. The Nurse arrives and tells Romeo that Juliet is sad
too, but forgives Romeo. Still, Romeo pulls a dagger and tries to kill himself, but
the Friar stops him and tells him to stay the night with Juliet, then flee to Mantua.
At Capulet's house, he and Paris set the wedding date for Paris and Juliet to be
three days hence. In Juliet's bedroom, Romeo says a tearful goodbye to Juliet.
After he leaves, Lady Capulet appears and, while discussing Tybalt's death, states
she will send a henchman to Mantua to kill Romeo (though she never does). She
then informs Juliet of her impending marriage to Paris. Juliet tells her parents she
will not marry, but Lord Capulet commands it will be so. The Nurse, too, tells Juliet
she should marry Paris. In private, Juliet decides to no longer trust the nurse and
vows to kill herself if the Friar cannot find a way to save her from marrying Paris.

At Friar Lawrence's cell, Paris informs the Friar of his upcoming wedding to Juliet.
When Juliet arrives to see the Friar, Paris politely leaves. The Friar, hearing Juliet
threaten suicide, tells her of a "distilled liquor" she can take to fake death. He
explains the drug will keep her asleep and seemingly dead for 42 hours, during
which she can be placed in the Capulet tomb. Then, when she wakes, Romeo can
be there waiting for her to take her to Mantua. Friar Lawrence send Friar John to
Mantua with an explanatory letter for Romeo. Juliet returns to her father and
apologizes for refusing to marry, causing her dad to move the wedding up to the
next morning (two days early). In her bedroom, Juliet sends her mother and nurse
away, then, after much worrying over the future, she drinks the vial of medicine
and sleeps. Later in the early morning, all feverishly prepare for the wedding and
Capulet sends the Nurse to wake Juliet. The Nurse wails upon finding Juliet "dead",
summoning the others to find her and mourn. The Friar instructs all to prepare
Juliet for her funeral.

In Mantua, Romeo's servant Balthasar arrives and tells Romeo that Juliet is dead.
Romeo vows to see Juliet in her tomb and poison himself there, buying the poison
from a poor Apothecary who illegally sells it to Romeo only because he (the
Apothecary) needs the money. At Lawrence's cell, Friar John reports he could not
deliver the letter to Romeo since he (John) got stuck in a quarantined house while
searching for Romeo. Friar Lawrence heads to the cemetery with a crowbar. At the
tomb, Paris and his page arrive and Paris mourns Juliet's death. Paris hides when

3
he hears Romeo and Balthasar approach. Romeo orders Balthasar to leave him
alone, no matter what he hears. When Romeo opens the tomb, Paris steps out and
tries to stop him by provoking him to fight. Romeo entreats Paris to simply walk
away and not fight, but Paris forces Romeo to fight him, resulting in Romeo slaying
Paris. In sorrow, Romeo lays Paris in the tomb, while Paris' page secretly leaves to
call the watch. Romeo finds Juliet and mourns her death, then drinks his poison
and dies. Outside the tomb, Friar Lawrence arrives and meets Balthasar who tells
the Friar that Romeo has been in the tomb for one half hour. Lawrence enters the
tomb and finds Romeo and Paris dead. Juliet then awakes and spots Romeo. The
Friar, upon hearing noises outside flees, leaving Juliet with Romeo. Juliet tries to
kill herself with Romeo's poison, but can find none, either in the vial or on Romeo's
lips. In desperation, she stabs herself with Romeo's dagger. The watch arrives,
having found Balthasar and the Friar. The Prince and Lord and Lady Capulet arrive
and learn Paris, Romeo, and Juliet are dead (amazingly to them, Juliet seems to
have been alive, and then newly dead again). Lord Montague arrives and reports
that his wife has died from grief over Romeo's exile, then learns himself of
Romeo's death. Capulet and Montague make peace and swear to never fight again.
They vow to build solid gold statues of Romeo and Juliet and place them side by
side so all can remember their plight.

4
2-Romeo and Juliet

Below, you’ll find some of the words used in

the text you’re about to read, telling Romeo
and Juliets’ story. Many of them were used in
Shakespeare’s times, and are no longer used.
Match the words to their meanings, using the
text to help you understand them before
making the combinations.

(1) Kinsman (noun)

(2) Woo (verb) OLD-FASHIONED
(3) Entreat (verb)
(4) Unattainable (adjective)
(5) Untimely (adjective) FORMAL
(6) Yonder (determiner, adverb) (ALSO yon) OLD USE
(7) Skirt (verb)
(8) slay (verb)
(9) Flee (verb) [I or T; never passive] fleeing, fled, fled:
(10) Seek sb/sth out (phrasal verb)
(11) Henchman (noun)
(12) im·pend (intransitive verb)

(13) vial (noun)

(14) summon verb [T]

(15) mourn (verb) [I or T]
(16) crowbar (noun)
(17) plight (noun)

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(18) hence (adverb - FORMAL)

( ) (verb [T] slew or slayed, slain) UK OLD USE OR LITERARY : to kill in a

violent way;
( ) FORMAL - describes something bad that happens unexpectedly early or at a
time which is not suitable;
( ) to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially
arrange a meeting of people;
( ) to try very hard to persuade someone to do something
( ) a trusted follower;
( ) to be about to occur;
( ) (formal or old use) - someone who belongs to the same family;
( ) a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids (14th century);
( ) in the place or direction shown; over there;
( ) avoid;
( ) an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad or difficult one;
( ) FORMAL: to look for someone or something, especially for a long time until
you find them;
( ) to feel or express great sadness, especially because of someone's death;
( ) to escape by running away, especially because of danger or fear;
( ) If a man woos a woman, he gives her a lot of attention in an attempt to
persuade her to marry him;
( ) from now on - from this time;
( ) not achievable;
( ) a heavy iron bar with a bent end that is used to help lift heavy objects off the
ground or to force things open.

6
3-Romeo and Juliet

Complete the sentences below with the

new words learned in the text. Choose
them from the box and use them properly.

1. We would spend every meal time

_______________ the child to eat her
vegetables.

2. Some economists think that full employment in Europe is an

_______________ goal.

3. It was this passion for fast cars that led to his

_______________ death at the age of 43.

4. Take the road which _______________ (round) the village, not

the one which goes through it.

5. St George _______________ the dragon.

6. In order to escape capture, he _______________ to the

mountains.

7. While he was at the library, Steve decided to

_______________some information on accommodation in the
area.

7
8. The project will be completed at the end of the decade, two years
_______________.

9. General Rattigan _______________ reinforcements to help

resist the attack.

10. Queen Victoria _______________ Prince Albert's death

for 40 years.

11. The thieves forced one of the shop windows open with a
_______________.

12. Few of us can be unmoved by the_______________of the

Romanian orphans.

skirts mourned

hence unattainable
slew

untimely

seek out

entreating summoned

fled crowbar plight

8
4-Romeo and Juliet
(teacher’s copy)

Below, you’ll find some of the words used in

the text you’re about to read, telling Romeo
and Juliets’ story. Many of them were used in
Shakespeare’s times, and are no longer used.
Match the words to their meanings, using the
text to help you understand them before
making the combinations.

(1) Kinsman (noun)

(2) Woo (verb) OLD-FASHIONED
(3) Entreat (verb)
(4) Unattainable (adjective)
(5) Untimely (adjective) FORMAL
(6) Yonder (determiner, adverb) (ALSO yon) OLD USE
(7) Skirt (verb)
(8) slay (verb)
(9) Flee (verb) [I or T; never passive] fleeing, fled, fled:
(10) Seek sb/sth out (phrasal verb)
(11) Henchman (noun)
(12) im·pend (intransitive verb)

(13) vial (noun)

(14) summon verb [T]

(15) mourn (verb) [I or T]
(16) crowbar (noun)
(17) plight (noun)
(18) hence (adverb - FORMAL)

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( 8 ) (verb [T] slew or slayed, slain) UK OLD USE OR LITERARY : to kill in a
violent way;
( 5 ) FORMAL - describes something bad that happens unexpectedly early or at a
time which is not suitable;
(14) to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially
arrange a meeting of people;
( 3 ) to try very hard to persuade someone to do something
( 11 ) a trusted follower;
(12) to be about to occur;
( 1 ) (formal or old use) - someone who belongs to the same family;
(13) a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids (14th century);
( 6 ) in the place or direction shown; over there;
( 7 ) avoid;
(17) an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad or difficult one;
( 10 ) FORMAL: to look for someone or something, especially for a long time until
you find them;
(15) to feel or express great sadness, especially because of someone's death;
(9) to escape by running away, especially because of danger or fear;
( 2 ) If a man woos a woman, he gives her a lot of attention in an attempt to
persuade her to marry him;
(18) from now on - from this time;
(4) not achievable;
(16) a heavy iron bar with a bent end that is used to help lift heavy objects off the
ground or to force things open;

10
5-Romeo and Juliet
(teachers’ copy)

Complete the sentences below with the

new words learned in the text. Choose
them from the box and use them properly.

1. We would spend every meal time

entreating the child to eat her
vegetables.

2. Some economists think that full employment in Europe is an

unattainable goal.

3. It was this passion for fast cars that led to his untimely death at
the age of 43.

4. Take the road which skirts (round) the village, not the one which
goes through it.

5. St George slew the dragon.

6. In order to escape capture, he fled to the mountains.

7. While he was at the library, Steve decided to seek out some

information on accommodation in the area.

11
8. The project will be completed at the end of the decade, two years
hence.

9. General Rattigan summoned reinforcements to help resist the

attack.

10. Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert's death for 40 years.

11. The thieves forced one of the shop windows open with a
crowbar.

12. Few of us can be unmoved by the plight of the Romanian

orphans.

skirts mourned

hence unattainable
slew

untimely

seek out

entreating summoned

fled crowbar plight

12