Act 3 Summary (Modern English) Act 3 opens on a sweltering day in Verona, with Benvolio warning Mercutio that the heat might stir people into fighting. Tybalt soon arrives, looking for Romeo to settle the score for crashing the Capulet party. Romeo enters, but, now secretly married to Juliet, refuses to fight Tybalt, calling him “family” and trying to walk away. Mercutio, outraged by what he sees as Romeo’s cowardice, draws his sword and challenges Tybalt himself. They fight, and as Romeo tries to intervene and stop them, Tybalt fatally stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm. As Mercutio dies, he curses both the Montague and Capulet houses, blaming them for his death. In a fit of rage and guilt, Romeo chases after Tybalt and kills him in a duel. Benvolio urges Romeo to flee before the Prince arrives, and Romeo escapes. When the Prince arrives at the scene and hears Benvolio’s account, Lady Capulet demands justice for Tybalt’s death. The Prince, though understanding that Tybalt started the fight, decides to banish Romeo from Verona rather than sentence him to death. This punishment brings devastation to both Romeo and Juliet. Meanwhile, Juliet, unaware of the exact events, eagerly awaits Romeo’s arrival that evening. The Nurse arrives with confusing and emotionally charged news, which initially leads Juliet to believe that Romeo has died. Upon realizing that Tybalt is the one who is dead and that Romeo is responsible, Juliet feels torn between grief for her cousin and loyalty to her husband. Ultimately, she defends Romeo, arguing that Tybalt would have killed him. She sends the Nurse to find Romeo and give him her ring, showing she still loves him and wants to see him before he leaves. At Friar Laurence’s cell, Romeo is devastated by the news of his banishment. He sees exile as a fate worse than death because it means separation from Juliet. The Friar tries to reason with him, but Romeo collapses in despair, threatening to kill himself. The Nurse arrives, and Friar Laurence scolds both of them for being irrational. He then outlines a plan: Romeo will go to Juliet and spend the night with her, but by morning he must flee to Mantua. The Friar promises to work on securing a pardon from the Prince so Romeo can return. Back at the Capulet household, Lord Capulet, unaware of Juliet’s secret marriage and mistaking her sorrow for mourning over Tybalt, decides that a quick marriage to Paris will cheer her up. He arranges for the wedding to take place in three days. In Juliet’s bedroom, she and Romeo share one final moment before dawn. They reluctantly part after a passionate and emotional farewell, with Juliet having a chilling premonition of Romeo’s death. Lady Capulet soon arrives with the news that Juliet will marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet refuses outright, and her father enters in a fury when he hears her disobedience. He threatens to throw her out and disown her if she doesn’t marry Paris. Juliet turns to her mother and then the Nurse for help, but the Nurse advises her to marry Paris, betraying Juliet’s trust. Feeling alone and desperate, Juliet resolves to go to Friar Laurence for a solution, or else take her own life. Act 4 Summary (Modern English) In Friar Laurence’s cell, Paris is making arrangements for his sudden wedding to Juliet, claiming that her ongoing grief over Tybalt’s death has made her unstable and in need of distraction. Juliet arrives, and Paris tries to woo her awkwardly, speaking of their future together. Juliet plays along just enough to avoid suspicion, then insists on speaking with the Friar alone. Once Paris leaves, Juliet breaks down, threatening to kill herself with a dagger if the Friar can’t find a way to prevent the marriage. Moved by her desperation, the Friar devises a risky plan: he gives Juliet a vial containing a potion that will make her appear dead for 42 hours. He instructs her to drink it the night before her wedding. After she’s placed in the Capulet family tomb, he will send word to Romeo in Mantua, who will come to rescue her when she wakes so they can escape together. Juliet returns home and finds her father in the midst of wedding preparations. She pretends to have changed her mind and agrees to marry Paris, delighting Lord Capulet so much that he moves the wedding a day earlier—to Wednesday. This sudden change throws off the Friar’s timeline but Juliet stays committed. That night, she prepares to take the potion and is filled with anxiety. Alone in her room, she wonders if the potion might actually be poison meant to kill her or if she might go mad when trapped in the tomb surrounded by the bones of her ancestors. Despite her fears, she toasts to Romeo and drinks the potion, collapsing onto her bed. The next morning, the Capulet household is buzzing with preparations for the wedding. The Nurse is sent to wake Juliet and finds her apparently lifeless in bed. Chaos breaks out as Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet, and Paris all mourn her sudden death. Paris is heartbroken, the Capulets are devastated, and the Friar arrives to console them. He gently reminds them that Juliet is now in heaven and urges them to carry her to the tomb. The wedding musicians are left confused and idle, providing a moment of comic relief as Peter, the Capulets’ servant, argues with them about playing songs despite the mourning. Act 5 Summary (Modern English) Act 5 begins in Mantua, where Romeo wakes in good spirits, having dreamed of Juliet bringing him back to life with a kiss. His hopeful mood is shattered when Balthasar arrives with the news that Juliet is dead and buried in the Capulet tomb. Distraught and determined to die beside her, Romeo finds a poor apothecary and persuades him to sell him a vial of fast-acting poison, even though it’s illegal. Romeo sets off for Verona with the poison in hand, planning to take his life at Juliet’s grave. Meanwhile, back in Verona, Friar Laurence learns that the letter he sent to Romeo, explaining Juliet’s fake death, was never delivered. The messenger, Friar John, was quarantined due to an outbreak of plague and couldn’t leave town. Horrified, the Friar rushes to the Capulet tomb, hoping to be there when Juliet awakens. He plans to keep her safe in his cell until he can contact Romeo again. At Juliet’s tomb, Paris is mourning and placing flowers. He hides when Romeo arrives with a torch and tools to break into the tomb. Believing Romeo has come to desecrate Juliet’s grave, Paris confronts him. They fight, and Romeo kills Paris, who asks to be laid next to Juliet in death. Romeo honors the request and places Paris’s body inside the tomb. Alone with Juliet’s lifeless body, Romeo delivers a heartbreaking monologue, admiring her beauty and wondering why she still looks so alive. He kisses her one last time, drinks the poison, and dies by her side. Friar Laurence arrives moments later and is shocked to find Romeo and Paris dead. Just then, Juliet awakens. The Friar urges her to flee with him, but frightened by the sounds of the approaching watchmen and overwhelmed by grief, she stays behind. Upon seeing Romeo dead, she kisses his lips in hopes some poison remains. When that fails, she grabs his dagger and stabs herself, dying beside him. The watchmen enter and discover the tragic scene. Soon, the Prince, the Capulets, and Montague (who arrives saying that his wife has died of grief over Romeo’s exile) are all summoned. Friar Laurence confesses everything, and Romeo’s letter, found on his body, confirms the truth. The Prince, angered by the consequences of the families’ feud, delivers a final judgment. Capulet and Montague, stricken with guilt, reconcile and vow to honor the lovers with golden statues. The play closes with the Prince’s somber reflection: "For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."