Plot
This is the first major conflict in the play, involving the Montague and Capulet servants.
The street fight / the thumb-biting fight
He tries to stop the opening street fight in Act I.
Benvolio
When Juliet takes the sleeping potion.
the night before her wedding to Paris
Why Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel.
because Romeo crashed the Capulet party
This symbol of darkness represents both secrecy and love.
Night
This event is where Romeo and Juliet meet and instantly fall in love.
Capulet masquerade ball
He kills Tybalt and is then banished from Verona.
Romeo
When Romeo returns to Verona.
after hearing of Juliet’s “death”
Why Romeo is banished instead of executed.
because Tybalt killed Mercutio first
This recurring element symbolizes both healing and harm.
plants and poison
Friar Lawrence secretly performs this for Romeo and Juliet, hoping to end the family feud.
marriage
He curses both families, saying, “A plague o’ both your houses.”
Mercutio
The main city where most of the play takes place.
Verona
Why the play is considered tragic but fated.
because the lovers are “star-crossed” and doomed by fate
This theme explores the impulsive and passionate nature of being young.
youth and foolishness
This duel leads to Mercutio’s death and sets off a chain of tragic events.
the duel between Tybalt and Romeo (Mercutio is killed by Tybalt)
This gesture starts a fight between the servants of Capulet and Montague.
biting one’s thumb
The location of the final tragic scene.
the Capulet Tomb
How Romeo dies.
drinking poison
This overarching theme asks whether the lovers’ deaths were destiny or choice.
fate versus free will
This sequence of events leads to both Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.
Juliet taking the sleeping potion → Romeo thinks she’s dead → Romeo drinks poison → Juliet wakes and stabs herself
This event finally ends the feud between the Montagues and Capulets.
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet
The place where Romeo is banished.
Mantua
How Juliet dies.
stabbing herself with Romeo’s dagger
The is seen everywhere before it actually happens. (A sleeping Juliet, Romeo climbing, a poison salesman)
Death