List Of Characters

Major

Romeo - the hero and one of the protagonists of Romeo and Juliet. The son of Old Montague, he is at first in love with Lord Capulet's niece, Rosaline. When he goes to a feast given by Capulet, he attends the feast in a mask, meets Capulet's daughter Juliet, falls in love with her, and becomes passionate and impulsive.

Juliet - the heroine and one of the protagonists of the play. She is the thirteen-year-old daughter of Capulet. She is a happy, romantic, and an innocent girl who falls in love with Romeo.

Friar Lawrence - the person who is responsible for helping Romeo and Juliet. He is a good man with good intentions.

Nurse - a friend, guide, confidante, and educator of Juliet. She has raised Juliet and is truly fond of her. She is a realist, who is fond of talking and joking. She often provides comic relief to the play.

Minor

The Montagues - one of the two major families of Verona. They are bitter enemies of the Capulets.

The Capulets - one of the two major families of Verona. They are bitter enemies of the Montagues.

Escalus - the Prince of Verona. He is tired of the fighting in his city and threatens anyone who disturbs the peace with death.

Paris - a young nobleman and kinsman of the Prince. He is handsome and courteous and favorable to the Capulets. They arrange for Juliet to marry him since they do not realize she is married to Romeo.

Benvolio - a nephew of Montague and a friend of Romeo.

Mercutio - a relative of the Prince, who relies on satire and serves as comic relief to the melancholy mood of Romeo. He is responsible for making the young lovers aware of the practical aspects of love.

Tybalt - Lady Capulet's nephew, who is quick to anger. He constantly provokes Romeo to fight. In the end, Romeo kills him.

Friar John - a Friar in the same church as Friar Lawrence. He is sent to deliver a message to Romeo in Mantua about Friar Lawrence's plan for the lovers.

Lady Capulet - the young wife of Capulet, who has an ugly temper. She is humbled by the death of her daughter Juliet.

Lady Montague - the wife of Montague who hates the violence that plagues Verona. When she learns of the suicide of her son Romeo, she grieves herself to death and becomes another victim of the old family conflict.

Balthazar- servant to Romeo.

Samson and Gregory - servants to the Capulets.

Peter - servant to Juliet's nurse. He helps keep the family quarrel alive.

Abraham - servant to the Montagues. He also helps keep the family quarrel alive.

Table of Contents

Conflict

Romeo and Juliet is based on external conflict and portrays the long-standing quarrel between the two established families in Verona, the Capulets and the Montagues.

Protagonists:
Romeo and Juliet are the protagonists of the play.

Antagonists:
The long-standing quarrel between the Capulets and the Montagues, which prevent Romeo and Juliet from being able to profess their love openly.

Climax:
The climax occurs when Romeo kills himself by drinking poison, preventing the young couple from experiencing happiness on earth. Some critics point to the death of Tybalt as the climax, for at that point Romeo's life is already in danger from the Capulets, who will seek revenge.

Outcome:
Romeo and Juliet ends in tragedy. Because they cannot profess their love openly, fate intervenes and causes Romeo to kill himself, believing Juliet is dead. When Juliet discovers the death of her husband, she kills herself, wanting to be with her lover through eternity. Their deaths, however, bring to a final close the age-old quarrel between the Capulets and Montagues.

Table of Contents

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