PlotofRomeo&JulietTheplay,setinVerona,beginswithastreetbrawlbetweenMontagueandCapuletservantswho,liketheirmasters,areswornenemies（不共戴天的仇敵）.PrinceEscalusofVeronaintervenesanddeclaresthatfurtherbreachofthepeace（妨礙治安）willbepunishablebydeath.Later,Count（伯爵）

ParistalkstoCapuletaboutmarryinghisdaughterJuliet,butCapuletasksParistowaitanothertwoyearsandinviteshimtoattendaplannedCapuletball.LadyCapuletandJuliet'snursetrytopersuadeJuliettoacceptParis'scourtship.Meanwhile,BenvoliotalkswithhiscousinRomeo,Montague'sson,aboutRomeo'srecentdepression.Benvoliodiscoversthatitstemsfromunrequited（無回報的）infatuation（迷戀）foragirlnamedRosaline,oneofCapulet'snieces.PersuadedbyBenvolioandMercutio,RomeoattendstheballattheCapulethouseinhopesofmeetingRosaline.However,RomeoinsteadmeetsandfallsinlovewithJuliet.Juliet'scousin,Tybalt,isenragedatRomeoforsneakingintotheball,butisonlystoppedfromkillingRomeobyJuliet'sfather,whodoesn'twishtoshedbloodinhishouse.Aftertheball,inwhatisnowcalledthe"balconyscene",RomeosneaksintotheCapuletorchardandoverhearsJulietatherwindowvowingherlovetohiminspiteofherfamily'shatredoftheMontagues.Romeomakeshimselfknowntoherandtheyagreetobemarried.WiththehelpofFriarLaurence,whohopestoreconcilethetwofamiliesthroughtheirchildren'sunion,theyaresecretlymarriedthenextday.Tybalt,meanwhile,stillincensedthatRomeohadsneakedintotheCapuletball,challengeshimtoaduel.Romeo,nowconsideringTybalthiskinsman,refusestofight.

MercutioisoffendedbyTybalt'sinsolence,aswellasRomeo's"vilesubmission,"andacceptstheduelonRomeo'sbehalf.MercutioisfatallywoundedwhenRomeoattemptstobreakupthefight.Grief-strickenandwrackedwithguilt,RomeoconfrontsandslaysTybalt.MontaguearguesthatRomeohasjustlyexecutedTybaltforthemurderofMercutio.ThePrince,nowhavinglostakinsmaninthewarringfamilies'feud,exilesRomeofromVerona,underpenaltyofdeathifheeverreturns.RomeosecretlyspendsthenightinJuliet'schamber,wheretheyconsummatetheirmarriage.Capulet,misinterpretingJuliet'sgrief,agreestomarryhertoCountParisandthreatenstodisownherwhensherefusestobecomeParis's"joyfulbride."Whenshethenpleadsforthemarriagetobedelayed,hermotherrejectsher.JulietvisitsFriarLaurenceforhelp,andheoffersherapotionthatwillputherintoadeathlikecomafor"twoandfortyhours."TheFriarpromisestosendamessengertoinformRomeooftheplan,sothathecanrejoinherwhensheawakens.Onthenightbeforethewedding,shetakesthedrugand,whendiscoveredapparentlydead,sheislaidinthefamilycrypt.Themessenger,however,doesnotreachRomeoand,instead,RomeolearnsofJuliet'sapparentdeathfromhisservantBalthasar.Heartbroken,RomeobuyspoisonfromanapothecaryandgoestotheCapuletcrypt.HeencountersPariswhohascometomournJulietprivately.BelievingRomeotobeavandal(破壞者),Parisconfrontshimand,intheensuingbattle,RomeokillsParis.StillbelievingJuliettobedead,hedrinksthepoison.Julietthenawakensand,findingRomeodead,stabsherselfwithhisdagger.ThefeudingfamiliesandthePrincemeetatthetombtofindallthreedead.FriarLaurencerecountsthestoryofthetwo"star-cross'dlovers".Thefamiliesarereconciledbytheirchildren'sdeathsandagreetoendtheirviolentfeud.TheplayendswiththePrince'selegyforthelovers:"Forneverwasastoryofmorewoe/ThanthisofJulietandherRomeo.SelectedReadingRomeo:Hejestsatscarsthatneverfeltawound.Butsoft!Whatlightthroughyonderwindowbreaks?ItistheEast,andJulietisthesun!Arise,fairsun,andkilltheenviousmoon,WhoisalreadysickandpalewithgriefThatthouhermaidartfarmorefairthanshe.Benothermaid,sincesheisenvious.Hervestalliveryisbutsickandgreen,Andnonebutfoolsdowearit.Castitoff.Itismylady;O,itismylove!Othatsheknewshewere!Shespeaks,yetshesaysnothing.Whatofthat?Hereyediscourses.Iwillanswerit.Iamtoobold.’Tisnottomeshespeaks.Twoofthefaireststarsinalltheheaven,Havingsomebusiness,doentreathereyesTotwinkleintheirspherestilltheyreturn.Whatifhereyeswerethere,theyinherhead?ThebrightnessofhercheekwouldshamethosestarsAsdaylightdothalamp;HereyeinheavenWouldthroughtheairyregionstreamsobrightThatbirdswouldsingandthinkitwerenotnight.Seehowsheleanshercheekuponherhand.OthatIwereagloveuponthathandThatImighttouchthatcheek!JULIET:Ayme！ROMEO

(aside)Shespeaks.O,speakagain,brightangel!ForthouartAsglorioustothisnight,beingo’ermyhead,AsisawingedmessengerofheavenUntothewhite-upturnedwond’ringeyesOfmortalsthatfallbacktogazeonhimWhenhebestridesthelazy-pacingcloudsAndsailsuponthebosomoftheair.JULIETORomeo,Romeo!WhereforeartthouRomeo?Denythyfatherandrefusethyname.Or,ifthouwiltnot,bebutswornmylove,AndI’llnolongerbeaCapulet.ROMEO(aside)ShallIhearmore,orshallIspeakatthis?JULIET’Tisbutthynamethatismyenemy.Thouartthyself,thoughnotaMontague.What’sMontague?Itisnorhand,norfoot,Norarm,norface,noranyotherpartBelongingtoaman.O,besomeothername!What’sinaname?ThatwhichwecallaroseByanyotherwordwouldsmellassweet.SoRomeowould,werehenotRomeocalled,RetainthatdearperfectionwhichheowesWithoutthattitle.Romeo,doffthyname,Andforthatname,whichisnopartoftheeTakeallmyself.ROMEO

Itaketheeatthyword.(我聽你的話)Callmebutlove,andI’llbenewbaptized.HenceforthIneverwillbeRomeo.

JULIETWhatmanartthouthat,thusbescreen’dinnight,Sostumblestonmycounsel?ROMEOByanameIknownothowtotelltheewhoIam.Myname,dearsaint,ishatefultomyselfBecauseitisanenemytothee.HadIitwritten,Iwouldteartheword.JULIETMyearshavenotyetdrunkahundredwordsOfthattongue’sutterance,yetIknowthesound.ArtthounotRomeo,andaMontague?ROMEONeither,fairsaint,ifeithertheedislike.JULIETHowcam’stthouhither,tellme,andwherefore?Theorchardwallsarehighandhardtoclimb,Andtheplacedeath,consideringwhothouart,Ifanyofmykinsmenfindtheehere.ROMEO

Withlove’slightwingsdidIo'erperchthesewalls,Forstonylimitscannotholdloveout,Andwhatlovecando,thatdaresloveattempt.Thereforethykinsmenarenostoptome.JULIETIftheydoseethee,theywillmurtherthee.ROMEOAlack,thereliesmoreperilinthineeyeThantwentyoftheirswords.Lookthoubutsweet,AndIamproofagainsttheirenmity.JULIETIwouldnotfortheworldtheysawtheehere.ROMEOIhavenight’scloaktohidemefromtheirsight,Andbutthouloveme,letthemfindmehere.MylifewerebetterendedbytheirhateThandeathprorogued,wantingofthylove.QuestionsWhatdoesRomeocompareJuliettointhebeginningpassageoftheselection?HecomparedJuliettothefaireststarsinthesky.WhatisRomeoandJuliet’sattitudetowardbeingaMontagueandaCapulet?Bothofthemhatetheirsurnamesbecausethesetwofamiliesareswornenemies,whichmadeanobstacletotheirloveandmarriage.Inordertowintheirloveandmarriage,bothofthemwouldrathergiveuptheirtitles-----theirnoblebirth.WhatdoesRomeomeanwhenhesays“Lookthoubutsweet,/AndIamproofagainsttheirenmity”?HemeansthathewillwinJuliet’sloveatallcost,evenatthecostofhislife.Hiswordsalsoshowshisdeterminationthathewillovercome