Key players
- Capulet: Head of household feuding with Montagues
- Paris: A young nobleman, relative
of the Prince - Benvolio: Nephew of Montague, Romeo’s friend
- Romeo: Son of Montague
Summary of key events
- The scene opens with Paris, a noble young kinsmen of the Prince, asking Capulet for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
- Capulet tells Paris that Juliet has “not seen the change of fourteen years” and is probably too young to marry (page 31: line 9)
- However, if Paris can woo her and win her heart, Capulet will grant him consent to wed Juliet (page 31: line 16)
Act I, Scene 2
- Capulet is preparing for a grand
party at his house that evening, and he gives a servant a guest list and instructs him to go forth into the streets to invite them all. - The servant meets Romeo and Benvolio on the road and he begs Romeo to help him, for he is illiterate and cannot complete the task given to him by his master: “I pray, can you read anything you see (page 33: line 60)
Act I, Scene 2
- Romeo obligingly reads aloud the names on the invitation list, and to his delight, comes upon the name Rosaline.
- Benvolio challenges Romeo to sneak into the party with hopes that Romeo will see many other women to distract his attention away from Rosaline.
- Romeo agrees that going to the party is a splendid idea, for he longs to catch a glimpse of his darling Rosaline.
