Romeo & Juliet Timeline

Act, Scene Day Event

Act 1, Scene 1 Sunday Abraham, Benvolio, Balthasar (Montagues), Gregory, Sampson, and Tybalt (Capulets) get into a fight. Lord Montague breaks up the fight, and Prince Escalus warns them not to fight again in the public. If they do, the penalty will be disturbing the peace.

Act 1, Scene 1 Sunday Benvolio discovers that Romeo is depressed because of the unrequited love he has for Rosaline.

Act 1, Scene 2 Sunday Capulet wants Paris to marry Juliet, but he says Juliet will have the final word.

Act 1, Scene 2 Sunday Romeo decides he will go to the Capulet�s customary party so he can see Rosaline.

Act 1, Scene 2 Sunday Juliet learns that Paris wants to marry her. Nurse and Lady Capulet support this, but Juliet says she doesn�t want to marry now.

Act 1, Scene 4 Sunday Evening While trying to locate Rosaline, Romeo sees Juliet and is amazed at her beauty.

Act 1, Scene 4 Sunday Evening Capulet and Tybalt see Romeo, and although they know he is a Montague, they let him stay so that they don�t "create mutiny among the guests."

Act 1, Scene 4 Sunday Evening Romeo and Juliet meet, exchange words, and fall in love. Juliet later finds out Romeo is a Montague.

Act 2, Scene 1 Sunday Night Romeo hides from Benvolio and Mercutio. They think Romeo has been brooding about Rosaline.

Act 2, Scene 2 Sunday Night Romeo and Juliet decide they will marry. Juliet wants Romeo to send word to her after he talks with a friar.

Act 2, Scene 3 Monday Morning Friar Laurence decides to marry Romeo and Juliet that afternoon. He thinks that this �alliance� may turn rancor between the families into pure love.

Act 2, Scene 4 Monday Morning Nurse talks with Romeo. Romeo tells her that Juliet is to meet him at Friar Laurence�s cell that afternoon. Nurse is the only person other than Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Laurence, to know that they will get married.

Act 2, Scene 5 Monday Morning Nurse tells Juliet the good news, that Romeo will marry her today.

Act 2, Scene 6 Monday Afternoon Friar Laurence has a premonition of evil. Romeo and Juliet both show up, and they want the friar to marry them quickly. The wedding vows were not in the play, so we assume they were married.

Act 3, Scene 1 Monday Afternoon Mercutio and Tybalt fight, and Mercutio dies. Romeo and Tybalt fight because Romeo says he loves Tybalt more than he could know. Romeo kills Tybalt.

Act 3, Scene 1 Monday Afternoon Prince Escalus banishes Romeo from the kingdom for fighting.

Act 3, Scene 2 Monday Afternoon Juliet finds out that Tybalt is dead, slain by Romeo, and that Romeo is exiled as a punishment. She doesn�t want to speak badly of them.

Act 3, Scene 3 Monday Evening Romeo tells Friar Laurence that banishment is just as bad as dying, but the friar tries to convince Romeo that there is a big world out there, and that Verona is just a small portion of it.

Act 3, Scene 3 Monday Evening Both Romeo and Juliet react badly to the news. Nurse wants Romeo to bid his last goodbye to Juliet, if nothing other than to comfort her.

Act 3, Scene 4 Monday Evening Capulet and Paris arrange for Juliet�s marriage with Paris. This will take place on Thursday.

Act 3, Scene 5 Tuesday Morning Romeo tells Juliet he would rather be killed than be taken to Mantua, away from her.

Act 3, Scene 5 Tuesday Lady Capulet talks to Juliet about poisoning Romeo. Juliet claims she would administer the poison herself.

Act 3, Scene 5 Tuesday Juliet finds out she will be married to Paris on Thursday. She says she will not be happy if she does. Capulet is furious at Juliet. Nurse thinks Juliet should be married to Paris.

Act 4, Scene 1 Tuesday Juliet asks Friar Laurence if there is anything she could do to prevent her marriage with Paris. Friar Laurence has the idea of giving her the potion that would give the illusion that she was dead.

Act 4, Scene 3 Tuesday Night Juliet wants to get married tomorrow. She is alone in her bedchamber. She then drinks the potion and falls on her bed.

Act 4, Scene 5 Wednesday Nurse finds Juliet and discovers she is �dead.� She tells Lady Capulet, and soon Capulet and Paris find out.

Act 5, Scene 1 Thursday Romeo buys poison from Apothecary who is in poverty. This poison will make a quick and relatively painless death.

Act 5, Scene 2 Thursday Friar Laurence finds out his message did not get to Romeo. Friar John couldn�t get the message to him because of a contagious disease breaking out. Officials wouldn�t let Friar John send any message. This message would have told Romeo that Juliet wasn�t actually dead.

Act 5, Scene 3 Thursday Night Romeo breaks into Juliet�s tomb, telling Balthasar to wait outside and to deliver a note to Capulet the next day. Romeo finds Paris, they get into a fight, and Romeo kills Paris. Romeo sets Paris inside the tomb near Juliet.

Act 5, Scene 3 Thursday Night Romeo finds Juliet in the tomb. He kisses Juliet, then drinks the poison and dies.

Act 5, Scene 3 Thursday Night Friar Laurence comes to the tomb, thinking something bad has happened. Juliet wakes up and sees her dead husband.

Act 5, Scene 3 Thursday Night Juliet kisses Romeo, hoping there is enough poison on his lips to kill her. There isn�t, so she stabs herself.

Act 5, Scene 3 Friday Morning The watchmen find Romeo, Juliet, and Paris, all dead. The Capulets and Montagues come to see them. Lady Montague died Thursday night. Friar Laurence explains exactly what happened.

Act 5, Scene 3 Friday Morning The Montagues and Capulets forgive each other, seeing what blood they have created with their feud. Prince Escalus wraps up the story.

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Act, Scene	Day	Event
Act 1, Scene 1	Sunday	Abraham, Benvolio, Balthasar (Montagues), Gregory, Sampson, and Tybalt (Capulets) get into a fight. Lord Montague breaks up the fight, and Prince Escalus warns them not to fight again in the public. If they do, the penalty will be disturbing the peace.
Act 1, Scene 1	Sunday	Benvolio discovers that Romeo is depressed because of the unrequited love he has for Rosaline.
Act 1, Scene 2	Sunday	Capulet wants Paris to marry Juliet, but he says Juliet will have the final word.
Act 1, Scene 2	Sunday	Romeo decides he will go to the Capulet�s customary party so he can see Rosaline.
Act 1, Scene 2	Sunday	Juliet learns that Paris wants to marry her. Nurse and Lady Capulet support this, but Juliet says she doesn�t want to marry now.
Act 1, Scene 4	Sunday Evening	While trying to locate Rosaline, Romeo sees Juliet and is amazed at her beauty.
Act 1, Scene 4	Sunday Evening	Capulet and Tybalt see Romeo, and although they know he is a Montague, they let him stay so that they don�t "create mutiny among the guests."
Act 1, Scene 4	Sunday Evening	Romeo and Juliet meet, exchange words, and fall in love. Juliet later finds out Romeo is a Montague.
Act 2, Scene 1	Sunday Night	Romeo hides from Benvolio and Mercutio. They think Romeo has been brooding about Rosaline.
Act 2, Scene 2	Sunday Night	Romeo and Juliet decide they will marry. Juliet wants Romeo to send word to her after he talks with a friar.
Act 2, Scene 3	Monday Morning	Friar Laurence decides to marry Romeo and Juliet that afternoon. He thinks that this �alliance� may turn rancor between the families into pure love.
Act 2, Scene 4	Monday Morning	Nurse talks with Romeo. Romeo tells her that Juliet is to meet him at Friar Laurence�s cell that afternoon. Nurse is the only person other than Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Laurence, to know that they will get married.
Act 2, Scene 5	Monday Morning	Nurse tells Juliet the good news, that Romeo will marry her today.
Act 2, Scene 6	Monday Afternoon	Friar Laurence has a premonition of evil. Romeo and Juliet both show up, and they want the friar to marry them quickly. The wedding vows were not in the play, so we assume they were married.
Act 3, Scene 1	Monday Afternoon	Mercutio and Tybalt fight, and Mercutio dies. Romeo and Tybalt fight because Romeo says he loves Tybalt more than he could know. Romeo kills Tybalt.
Act 3, Scene 1	Monday Afternoon	Prince Escalus banishes Romeo from the kingdom for fighting.
Act 3, Scene 2	Monday Afternoon	Juliet finds out that Tybalt is dead, slain by Romeo, and that Romeo is exiled as a punishment. She doesn�t want to speak badly of them.
Act 3, Scene 3	Monday Evening	Romeo tells Friar Laurence that banishment is just as bad as dying, but the friar tries to convince Romeo that there is a big world out there, and that Verona is just a small portion of it.
Act 3, Scene 3	Monday Evening	Both Romeo and Juliet react badly to the news. Nurse wants Romeo to bid his last goodbye to Juliet, if nothing other than to comfort her.
Act 3, Scene 4	Monday Evening	Capulet and Paris arrange for Juliet�s marriage with Paris. This will take place on Thursday.
Act 3, Scene 5	Tuesday Morning	Romeo tells Juliet he would rather be killed than be taken to Mantua, away from her.
Act 3, Scene 5	Tuesday	Lady Capulet talks to Juliet about poisoning Romeo. Juliet claims she would administer the poison herself.
Act 3, Scene 5	Tuesday	Juliet finds out she will be married to Paris on Thursday. She says she will not be happy if she does. Capulet is furious at Juliet. Nurse thinks Juliet should be married to Paris.
Act 4, Scene 1	Tuesday	Juliet asks Friar Laurence if there is anything she could do to prevent her marriage with Paris. Friar Laurence has the idea of giving her the potion that would give the illusion that she was dead.
Act 4, Scene 3	Tuesday Night	Juliet wants to get married tomorrow. She is alone in her bedchamber. She then drinks the potion and falls on her bed.
Act 4, Scene 5	Wednesday	Nurse finds Juliet and discovers she is �dead.� She tells Lady Capulet, and soon Capulet and Paris find out.
Act 5, Scene 1	Thursday	Romeo buys poison from Apothecary who is in poverty. This poison will make a quick and relatively painless death.
Act 5, Scene 2	Thursday	Friar Laurence finds out his message did not get to Romeo. Friar John couldn�t get the message to him because of a contagious disease breaking out. Officials wouldn�t let Friar John send any message. This message would have told Romeo that Juliet wasn�t actually dead.
Act 5, Scene 3	Thursday Night	Romeo breaks into Juliet�s tomb, telling Balthasar to wait outside and to deliver a note to Capulet the next day. Romeo finds Paris, they get into a fight, and Romeo kills Paris. Romeo sets Paris inside the tomb near Juliet.
Act 5, Scene 3	Thursday Night	Romeo finds Juliet in the tomb. He kisses Juliet, then drinks the poison and dies.
Act 5, Scene 3	Thursday Night	Friar Laurence comes to the tomb, thinking something bad has happened. Juliet wakes up and sees her dead husband.
Act 5, Scene 3	Thursday Night	Juliet kisses Romeo, hoping there is enough poison on his lips to kill her. There isn�t, so she stabs herself.
Act 5, Scene 3	Friday Morning	The watchmen find Romeo, Juliet, and Paris, all dead. The Capulets and Montagues come to see them. Lady Montague died Thursday night. Friar Laurence explains exactly what happened.
Act 5, Scene 3	Friday Morning	The Montagues and Capulets forgive each other, seeing what blood they have created with their feud. Prince Escalus wraps up the story.