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Romeo and Juliet

by William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

  • Free to read
  • 2 hours to read
  • 26 chapters
  • Reading level: 5th grade

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare is a tragedy written between 1591 and 1595. Two young lovers from feuding Italian families meet and fall secretly in love in Verona. Their forbidden romance leads them to marry in secret with a friar's help, hoping to unite their warring households. But family hatred, violent duels, and tragic misunderstandings threaten to destroy their bond. This tale of star-crossed lovers has become the archetypal story of young love and remains one of Shakespeare's most frequently performed plays.

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  • Vendetta
  • Youth
  • Verona (Italy)
  • Juliet (Fictitious character)
  • Romeo (Fictitious character)
  • Conflict of generations
  • Tragedies (Drama)

Read the opening

Scene I: A public place

Enter Sampson and Gregory armed with swords and bucklers.

SAMPSON.
Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals.

GREGORY.
No, for then we should be colliers.

SAMPSON.
I mean, if we be in choler, we’ll draw.

GREGORY.
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o’ the collar.

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Contents

Show all 26 chapters
  1. Front Matter
  2. Scene I: A public place
  3. Scene II: A Street
  4. Scene III: Room in Capulet’s House
  5. Scene IV: A Street
  6. Scene V: A Hall in Capulet’s House
  7. Act II
  8. Scene I: An open place adjoining Capulet’s Garden
  9. Scene II: Capulet’s Garden
  10. Scene III: Friar Lawrence’s Cell
  11. Scene IV: A Street
  12. Scene V: Capulet’s Garden
  13. Scene VI: Friar Lawrence’s Cell
  14. Scene I: A public Place
  15. Scene II: A Room in Capulet’s House
  16. Scene III: Friar Lawrence’s cell
  17. Scene IV: A Room in Capulet’s House
  18. Scene V: An open Gallery to Juliet’s Chamber, overlooking the Garden
  19. Scene I: Friar Lawrence’s Cell
  20. Scene II: Hall in Capulet’s House
  21. Scene III: Juliet’s Chamber
  22. Scene IV: Hall in Capulet’s House
  23. Scene V: Juliet’s Chamber; Juliet on the bed
  24. Scene I: Mantua. A Street
  25. Scene II: Friar Lawrence’s Cell
  26. Scene III: A churchyard; in it a Monument belonging to the Capulets

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About this edition

This free edition of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #1513, released 1998-11-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Romance, Plays/Films/Dramas, Classics of Literature, British Literature.

Other editions: eBook #1112, eBook #1777, eBook #2261, eBook #47960.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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