Romeo Timeline and Summary

1.1: Romeo is moping around and philosophizing about love and hate because he's infatuated with this girl Rosaline and she's not interested in him.
Benvolio, his cousin and friend, tries to convince him to find somebody else. Romeo says that's impossible: there's no woman more beautiful than Rosaline in the whole world.
1.2: Romeo and Benvolio decide to crash a Capulet party after they find out Rosaline will be there.
1.4: Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio tease each other as they head towards the party. Romeo has a weird premonition of death, but ignores it.
1.5: At the party, Romeo sees Juliet from across the room and forgets all about Rosaline. "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" he says. Romeo approaches Juliet and they have an instant connection. Banter turns to kissing. Afterwards, Romeo finds out that the girl he's been smooching is a Capulet.
2.1: Unable to tear himself away from Juliet's home, Romeo ditches his friends and hangs out in the orchard behind the Capulet house.
2.2: Romeo sees Juliet on her balcony and hears her confess her love for him. He reveals himself and swears his love for her. Juliet asks if he wants to marry her, and the two of them plan to arrange a wedding right away.
2.3: Romeo heads straight from the Capulet's house to the home of his mentor and favorite priest, Friar Laurence. He asks Friar Laurence to secretly marry him and Juliet. The Friar agrees.
2.4: Romeo meets up with Benvolio and Mercutio. Juliet's nurse arrives on scene and Romeo tells her the plan: Friar Laurence has agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet that afternoon.
2.6: Romeo and Juliet meet at Friar Laurence's cell and get married.
3.1: Later that day Tybalt insults Romeo. Romeo responds calmly and refuses to fight his wife's cousin. Mercutio, furious at Romeo's seeming cowardice, decides to fight Tybalt instead. In trying to stop Mercutio and Tybalt from fighting, Romeo gets in Mercutio's way and Tybalt takes advantage of the moment to wound Mercutio. Mercutio dies blaming Romeo for interfering in the fight. To avenge his friend's death, Romeo fights and kills Tybalt. Then he flees.
3.3: Romeo has hides himself in Friar Laurence's cell. The Friar tells him the news: the Prince has ordered that Romeo be banished from Verona as punishment for killing Tybalt. Romeo tells the Friar that banishment is worse than death. When the Nurse arrives, Romeo threatens to kill himself for causing Juliet so much pain. The Friar and the Nurse convince Romeo to calm down and tell him he will be able to see Juliet that night.
3.5: After spending the night with Juliet, Romeo says good-bye to her and sneaks out of her house. Banished from Verona, he heads to the nearby city of Mantua.
5.1: In Mantua, Romeo waits for news from Verona. Balthasar tells him that Juliet is dead. Romeo immediately decides to commit suicide. He goes to an apothecary and forces him to sell illegal poison. Then he heads back to Verona so he can die next to Juliet's body.
5.3: Paris tries to stop Romeo from entering Juliet's tomb, so Romeo kills him. Romeo embraces Juliet's dead body, drinks the poison, and dies giving her a final kiss.

Next Page: Juliet Timeline