Romeo
The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character.
Juliet
The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-year-old girl, Juliet begins the play as a na�ve child who has thought little about love and marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of her family's great e
Friar Lawrence
A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civic-minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar Lawrence secretly marries the couple.
Mercutio
A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo's close friend. One of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare's plays, Mercutio overflows with imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor.
The Nurse
Juliet's nurse, the woman who breast-fed Juliet when she was a baby and has cared for Juliet her entire life.
Tybalt
A Capulet, Juliet's cousin on her mother's side. Vain, fashionable, supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent, and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured.
Capulet
The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of Lady Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague.
Lady Capulet
Juliet's mother, Capulet's wife.
Montague
Romeo's father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter enemy of Capulet.
Lady Montague
Romeo's mother, Montague's wife. She dies of grief after Romeo is exiled from Verona.
Paris
A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by Capulet.
Benvolio
Montague's nephew, Romeo's cousin and thoughtful friend, he makes a genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though Mercutio accuses him of having a nasty temper in private.
Prince Escalus
The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As the seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public peace at all costs.
Friar John
A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news of Juliet's false death to Romeo in Mantua.
Balthasar
Romeo's dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliet's death, unaware that her death is a ruse.
The Apothecary
An apothecary in Mantua. Had he been wealthier, he might have been able to afford to value his morals more than money, and refused to sell poison to Romeo.
Rosaline
The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the play.
The Chorus
The Chorus is a single character who, as developed in Greek drama, functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play's plot and themes.
Sampson & Gregory
Two servants of the house of Capulet, who, like their master, hate the Montagues.
Abram
Montague's servant, who fights with Sampson and Gregory in the first scene of the play.