Original: Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay;
Modern: Here lies Tybalt, dead, killed by Romeo’s hand.

Original: Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
Modern: Romeo spoke politely to him, asking him to think

Original: How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Modern: About how trivial this fight was, and also reminded him of

Original: Your high displeasure: all this uttered
Modern: Your strong disapproval of fighting: all of this said

Original: With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow’d,
Modern: With a gentle voice, peaceful expression, and humbly bowed knees.

Original: Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Modern: Could not make peace with the wild anger

Original: Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
Modern: Of Tybalt, who refused to listen to peace talks, so he attacks

Original: With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,
Modern: With his sharp sword aimed at brave Mercutio’s chest.

Original: Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
Modern: Mercutio, just as angry, turns to face him sword to sword,

Original: And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Modern: And with a warrior’s contempt, uses one hand to push

Original: Cold death aside, and with the other sends
Modern: Death away, while with his other hand he strikes

Original: It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity,
Modern: Back at Tybalt, whose skill

Original: Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud,
Modern: Sends it right back: Romeo shouts loudly,

Original: ‘Hold, friends! friends, part!’ and, swifter than his tongue,
Modern: “Stop, friends! Friends, break it up!” and faster than his words,

Original: His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
Modern: His quick arm knocks down their deadly sword points,

Original: And ‘twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
Modern: And rushes between them; but under his arm

Original: An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
Modern: A spiteful stab from Tybalt struck the heart

Original: Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;
Modern: Of brave Mercutio, and then Tybalt ran away.

Original: But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Modern: But soon he comes back to face Romeo,

Original: Who had but newly entertain’d revenge,
Modern: Who had just begun to think about revenge.

Original: And to ‘t they go like lightning, for, ere I
Modern: And they go at it like lightning, because before I

Original: Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain.
Modern: Could draw my sword to separate them, brave Tybalt was killed.

Original: And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.
Modern: And as Tybalt fell down, Romeo turned and ran away.

Original: This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.
Modern: This is the truth, or let me die for lying.

In Act III, Scene 1 of “Romeo and Juliet,” the play’s central tragedy unfolds in the streets of Verona on a hot summer day. Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybalt, who is seeking Romeo. When Romeo arrives, Tybalt challenges him to a duel, but Romeo refuses to fight, citing reasons he cannot fully explain (his secret marriage to Juliet, Tybalt’s cousin). Mercutio, outraged by what he perceives as Romeo’s cowardice, draws his sword and fights Tybalt in Romeo’s place. Romeo attempts to stop the fight by coming between them, but Tybalt fatally wounds Mercutio under Romeo’s arm. As Mercutio dies, he curses both the Montague and Capulet houses with his famous line “A plague o’ both your houses.”

Following Mercutio’s death, Romeo’s resolve breaks. Enraged and grief-stricken, he confronts Tybalt and kills him in combat. Immediately realizing the consequences of his actions, Romeo flees the scene. The Prince arrives with both families and, after hearing testimony from Benvolio about the events, declares Romeo banished from Verona as punishment for Tybalt’s death. Lady Capulet demands Romeo’s execution, but the Prince determines that Romeo acted partly in revenge for Mercutio’s death and therefore lessens the sentence to exile, though he warns that Romeo will be killed if he is found within Verona’s walls.

“Romeo and Juliet” tells the story of two young lovers from feuding families in Verona. Romeo Montague attends a Capulet feast in disguise, where he meets and instantly falls in love with Juliet Capulet. They meet secretly that night on her balcony and decide to marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agrees to perform the ceremony, hoping their union might end the family feud.

After the secret wedding, Romeo encounters Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who challenges him to a duel. When Romeo refuses to fight, his friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed by Tybalt. In revenge, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona by Prince Escalus. Meanwhile, Juliet’s parents, unaware of her secret marriage, arrange for her to wed Count Paris.

Desperate to avoid this second marriage, Juliet seeks help from Friar Lawrence, who gives her a potion that will make her appear dead. The plan is for Romeo to return and take her away when she awakens in the Capulet tomb. However, Romeo never receives the friar’s message explaining the scheme. Believing Juliet truly dead, he purchases poison and drinks it beside her tomb.

Juliet awakens to find Romeo’s lifeless body and, in despair, kills herself with his dagger. The tragic deaths of their children finally reconcile the Montague and Capulet families, who vow to end their ancient hatred. Prince Escalus concludes that all are punished by this sorrowful outcome of the families’ bitter feud.