| Chorus | an on-stage commentator on the events of the play (usually a single person) |
| Prince Escalus | the Prince and leader of Verona, who is concerned primarily with keeping order in the city |
| Paris | a kinsman of Prince Escalus who wants to marry Juliet |
| Montague | Romeo’s father, Lady Montague’s husband, and Benvolio’s uncle. The leader of the Montague household, and quick to anger at his bitter rival, Capulet. |
| Capulet | Juliet’s father, Lady Capulet’s husband, and Tybalt’s uncle. He is the leader of the Capulet family, and an enemy of Montague. |
| Old Capulet | old man of the Capulet family |
| Romeo | The sixteen-year-old son of Montague and Lady Montague. His defining characteristic is the intensity of his emotions—whether in anger, love, or despair. He’s also intelligent, quick-witted, loved by his friends, and not a bad swordsmen. |
| Tybalt | The nephew of Capulet, and Juliet’s cousin. A hothead consumed by issues of honor and well known for his skill with a sword, he hates the Montagues with a profound passion. |
| Mercutio | Romeo’s close friend, and a kinsmen of Prince Escalus, who is a wild, antic, and brooding youth |
| Benvolio | Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin., and Mercutio’s friend. Of the three boys, he is the most calm and the least quick-witted. |
| Friar Laurence | a Franciscan monk and a friend to both Romeo and Juliet |
| Friar John | a Franciscan friar |
| Balthasar & Abraham | servants to Montague |
| Sampson & Gregory | servants to Capulet |
| Peter | an illiterate Capulet servant |
| An apothecary | a poor apothecary (a drug seller) in Mantua |
| Lady Montague | Montague’s wife and Romeo’s mother |
| Lady Capulet | Juliet’s mother, and Capulet’s wife |
| Juliet | The beautiful thirteen-year-old daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet, and cousins with Tybalt. The Nurse is her closest friend and advisor. |
| Nurse | a servant who nursed Juliet as a baby, and raised her through childhood. She is Juliet’s best friend and confidante. |
| Rosaline | a young woman who has taken a vow of chastity, yet with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the play. |
Romeo and Juliet Characters
September 13, 2019