Romeo

• The only child of the Montagues, his name means romance, and his character is associated with love. When we first meet Romeo in Act 1, Scene 1, he is in love with Rosaline; but when he sets eyes on Juliet in Act 1, Scene 5, he falls instantly in love with her. "Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night," he says. Romeo's passion is the tragic flaw which causes his destruction. He cannot reveal his marriage to Juliet when challenged by Tybalt in Act 3, Scene 1, but he cannot fight him either. His secret leads to the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, in turn leading to his exile from Verona. During his exile, he learns of Juliet's apparent death and, unable to live without her, poisons himself.
  
  

Juliet

• The only child of the Capulets, Juliet's character progresses from obedience to defiance throughout the play to emphasize her love for Romeo. After the consummation of their marriage, Romeo is placed in exile, and Juliet's parents unwittingly attempt to force her into a bigamous marriage to Paris. Unable to defy their wishes, she takes a sleeping potion to fake her death, planning to send a message to Romeo. When she awakes, she finds that Romeo, believing her dead, has poisoned himself and kills herself with his dagger.
  
  

Friar Lawrence

• Romeo's mentor, the friar, plays an important role in the play. In Act 2, Scene 3, he agrees to marry the lovers in secret, hoping that their marriage will end their families quarrel. "For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households' rancour to pure love," he says. He also provides Juliet with the sleeping potion to fake her own death but fails to get the message to Romeo in time to prevent his death.
  
  

Mercutio

• Mercutio is the prince's cousin and Romeo's best friend. His name means mercurial, which reflects his changeable character and quick temper. He is witty and funny but loses his temper easily. He fights Tybalt to prevent Romeo from appearing like a coward but is injured and dies as a result. Upon his death in Act 3, Scene 1, he curses both the Capulets and the Montagues, saying, "A plague o' both your houses!" This curse is an important turning point in the play and represents the moment of change from comedy to tragedy.
  
  

Tybalt

• Juliet's cousin Tybalt is keen to continue the tradition of hostility between the Capulets and Montagues. As a key character, each scene he is featured in serves to further the conflict in the play. In Act 1, Scene 1, he starts a fight with Benvolio that causes the prince to decree a death penalty on anyone brawling in public. In Act 1, Scene 5, he vows revenge on Romeo for attending the Capulet's party without proper invitation. His death in Act 3, Scene 2 leads to Romeo's exile and Juliet's faked death.