Other lives

Romeo and Juliet is not simply about two people. Despite the vital role of the central couple, one of the reasons this play has lasted so long is the vividly drawn support characters.

There are many other vividly drawn characters including Mercutio, Tybalt, Juliet’s Nurse, Friar Lawrence, Lord and Lady Capulet, Paris, and more. All have distinct personalities, and their own unique ways of expressing themselves. All these characters are memorable, and we can imagine the lives they would have had outside the play.

• Choose one character in the play other than Romeo or Juliet.
• Investigate your character, and make a list of the key events in the play that involve them.
• Make a list of quotes from the play of lines said by your chosen character.
• Make a list of quotes from the play of lines said about your chosen character.
• Write a short story about how they might have spent a day in the weeks leading up to the events of the play. You can write as if you are the character (first person), or tell the story as a narrator (third person). For many, you will be able to use their own descriptions of what they do to guide you. Friar Lawrence, for example, grows healing herbs.