“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”(“Why are you Romeo?”)
CHORUSIn the beautiful city of Verona, where our story takes place, a long-standing hatred between two families erupts into new violence, and citizens stain their hands with the blood of their fellow citizens. Two unlucky children of these enemy families become star-crossed lovers and commit suicide. Their unfortunate deaths put an end to their parents’ feud. For the next two hours, we will watch the story of their doomed love and their parents’ anger, which nothing but the children’s deaths could stop. If you listen to us patiently, we’ll make up for everything we’ve left out in this prologue onstage.
Story of Act Ⅰ
On a hot summer’s day, the young men of each family fight until the Prince of Verona mediates and threatens to banish them. Soon after, the head of the Capulet family plans a party. His goal is to introduce his daughter Juliet to a Count named Paris who seeks to marry Juliet.
Romeo, from the Montague family, and his friends – Benvolio and Mercutio – hear of the party and decide to go in disguise. Romeo hopes to see his beloved Rosaline at the party. Instead, while there, he meets Juliet and falls instantly in love with her. Juliet’s cousin Tybalt recognizes the Montague boys and forces them to leave just as Romeo and Juliet discover one another.
Story of Act Ⅱ
Romeo stays near the Capulet house to talk with Juliet when she appears in her windows.
Scene ⅡBalcony Scene (Juliet enters on the balcony.)
Romeo :
What’s that light in the window over there? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Rise up, beautiful sun, and kill the envious moon, The moon is already sick and pale with grief because you, Juliet, her maid, are more beautiful than she.
Oh, there’s my lady! Oh, it is my love. Oh, I wish she knew how much I love her. What if her eyes were in the sky and the stars were in her head?— The brightness of her cheeks would outshine the stars the way the sun outshines a lamp. If her eyes were in the night sky, they would shine so brightly through space that birds would start singing, thinking her light was the light of day. Look how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, I wish I was the glove on that hand so that I could touch that cheek.
Juliet :
Oh, my!
Romeo :
[aside]She speaks. Oh, speak again, bright angel! You are as glorious as an angel tonight. You shine above me, like a winged messenger from heaven who makes mortal men fall on their backs to look up at the sky, watching the angel walking on the clouds and sailing on the air.
Juliet :
(Not knowing Romeo hears her) Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be Romeo? Forget about your father and change your name. Or else, if you won’t change your name, just swear you love me and I’ll stop being a Capulet.
Romeo :
[aside] Should I listen for more, or should I speak now?
Juliet :
(Still not knowing Romeo hears her)It’s only your name that’s my enemy. You’d still be yourself even if you stopped being a Montague. What’s a Montague anyway? It isn’t a hand, a foot, an arm, a face, or any other part of a man. Oh, be some other name! What does a name mean? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Romeo would be just as perfect even if he wasn’t called Romeo. Romeo, lose your name. Trade in your name - which really has nothing to do with you - and take all of me in exchange.
Romeo :
(To Juliet)I trust your words. Just call me your love, and I will take a new name. From now on I will never be Romeo again.
Juliet :
Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts?
Romeo :
I don’t know how to tell you who I am by telling you a name. I hate my name, dear saint, because my name is your enemy. If I had it written down, I would tear up the paper.
Juliet :
Tell me, how did you get in here? And why did you come? The orchard walls are high, and it’s hard to climb over them. If any of my relatives find you here,they’ll kill you because of who you are.
Romeo :
I flew over these walls with the light wings of love. Stone walls can’t keep love out. Whatever a man in love can possibly do, his love will make him try to do it. Therefore your relatives are no obstacle.
Juliet :
Oh, Romeo, if you really love me, say it truly. In truth, handsome Montague, I like you too much, so you may think my behavior is loose.But trust me, gentleman. I’ll prove myself more faithful than girls who act coy and play hard–to-get. So excuse me, and do not assume that my love isn’t serious just because you’ve made me love you so easily.
Romeo :
Lady, I swear by the sacred moon above,the moon that paints the tops of the fruit trees with silver ⸺
Juliet :
Don’t swear by the moon. The moon is always changing. Every month its position in the sky shifts.I don’t want you to turn out to be that inconsistent too.
Romeo :
What should I swear by?
Juliet :
Don’t swear at all. But if you have to swear, swear by your wonderful self, which is the god I worship like an idol, and then I’ll believe you.
Juliet :
I pledged my love to you before you asked me to. Yet I wish I could take that promise back, so I had it to give again.
Romeo :
You would take it back? Why would you do that, my love?
Juliet :
Only to be generous and give it to you once more. But I’m wishing for something I already have. My generosity to you is as limitless as the sea, and my love is as deep. The more love I give you, the more I have. Both loves are infinite.
With the help of Juliet’s nurse, the lovers arrange to marry when Juliet goes for confession at the cell of Friar Lawrence.There, they are secretly married.
Story of Act III
Following the secret marriage, Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, deeply offended and outraged by Romeo’s attending the party, sends a challenge to Romeo. Romeo refuses to fight, which angers his friend, Mercutio, who then fights with Tybalt instead. Mercutio is accidentally killed as Romeo intervenes to stop the fight. In anger, Romeo kills Tybalt, and is banished by the Prince.
Juliet is anxious when Romeo is late to meet her after she acknowledges the fight, Tybalt’s death, and Romeo’s banishment. Friar Lawrence arranges for Romeo to spend the night with Juliet before he leaves for Mantua. Meanwhile, the Capulet family grieves for Tybalt, so Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, moves Juliet’s marriage to Paris to the next day. Juliet’s parents are angry when Juliet doesn’t want to marry Paris, but they don’t know about her secret marriage to Romeo.
Story of Act IV
Friar Lawrence helps Juliet by providing sleeping pills that will make her seem dead. When the wedding party arrives to greet Juliet the next day, they believe she is dead. The Friar sends a messenger to warn Romeo of Juliet’s plan and commands him to come to the Capulet family monument to rescue his sleeping wife.
Story of Act V
By a strange twist of fate, the vital message to Romeo doesn’t arrive in time because the plague is in town, so the messenger cannot leave Verona. Hearing from his servant that Juliet is dead, Romeo buys poison in Mantua. He returns to Verona and goes to the tomb. There Romeo takes his poison and dies. Juliet awakens from the deep sleep caused by the sleeping pills. She learns what has happened from Friar Laurence. She refuses to leave the tomb, and she stabs herself.
The tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet bring about a sense of regret for the families. In the end, the two families promise to erect a monument in Romeo and Juliet’s honor. Ironically, without the tragic deaths of the couple, there would not have been an end to the family feud, nor any peace.