Romeo and Juliet

 

Romeo and Juliet - a play by Huia 1, adapted and abridged from the original by Shakespeare. Takes about 10 - 15 minutes to perform. 

Yellow, blue and green highlighted parts can be narrated by individuals or groups.

Narrators: In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

Two noble fam’lies, feuding they have been;

The Montagues and Capulets each hate

The other  - and their lives are doomed by fate

Benvolio: Peace!

Tybalt: I hate the word, all Montagues, and thee!

Prince Escalus: Rebellious subjects! Enemies to peace! If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace!

Lady Montague: Greetings, Benvolio. Where is Romeo? Saw you him to-day?

Lord Montague:  He shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out
and makes himself an artificial night. But I cannot learn the cause.

Benvolio: I will do what I can to discover it.

Benvolio: Good morrow cousin. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?

Romeo: I love Rosaline but she does not love me.

Peter: My master is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine.

Benvolio: Let’s wear masks and go to the party.

Rosaline will be there, with all the admired beauties of Verona:
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Romeo: I will go, but only so I can gaze at Rosaline.

Lady Capulet: Tell me, daughter Juliet, how stands your disposition to be married?

Juliet: It is an honour that I dream not of.

Lady Capulet: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

Nurse:A man, young lady! lady, such a man

Servant:Madam, the guests are come, supper served up

- - - - - - - - -

Romeo: O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright, for I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

Tybalt: This, by his voice, should be a Montague. To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.

Capulet: Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone; You'll make a mutiny among my guests! Go!

Tybalt: I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall convert to bitter gall.

Nurse:  Madam, your mother craves a word with you.

Romeo: Is she a Capulet? O dear account!

Juliet: Come hither, nurse. What is yond gentleman?

Nurse: His name is Romeo, and a Montague; The only son of your great enemy.

Juliet: My only love sprung from my only hate!

Narrator:

That night, when on her balcony above,

unknowing Romeo was hid beneath,

She thought aloud about the boy she loved

And fam’ly feuds that meant they couldn’t meet.

Romeo: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

Romeo:Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

Juliet: Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?

Romeo: Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.

Nurse calls: Madam

Juliet: If thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow, And  I’ll follow thee throughout the world.

Nurse calls: Madam

Juliet: Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow,

Narrator:

Thus Romeo went home to find his friend,

The monk, on whom he knew he could depend.

Friar Lawrence: Wast thou with Rosaline?

Romeo: With Rosaline, no;
I have forgot that name, and that name's woe.

My heart's dear love is set
On the fair daughter of rich Capulet:

This I pray, That thou consent to marry us to-day.

Father Lawrence: Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here!

I'll thy assistant be;
For this alliance may so happy prove,
To turn your households' rancour to pure love.

Narrator:  So Juliet slipped out to meet her groom

And Friar Laurence married them that noon.

Returned she to her home to wait for him

Not knowing that the outcome would be grim

Now, Tybalt, furious from his defeat

Met Romeo and friends while in the street.

Tybalt: Thou art a villain.

Romeo: I do protest, I never injured thee

Mercutio: Tybalt, you rat-catcher!

Romeo: Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!

Mercutio: I am hurt. A plague o' both your houses. They have made worms' meat of me:

Romeo: Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again

Benvolio: Romeo, away, be gone! The prince will doom thee death!

Romeo: O, I am fortune’s fool.

Prince Escalus: Where are the vile beginners of this fray?

Lady Capulet: Tybalt, my cousin! Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.

Prince Escalus: Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio; And for that offence
Immediately we do exile him hence:

Narrator:

To Mantua did Romeo depart

And Juliet wept from her broken heart

Her parents knew not the true cause of her gloom

As they brought news of their choice of bride groom.

Lady Capulet: Early next Thursday morn, The gallant Count Paris shall happily make thee a joyful bride.

Juliet: Madam, I will not marry yet. Good father, I beseech you on my knees

Capulet: Disobedient wretch! Get thee to church o' Thursday; hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, For, by my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee,

Juliet: I'll to the friar, to know his remedy:

Friar Laurence: Be merry, give consent to marry Paris.  Take thou this vial, And this distilled liquor drink thou off; Thou shall appear like death for two and forty hours.

Juliet: Love give me strength

Juliet: Romeo, I drink to thee.

Nurse: O lamentable day!

Lady Capulet: O me, O me! My child,

Lord Capulet: For shame, bring Juliet forth; her lord is come.

Lady Capulet: Alack the day, she's dead

Friar Laurence: Come, is the bride ready to go to church?

Lord Capulet: Ready to go, but never to return. All is Death's.

Paris: Most detestable death, O love! O life!

Friar Laurence: Every one prepare to follow this fair corpse unto her grave:

Narrator: A servant took the news to Romeo;

That Juliet had died a day ago

Unknown to him, she was not really dead

The friar’s message had not reached him yet.

He bought a poison, though against the law,       

Then found her tomb, and opened up the door.

Unknown to him, Count Paris, waited there

And challenged Romeo when he came near.

Paris: Vile Montague! Condemned villain; thou must die.

Romeo: Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man;

Paris: O, I am slain!

Romeo:  O my love! my wife!  Here's to my love!

Juliet: Oh comfortable friar, where is my Romeo?

Friar Lawrence: I hear some noise. Come, away. Thy husband there lies dead;
And Paris too. Come, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay.

Juliet: Get thee hence, for I will not away. O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly drop To help me after?

                                

Watchman  Lead, boy: which way?

Juliet: Yea, noise? then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!

This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.

Narrator: And so the families gathered at the tomb

And saw their loved ones dead within the gloom

Prince Escalus: See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.

Lord Capulet: O brother Montague, give me thy hand:

Lord Montague: But I can give thee more: For I will raise her statue in pure gold;

Narrator:

A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.