ROMEO AND JULIET
SCENE 1: A Street in Verona
NARRATOR 1: You are about to hear the story of a bitter quarrel between two rich and powerful families, and the grief and bloodshed it brought to both. Fair Verona is where we set our scene. Tis here where an grudge breaks to new mutiny and civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
NARRATOR 2: The two families are called Montague and Capulet and the quarrel was so old that no one could remember how it had begun. A member of one family had perhaps said something insulting to a member of the other family.
NARRATOR 3: Whatever the reason, the feud has grown and each side has added to it, so that it kept blazing up at public meetings, or in the street, or even in church.
(Enter Tybalt from center stage.)
TYBALT: The Prince would have peace, yet the Montagues draw their swords when I come upon them. Peace? I hate the word, and I hate all Montagues!
(Enter citizens from each side the stage. The Capulets go to Tybalt and those who side with the Montagues cluster together.)
TYBALT AND FRIENDS: Down with the Montagues!
MONTAGUES: Down with the Capulet!
(Enter Lord and Lady Capulet from stage left.)
CAPULET: What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
LADY CAPULET: A sword, why call you for a sword?
CAPULET: My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, and flourishes his blade in spite of me.
MONTAGUE: Thou villain Capulet. (To his wife who holds him back.) Hold me
not, let me go.
LADY MONTAGUE: Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
(Prince Escalus enters as the citizens are trying to stop the arguments and fighting.)
PRINCE ESCALUS: Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, hear me! Terminate these disputes on pain of torture! Throw your weapons to the ground and hear your Prince. Three civil brawls by Capulet and Montague have disturbed the quiet of our streets. If ever you disturb ourstreets again your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. For this time, depart, away! Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
(The citizens begin to depart in all directions. Only Lord and Lady Montague and Benvolio are left on stage.)
NARRATOR 1: And so for a short time, peace reigns on the streets of Verona.
But the quarrel is too long and too bitter for peace to remain forever Lord and Lady Montague are concerned about their young son, Romeo, and where he was when this latest fighting began.
LADY MONTAGUE: Who set this ancient quarrel a new? Speak nephew, were you by when it began?
BENVOLIO: Here were the servants of your adversary, and yours, close fighting ere I did approach, interchanging thrusts and blows till the prince came, who parted either part.
LADY MONTAGUE: O where is Romeo - saw you him today? Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
BENVOLIO: Madam, an hour before this morning's sun and walking did I see your son, and stole he into the covert of the wood. Because of our affection for each other I pursued him not.
LADY MONTAGUE: Many a morning hath he there been seen, with tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew.
MONTAGUE: In his chamber he pens himself, shuts up his windows, locks the fair daylight out and makes himself an artificial night. Black must this mood prove, unless good counsel may the cause remove.
BENVOLIO: My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
MONTAGUE: I neither know it nor can learn of it from him.
LADY MONTAGUE: I have asked him, both myself and his friends, but he keeps his counsels to himself. Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, we would willingly give cure.
BENVOLIO: When he comes, I'll learn his grievance.
MONTAGUE: Would thou could. Come, madam, let's away.
(Lord and Lady Montague exit center of stage. Mercutio joins Benvolio from stage left, and Romeo comes up from the back of the room. They begin talking to each other and it becomes obvious that the other two are teasing Romeo.)
NARRATOR 2: Through their discussion Benvolio has discovered that Romeo's dark mood is caused by his yearning for a beautiful young girl named Rosaline. Benvolio and Mercutio begin to tease Romeo about his unrequited love for the beautiful Rosaline. They become so busy with their teasing that they soon forget the new law concerning the fighting in the streets.
ROMEO: Bother me not.
MERCUTIO: And all of them much enamored of you, Romeo. Forget her!
ROMEO: O, teach me how I should forget to think!
(Exit young men)
NARRATOR 3: Forgetting his new love will be difficult for Romeo, for the young Rosaline is rich in beauty as are other fair maidens. But none are as fair as the only daughter of the Capulets, the fair Juliet.
