ROMEO & JULIET
Summary
What I’m about to tell you is a true tale. To some it’s a story of hate, of heartache, of feuds, of violence, of destruction and despair – to them it’s a simple story of tragedy. But to me it’s a story of needing, of believing, of dreaming. It’s a story of hope and happiness – it’s a story of love, my friend & cousin Romeo Montague’s love for Juliet Capulet.
The year was 1545 - the place, Verona. It was a gorgeously beautiful hot Italian summer. The Veronese public were out in force. The ladies were dressed to kill in their fabulous finery, showing off their new clothes hot from the catwalks of Milan. The men were also dressed to kill, displaying their weapons, the tools of their trade. Showing off their swords, their shields, their style and their swagger.
The Capulets and the Montagues were neighbours. The Italians are naturally known for their hot blood, for their terrible temper tantrums. These two families had a hatred for each other that went back over a century. Today no one even knows what caused this famous family feud. All we do know is that nothing like it has been seen in Verona before or since.
At the beginning of my story Romeo was in love. To be honest he was only in love with the thought of being in love. A girl called Rosaline occupied his thoughts. I knew that this was just an infatuation. I don’t even think they went out on a date. I tried to talk him out of her, and finally persuaded him to sneak into a party given by our great enemy Lord Capulet. It was to change his short life for ever. In an instance he forgot about Rosaline. For there he met his one true soul-mate, his one true love, his one and only Juliet.
With the help of Jules’ nurse and the respected Friar Laurence, these star crossed lovers were married in secret. I’d never seen Romeo happier.
The friar believed that this marriage would bring the two houses together, finally resolving the feud. Unfortunately fate took a hand in proceedings and on the way back from the wedding Romeo was attacked by Tybalt - a Capulet. Our great friend, Mercutio, defending both the family name and the honour of Romeo, was fatally stabbed by Tybalt. As Mercutio lay dying he proclaimed ”a plague on both your houses.” Romeo was absolutely furious, and in a fit of rage killed Tybalt.
As Mercutio and Tybalt lie dead in the Market place, the Prince, already angered at the continued violence in Verona’s streets, proclaimed my cousin’s banishment.
Juliet, distraught at the news of her husband’s banishment, and the pressure on her to marry the socialite Paris, decides, with the help of the Friar, to fake her own death. The intention was that her parents would place her seemingly dead body in the Capulet family tomb, and when she awoke from her drug induced sleep Romeo would be waiting to escape with her to Mantua. But when my cousin Romeo returned to Verona, he believed that Jules really was dead, and knowing that he could no longer live without her, he killed himself by swallowing poison. Waking to find Romeo dead beside her, Juliet then proceeded to take her husband’s knife from its sheaf, and she also killed herself.
As I said earlier, these two young people didn’t take their lives through hatred. For them hatred didn’t come into it. They died because they loved each other, and ultimately they couldn’t bear to be apart, and when you find a love like that ladies and gentlemen you hang on to it.
Yours Forever
Benvolio Montague
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