ROMEO AND JULIET

PRESENTER: We are happy to present you the story of Romeo and Juliet, one
of the most Beautiful love stories. The characters in this play are: Romeo Montaguewho falls in love with Juliet at first sight; Juliet Capulet- just 13 years old when the
story begins; Benvolio- Romeo`s best cousin; Mercutio good friend of Romeo and
Benvolio; Tybalt Juliet`s cousin; Prince Escalus ruler of Verona; Friar Lawrence
an old monk; Lady Capulet Juliet`s mother; Juliet`s nurse ; Old Capulet head of
the Capulet family; the servant ; the apothecary.
Ladies and gentlemen we hope you enjoy the play.
ACT I
In the background, two gangs of young men are fighting, kicking and rolling in dust.
PRESENTER : These two gangs belong to two of Verona`s richest families- the
Capulets and the Montagues. These families are sworn families and they are always
fighting.
When the Prince`s soldiers arrive, they break up the fight.
PRINCE ESCALUS : I`ve had enough of this feud! (angrily). It`s got to stop! From
now on, anyone caught fighting will be put to death!
They leave the stage. Benvolio enters the stage together with Romeo.
BENVOLIO: Have you heard? Old Capulet is holding a masked ball tonight. Did
you hear that, Romeo? A party at the Capulet`s house. Let`s go! If we disguise, no
one will guess who we are.
ROMEO : Let`s find Mercutio and tell him.
1

At the Capulet`s mansion, Juliet is in her room. Her nurse is helping her dress, when
Juliet`s mother comes in.
JULIET`S MOTHER: Now, Juliet, a man named Count Paris is coming tonight. I
hope you like him. Your father and I want you to marry him.
NURSE: Oh, Juliet, sweetheart, you`re to be married! How exciting!
Juliet is horrified.
JULIET: I`m not ready to get married. What if I don`t like him? But mum.
JULIET`S MOTHER: There`s no time to argue! The party is about to start.
(Straightens Juliet`s dress and goes)
Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio arrive at the party. Benvolio and Mercutio want to
dance, but Romeo stands still. He spots a beautiful girl and can`t take his eyes off her.
TYBALT: I can`t believe it. These three people are from the Montague family.
He goes straight to Old Capulet.
TYBALT: Uncle, there are Montagues here! Let`s kick them out!
OLD CAPULET: No, Tybalt! Remember the prince`s warning. No fighting!
Romeo sees the girl leave the hall and follows her. Shyly, he goes up to her.
ROMEO: I don`t know who you are, but I`ve fallen in love with you. You`re so
beautiful.
JULIET: Who are you?
JULIET`S NURSE: He`s Romeo Montague! Old Capulet would have a fit if he saw
his daughter with a Montague. Come on! Count Paris wants to dance with you!
ROMEO: Is she a Capulet? What am I going to do?
When the party ends, Romeo sneaks outside and hids in the Capulet`s garden.
JULIET: O, Romeo, it`s you I love. If only you weren`t a Montague!
2

ROMEO: Oh, speak again, bright angel that you are.

JULIET: O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father, and refuse
thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I`ll no longer be a Capulet!
ROMEO: Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET: `Tis but your name that is my enemy. What`s a Montague? It is nor hand,
nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other
name.
ROMEO: Juliet! I`m here in the garden. And I love you!
JULIET: You do?
ROMEO: With all my heart! I`d marry you if I could.
JULIET: But my parents are going to make me marry Count Paris! (she sighs). Our
only hope is to get married in secret.
ROMEO: Then we will.
JULIET: I`ll ask my nurse to help us. Send me a message tomorrow.
ROMEO: I will, but I`d better go now.
He leaves.
JULIET: (silently) Parting is such sweet sorrow.
ACT II
ROMEO: I must go to visit Friar Lawrence. He is a wise monk and he will help me.
FRIAR LAWRENCE: What can I do for you Romeo?
ROMEO: I`m in love with Juliet Capulet. I know our parents hate each others, but
we really want to get married.
FRIAR LAWRENCE: Then, I`ll help you. Maybe if you get married, your parents
will stop the fighting. Come to my house this afternoon and I`ll marry you in secret.
Romeo runs happily to find Juliet`s nurse and give her the message.

ROMEO: Quickly go to Juliet and give her the good news. Friar Lawrence is going
to marry us.
She runs to Juliet.
NURSE: Juliet, Juliet! Quick! Come! You are going to get married! Friar Lawrence
will marry you!
She hugs Juliet. Juliet smiling
JULIET: I am so happy. I`ll tell my parents that I`m going to see the friar about my
wedding to Count Paris.
Juliet arrives at Friar Lawrence`s house. Romeo was waiting for her.
ROMEO: My beloved Juliet!
JULIET: Oh, Romeo!
FRIAR LAWRENCE: Quick, my children. Let`s begin the ceremony. My beloved,
we have gathered here to marry these two people who love each other so much. We
hope that by this marriage your parents will stop the fighting. Romeo, do you take
Juliet to be your beloved wife?
ROMEO: I do!
FRIAR LAWRENCE: Juliet, do you take Romeo to be your beloved husband?
JULIET: I do!
FRIAR LAWRENCE: I now pronounce you husband and wife!
Romeo kisses Juliet on the cheeks.
JULIET: to Romeo: My parents are expecting me, so I`d better go straight home.
ROMEO: Ok, my dear wife! See you later!
They wave to each other.
Romeo goes to look for Benvolio and Mercutio.He finds them arguing with Tybalt.
ROMEO: What`s the problem?
4

TYBALT: You, Montagues, are the problem! You sneaked into our party and I`m
going to make you pay! I challenge you to a duel!
ROMEO: I refuse to fight!
TYBALT: You`re afraid to fight!
MERCUTIO: Don`t speak to my friend like that!
TYBALT: Oh, so you want to fight instead, do you?
They pull their swords and start fighting.
BENVOLIO: Stop it!
At that moment Tybalt stabs Mercutio who slumped to the ground dead. Romeo
grabs Mercutio`s sword and stabs Tybalt.
BENVOLIO: Romeo, what have you done? Go quickly, before the prince comes.
Romeo runs. Prince Escalus appears.
PRINCE ESCALUS: What happened here?
BENVOLIO: Sir, Tybalt was upset because we went to the Capulet`s party so he
challenged Romeo to a duel. Romeo didn`t want to fight. Instead Mercutio fought
with him. Tybalt killed Mercutio and Romeo was so angry that he stabbed Tybalt.
PRINCE ESCALUS: Romeo shall not die! I`ll banish him instead.

ACT III
JULIET`S NURSE: Juliet, Juliet! Your cousin Tybalt is dead. Romeo killed him and
he was banished from Verona.
JULIET: (crying) No, it can`t be! Cousin Tybalt- dead! I`ll never see Romeo again!
Juliet`s mother enters the room

JULIET`S MOTHER: Poor Juliet! (goes over to her) You`re upset about Tybalt,
aren`t you? But this will cheer you up. You`re to marry Count Paris. The wedding is
on Thursday.
JULIET: Thursday? But I don`t want to marry him! Please, mum! No, no!
Juliet`s father enters
JULIET`S FATHER: What do you mean no? You`ll marry Count Paris on Thursday
and that`s that!
Her parents leave the room.
JULIET: But I am already married. (she cries)
JULIET`S NURSE: We must go to Friar Lawrence. He`ll know what to do.
JULIET: Oh, friar! Please, help me! My parents want me to marry Count Paris!
FRIAR LAWRENCE: But you can`t!
JULIET: You have to help me! (she cries)
FRIAR LAWRENCE: I`ll give you a potion. When you drink it, you`ll fall into a
very deep sleep which will last for two days. Drink the potion tonight. Your parents
will think you`re dead. They`ll put your body in the family tomb.
JULIET: Then what?
FRIAR LAWRENCE: Then I send a messenger to Romeo to tell him about the plan.
He will come to rescue you- and you can run away together.
JULIET: I`ll do it! (she holds the bottle in a trembling hand). Thank you, Friar
Lawrence.
She goes into her room and drinks the potion. She falls.Juliet`s nurse enter the room.
She screams.
JULIET`S NURSE: She`s dead! Juliet`s dead.
Her parents come and begin to cry.
JULIET`S FATHER: There`ll be no wedding for my daughter. Instead, we must
prepare for a funeral.

A servant goes to Romeo.

SERVANT: Romeo, have you heard about the Capulet`s daughter? She`s dead!
ROMEO: What? Juliet? Dead? (he cries) Then I`ll lie beside her and drink poison,
so I die too. That way we can be together.
Romeo goes to an apothecary.
ROMEO: I want the strongest poison you have.
APOTHECARY: You can`t buy poison in Mantua. It`s against the law.
Romeo gives him money and the apothecary takes it quickly and gives him the poison.
Romeo arrives at Juliet`s tomb. He takes her hand and weeps as he kisses her cheek.
He drinks the poison.
After a while Juliet wakes up.
JULIET: Romeo? Oh, no! (crying)
She notices the poison bottle in his hand and shakes his shoulders. He doesn`t move.
JULIET: Oh, Romeo! I can`t live without you!
She grabs his dagger and plunges it into her heart and collapses on top of Romeo.
Friar Lawrence bursts into the tomb, together with Juliet`s parents and Prince
Escalus.
PRINCE ESCALUS: See what your hatred has done? Romeo and Juliet have paid
the price for your feud!
JULIET`S FATHER: Let`s bury them side by side. I promise that our families will
never fight again!
PRESENTER: For never was a story of more woe,/ Than this of Juliet, and her
Romeo.