Student Script

for Primary Schools

Romeo & Juliet
by
William Shakespeare

Abridged for the Shakespeare Schools Festival

by
Martin Lamb

30 minute version
11.05.11

Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF)

We are such stuff as dreams are made on.
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LIST OF ROLES
The Prince

PRINCE ESCALUS OF VERONA

Paris

A YOUNG COUNT

Old Montague

HEAD OF THE HOUSE OF MONTAGUE

Old Capulet

HEAD OF THE HOUSE OF CAPULET

Romeo

MONTAGUES SON

Mercutio

KINSMAN TO THE PRINCE, FRIEND TO ROMEO

Benvolio

NEPHEW TO MONTAGUE, FRIEND TO ROMEO

Tybalt

NEPHEW TO LADY CAPULET

Juliet

DAUGHTER TO CAPULET

Nurse to Juliet
Lady Montague

WIFE TO MONTAGUE

Lady Capulet

WIFE TO CAPULET

Friar Lawrence

OF THE FRANCISCAN ORDER, FRIEND TO ROMEO

Friar John

OF THE FRANCISCAN ORDER

Balthasar

SERVANT TO ROMEO

Servants to Capulet
Searchers1
Watchman 1
Watchman 2
Watchman 3

Responsible for boarding up houses where the plague is suspected

SEQUENCE 1

NARRATOR(S)

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

BENVOLIO

Part, fools! Put up your swords: you know not what you do.
ENTER TYBALT (a Capulet)

TYBALT

What, art thou drawn amongst these heartless hinds?2

Turn thee Benvolio, look upon thy death.

BENVOLIO
TYBALT

I do but keep the peace.

What, drawn3 and talk of peace? I hate the word
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee, coward.
ENTER OLD CAPULET and his wife, LADY CAPULET
ENTER OLD MONTAGUE and his wife, LADY MONTAGUE
opposite
ENTER THE PRINCE and his attendants, including
MERCUTIO

PRINCE

What ho, you men, you beasts!

Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground.
Three civil brawls bred of an airy word,4
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets.
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
On pain of death, all men depart.
The two families split up and exit. EXIT THE PRINCE and
ATTENDANTS. Only OLD MONTAGUE and OLD CAPULET
and their wives are left on stage.

Benvolio is interfering in a brawl between mere servants, Tybalt wishes to point this out.
Benvolio has drawn his weapon and yet he talks about peace.
4
A small and petty remark
3

NARRATOR(S)

Old Montague and Old Capulet are tired. All the fighting between
the two families wears them down but neither knows how to stop
it.
EXIT OLD MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
To cheer himself Old Capulet plans a party for that night. He gives
a servant a list of all the guests to invite.
As OLD CAPULET and LADY CAPULET leave.
Unfortunately the Servant cant read.
And the first two people the Capulet servant comes across are
Montagues Benvolio, and the son of Old Montague himself,
young Romeo.

SERVANT

(seeing them) I pray, sir, can you read?

ROMEO

Mmm a fair assembly.

(to the SERVANT) Whither should they come?

SERVANT

SEQUENCE 2
NARRATOR(S)

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. Rest you
merry.

The Capulets have a daughter, Juliet, two weeks short of her

fourteenth birthday. But, as is the custom they seek to have her
married. The young man they have in mind, Count Paris, will be at
the party. Juliet isnt sure if she will like him.
A SERVANT enters

SERVANT

Madam, the guests are come, supper is served, you called, my

young lady asked for, the Nurse cursed in the pantry, and
everything in extremity. I must hence to wait, I beseech you follow
strait.
LADY CAPULET exits.

ROMEO

What ladys that which doth enrich the hand

Of yonder knight?

HIRED SERVANT

I know not, sir.

(he continues on his way)

ROMEO

O she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

TYBALT

(who has overheard ROMEO)

This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
(he seeks out OLD CAPULET)
Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe

CAPULET

Young Romeo is it?

Tis he, that villain Romeo.

TYBALT
CAPULET

Content thee, gentle coz5, let him alone.

TYBALT
Ill not endure him.
CAPULET

He shall be endured.
Am I the master here, or you? Go to!

NARRATORS(S)

First sight is enough. In a moment, they both recognise the same

feeling.
He kisses her hand
You kiss by th book.

JULIET
NURSE

Madam, your mother craves a word with you.

EXIT JULIET to look for her mother

ROMEO

What is her mother?

NURSE

Her mother is the lady of the house.

ROMEO

A Capulet?

BENVOLIO

Away, be gone.

ROMEO

Ay.
They leave and the party breaks up.

CAPULET

I thank you, honest gentlemen, goodnight.

ENTER JULIET and NURSE

JULIET

Nurse, what is yond gentleman?

NURSE

His name is Romeo. The only son of your great enemy.

JULIET

My only love sprung from my only hate!

Cousin

LADY CAPULET

(from off-stage) Juliet!

NURSE

Come, lets away, the strangers are all gone.

EXIT all

SEQUENCE 3
NARRATORS

So there it is. Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love.

With each other.
Romeo now has three enemies
Juliets family of course
But now, his own family,
And time. He must act quickly.
That night he climbs over the Capulet familys garden wall to try to
find Juliets room.

ROMEO

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east and Juliet is the sun!
JULIET appears at her balcony. She does not see Romeo.

JULIET

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?6

O, be some other name.
Whats in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.

ROMEO

(emerging from his hiding place)

I take thee at thy word.
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

JULIET

I know thy sound

Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?

ROMEO

Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.

JULIET

If any of my kinsmen find thee here, they will murder thee.

ROMEO

My life were better ended by their hate

Than death prorogued7, wanting of thy love.

Wherefore in this context means why. She is asking why the man she loves must be Romeo, a
Montague.
7
postponed

NURSE

(from off-stage) Juliet!

JULIET exits

ROMEO

O blessed, blessed night. I am afeard

Being in night, all this is but a dream.
JULIET returns.

JULIET

Dear Romeo,
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow.

ROMEO

By the hour of nine.

JULIET

I will not fail.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be tomorrow.
She exits.

ROMEO

Hence will I to Friar Lawrences close cell,

His help to crave and my dear hap8 to tell.

SEQUENCE 4

NARRATOR(S)

Romeo is in luck; Friar Lawrence is the one person in Verona

who thinks a marriage between Romeo and Juliet may put an end
to the war between the Montagues and the Capulets. Juliets
Nurse is told that they can be married that afternoon.
Romeo is still a Montague, but he is also now a Capulet
something only four people knew. It is a situation new to Romeo,
as he discovers on his way home through the streets that evening
There, Romeos friend Mercutio, from the Princes court, is
walking with Romeos other friend, Benvolio, Suddenly the fiery
Capulet, Tybalt, approaches.
ENTER, with others, BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO in
discussion. And then TYBALT with others.

BENVOLIO

By my head, here come the Capulets.

MERCUTIO

By my heel, I care not.

TYBALT

Gentlemen, good een: a word with one of you.

MERCUTIO

And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something;

fortune

make it a word and a blow.

TYBALT

You shall find me apt enough to that, sir.

BENVOLIO

All eyes gaze on us.

ENTER ROMEO

TYBALT

Well, here comes my man.

MERCUTIO

But Ill be hanged sir, if he wear your livery.

TYBALT

Romeo! The love I bear thee can afford

No better term than this: thou art a villain.

ROMEO

Tybalt, villain am I none.

Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.

TYBALT

Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries

That thou hast done me.
TYBALT draws his sword

ROMEO

I love thee better than thou canst devise.

MERCUTIO

(thinking Romeo is a coward)

O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
(He draws his sword)
Tybalt!

TYBALT

I am for you.
They fight.

ROMEO

Hold Tybalt! Good Mercutio

BENVOLIO

What, art thou hurt?

MERCUTIO

(to ROMEO) Why the devl came you between us?

I was hurt under your arm.

ROMEO

I thought all for the best.

MERCUTIO

Help me into some house, Benvolio,

Or I shall faint. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a
grave man. A plague o both your houses!
A plague o both your houses!
BENVOLIO helps him off.

ROMEO

My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt

In my behalf 8

BENVOLIO

Enter BENVOLIO
O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead.
Enter TYBALT with sword drawn.
Here comes the furious Tybalt back again!

ROMEO

Again, in triumph, and Mercutio slain?

TYBALT

Thou, wretched boy, shalt with him hence.

ROMEO

(drawing his sword) This shall determine that.

They FIGHT and TYBALT is killed.

BENVOLIO

Romeo, away, be gone!

Why dost thou stay?

ROMEO

O, I am fortunes fool.
He runs away.

NARRATORS

Romeo has killed Tybalt, but Tybalt has killed Mercutio, the
Princes man. What will the Princes verdict be?
THE PRINCE enters

PRINCE

Exile! Let Romeo hence in haste,

Else, when he is found, that hour is his last.

NARRATORS

The Nurse tells Juliet all that has happened and Friar Lawrence
tells Romeo that he is to be banished from Verona. But, between
them, they arrange for Romeo and Juliet to spend their wedding
night together.
ENTER OLD CAPULET, LADY CAPULET and COUNT
PARIS
Juliets parents, though, have other plans for their daughter,
thinking, of course, she is still unmarried.

OLD CAPULET

PARIS
OLD CAPULET

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender

Of my childs love:
Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed
Acquaint her here of my son Paris love
But soft, what day is this?
Monday, my lord.
A Thursday let it be a Thursday, tell her,
She shall be married to this noble earl.
Will you be ready? Do you like this haste?
9

PARIS

My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.

OLD CAPULET

(to his wife) Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed.

Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day.
Farewell, my lord. A Thursday be it then.
THEY EXIT

NARRATORS

But this wedding night Juliet is with her Romeo and neither wants
it to end.
ENTER JULIET and ROMEO

JULIET

Wilt thou be gone?

Yond light is not daylight, I know it, I.
Thou needst not be gone.

ROMEO

I have more care to stay than will to go.

Lets talk. It is not day.

JULIET

It is, it is.
O, now be gone, more light and light it grows.

ROMEO

More light and light: more dark and dark our woes.
ENTER NURSE

NURSE

Madam! Your lady mother is coming to your chamber.

She exits.

ROMEO

Farewell, farewell. One kiss and Ill descend.

They kiss

JULIET

O, thinkst thou we shall ever meet again?

ROMEO

I doubt it not.
He exits.
ENTER LADY CAPULET

NARRATOR

So, as Romeo makes his way to exile twenty miles away in

Mantua, Juliet learns what her parents want her to do. Her
response is clear.

JULIET

I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam,

I will not marry yet.

LADY CAPULET

(shocked) Here comes your father, tell him so yourself.

ENTER OLD CAPULET

10

CAPULET

I tell thee what: get thee to church a Thursday,

Or never after look me in the face.
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me!
He exits and his wife follows him.

NARRATOR

Only Nurse is left to offer her comfort.

NURSE

I think it best you married with Count Paris.

O, hes a lovely gentleman!

JULIET

Well, thou hast comforted me marvellous much.

Ill to Friar Lawrence to know his remedy;
If all else fail, myself have power to die.
Exits

NARRATOR

Juliet rushes to see Friar Lawrence.

COUNT PARIS and FRIAR LAWRENCE enter.
Count Paris has also been to see him about Thursdays wedding.

PARIS

Happily met, my lady and my wife.

JULIET

That may be, sir, when I may be a wife.

PARIS

That may be, must be, love, on Thursday next.

JULIET

What must be, shall be.9

Well, thats a certain text.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
PARIS

Come you to make confession to this father?

JULIET

To answer that, I should confess to you.

PARIS

Do not deny to him that you love me.

JULIET

I will confess to you that I love him.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

My lord, we must entreat the time alone.

PARIS

Adieu.
He leaves.

JULIET

Oh, come weep with me, past hope, past cure, past help!

NARRATORS

Juliet confesses to Friar Lawrence - that she is in utter despair,

that she would rather throw herself from a rooftop or be chained
up with wild bears than live without Romeo.
Father Lawrence has a solution.

A well-known saying.

11

The night before the wedding, she is to drink the potion he gives
her. This will make her appear to be dead just long enough for her
to be placed in the family tomb and for him to write to Romeo.
When she wakes Romeo will be there and will take her off to
Mantua.
Juliet returns home in a happier mood.
JULIET is met by OLD CAPULET, LADY CAPULET and
NURSE
OLD CAPULET

How now my headstrong! Where have you been gadding?

JULIET

Where I have learnt me to repent the sin

Of disobedient opposition
And beg your Pardon, I beseech you.

OLD CAPULET

Send for Count Paris, go tell him of this.

Ill have this knot knit up tomorrow morning.
Go, Nurse, go with her. Well to church tomorrow.

JULIET

(realising that she must take the Friars medicine that night)
So please you, let me now be left alone,
And let the nurse this night sit up with you;
For, I am sure, you have your hands full
In this so sudden business.

LADY CAPULET

Good night.
Get thee to bed, and rest, for thou hast need.
OLD CAPULET, LADY CAPULET and NURSE leave.

JULIET

What if this mixture do not work at all?

Shall I be married then tomorrow morning?
No, no.
Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee.
She drinks and collapses as if dead.

NARRATORS

The Capulets work all night on the preparations for the wedding
and, in the morning, the Nurse is sent to wake Juliet.
ENTER NURSE

NURSE

Mistress! Mistress! Juliet!

Why, you slug-a-bed! How sound she is asleep!
I must needs wake you. Lady! Lady! Lady!
Alas, alas! Help, help! My ladys dead!
ENTER OLD CAPULET & LADY CAPULET

12

LADY CAPULET

Dead?

OLD CAPULET

Ha! Let me see her. Out alas. Shes cold.

ENTER FRIAR LAWRENCE, PARIS and others.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

Come, is the bride ready to go to church?

CAPULET

Ready to go, but never to return.

SEQUENCE 5
NARRATORS

Even though the marriage has been brought forward the Friar
believes his plan will still work Romeo will know that Juliet
isnt really dead from the letter hes sent him. And he can look
after Juliet until Romeo has time to get back from Mantua.
What Friar Lawrence doesnt know, was that his messenger, Friar
John, hasnt delivered the letter to Romeo because hes been shut
up in a house suspected of the plague.

FRIAR JOHN

But I must bear this letter to Mantua!

SEARCHER

What?! And post them the plague?!

NARRATOR(S)

So Romeo never learns about Juliet pretending to be dead. He

hears instead that Juliet is dead. His servant, Balthasar, has ridden
to Mantua to tell him the bad news.
ENTER ROMEO and BALTHASAR

ROMEO

News from Verona! How, now Balthasar,

Doth thou not bring me letters from the Friar?
How doth my Juliet?

BALTHASAR

O pardon me for bringing these ill news.

Her body sleeps in Capels monument,
And her immortal part with angels lives.

ROMEO

Is it een so? Then I defy you, stars!

I will hence tonight.
Hast thou no letters for me from the Friar?

BALTHAZAR

No my good lord.

ROMEO

No matter. Get thee gone.

Hire post horses. Ill be with thee straight.
EXIT BALTHASAR

13

NARRATORS

Romeo has one thing left to do. He seeks out a poor apothecary
and, though it is against the law, persuades him to sell him some
poison
To Romeo it isnt poison. It is medicine.

ROMEO

Come cordial, and not poison, go with me

To Juliets grave, for there must I use thee.
EXIT ROMEO

SEQUENCE 6
NARRATORS

When Friar John is released from the plague-house he finds Friar

Lawrence.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

The letter was not nice10 but full of charge11,

And the neglecting of it may do much danger.
Friar John, go hence.
Get me an iron crow and bring it straight
Unto my cell.
FRIAR JOHN hurries off.
Now must I to the monument alone.
Within this three hours will fair Juliet awake.
I will write again to Mantua,
And keep her at my cell till Romeo come.
Poor living corse, closed in a dead mans tomb.
EXIT FRIAR LAWRENCE

SEQUENCE 7
The Capulet Vault.
NARRATOR

The vault in the graveyard where all the Capulets who had died
were laid to rest is a dark and scary space and kept locked. But
today many people are drawn to it. First, is Count Paris.
ENTER PARIS and his PAGE.

PARIS

Whistle to me boy.
As signal that thou hearst something approach.
Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.
THE PAGE scurries off to act as look-out.
PARIS enters the vault.

10
11

trivial
important

14

Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.

There is a whistle from THE PAGE.
The boy gives warning, something doth approach.
ENTER ROMEO and BALTHASAR
ROMEO

Give me the wrenching iron.

Hold, take this letter.
See thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Give me the light. Now, hence, be gone.

BALTHASAR

I will be gone, sir.

PARIS

This is that banished haughty Montague

That murdered my loves cousin
And here is come to do some villainous shame
To the dead bodies.
(arresting ROMEO)
Obey, and go with me, for thou must die.

ROMEO

I must indeed.

PARIS

I apprehend thee for a felon here.

ROMEO

Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee boy!

They fight.

PAGE

O Lord, they fight! I will go call the Watch.

EXIT PAGE. ROMEO slays PARIS.

PARIS

O, I am slain! If thou be merciful

Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.
PARIS dies.

ROMEO

In faith I will. Let me peruse this face.

Mercutios kinsman, noble Count Paris!
O, give me thy hand.
Death lie thou there.
Ah, dear Juliet, here I still will stay with thee.
Heres to my love (he drinks) O true apothecary,
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
He dies.
FRIAR LAWRENCE enters the graveyard,

FRIAR LAWRENCE

Saint Francis be my speed.

BALTHASAR steps out of the shadows.
Whos there?
15

BALTHASAR

A friend.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

Tell me, good my friend,

What torch is yond?

BALTHASAR

(pointing into the vault)

Theres my master, one that you love.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

Who is it?

BALTHASAR

Romeo.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

Romeo!
Romeo! O, pale. Who else? What, Paris too?
And steeped in blood?
The lady stirs
JULIET wakes and sits up.

JULIET

O comfortable friar! Where is my lord?

I do remember well where I should be,
And there I am. Where is my Romeo?

PAGE

(off-stage) This way, sirs.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

I hear some noise. Lady, come from that nest

Of Death. Come, come away.
Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead
Stay not to question, for the watch is coming.

JULIET

Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.

FRIAR LAWRENCE rushes away.
Whats here? A cup, closed in my true loves hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.
O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips.
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them.
(she kisses him)
Thy lips are warm.

WATCHMAN

(off-stage) Lead, boy: which way?

JULIET

Yea, noise? Then Ill be brief. O happy dagger!

This is thy sheath. (she stabs herself) There rust, and let me die.
She falls on Romeos body and dies.
ENTER PAGE and WATCHMAN with others.

PAGE

This is the place, sir, (pointing to the tomb)

THE WATCHMAN enters and takes in the scene.
16

WATCHMAN 1

Go tell the Prince. Run to the Capulets.

Raise up the Montagues. Some others search.
ENTER MORE WATCHMEN with BALTHASAR

WATCHMAN 2

Heres Romeos man. We found him in the churchyard.

WATCHMAN 1

Hold him in safety till the Prince come hither.

ENTER OTHER WATCHMEN with FRIAR LAWRENCE

WATCHMAN 3

Here is a friar that trembles, sighs and weeps. We took him

coming from this churchyards side.

WATCHMAN 1

A great suspicion. Stay the friar too.

ENTER THE PRINCE, OLD CAPULET, LADY CAPULET,
MONTAGUE and servants attending all. They reach the bodies

PRINCE

(pointing to the FRIAR) Say at once what thou dost know in this.
Wheres Romeos man? What can he say to this?
FRIAR LAWRENCE and BALTHASAR come forward and turn
upstage as if to address everyone else on stage.

NARRATOR

And so Friar Lawrence and Balthasar explain what they know and
what you have seen. And Old Montague reports how his wife has
suffered a heart attack on hearing of her son Romeos death.
THE PAGE comes forward to speak to the crowd and
BALTHASAR gives Romeos letter to the PRINCE
Pariss page tells of his masters presence in the tomb and the
Prince reads Romeos letter to his father.

PRINCE

This letter doth make good the Friars word.

Where be these enemies? Capulet, Montague
See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.
All are punished.

CAPULET

O brother, Montague, give me thy hand.

They shake hands
This is my daughters jointure, for no more
Can I demand.

MONTAGUE

But I can give thee more

For I will raise her statue in pure gold
That whiles Verona by that name is known
There shall no figure at such rate be set
As that of true and faithful Juliet.12

12

Montague will build a statue in Juliets honour that will not be rivalled.

17

CAPULET

As rich shall Romeos by his ladys lie,

Poor sacrifices of our enmity.

PRINCE

Go hence to have more talk of these sad things.

Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
THE END

18