ROMEO and JULIET

Act 2, Scene 2
Romeo stands below Juliet’s balcony, marveling at her beauty. Not knowing he’s there, Juliet
speaks, wondering why Romeo must be a Montague, and she a Capulet. She thinks a name is
simply a word, and it would be easy for Romeo to take a new name, and therefore not be
forbidden to her. Romeo reveals himself, agreeing to forsake the name Romeo if he can have
her love. Juliet warns him that, as a Montague, he’ll be killed if he’s spotted with her, but
Romeo doesn’t care. After much discussion, the two swear their love for each other and agree
to be married.

Romeo
Mercutio’s mocking my love and he’s never been in love himself.

[Romeo sees a light coming form an upstairs bedroom]

Wait. What’s that light coming from the window over there? It’s like the east, with Juliet as the
morning sun! Rise, Juliet, beautiful sun, and kill the jealous moon who’s already fading and sad
because you are far more beautiful than she is. Don’t swear off men like the virgin moon
goddess Diana—the moon envies you anyway. Her virginal appearance is weak and pale and
only fools want to emulate it. Get rid of it.

[Juliet appears above at a window]

It’s my lady! Oh, it’s my love. Oh, if only she knew I love her. She’s talking but I can’t hear
anything. What does it matter?

Her expression means something and I can answer that. No, I’m being too forward. She’s not
talking to me. Oh, if two of the most beautiful stars had to leave heaven on important business,
they’d ask her eyes to do the twinkling for them while they were gone! What if her eyes took
their places in the sky and those stars became her eyes? Her beautiful face would outshine
those stars in her head like daylight outshines lamps, while her eyes in the sky would be so
bright at nighttime that birds would be convinced it was day. Look at how she leans her cheek
on her hand. I wish I were a glove on her hand so I could touch her cheek!

Juliet
Oh my.

Romeo
She’s speaking. Oh speak again, bright angel. After all, you look as glorious above me as an
angel in heaven sailing through the lazy clouds would look to mortals gazing up in wonder.

Juliet
O Romeo, Romeo! Why are you named Romeo? Disown your family and refuse your name. Or,
if you will not, then swear that you love me and I’ll stop being a Capulet.

Romeo
[Aside] Shall I wait for her to say more, or shall I answer her now?

Juliet
It’s only your name which is my enemy. You are who you are, even if you weren’t a Montague.
What is a Montague? It’s not a hand, nor a foot, nor an arm, nor a face, nor any other concrete
part of the body. Oh, be some other name! What’s in a name? A rose would smell just as sweet
if we called it by any other name. Romeo, if he had a different name besides “Romeo,” would
be just as perfect as he is with that name now. Romeo, take off your name, and in exchange for
that superficial part of you, take all of me.

Romeo
I’ll take you at your word. Just call me love, and I’ll re-baptize myself with a different name.
From now on I won’t be Romeo.
Juliet
Who is this man who’s hiding in the night and overhearing my private thoughts?

Romeo
I don’t know how to tell you who I am by using my name. My name, my dear saint, is now
awful to me, since it’s your enemy. If I had my name written down somewhere, I’d tear up that
paper.

Juliet
I haven’t even heard that tongue speak a hundred words, but I recognize the voice. Aren’t you
Romeo, and a Montague?

Romeo
Neither, beautiful saint, if either one displeases you.

Juliet
How did you come here, and why? Tell me. The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and if
you’re found here by any one of my family you would be killed, considering who you are.

Romeo
I flew over these walls with Cupid’s light wings, for stone barriers cannot keep love out. Love
will dare to attempt to do whatever it can do. Therefore, your kinsmen are no obstacle to me.

Juliet
If they do see you here, they’ll murder you.

Romeo
What, there’s more risk in your eyes than in twenty of their swords. If you would just look
lovingly at me, it would be enough protection from their hatred.

Juliet
I wouldn’t have them see you here for the whole world.

Romeo
I have the dark cloak of the night to hide me from their sight. And unless you will love me back,
let them find me here. It’s better that my life be ended by their hatred than prolonged without
your love.

Juliet
Who gave you directions to my house?

Romeo
Love prompted me to ask where you live. He gave me directions, and I lent him my eyes to find
where you live. I’m no ship’s navigator, but I would make the most venturesome voyage to the
most distant shore for such a valuable treasure as you.

Juliet
You know my face is masked by the darkness, otherwise you’d see a young girl’s blush on my
cheeks for everything you heard me say tonight. I wish I could have thought about the way I
said it. I wish I could deny what I said. But oh well, goodbye formality! Do you love me? I know
you’ll say yes and I’ll believe you. But if you swear it, I worry that you might be lying. As they
say, “Jove laughs at lovers’ betrayals.” Oh, gentle Romeo, if you do love me, tell me with good
faith. Or, if you think I’ve been won over to quickly, I can pout and play hard to get so that you’ll
have to woo me. But if you don’t think that I’m too hasty to fall in love, I would not refuse you
for the world.
In truth, dear Montague, I’m too much in love. And so I suppose you might think I’m behaving
improperly. But trust me, I’ll prove to be a truer lover than those with more cleverness to play
games. I should have made you try more, I must confess, but then you overheard my true
passionate feelings of love before I knew you were there. So please pardon me for my boldness,
and don’t think I’m taking this lightly in the dark night.

Romeo
Dear lady, I swear by the blessed moon that gives a silver glow to these orchard tree tops--

Juliet
Don’t swear by the changing moon that varies during its monthly orbit--you might prove just as
variable.

Romeo
What should I swear by?

Juliet
Don’t swear at all. Or if you want to swear, swear by yourself, the idol I worship, and then I’ll
believe you.

Romeo
If my beloved--

Juliet
Wait, don’t swear. Although I’m so happy with you, I can’t be happy about making a
commitment tonight. It’s too rash, too sudden. We haven’t thought it through. It seems too
much like lightning that disappears before anyone can even say “Look, light.” Sweetheart,
goodnight! This promise of love might bloom when we next meet like a bud matured into a
flower under the heat of summer. Good night, good night! May you be as content and glad at
heart as I am!

Romeo
Oh, are you going to leave me so unsatisfied?

Juliet
What kind of satisfaction can you expect tonight?

Romeo
The exchange of our vows of love.

Juliet
I’ve already given you my vow of love before you asked for it, and yet I wish I could give it again
for the first time.

Romeo
You’d take it back? For what purpose, my love?

Juliet
Just to be generous and give it to you again. And yet I already have the only thing I want. My
desire to give to you is as big as the sea, and my love is as deep. The more I give to you, the
more I have, for both my love and the sea are infinite.

[Nurse calls from offstage]

I hear someone calling me inside. Good-bye, my love. [To Nurse] I’m coming, dear Nurse. [To
Romeo] Stay just a little while--I’ll come back.
Romeo
Oh, blessed, blessed night! I’m afraid, since it’s night, that this is just a dream, too wonderful to
be real.

Juliet
Just a brief word, dear Romeo, and then good night indeed. If your intentions are honorable,
and you’d like to marry me, send me a message tomorrow night about where and what time
you’d like to meet me. I’ll send a messenger. I’ll leave my future at your feet and follow you
throughout the world, my lord.

Nurse
[Within] Madam!

Juliet
I’m coming. [To Romeo] But if you’re not serious, then I beg you …

Nurse
[Within] Madam!

Juliet
I’m on my way--just a minute. [To Romeo] ...to quit pursuing me and leave me to my grief. I’ll
send someone to you tomorrow.

Romeo
That’s the way my soul will prosper.

Juliet
A thousand times good night!

Romeo
I’m a thousand time worse off without the light you give.

A lover goes towards his love like a schoolboy runs away from his books, but a lover leaves his
love like a schooboy trudges to school again.

Juliet
Psst! Romeo, psst! If only I could call Romeo like a skilled falconer calls his bird to return. But
being bound by my family’s attitude toward the Montagues, I’m stuck using a hoarse whisper.
Otherwise, I would make Romeo’s name echo off the mountains and make the goddess Echo
herself hoarse from repeating “Romeo” so much.

Romeo
Your voice seems to come from my very soul. By night, sweet lovers’ voices are like the softest
music!

Juliet
Romeo!

Romeo
My dear?

Juliet
What time tomorrow should I send a messenger to you?
Romeo
At the hour of nine.

Juliet
I won’t fail. It feels like twenty years until then. I forgot why I called you back.

Romeo
I’ll happily stand here until you remember.

Juliet
I shall forget what I was thinking so that you’ll have to stay here, and I’ll remember only how
much I love your company.

Romeo
And I’ll stay forever, having you forget forever, forgetting any other home but this.

Juliet
It’s almost morning and I want you to go. Oh but I don’t want you to go further than a little hop
from my hand before you’re pulled back, like the bird of a spoiled child who keeps the thing like
a poor prisoner, out of jealousy for its freedom.

Romeo
I wish I were your bird.

Juliet
Dear, so do I. But I would kill you with too much affection. Good night, good night! Parting is
such a sweet sadness that I would willingly say goodbye over and over until the next morning.

Romeo
May sleep be in your eyes, and peace in your heart. If only I could be sleep and peace to rest
there. I’ll go to the cell of my priest, ask his help and tell him about my good fortune.
 Romeo and Juliet
Act 4,
Scene 3
Deciding that it’s now or never, Juliet sends the nurse away and takes the potion, knowing how
terrifying it will be to wake up in her family’s tomb. If the mixture doesn’t work, she has a plan
B: her dagger. She’s also worried that the potion might actually be poison, but decides to trust
Friar Lawrence. She drinks the potion and falls upon her bed.

Modern English
Juliet
Yes, those clothes would be best. But my gentle nurse, please, leave me by myself tonight. I
have many prayers to make in order to get heaven to smile on my coming marriage, for as you
well know I’ve been contrary and sinful.

Lady Capulet
Hey, are you busy now? Do you need my help?

Juliet
No, Mother, we’ve collected the clothes I’ll need for the wedding tomorrow.

Juliet
If it’s okay with you, I’d prefer to be left alone tonight and let the nurse stay with you, for I’m
sure you’ve got your hands full with this business and could use some extra help.

Lady Capulet
Good night. Get to bed, and sleep--you’ll need rest.

Juliet
Farewell! God knows when we’ll meet again. I feel a thrill of fear in my veins that almost seems
like it could freeze up my life’s warmth.

Maybe I’ll call them back to comfort me. Oh but why should the nurse be here? I must go
through this grim process alone. Potion, let’s do this. But what if this mixture doesn’t work at
all? Will I have to be married tomorrow morning? No, no. This knife will prevent that in case the
potion fails. Lie there.

[Laying down her dagger]

What if it’s real poison, which the friar made to kill me so he wouldn’t be dishonored by this
false marriage, knowing he married me to Romeo already? I’m afraid that’s what it is. And yet,
still, I can’t believe that, because he’s proved himself to be a true holy man.

What if, after I’m laid to rest in the tomb, I wake up before Romeo comes to save me? That’s a
fearful thought. Wouldn’t I be suffocated in the vault with the foul air and die before my Romeo
arrives? Or, if I live through that, isn’t it likely that the terrors of death and night, combined
with the creepiness of the place, will distress me? I’ll be in the ancient vault where for hundreds
of years my ancestors have been buried.

I will be packed with their bones, Tybalt will be there newly dead and festering in his shroud,
and they say foul spirits gather below the shrouds of the dead sometimes. Oh no, isn’t it most
likely that if I wake up too early I’ll be faced with loathsome smells and shrieks of dead souls
like magical beings whose cries make people go mad. Oh, won’t I be terribly distraught and
surrounded by hideous frightful things? Will I go insane and play with my ancestor’s dead
joints? Will I rip Tybalt’s mangled body from his shroud? What if I pick up a bone from some
great ancestor in a mad rage and dash out my own brains?

Oh, look! I think I see my cousin’s ghost hunting Romeo, who ran him through with a rapier.
Stop, Tybalt, stop! Romeo, I’m coming! I drink this to you.
 Romeo and Juliet
Act 5,
Scene 3
A mourning Paris visits Juliet’s tomb. Romeo arrives, and the two begin a duel outside the vault,
which ends in Paris’s death. When Romeo enters the tomb, he sees Juliet in a corpse-like state
and launches into a long, sad speech, kisses her, and drinks his poison. Friar Lawrence enters,
just a moment too late, and sees Romeo’s corpse lying beside not-dead Juliet. She wakes up,
and Friar Lawrence attempts to convince her to flee the scene. But she won’t leave Romeo. She
grabs the vial of poison, but there’s none left. Instead, she reaches for her dagger and then
stabs herself. She dies by Romeo’s side. Not long after, the Prince, the Montagues, the
Capulets, and several others arrive, horrified to see what has become of Romeo and Juliet. The
Friar tells them the whole story. The Prince points out to the Montagues and the Capulets that
this tragedy stemmed from their feud, and the two families agree to end their ancient grudge.

Modern English
Paris
Give me your torch, boy. Go stand away from me. No, put out the torch. I’d rather not been
seen. Lie there under those yew trees with your ears close to the ground. That way you’ll hear if
anyone comes into the churchyard or tries to dig up a grave. If you hear someone, signal me by
whistling. Give me those flowers. Do as I asked you to. Go.

Page
I’m almost afraid to wait here in the churchyard, but I’ll try to be brave.

Paris
Juliet, sweet flower, I’ll spread flowers on your bridal bed. Oh woe! Your bed’s canopy is made
of dust and stones. I’ll sprinkle it with perfume every night, or in lieu of scent, I’ll sprinkle it
with my own tears distilled from my sadness. I’ll keep an observance for you every night,
sprinkling your grave with perfume and weeping here.

[The Page whistles]

The boy gave the signal that something’s coming. Who could possibly be wandering here
tonight, interfering with the rituals of my true love? Oh, they’ve got a torch! Night, hide me for
awhile.

Romeo
Give me the ax and the crowbar. Hang on, take this letter. Make sure you deliver it to my father
early in the morning. Give me the torch. On my life, I order you to stay here. Don’t follow me no
matter what your hear or see. Don’t interrupt me in my business. I’m going into this tomb
partly to see her face, but mostly because I have to take a precious ring that I need for a very
costly business. So get out of here, go away.

If you come back to pry into what I’m doing, I swear by heaven that I’ll rip you apart and spread
your limbs around this churchyard. This is a desperate time and I’m a desperate man, and these
things make me more savage, fiercer, and harder to stop than a tiger or a stormy sea. Both of
those will roar but not do anything.

Balthasar
I’ll go and not bother you, sir.

Romeo
In doing so you’re being a good friend. Take this. Live on and be prosperous. And farewell,
good fellow.

Balthasar
[Aside] All the same, I’ll hide here. I’m afraid for him and I doubt he’ll do what he threatened.
Romeo
You, entrance to the tomb, are like the hated mouth of an animal. You’ve eaten the sweetest
thing in the world, my Juliet, and she’s made you sick with her sweetness. Now I’m going to
force your rotten jaws open to cram your mouth full with another victim.

Paris
Why that’s the exiled Montague, who murdered my love’s cousin. Everyone supposes that the
murder caused her to die of grief. And here he comes to desecrate the dead bodies! I’ll
apprehend him. Stop this unholy work, you vile Montague! Are you trying to get vengeance on
these people beyond death? Damned villain, I will arrest you. Obey and go with me, for you
must die.

Romeo
I must indeed, and that’s what I came here for. Gentle young man, don’t tempt someone as
desperate as me to violence.

Get out of here and leave me. Let your fear of these dead bodies spur you to go. I beg you,
young man, don’t make me commit more sins by provoking me to fight you. Oh, go away! I
swear to heaven, I have more love for you than for myself. After all, I came here intending to
hurt myself. Don’t stay here, go away, live, and tell people later that a merciful madman urged
you to run away.

Paris
I challenge your disgusting behaviour, and I’m arresting you as a criminal here.

Romeo
You’re going to provoke me? Well then have at it, boy!

Page
Oh Lord, they’re fighting! I’ll go call the night’s watch.

Paris
Oh, I’ve been killed! If you are truly merciful, open up the tomb and lay me down beside Juliet.

Romeo
Indeed I will. Let me look at this face. It’s Mercutio’s cousin, Count Paris! What did my servant
say, when my mind was too troubled to pay attention as we were riding here? I think he told
me Paris was supposed to marry Juliet. Didn’t he say that? Or did I dream it?

Or have I gone mad, hearing him talking about Juliet, and that’s why I think that’s true? Oh give
me your hand. You, like me, seem to be written down on fate’s list of the unlucky! I’ll bury you
in a glorious grave. A grave? Oh no! I’ll bury you where there is light, poor slaughtered youth.
For here lies Juliet, and her radiant beauty makes this dark crypt full of light. Dead soul, lie
there, buried by one soon to be dead himself. Isn’t it strange how often people are described as
happy when they’re at the point of death? Their caretakers call it lightning before death.

Oh how can I call my own a lightning? Oh my love! My wife! Death, which has taken away your
sweet breath, has not yet taken away your beauty. You haven’t yet been truly conquered, and
Beauty still carries its red coat-of arms in your cheeks and lips like a proud army that has not yet
submitted to Death and its pale flags. Tybalt, are you lying there in your bloody shroud? Oh
what more can I do for you than to kill myself, your enemy, with the very hand that cut off your
youth?

Forgive me, cousin! Ah dear Juliet, why are you still so beautiful? Is invisible death in love with
you? Is that hated monster keeping you in this tomb to be his lover? I’m afraid he might be, so
I’ll stay here with you, and I’ll never leave this palace of dim night again. Here, right here, I’ll
remain with the worms that are your chambermaids now. Oh, here I’ll set up my everlasting
rest, and I’ll shake off the burden of my unlucky fate from my weary body. Eyes, look for the
last time!

Arms, take your last embrace! And lips, with this virtuous kiss seal a contract with death that
has no end or limit! Let’s go, bitter action. Let’s go, guiding hand! Rush on like a pilot driven
mad with sea-sickness, crashing a ship on the rocks. Here’s to my love! [Drinks] Oh you were a
true apothecary! Your drugs work quickly. I’ll die with a kiss.

Friar Laurence
Saint Francis lead me on! How frequently tonight I’ve stumbled over graves! Who’s there?

Balthasar
I’m here, I know you well.

Friar Laurence
Happiness be yours! Tell me, my good friend, what’s that torch over there that casts a light over
the skulls? It seems as though it’s burning from inside the Capulet’s mausoleum.

Balthasar
Yes it is, holy father, and my master’s in there--someone you’re very fond of.

Friar Laurence
Who is it?

Balthasar
Romeo.

Friar Laurence
How long has he been in there?

Balthasar
A whole half an hour.

Friar Laurence
Go with me to the crypt.

Balthasar
I dare not, sir. My master thinks I left him alone, and he threatened to kill me if I watched what
he was doing.

Friar Laurence
Stay, then. I’ll go alone. I’m beginning to be very afraid. Oh I fear some disaster.

Balthasar
I fell asleep under this yew tree here, and I had a dream my master fought another man and
killed him.

Friar Laurence
Romeo! Oh no, oh no, who’s blood is this that’s all over the entrance to the crypt? Why are
there bloody swords without owners lying here in this place of peace?

Romeo! Oh, you are pale! Who else? What, Paris too? And Paris is all bloodied? Ah, what an evil
time made this tragic accident occur! Juliet is waking up.

Juliet
Oh my comforting friar! Where is my husband? I remembered where I was going to wake up,
and here I am. Where is my Romeo?

Friar Laurence
I hear a noise. Lady, come out of this place of death, disease, and unnatural sleep.

Some greater power than we can know has thwarted our plans. Come on, come away. Your
husband next to you lies dead, and Paris is lying here as well. Come on, I’ll hide you in a convent
of holy nuns. Don’t stay here to question me, for the night’s watch is coming. Come on, good
Juliet, let’s go. I don’t dare stay here any longer.

Juliet
Go, get away from here, I won’t move. What’s this? A cup my in my true love’s hand?

I see that poison has been his untimely end. Oh you’re so selfish! You drank it all, and didn’t
leave any to help me follow you? I’ll kiss your lips. Perhaps there’s still some poison that
remains on them which will cure me by killing me. Your lips are warm.

First Watchman
Lead us, boy. Which way did they go?

Juliet
Someone’s coming? Then I’ll be quick. Oh, how lucky to have this dagger!

Let my body be your sheath. Rust there forever, and let me die.

Page
This is the place. There, where the torch is burning.

First Watchman
There’s blood on the ground, search the churchyard. Go, arrest whomever you find. What a
pitiful sight! The count lies here, killed. And Juliet, is warm, bleeding, and must be newly dead,
although she has been buried here for two days. Go, tell the Prince. Run to the Capulets. Go get
the Montagues. We need some others to search.

We can see the ground on which all these tragedies occurred, but without motives or context,
they seem groundless. Without more information, we can’t figure out what really happened.

Second Watchman
Here’s Romeo’s servant. We found him in the churchyard.

First Watchman
Hold him in custody until the Prince gets here.

Third Watchman
Here’s a friar we found trembling, sighing, and weeping. We took this ax and this spade away
from him as he was coming from this side of the churchyard.

First Watchman
Very suspicious. Keep the friar here, too.

Prince
What calamity happened so early that we were forced to get up so soon in the morning?

Capulet
What’s going on that’s making everyone so distraught?
Lady Capulet
Some people in the street cried Romeo’s name, some cried Juliet’s, some cried Paris’, and all of
them were running in the direction of our mausoleum.

Prince
What’s this fearful thing we’ve been hearing?

First Watchman
Your highness, here lies Count Paris, killed, and Romeo, dead. And Juliet, who we thought had
died before, is warm and seems to have been newly killed.

Prince
Search around, seek out the culprits, and find out how these foul murders happened.

First Watchman
There’s a friar here, and Romeo’s dead servant, who had tools with them that could have
opened this tomb.

Capulet
Oh heavens! Oh, wife, look how our daughter is bleeding! This dagger has the Montague crest
on it, and yet it rests in our daughter’s heart!

Lady Capulet
Oh no! This terrible sight of death is like a bell summoning me to my own grave.

Prince
Come forward, Montague, you’ve woken up to see your son brought down.

Montague
Alas, my lord, my wife died tonight. She was overcome with grief after his exile. What further
sorrow threatens me in my old age?

Prince
Look, and you will see.

Montague
Oh you boy! What kind of thanks is this, to go to your grave before your father?

Prince
Quiet your outrage for awhile, until we can clear up the confusion and figure out how all this
started and how it occurred. Then I will be understanding of your grief and lead you to death if
you wish. In the meantime, hold on, and let patience rule over this misfortune. Bring forth the
suspects.

Friar Laurence
I am the most suspected, although I was able to do the least. The timing and the place where I
was found make it seem like I was responsible for this terrible murder. And here I stand ready
for your accusations and punishments, as I have already accused and punished myself.

Prince
Then tell us immediately what you know about this.

Friar Laurence
I will be brief. I fear I may not have long to live, so I won’t tell a tedious story. Romeo, who lies
dead there, was Juliet’s husband, and she was his faithful wife. I married them, and their
wedding day, which was cut so short, was the day Tybalt was killed. That caused Romeo, the
new groom, to flee the city. It was for him, and not for Tybalt, that Juliet was grieving.

You tried to alleviate her grief by forcing her to marry Count Paris. She came to me totally
desperate, asking me for some way to get her out of this second marriage or else she would try
to kill herself right there in my cell. I gave her a sleeping potion, which had the intended effect
of making her seem like she had died. In the meantime, I wrote to Romeo, and told him he
should return on this night to help take her from her borrowed grave, as by that time, the
potion would no longer be in effect.

But the person who carried my letter, Friar John, was held up accidentally and gave that letter
back to me tonight. I came all alone to take her out of her family’s crypt. I was going to watch
over her at my cell until I could get Romeo to come back. But when I got here barely a minute
before Juliet was to wake up, I saw that the noble Paris and the true Romeo were dead. Juliet
woke up, and I begged her to come out of the tomb and handle her grief with patience.

But then a noise startled me out of the tomb, and she, who was in despair, wouldn’t come with
me. It seems she killed herself. That’s all I know, and her nurse knows about their marriage, too.
If any of this turned out so badly because of me, let my old life be sacrificed within this hour
according to the law.

Prince
We have always known you to be a holy man. Where’s Romeo’s servant? What can he add to
this?

Balthasar
I brought Romeo news of Juliet’s death. And then he came right away from Mantua to this
exact place and this exact mausoleum. He told me to give this letter to his father, and he
threatened to kill me if I followed him into the crypt. I didn’t follow him, but I didn’t leave,
either.

Prince
Give me the letter. I will look at it. Where is the count’s page, who called the night’s watch?
You there, what was your master doing here?

Page
He came to put flowers on Juliet’s grave, and told me not to approach, so I didn’t.

Someone came soon after with a light, intending to open the time, and then my master drew
his sword to fight him. That’s when I ran away to call the watch.

Prince
This letter reinforces the friar’s story, and tells of the course of their love and that he had
received the news of her death. And here he writes that he bought posion from an
impoverished apothecary, and brought it with him to this crypt to die and lie beside Juliet.
Where are those enemies? Lord Capulet! Lord Montague! Look what a terrible punishment has
come from your shared hate, that Heaven found a way to kill your children with love. And for
not dealing with your feud I, too, have lost two family members. Everyone has been punished.

Capulet
Oh brother Montague, give me your hand. This gesture of reconciliation all I can ask of you.

Montague
But I can give you more. I’ll erect a statue for her from pure gold, and as long as Verona exists
there will be no figure more admired than true and faithful Juliet.

Capulet
I’ll make one of equal richness for Romeo, to place beside his lady’s. Oh these poor children
sacrificed to our hatred!
Prince
This is a sad peace that the morning has brought. Indeed, even the sun won’t show his face
today. Let’s go from here to talk more about these tragic events. Some people will be
pardoned, others punished. For their was never a sadder story than this one of Juliet and
Romeo.