romeo and juliet monologue assignment

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Juliet Monologue (Act 3, Scene 2)

Arguably Juliet’s most famous monologue from Romeo And Juliet, this short excerpt is a classic audition piece for actors everywhere. Juliet implores the gods and nature itself to bring in nightfall so that she might see her beloved Romeo … and consummate their marriage. The speech almost reads like an incantation—a spell cast to end the day as quickly as possible so that she might see her new husband!

Updated 17th January, 2022.

Finding Juliet’s desire and frustration is key to playing this monologue; in the larger context of the piece, it also shines in contrast to the tragedy surrounding it: death and misfortune is already besieging the star cross’d lovers’ happiness and future.

After two acts of comedy and romance, Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet is where things truly escalate in terms of plot and tragedy. At the top of Scene 1, the Montagues and Capulets clash once more. This time, however, Romeo refuses to fight: after his secret marriage to Juliet, he now regards once-rival Tybalt to be his kinsman, and does not wish to cause further tension between the houses.

Knowing that Romeo will not engage with Tybalt, his best friend Mercutio steps in to defend his honour. A fight breaks out and, despite Romeo’s best efforts to keep the peace, Mercutio is slain. He curses the families’ feuding with his dying breath “A plague o’ both your houses!” Romeo, enraged, murders Tybalt in revenge.

Romeo flees, knowing the weight of his actions, crying “O, I am fortune’s fool.” The scene ends with the Prince declaring Romeo banished from Verona. If he is discovered in the city from the following day, he shall be put to death.

The tragic irony in this moment is that Juliet is the only person who is yet to hear this news, and we witness her alone in her bedroom dealing with all her nerves and excitement about spending her first night alone with Romeo since their marriage. The text of this speech captures her excitement about the night ahead of them.

Original Text

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Toward Phoebus’ lodging. Such a wagoner As Phaeton would whip you to the west And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, That runaways’ eyes may wink, and Romeo Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen. Lovers can see to do their amorous rites By their own beauties, or, if love be blind, It best agrees with night. Come, civil night, Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, And learn me how to lose a winning match Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods. Hood my unmanned blood bating in my cheeks, With thy black mantle, till strange love, grow bold, Think true love acted simple modesty. Come, night. Come, Romeo. Come, thou day in night, For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Whiter than new snow upon a raven’s back. Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-browed night, Give me my Romeo. And when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun. Oh, I have bought the mansion of a love, But not possessed it, and though I am sold, Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day As is the night before some festival To an impatient child that hath new robes And may not wear them.

Unfamiliar Language

There are a few unfamiliar words in this speech; as always, spend plenty of time researching any word you do not know. This is especially true of a piece for a drama school audition, as any hesitancy on a word’s meaning can cost you a call-back!

Apace: Quickly, swiftly.

Amorous:  Loving, sexually desirable.

Phoebus:  Greco/Roman deity, a poetic term for the sun.

Phaeton:  The son of Sun God Phoebus who, in a creation myth popularised by Roman poet Ovid (a favourite of Shakespeare’s), rode his father’s chariot quickly—before crashing it into the earth and burning everyone and everything to a crisp.

Amorous:  loving, concerning love or romance.

Sober-suited : Referring to the all-black dress of a person in mourning.

Maidenhood: Virginity.

Hood:  Conceal, mask, disguise within darkness.

Bating:  Beating, like the wings of a falcon. Juliet’s blood is pumping!

Unmanned:  Uncontrollable.

Garish: Bright, unsightly, over-the-top.

Modern Translation

Come on, sun! I wish you’d set right now, so that night would be here. In cover of darkness, where acts of love can be performed, My Romeo can leap into my arms and nobody will be the wiser. Beauty helps lovers see how to make love in the darkness. And if love truly is blind, then what better conditions for matters of love?

Come on, night! I wish you’d arrive, all in black like a woman in mourning, So that I might give up my virginity. Cover my blushing cheeks, So that I might learn the strange act of sex Until I seem confident, and it seems simple and true.

Come, on Romeo! Come on, nightfall! Give me my Romeo, and when I die, turn him into constellations in the sky: Because he shall make the heavens look so beautiful, That the whole world might fall in love with him as I have.

I have bought a mansion of love, but I’m yet to move in. And while I am promised and sold to Romeo, he is yet to take me as his and enjoy me! This day drags on, and makes me feel like I am a child the night before a festival. I have beautiful new clothes, and yet cannot wear them.

Notes On Interpretation

There are few monologues in Shakespeare that feel quite so human as this offering from Juliet. Her musings on topics such as love and sex sound like the thoughts of any curious, love-struck adolescent. What makes it such a stunning piece of writing, however, is the way it uses subtext and imagery to hint at further tragedies in the play. And while these may or may not play into your performance of the monologue, it is certainly worth knowing to deepen your understanding of the piece.

As we touched upon in the Unfamiliar Language section above, Phaeton is an odd choice for one that would bring about nightfall. Yes, he might get the job done quickly. But he also destroyed the world in the process. Phaeton is not just a symbol of the sun, or of nightfall, but of youthful recklessness. His destructive actions can be likened to that of Romeo’s in the previous scene—his impulsive slaying of Tybalt. Of course, this point is lost on Juliet. She is far too caught up thinking about what happens  when  night arrives. From hereon in, the scene becomes a battle between her excitement and her nerves as she ponders the mysteries of the act of sex.

Note yet another reference to death and destruction with “thou sober-suited matron, all in black” . This line foreshadows her own mourning for Tybalt, as well as perhaps that of her own death at the play’s conclusion. Shakespeare inextricably links Juliet’s thoughts on her union to Romeo with death in this monologue; whether or not Juliet has any awareness of these images is up to the individual performer.

Juliet’s anxiety around sex and virginity reaches a peak in the passage beginning with “Hood my unmanned blood bating in my cheeks” . In this line, she asks night to shroud her blushing nervousness “with thy black mantle” . However, this feeling is ultimately vanquished as she asks for this concealment only until: “strange love, grow bold, think true love acted simple modesty” . Juliet wishes for these mysteries to become second nature to her, to know and accept them and even enjoy them.

Next, this strange passage about Juliet’s death—wishing Romeo to become a constellation in the night sky the whole world could fall in love with. Again, it’s an oddly sombre image in an otherwise joyous speech. Shakespeare connects this image to our understanding as the audience that Romeo and Juliet’s love is ultimately doomed (remember, this is the very first thing we are told when the play begins). Again, how much of this actually rattles Juliet is up to the performer. It could be a simple ‘fangirl’ moment; it could be this character exhibiting a surprisingly profound level of understanding about love and life. Love may be eternal … but Juliet is certainly not.

With the final section,  “Oh, I have bought the mansion of a love,”  Juliet returns to her initial thoughts of longing and frustration. One can even interpret this “Oh” as Juliet’s attempt to banish sombre thoughts from her mind. Despite whatever dark or insecure feelings she might harbour, she is still carried by the immediate excitement of her union with Romeo, as well as her desire for night to fall. This is perhaps why Shakespeare returns to more child-like imagery with the ‘night before a festival’ metaphor at the piece’s end.

Notes On Performance

Throughout this text, there is a strong rhythm; the first line is a key indicator of what that rhythm is. This soliloquy gallops along like the horses of the sun chariot: it races ahead of Juliet and takes hold of her without giving her too much time to think. This soliloquy is arguably most effective when the words and the rhythm take the actor away with them, reaching a climactic point at around ‘pay no worship to the garish sun’. The speech should build in pace and intensity up until this moment before resting with her final lines about how painful it is for Juliet to have to wait.

Consider for yourself what the physical experiences of Juliet are at this moment. Her and Romeo have been married for about 24 hours, but they are yet to spend a night together. Juliet is a virgin, and she knows what is supposed to happen in the marriage bed. She is nervous, excited, worried, and she wants the night to both hurry up but also look after her. It’s useful for the actor to consider what is at stake in this moment: what does Juliet stand to gain and what does she stand to lose ? 

“Gallop apace” is a deceptively simple monologue. It can be performed with a sense of youthful naiveté,  or speak to darker thoughts and worries that fester away in Juliet’s mind. Either way, it is a piece that allows you to bring a level of humanity and complexity to a character so often regarded as nothing more than ‘young and in love’. Whatever your interpretation is, make sure you understand the language, metaphors and images that Shakespeare employs. This is especially true in the context of an audition, as directors love nothing more than to ask your opinion as to a line or image in the hope of making you squirm! Take time with this speech, give it some serious consideration. You are bound to find out some fascinating new truths about your understanding of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters. Enjoy!

About the Author

is the founder of StageMilk. Andrew trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and is now a Sydney-based actor working in Theatre, Film and Television.

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Juliet's Monologues From Shakespeare's Tragedy

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Who is the protagonist of " Romeo and Juliet "? Do both titular characters share that role equally?

Typically, stories and plays focus on one protagonist and the rest are supporting characters (with an antagonist or two thrown in for good measure). With "Romeo and Juliet," some might argue that Romeo is the main character because he gets more stage time, not to mention a couple of sword fights, too.

However, Juliet experiences a great deal of family pressure, as well as an ongoing inner conflict. If we label the protagonist as the character that experiences the deepest level of conflict, then maybe the story is really about this young girl, swept up by her emotions and caught up in what will become the most tragic love story in the English language.

Here are some key moments in the life of Juliet Capulet . Each monologue reveals the growth of her character.

Act 2, Scene 2: The Balcony

In her most famous speech and her first monologue, Juliet wonders why the newfound love (or is it lust?) of her life is cursed with the last name Montague , the long-standing enemy of her family.

This scene takes place after Romeo and Juliet met at the Capulet's party. Romeo, infatuated, wandered his way back into Capulet's gardens right to Juliet's balcony. At the same time, Juliet comes out, unaware of Romeo's presence, and ponders her situation out loud.

The monologue beings with the now-famous line:

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

This line is often misinterpreted as Juliet asking about Romeo's whereabouts. However, "wherefore" in Shakesperean English meant "why." Juliet is thus questioning her own fate of falling in love with the enemy.

She then continues to plead, still thinking she is alone:

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.

This passage reveals that the two families have an antagonist history , and Romeo and Juliet's love would be difficult to pursue. Juliet wishes Romeo would give up his family but is also ready to give up hers.

To soothe herself, she rationalizes as to why she should continue to love Romeo, saying that a name is superficial and does not necessarily make up a person.

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;

Act 2, Scene 2: Declarations of Love

Later in the same scene, Juliet discovers that Romeo has been in the garden all along, overhearing her confessions. Since their emotions aren't a secret anymore, the two star-crossed lovers profess their affections openly.

Here are some lines from Juliet's monologue and an explanation in modern English.

Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face, Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny What I have spoke: but farewell compliment!

Juliet is glad it is night time and Romeo cannot see how red she is from the embarrassment of breaking conventions and letting him overhear all she has said. Juliet wishes she could have kept up her good manners. But, realizing it is too late for that, she accepts the situation and becomes more straightforward. 

Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,' And I will take thy word: yet if thou swear'st, Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries Then say, Jove laughs. [...]

In this passage, Juliet displays the disposition of a person in love. She knows that Romeo loves her, but at the same time is anxious to hear it from him, and even then she wants to make sure he isn't simply falsely exaggerating.

Act 4, Scene 3: Juliet's Choice

In her last longer monologue, Juliet takes a big risk by deciding to trust in the friar's plan to fake her own death and wake within the tomb, where Romeo should be waiting for her. Here, she contemplates the potential danger of her decision, unleashing a combination of fear and determination.

Come, vial. What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married then to-morrow morning? No, no: this shall forbid it: lie thou there. (Laying down her dagger.)

As Juliet is about to take the poison, she wonders what would happen if it doesn't work and she is afraid. Juliet would rather kill herself than marry someone new. The dagger here represents her plan B.

What if it be a poison, which the friar Subtly hath minister'd to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour'd, Because he married me before to Romeo? I fear it is: and yet, methinks, it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man.

Juliet is second-guessing whether or not the friar is being honest with her. Is the potion a sleeping potion or a lethal one? Since the friar married the couple in secret, Juliet is nervous that he might be now trying to cover up what he did by killing her in case he gets in trouble with either the Capulets or Montagues. In the end, Juliet calms herself by saying the friar is a holy man and wouldn't trick her.

How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? there's a fearful point! Shall I not, then, be stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes?

Thinking of other worst-case scenarios, Juliet wonders what would happen if the sleeping potion wore off before Romeo could remove her from the tomb and she suffocated to death. She ponders that if she wakes up alive, she might be so afraid of the darkness and all the dead bodies, with their horrible smells, that she might go crazy.

But in the end, Juliet rashly decides to take the potion as she exclaims:

Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee.

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Romeo & Juliet Soliloquies in Modern English

The Romeo and Juliet soliloquies below are extracts from the full  modern English Romeo and Juliet ebook , along with a modern English translation. Reading through the original Romeo and Juliet soliloquy followed by a modern version and should help you to understand what each Romeo & Juliet soliloquy is about:

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright (Spoken by Romeo, Act 1 Scene 1)

What light through yonder window breaks? (Spoken by Romeo, Act 2 Scene 2)

The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse (Spoken by Juliet, Act 2 Scene 5)

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds (Spoken by Juliet, Act 3 Scene 2)

How oft when men are at the point of death (Spoken by Romeo, Act 5 Scene3)

It is the east and juliet is the sun (Spoken by Romeo, Act 2 Scene 2)

What’s in a name? (Spoken by Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2)

More Romeo and Juliet soliloquies coming soon! Have a request? Let us know in the comments section below!

See All Romeo and Juliet Resources

Romeo and Juliet | Romeo and Juliet summary | Romeo and Juliet characters : Benvolio , Friar Laurence , Juliet , Mercutio , Queen Mab , Romeo , Tybalt , | Romeo and Juliet settings | Romeo and Juliet themes  | Romeo and Juliet in modern English | Romeo and Juliet full text | Modern Romeo and Juliet ebook | Romeo and Juliet for kids ebooks | Romeo and Juliet quotes | Romeo and Juliet quote translations | Romeo and Juliet monologues | Romeo and Juliet soliloquies | Romeo and Juliet movies |  Romeo and Juliet performance history

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I would like to point out that this Quote is not said by Romeo, but by Juliet to Romeo.

Sorry, I mean the “A rose by any other name…” quote

Thanks for pointing out that Romeo & Juliet quote error Alaina – now fixed ;)

It unfortunately still says spoken by Romeo. I actually was about to research online what I might of missed, because I could have sworn it was spoken by Juliet. Thank you for your comment, I was about to go on a wild goose chase.

I guess I should have clarified, it still says romeo on the actual page. the main page does say Juliet. sorry..

isn’t the “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright” quote in Act 1 scene 5?

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 ‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy Thou art thyself, though not a Monague What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other nome Belonging to a man. What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.

I love this

Actually Alaina Juliet doesn’t know that Romeo is there at that point so it is still a soliloquy if it was two Romeo it would be a monologue.

“She doth teacher the torches to burn bright” is in Act 1 Scene 5…”to be or not to be” in scene one as indicated above…love your site:)

another soliloquy in ac 2 scene 2 was were Romeo says, ” oh Lebron, oh Lebron, you are such a baller.” #bigdaddy

I think it was, “oh Lebron, oh Lebron, you are more overrated than Miley Cyrus.”

I think it was actually, “oh Michael, oh LeBron, I am the GOAT and you guys copied MY MOVES!”

“oh neal, oh neal, you are the worst ft shooter ever)

um honey, you dead

I think it was more like “Oh MJ oh MJ im glad i didn’t waste my life playing a children’s game”

it is the same thing people.

A drunk guy walks into a bar, and a table, and a waitress, and a wall…

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Romeo and Juliet Monologue.

[Romeo descending down the balcony]

Juliet: Hum! Something fears. O Romeo! All I desire is to be with you. I   can’t stand, seeing you fade away into the dark fog. The wind seems to carry you far away from me but I hope the sun will give you light in the darkness. The more the distance between us the more I dread for you. O Romeo! The moment you leave, your thoughts keep appearing in my mind. Then all I do is dream about what you said all along our meetings.

It was on the day my dad gave a party; I wonder how he was there. He looked very nervous. He seemed to be searching for someone; perhaps someone special. Then his keen eyes fell on mine. I couldn’t resist the way he stared at me. So I immediately turned away. His hand suddenly touched mine, it was cold and a sudden shiver ran across my body. When I turned, he said “If I profane with my unworthiest hand   This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:   My lips two blushing pilgrims, ready stand   To smooth the rough touch with a tender kiss”.  I can’t forget those words. I really felt as pure and as holy as an angel when he said that. I knew he liked me and wanted to kiss me. I knew it the moment he said “O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!” as we touched each other’s hands. My cheeks blushed and my heart was too heavy for words as he gave me a loving kiss. The nurse than interrupted, I was so furious, as I hardly met him. I didn’t even know his name. After everyone left, me and the nurse were left alone in the massive hall. That’s when I asked her what his name was. She said “His name is Romeo, and a Montague. The only son of your great enemy” My anger changed to despair as I knew that my only love was my family’s greatest enemy. I was shocked.

This is a preview of the whole essay

All day I couldn’t resist thinking about him. That night, when I was in the balcony opening up my thoughts he suddenly sprang out of the bushes. For a second there, my blood froze. I couldn’t say no to him now as he must have heard what I spoke I thought as we spoke Then I feared for him as I told him “if they do see thee they will murder thee”. I told him again if any of the kinsmen will see him they will kill him. But he didn’t care and replied “Alack, their lies more peril in thine eye  Than twenty of their swords!” My heart lightened as he said those words but my fear for him seemed to be deepened. So I said I wouldn’t let that happen. Then he replied “I have nights cloak to hide me from their eyes”. He was exaggerating and dreaming as he said he had nights cloak to hide him from the kinsmen. After that I was quite serious about what was happening. I asked for true commitment for our love. He said “Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow”. I was not pleased when he swore on the moon as it constantly rotates round the earth. But then I somehow knew he truly loved me. When he was about to leave he said “O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” I was surprised at first as I didn’t know what satisfaction he wanted. Then he told me about our marriage and so it was set the next day. It was too quick I thought but I couldn’t wait any longer like him. We got married happily, it was a great feeling.

Today I didn’t want him to go but he had to. I was playing with him until he said “come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so. How is’t, my soul? Lets talk, it is not day”. I became serious and didn’t want anything to happen to him because of me. So, I rushed him up a bit to get ready for his journey. Then he suddenly said “More light and light; more dark and dark our woes”. I felt darkness fall over me when he said that. Suddenly, the nurse alerted us as he had to leave quickly as possible because my mother was coming to see me. I became tensed. Then everything went quick and well. Then we gave a farewell kiss and then he departed. When he was walking away an unpleasant thought rushed through my mind. I feared whether we will meet again or not. I was terrorized by the thought. I  turned my attention towards my mothers call.

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• Level AS and A Level
• Subject English

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Description.

Good assignment to learn the dialogue of drama, as well as how to interpret it in a new way!

You will receive the assignment handout and rubric.

Students will choose a character from R&J, then write a monologue or soliloquy in a creative way, then they will write a justification including why they selected this character with a brief discussion of the character, what has happened in the play at that point, why this person appeals to him/her, and what he/she hopes to learn by studying this piece.

Common Core Standards included.

Check out the R&J argumentative writing assignments to go along with your unit

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Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Romeo and Juliet: Introduction

Romeo and juliet: plot summary, romeo and juliet: detailed summary & analysis, romeo and juliet: themes, romeo and juliet: quotes, romeo and juliet: characters, romeo and juliet: symbols, romeo and juliet: literary devices, romeo and juliet: quizzes, romeo and juliet: theme wheel, brief biography of william shakespeare.

Historical Context of Romeo and Juliet

Other books related to romeo and juliet.

• Full Title: Romeo and Juliet
• When Written: Likely 1591-1595
• Where Written: London, England
• When Published: “Bad quarto” (incomplete manuscript) printed in 1597; Second, more complete quarto printed in 1599; First folio, with clarifications and corrections, printed in 1623
• Literary Period: Renaissance
• Genre: Tragic play
• Setting: Verona, Italy
• Climax: Mistakenly believing that Juliet is dead, Romeo kills himself on her funeral bier by drinking poison. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead, and fatally stabs herself with his dagger.
• Antagonist: Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, Tybalt

Extra Credit for Romeo and Juliet

Tourist Trap. Casa di Giulietta, a 12-century villa in Verona, is located just off the Via Capello (the possible origin of the anglicized surname “Capulet”) and has become a major tourist attraction over the years because of its distinctive balcony. The house, purchased by the city of Verona in 1905 from private holdings, has been transformed into a kind of museum dedicated to the history of Romeo and Juliet , where tourists can view set pieces from some of the major film adaptations of the play and even leave letters to their loved ones. Never mind that “the balcony scene,” one of the most famous scenes in English literature, may never have existed—the word “balcony” never appears in the play, and balconies were not an architectural feature of Shakespeare’s England—tourists flock from all over to glimpse Juliet’s famous veranda.

Love Language. While much of Shakespeare’s later work is written in a combination of verse and prose (used mostly to offer distinction between social classes, with nobility speaking in verse and commoners speaking in prose), Romeo and Juliet is notable for its heady blend of poetic forms. The play’s prologue is written in the form of a sonnet, while most of the dialogue adheres strictly to the rhythm of iambic pentameter. Romeo and Juliet alter their cadences when speaking to each another, using more casual, naturalistic speech. When they talk about other potential lovers, such as Rosaline and Paris, their speech is much more formal (to reflect the emotional falsity of those dalliances.) Friar Laurence speaks largely in sermons and aphorisms, while the nurse speaks in blank verse.

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Romeo and Juliet - Entire Play

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The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters “star-crossed lovers”—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers.

Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. Their families are enmeshed in a feud, but the moment they meet—when Romeo and his friends attend a party at Juliet’s house in disguise—the two fall in love and quickly decide that they want to be married.

A friar secretly marries them, hoping to end the feud. Romeo and his companions almost immediately encounter Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who challenges Romeo. When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo’s friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. Romeo then kills Tybalt and is banished. He spends that night with Juliet and then leaves for Mantua.

Juliet’s father forces her into a marriage with Count Paris. To avoid this marriage, Juliet takes a potion, given her by the friar, that makes her appear dead. The friar will send Romeo word to be at her family tomb when she awakes. The plan goes awry, and Romeo learns instead that she is dead. In the tomb, Romeo kills himself. Juliet wakes, sees his body, and commits suicide. Their deaths appear finally to end the feud.

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ROMEO AND JULIET

A monologue from the play by william shakespeare.

NURSE: Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she (God rest all Christian souls!) Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me. But, as I said, On Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen; That shall she, marry; I remember it well. 'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years; And she was weaned (I never shall forget it), Of all the days of the year, upon that day; For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, Sitting in the sun under the dovehouse wall. My lord and you were then at Mantua. Nay, I do bear a brain. But, as I said, When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool, To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug! Shake, quoth the dovehouse! 'Twas no need, I trow, To bid me trudge. And since that time it is eleven years, For then she could stand high-lone; nay, by th' rood, She could have run and waddled all about; For even the day before, she broke her brow; And then my husband (God be with his soul! 'A was a merry man) took up the child. 'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit; Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidam, The pretty wretch left crying and said 'Ay.' To see now how a jest shall come about! I warrant, an I should live a thousand years I never should forget it. 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he, And, pretty fool, it stinted and said 'Ay.'

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Romeo and Juliet Scenes

Romeo & juliet: act 1 prologue.

The Chorus explains how an ancient family feud in Verona has sparked up again, and what tragic consequences it will have for a pair of young lovers. (14 lines)

Enter Chorus.

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.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows

Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.

The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,

And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,

Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;

The which if you with patient ears attend,

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

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