Romeo and juliet

The story of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous tragedies ever written by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1595. It is set in the beautiful city of Verona, in Italy, and it is a story about two noble families who hated each other for centuries, and about two young children from those families who fell deeply in love, and whose love ended in death. This is their complete story. *Chapter 1: The Ancient Grudge* In Verona, there were two great and wealthy houses, both alike in dignity and honor, but divided by an ancient grudge that no one could quite remember how it started. One was the House of Montague. The other was the House of Capulet. The hatred between them was so deep that it had soaked into the blood of their servants. If a servant of Montague met a servant of Capulet in the street, they would bite their thumb at each other, which was a grave insult, and draw their swords. On a hot Sunday morning, this is exactly what happened. Sampson and Gregory, two servants of the Capulets, were walking in the public square when they saw Abram and Balthasar, servants of the Montagues. Sampson said, "I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it." He did so. Abram asked, "Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" Sampson replied, "I do bite my thumb, sir." Abram said, "Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" Sampson said, "Is the law on our side if I say ay?" Gregory said, "No." Sampson then said, "No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir." This foolish wordplay quickly turned into a fight. They drew their swords. Benvolio, a nephew of Montague, a good and peace-loving young man, came upon them and tried to stop the fight. He cried, "Part, fools, put up your swords, you know not what you do." But then Tybalt, a nephew of Lady Capulet, came. Tybalt was a fierce and proud young man who loved to fight. He hated all Montagues as he hated hell itself. He saw Benvolio with his sword drawn and shouted, "What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death." He attacked Benvolio. The fight grew. More citizens joined. Old Capulet and old Montague themselves, despite their age, called for their swords and wanted to join. Finally, the Prince of Verona, Prince Escalus, arrived with his guards. He was the ruler of the city and he was tired of these street brawls disturbing the peace. He shouted in a mighty voice, "Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, profaners of this neighbour-stained steel!" He declared that if ever the Capulets and Montagues disturbed the streets again, their lives would pay for the peace. After the Prince left, Montague and Lady Montague asked Benvolio where their son Romeo was. Benvolio said he had seen Romeo early that morning, alone, under the sycamore grove, weeping. Romeo was a young man of about sixteen, handsome, intelligent, but given to great sadness and daydreaming. At that time, he was in love with a young woman named Rosaline, who did not love him back. She had sworn to remain chaste. Romeo was lovesick for her. Benvolio went to find his cousin Romeo and tried to counsel him, telling him to look at other beautiful women of Verona to forget Rosaline. Romeo said it was impossible, that his love was like no other. Meanwhile, in the House of Capulet, a great event was being planned. Paris, a young nobleman, a kinsman of the Prince, handsome and wealthy, had come to old Capulet to ask for his daughter Juliet's hand in marriage. Capulet said, "My child is yet a stranger in the world. She hath not seen the change of fourteen years. Let two more summers wither in their pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride." Juliet was not yet fourteen. But he also said that Paris could woo her, and that he would allow the marriage if Juliet consented. He invited Paris to a great feast and ball that he was holding that very night, a traditional masquerade. He sent his servant Peter with a list of names to invite. Peter could not read. He met Romeo and Benvolio in the street and asked them to read the list for him. Romeo read it. On the list was Rosaline, his supposed love, as well as many other noble ladies of Verona. Peter, grateful, invited Romeo to the feast as well, if he was not a Montague. Benvolio had an idea. He told Romeo to go to the feast, masked, so he could see Rosaline and compare her beauty with other ladies, and see that she was not the only beautiful woman. Romeo agreed, though he said his mind was more concerned with his love for Rosaline than with any feast. *Chapter 2: The Meeting* That night, the Capulet house was bright with lights and music. Lady Capulet had been speaking with her daughter Juliet. Juliet was called. She came with her Nurse. The Nurse was a loud, loving, bawdy woman who had nursed Juliet since birth and loved her as her own daughter. The Nurse told a long story about how Juliet, when she was a baby, had fallen and how her husband had joked. Lady Capulet finally told Juliet that Paris wanted to marry her. She asked, "What say you? Can you love the gentleman?" Juliet, who had never thought of marriage, was obedient. She said, "I'll look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly." That is, she would try to like Paris if her parents wanted. Meanwhile, Romeo, Benvolio, and their friend Mercutio, a brilliant, witty, hot-tempered kinsman of the Prince, approached the Capulet house wearing masks. Mercutio gave a wonderful speech about Queen Mab, the fairy midwife who brings dreams to men. Romeo felt a strange foreboding. He said, "My mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date with this night's revels, and expire the term of a despised life closed in my breast by some vile forfeit of untimely death." But they went inside. Romeo entered the hall and his eyes immediately fell upon a young girl dancing. He had never seen such beauty. He forgot Rosaline in an instant. He asked a servingman, "What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight?" The servingman did not know. Romeo said to himself, "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear. Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." Tybalt, hearing Romeo's voice, recognized him as a Montague. He was enraged that a Montague would dare to come masked to their feast to mock them. He went to old Capulet to ask permission to attack Romeo and throw him out. But old Capulet was a good host and did not want a fight in his house, especially with the Prince's recent warning. He told Tybalt to tolerate him, saying Romeo was known as a virtuous and well-governed youth. Tybalt was furious but obeyed, muttering that he would watch for another time. Romeo approached Juliet. He took her hand and spoke to her in beautiful poetry, comparing her hand to a holy shrine. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." Juliet, who was clever and not shy despite her youth, answered him in the same poetic form. "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." They spoke a little more, and then Romeo kissed her. Juliet had never been kissed before. She found it sweet. Then the Nurse called Juliet away, saying her mother wanted her. Romeo asked the Nurse, "What is her mother?" The Nurse said, "Marry, bachelor, her mother is the lady of the house." Romeo was stunned. "Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe's debt." At the same moment, Juliet asked the Nurse about Romeo. "Go ask his name. If he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed." The Nurse went and returned and told her, "His name is Romeo, and a Montague, the only son of your great enemy." Juliet whispered to herself, "My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy." They parted, both heartbroken and overjoyed at the same time. The feast ended. *Chapter 3: The Balcony* After the feast, Romeo could not go home. His friends Benvolio and Mercutio called for him, thinking he was still lovesick for Rosaline, but Romeo hid from them in the darkness. He had climbed the high wall into the Capulet's orchard, because his heart was there. He stood in the darkness and looked up at the windows of the Capulet house. Suddenly, a light appeared in a window above. It was Juliet's bedroom window. Juliet came to the balcony. Romeo hid in the shadows and watched her. Juliet, thinking she was alone, sighed and spoke her thoughts aloud. This is one of the most famous scenes in all literature. "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." She was asking why he had to be Romeo Montague. "Wherefore" means why, not where. "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. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself." Romeo could not remain silent. He stepped forward from the shadows and said, "Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo." Juliet was startled and afraid. "I know that voice. Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?" Romeo answered, "Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike." They talked for a long time on that balcony. Romeo swore his love by the moon. Juliet told him not to swear by the moon, because the moon is inconstant, always changing. They exchanged vows of love. Juliet, though only thirteen, was very practical. She said, "If that thy bent of love be honourable, thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow, by one that I'll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, and all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world." Romeo promised. It was almost morning. The Nurse called from inside. Juliet had to go, but they kissed and promised to meet again. Romeo left, his heart racing, to find help. *Chapter 4: The Mar