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ACT I
PROLOGUE
Song 1: Prologue
In Verona City where our play is set,
An age-old feud between two dynasties
Erupts into a war and blood is shed
And citizens become arch enemies
A pair of hapless kids from either side
Fall in love, but thinking it is doomed
Soon take their own lives and as they die
End, in one fell swoop, their parents' feud.
The chilling journey to their love's last breath
And their parents’ strong and unrelenting rage
Unchecked by them until their children’s death
Is now what we present to you on stage
And if you look and listen very well
You’ll learn all we’ve so far failed to tell
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Abraham. Are you biting your thumb?
Sampson. Yeah I’m biting my thumb.
Abraham. But are you biting your thumb at us?
Gregory. Do you want a fight? Do you want a fight?
Abraham. Want a fight? Want a fight? No way!
Sampson. Draw, if you are men.-- Draw, if you are men.— Gregory, remember your special move.
[They fight.][Enter Benvolio.]
Benvolio. Part you fools! Part you fools! Put away your swords; you don’t know what you’re doing.
[Beats down their swords.][Enter Tybalt.]
Tybalt. Turn around Benvolio, witness your own death. Turn around Benvolio, witness your own death.
Benvolio. I’m only keeping the peace. I’m only keeping the peace: put away your sword, or use it to help me break up this fight.
Tybalt. Your sword is drawn, how can you talk of peace? I hate the word ss I hate hell, all Montagues, and you:
[They fight.][Enter several of both Houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens with clubs.]
Citizens. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
Citizens + Down with the Capulets!
Montagues
Citizens + Down with the Montagues!
Capulets
Citizens. Down with the Capulets!
Montagues
Citizens. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
Citizens + Down with the Capulets!
Montagues
Citizens + Down with the Montagues!
Capulets
All Down! Down! Down! With all of them!
[Enter Capulet in his gown, and Lady Capulet.]
Capulet. What’s all this noise?-- What ‘s all this?-- What noise is this?--Give me my long sword, now!
Lady Capulet. You need a crutch, you need a crutch, you need a crutch!--Why do you want a sword?
Capulet. My sword, I say!-- My sword, I say!-- My sword, I say!--Old Montague is here
[Enter Montague and his Lady Montague.]
Break in Singing for one phrase.
Montague. You villain Capulet!-- You villain Capulet!-- You villain Capulet!—
Lady Montague. You will not move, You will not move, You will not move one foot towards our foe.
Montague. Don’t hold me back. Don’t hold me back, Don’t hold me back, let me go.
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BENVOLIO:
Romeo, at that feast they’ll be much to admire
The pretty girl, the only one who you so desire;
Rosaline with all the admired beauties of Verona.
Go there; and, then judging true and fair
Compare her face with some that I will show,
And I will make you think your swan’s a crow.
Romeo, you fancied her ‘cause she was on her own,
To be the best is easy when you’re standing all alone
But if you placed her face along with others side by side
Especially against the beautiful delights
That I will show you shining in that hall
You’ll hardly notice Rosaline at all
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Tybalt.
Boy, get my sword, my suspicion grows
He sounds a lot like a Montague I know
How dare the rogue attend our feast disguised
To sneer at us with his mocking eyes
It would be a matter of family pride
And not a sin to take away his life
The enemy is here, Uncle did you know?
That villain they call Romeo
A scoundrel who just came here in spite,
To ridicule our festival tonight.
Capulet.
Why, is my Nephew so uptight.
Control your rage and put him out of sight?
there’s really no need to be annoyed
I’ve only heard good things about the boy
Take yourself off and Just leave him be
Are you the master of this house or me?
The enemy is here, Uncle did you know?
That villain they call Romeo
A scoundrel who just came here in spite,
To scorn at our grand festival tonight.
I would not, for all the wealth of the town,
Let one person here now put him down
Go back smiling, give your frowns a rest
For they continue upsetting my guests
So be patient, pretend he’s not here
Respect my wish. Do I make myself clear?
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The girl whose radiance he thought very rare
Is a fading glow about to be eclipsed
Outshone by beauty far beyond compare
No longer would he die to kiss her lips
Romeo’s love for Juliet is returned
Each one’s looks provokes their love’s desire
But how can they express how they both yearn
For a love against which all seem to conspire
As enemies they’re not allowed to meet
To say the words that lovers need to say
And Juliet, just as much in love as he,
Is just as down and even more constrained
But passion gives them strength to chance a kiss
sweetening the danger with the utmost bliss.
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But wait, what’s shining from that window there?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Rise up, bright sun, and mask the jealous moon
Who is sick and pale with sadness stirred
‘Cause you are much more beautiful than her.
Two of the brightest stars request her eyes
To twinkle in their place while they’re away
The brightness of her cheek outshines those stars,
As daylight does a lamp
[Juliet leans her hand upon her cheek].
Her eyes in heaven would stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.--
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
How I wish I were a glove upon that hand,
So I could touch, so I could touch her cheek!
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JULIET:
O Romeo, Romeo! Why’d they call you Romeo?
Snub your father and discard your name.
But, if you cannot, just swear to be my love,
and I'll no longer be a Capulet.
What's in a name? What we call a rose
Would smell as sweet if called something else.
It’s just your name that’s my enemy.
So Romeo, cast off your name,
And for that name which is no part of you take all of me.
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You take this vial with you to bed
And then you drink the liquid inside
A feeling of drowsiness and cold shall run through your veins
All of your limbs, soon unable to bend
willl look like they’re dead
No warmth, no breath, stiff stark and cold,
Appear like death: your cheeks will fade
To whitened ashes; your eyes' windows fall,
Like death, when he shuts up the day of life;
And like this you’ll stay for almost two days
Everyone believing that you are dead
And then you’ll wake up just like you’ve had a nice sleep
But before, when the bridegroom comes
To get you from your bed
He’ll think you’re dead
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Death, he has sucked the sweetness from your breath,
but has not managed yet to take your beauty
Whose signs still remain
Clearly to be seen
In the flushing of your lips
And of your cheeks
And death has not yet come to turn them pale.
Dear Juliet, Juliet, How come you’re lovely still?
Eyes, look your last.
Arms, take your last embrace.
And lips, O you the doors of breath,
seal with a righteous kiss
My endless deal with all-consuming death
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What’s this? A cup, closed in my true love’s hand
Poison, I see, has brought about his death
How rude? He drank it all and didn’t leave a drop
To help me after. I will kiss your lips.
With luck some poison still remains on them
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PRINCE
This letter shows the friar tells the truth
About their love and how he heard she died
And here he writes that he (pointing at Romeo), with poison in his hand,
Came here to die with Juliet at his side
Because I turned a blind eye to your feud
We have seen our dearest ones destroyed
By all the hate, but heaven’s where we look
Because with love, it took away our joys
PRINCE (First Prince Solo then Chorus)
The sun’s so full of sorrow that he will not show his head
This morning brings along with it a gloomy peace instead
Noone’s told a story yet
As sad as this of Romeo and Juliet
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This version of the musical uses modern approximations of Shakespeare's words. Each song tells the story of important events in the Romeo and Juliet story. This version is free to download but should be used in conjunction with the Romeo Rocks You! Backing Tracks which you can download for a small charge. The songs are written in ideal keys for young singers but if your singers need backing tracks in different keys, you can contact me to arrange further downloads.Also feel free to copy and paste the lyrics for your cast. A comparison of the Modern English and 'Shakespearean' versions could be a useful classroom activity too. Feel free to use them for any educational purpose.
I also have abridged a script of the original play and 'translated' it into modern English. I can send this free of charge to anyone who buys the backing tracks.
