William Shakespeare

OMEO
AND ULIET

Text adaptation, notes and activities

by Derek Sellen
Dossier sections written by Gina D. B. Clemen
Editors: Rebecca Raynes, Elvira Poggi Repelto
Design and art direction: Nadia Maestri
Computer graphics: Simona Corniola
Illustrations: Giovanni Manna
Picture Research: Laura Lagomarsino

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 CONTENTS

sluike~peare'S Life 5

shakesyeare and R()fltto ,111rlJu/id 8

summary 10

Dramatis Personae 12

PART ONE THE MONTACUES AND

THE CAPULETS 13
ACTIVITIES 21

PARTTWO THE GARDEN OF THE CAPULET$ 28

ACTIVITIES 34

A walk through Verona 42

PARTTHREE THE PRINCE OF CATS 46

ACTIVITIES 52

PART FOUR FORTUNE'S FOOL 58

ACTIVITIES 64

Life in Renaissance Verona 68

 PART FIVE MY LADY'S DEAD[ 72

ACTIVITIES 78

PART SIX WITH A KISS, I DIE 84

ACTIVITIES 90

Jultet throuah the centuries 94

INTERNET PROJECT 96

EXIT TEST 97

KEY TO EXIT TEST 99

Playscript 100

'7

PET Cambridge Preliminary English Test-style exercises

T:GRADES 5, 6 Trinity-style exercises (Grades 5, 6)

n The text is recorded in full.

 William Shakespeare (1800-1803) by Williatn Blake.

shakesyeare~ Life
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in the English Midlands
on St George's Day, April 23rd, 1564. (St George is the patron saint of England.)
He was the third child of John Shakespeare, a glove-maker, 1 who was an
important man in the town, and Mary Arden. He went to Stratford Grammar
School, where he received a good education, but he did not go to university.
In 1582, when he was only eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. They had three
children - Hamnet, a boy who died when he was only eleven years old, Susanna
and Judith. As far as we know, they were happily married. When he died he left
his 'second-best bed' to his wife in his will. 2 Perhaps it was their marriage bed.
Very little is known about Shakespeare's later life. There is a legend that he
had to leave Stratford because he was caught stealing a deer. 3
Shakespeare went to London and became involved 4 in the world of the theatre.
Drama then was as important a part of life as television is for us. All classes of
society enjoyed the plays by Shakespeare and other Elizabethan dramatists.

1.
2.
glove-maker : someone who makes gloves.
will : testament, a document written
3. deer: 'ni
beforn someone dies. 4. involved : interested.

5
 Detail of The View of London (1650), by Claes Jansz Visscher.

Did you know that in Shakespeare's theatre, boys played the parts of women?
Juliet, Cleopatra, Desdemona and Lady Macbeth were all played by young
men whose voices had not broken. Actresses were not allowed on the English
stage until late in the following century.
Shakespeare quickly became very popular as a writer. One of his rivals called
him a 'crow' 1 who had stolen the 'feathers' 2 of the other writers.
His friend, Ben Jonson, wrote that he was 'honest, open and free'. Another writer
said that he was 'handsome', 'well-shaped' and had a 'pleasant smooth wit'. 3
Apart from the plays, he also wrote a collection of sonnets. Many of these
poems are written to a 'Dark Lady', but nobody can discover her identity.

1. crow : an ugly black bird. ~ 2. feathers :

3. wit : intelligent humour.

6
We do not know very much about Shakespeare's personal life but plays such
as Romeo and Juliet show that he was very interested in the theme of
passionate love.
When Shakespeare died - on his birthday in 1616 - he was buried in Stratford.
5
•
There are f our 1mes .
wntten on h'1s G~« u mg th ese:
• l d'
tombb stone, me

Blessed 1 is the man who spares 2 these stones.

And cursed 3 is the man who moves my bones.
Perhaps these lines show that Shakespeare did not want us to know about his
personal life. Instead, he has left us his poems and plays.

An inside view of the Globe Theatre where Shakespeare acted.

1. blessed , happy, lucky.

2. spares: does not touch. 3. cursed : unlucky. unhappy.

7
 shakesyeare and Romeo and Juliet
~ kespeare wrote Romeo and JuUet in the middle of the 1590s. Elizabeth
the First was Queen of England. During her reign, 1 the country had made
t:r- {o-r-.sc4 ,
great progress in many different areas - travelling by sea, explorat1orr, war,
music, architecture, drama and poetry. England had become a major power in
Europe and had defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588 when Philip the
Second had attempted to invade the country.
In all the arts, there was great influence from Italy. The Renaissance had
begun in Italy and the English were very enthusiastic about Italian culture.
Chaucer, the first important English poet, respected Dante as the greatest
European poet. The most popular form of love poetry, the sonnet, was
'borrowed' 2 from Italian writers. Many of Shakespeare's plays are located in

The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I (c. 1588) by George Gower, Woburn Abbey.

1. reign [rem] : the period when a king or quaen has power.

2. borrowed : taken.

8
Italy and based on Italian stories. For the English, Italy was the country of
passion, vendettas, murder, suicide and deep emotion. When Shakespeare
wanted to write a tragedy of love and death, he chose an Italian story.
The legend of Romeo and Juliet had been very popular in England for a long
time. Shakespeare took the story, changed some of the details and made it into a
great play with characters which live in the memory. He changed the age of
Juliet; in his play, she is only thirteen years old. It was possible to get married at
twelve or thirteen but most people in Elizabethan society waited until later.
'Arranged marriages' were normal. ln other words, the family decided who
their sons and daughters should marry. There are many stories about the conflict
between the wishes 1 of the parents and the romantic feelings of their children.

Romeo and Juliet (1790-1791) by Joseph Wright Derby.

1. wishes : desires.

9
Romeo and Juliet has the reputation of being the perfect love story. But it is not
only about love. It is also about the hate between the Montagues and the Capulets.
It ends, not in marriage, but in death. The lovers are very young. Romeo changes
his mind easily; at the beginning of the play, he loves Rosaline, not Juliet. He
often acts without thinking and he
kills two people. Juliet also
changes her mind. She thinks she
is too young to get married but
when she sees Romeo... !!!
The story of Romeo and Juliet
has lived until the present day.
Other writers and musical
composers have produced their
own interpretations of the old, old
story. But Shakespeare was the
first one to make a great work of
dramatic art from the story of the
'star-crossed 1 lovers' who lived A scene from the Royal Ballet's version of
in Renaissance Verona. Romeo and Juliet.

SUMMARY
In the beautiful city of Verona, there are two families who hate each
other. When Romeo from the Montagues and Juliet from the Capulets fall
in love, it creates problems for everybody. Friar Laurence, kind and
optimistic, tries to help the young lovers. But there are other people in
Verona, such as Tybalt, the 'Prince of Cats', who want to destroy the
peace of the city. 'True Love' has to fight to survive...

L star-crossed: unlucky.
 D How much do you remember about Shakespeare? Complete the summary
by choosing the correct words.

William Shakespeare was born in 1 1564/1664/1774. He was the

2 fourth/firsUthird child of John Shakespeare, a 3 glove-maker/painter/

doctor. When he was eighteen he married Anne Hathaway and they had
4 three/four/two children.

5 A lot/Some/Only a little is known about Shakespeare's life. There is a

legend that he had to leave Stratford because he was caught stealing a
o deer/cow/dog. He went to 7 Leeds/Liverpool/London and became
involved in the theatre.
He became very popular as an 8 actor/writer/singer and one of his rivals
accused him of 9 copying/helping/criticizing other writers.
As well as his plays he wrote a collection of 10 poems/novels/reviews,
Many of these were written to a 'Dark Lady'.
Shakespeare died on 11 Christmas Day/his wedding anniversary/his
birthday in 1616 and he was buried in 12 London/Stratford/Stirling.

PETIEI Look at the statements below about Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet.
Read pages 8-10 and decide if each statement is correct or incorrect.
If it is correct, mark A. If it is incorrect, mark B.
A B
1. Romeo and Juliet was written in the middle of the 1950s. □□
2. In the arts, there was great influence from Italy. □□
3. Dante respected Chaucer as the greatest European poet. □□
4. All of Shakespeare's plays are located in Italy. □□
5. In England the people had never heard of the legend
of Romeo and Juliet. □□
6. Shakespeare changed some of the details for his version. □□
7. In his play Juliet is only seventeen years old. □□
8. Arranged marriages were normal in Elizabethan society. □□
9. Romeo and Juliet is about love and hate. □□
10. The story ends happily. □□

IJ Correct the statements you have marked as false (B) in 2.

 DRAMATlS PERSONAE

Romeo the only son of the Montague family

Juliet the only daughter of the Capulet family
The Prince the governor of Verona
Lord Capulet Juliet's father
Lady Capulet Juliet's mother
Lord Montague Romeo's father
Lady Montague Romeo's mother
Benvolio Romeo's cousin
Tybalt Juliet's cousin
Mercurio Romeo's friend
Paris a friend of the Prince and of the Capulets
The Nurse
Friar Laurence
Friar John
Balthasar Romeo's servant
Servants
 PART ONE

THE MONTAGUE$
AND THE CAPULETS

n the beautiful city of Verona, there were two

families - the Montagues and the Capulets. They
hated 1 each other. They had hated each other for
hundreds of years.
One day, two servants of the house of Capulet were walking in the
streets.
'lf I meet any man or woman from the house of Montague, I'll push
them out of the way,' said Sampson.

1. hated: didn't like, opposite of 'love'.

13
 1-ZOMEO ANI) JUIJET

'No, you'll run away,' laughed his friend, Gregory.

'Don't worry about that,' said Sampson. 'I will stand and fight.'
Just then, two servants from the house of Montague came into the

l
same street.
Sampson took out his svvorc.l t and bit 2 his thumb 3 at them. This
was a great insult. The two groups of servants began to fight.
'Tho Montaguos are hotter than the Capulets,' shouted 4 the servants
of the Montagues.
'Our masters, the Capulets, aro better,' shouted the servants of the
Capulets.
Then Benvolio, a member of the Montague family, arrived. He tried
to make peace.
'Stop, fools! s Put away your swords.'
But no-one listened to him. The servants continued fighting and
Benvolio took out his sword to stop them. Then Tybalt arrived. He
was a Capulet, the most dangerous member of the family. He loved
fighting.
'Benvolio, you have drawn your sword. r, Now you must fight with
me. Look at your death!'
'l am only trying to separate these fools,' replied Benvolio. 'Put
away your sword or use it to help me keep the poace.'
'Peace!' snarled 7 Tybalt. 'I hate the word. l hate all Montagucs and
I hate you!'
With those words, Tybalt attacked Benvolio with his sword.

1. sword [s:>:dj :

2. bit: past tense of 'to bite'.

3. thumb : the largest finger, 'biting your thumb' was a great insult in this
period of history.
4. shouted , spoke very loudly.
~- fools: stupid pP.ople.
6. drawn your swnrd: (to dr~w-drnw-drawn) t~ken out your sword.
7. snarled: said in a fierce angry way.

14
 PART ONE

Then Lord and Lady Capulet arrived. Lord Capulet was old but he
wanted to fight too. 'Bring me my sword,' he shouted.
'You are too old to fight,' said Lady Capulet. 'You don't need a
sword, you need a crutch.' t

Then Lord and Lady Montague arri ve<l. Lord Montague was
swinging 2 his sword although his wife tried to stop him.
More and more people came. Soon everyone was fighting. lt was
very dangerous.
At last, the Prince of Verona arrived. He was very angry.
'Stop fighting! l want peace in my city! Drop your weapons or you
will all die! This is the third time that your families have been
fighting in the streets.
'Lord Capulet and Lord Montague, you are old but you are not wise ..1
You must promise not to fight. Lord Capulet, come with me now. We
must talk. Lord Montague, come to see me this afternoon. If your two
families fight again, you will both die!'
Everyone went away except the Montagues. The fight was over.
'How did it begin'?' Lord Montague asked Benvolio.
'The servants were fighting. I drew my sword to stop them. Then
Tybalt arrived. He began fighting with me. Soon everyone was
involved.' 4
'Where is my son, Romeo? Is he safe?' asked Lady Montague.
'l saw him this morning, an hour before the sunrise,' replied
Benvolio. 'He was walking alone in the fields. Ile saw me but hH

didn't want my company. He went into the forest.'

Lord Montague nodded. 'People have often seen him thfire in Lhf:
morning. He cries. Then he comes home and locks ~ himself in his

, . a crnkh , rnme,hing W help aa aid I'"'son '" walk,

2. swinging: moving violently.

f
3. wise: sagacious, sensible.
4. involved : part of the fight.
5. locks: shuts his door with" key.

15
 ROMEO AND JULIET

room. He shuts out the daylight and spends all his time alone in the
dark. Something is wrong.' 1

'Have you questioned him?'

'Yes, but he gives no answer.'
'But look, he is coming now,' said Benvolio. 'I will ask him about
his problems.'
'I hope he \>vil1 answer you. We will leave you to speak privately,'
said Lord Montague.
Romeo was on his way back from the forest to the city.
'Good morning, cousin,' said Benvolio.
'It is a sad morning,' replied Romeo.
'Why? Why are your days sad and long?'
'I am .. .'
'In love?'
'Out ... '
'Out of love?'
'Out of my lady's favour. l
love her but she does not love
me. Love is a terrible thing,
Benvolio. I love and I hate.
Love comes from nothing. Tt is
heavy and light, serious and
foolish, 2 hot and cold, sick 3 and
healthy. Arc you laughing at me'?'
'No, I am sad because you arc

'Love is a madness. Goodbye,

cousin.'

1. wrong : not right, not correct.

2. fonli~h : stupid, m3,:I,
3. sick: ill.

18
 PART ONE

'Tell me, who do you

love?'
'l love a woman.'
'l know thal. But who?'
'I love sweet Rosaline.
She is beautiful, intelligent
and good. 13ut she does not
love me.'
'Forget her. There are
many other girls.'
'Nu, I can never forget
her.'

Lord Capulet decided to

have a party.
'I will invite all tlrn
important people from
Verona. But not the
Montagues.'
He wanted his daughter,
Juliet, to meet Paris, a lord
from Verona, the friend of
the Prince. He hoped she
would marry Paris in the
future. He called for his
servant.
'Here is a list of names.
Go and invite the guests.' 1

The servant met Romeo

and Benvolio in the street.
He did not knm,v that they
were Montagues. 'Can you

1. gul!Sls: the pP.ople invited to a party.

19
 ROMEO AND JULIET

help me?' he asked. 'I can't read the names on this piece of paper.'
'Look, Romeo. Rosaline will be at the party.'
'I have an idea,' said Romeo suddenly. 1

Meanwhile, 2 Lady Capulet was talking to Juliet, her thirteen-year-

ol<l <laughter. Juliet had an old nurse who looked after her. 3

'You will meet Paris at the party,' Lady Capulet told Juliet.
'Perhaps you will marry him one day.'
'Mother, I am too young to get married,' replied Juliet.
'I would love to see my little Juliet married,' said the Nurse. 'You
will have happy days and happy nights.•

1. suddenly : very quickly, with no warning.

2. Meanwhile : at the same lime.
3. looked after her; cared for her. helped her.

20
 A C T I V I T I E s

Comprehension and Opinion

D What happened in Part One?
a. What are the names of the two families?
b. Did Benvolio and Tybalt want the same thing?
c. Why was the Prince angry?
d. Why was Romeo unhappy?
e. How did Romeo and Benvolio get information about the party?
f. Why did Lord and Lady Capulet want Juliet to meet Paris?

What do you think?

What will happen next? What is Romeo's idea'?

Using Adjectives
El a. Can you remember the adjectives which are used in the story?
Fill these gaps,

a. In the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ city of Verona, there were two families.

b. Tybalt was the most _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ member of the Capulet
family.
c. Lord Capulet was _ _ _ but he wanted to fight too.
d. The Prince was very _ _ _ _ _ .
e. 'You are _ _ _ but you are not _ _ _ _ .'
f. 'Why are your days _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ ?'
g. Love is a _ _ _ _ _,_ _ _ _ thing.
h. It is _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and

i. 'Rosaline is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _______________ _
and
j. 'You will have _ _ _ _ _ days and _ _ _ _ _ nights.'

21
 A C T V I T I E s

b. Make a chain 1 of adjectives. Use the last letter to begin the next adjective.

ror example:
dangerous-stupid-difficu It-tall-loud-dangerous

How many words can you include in your chain?

c, Opposites
Romeo uses adjectives with opposite meanings to describe love: 'Love is
heavy and light, serious and foolish, hot and cold, sick and healthy.' Look at
these adjectives:

bejUlttf'ul cruel fat friendly hard-working

happy intelligent kind lazy modest poor
proud rich sad short stupid tall
terrible thin ~ unfriendly wonderful

Beautif!!l and ugly are opposites.

There are ten more pairs of opposites in the box. What are they?

6.
1 ......................................... . 7.
2 ......................................... . 8.

3 ......................................... . 9.
4. .. .. .. ........... .. .................... .. 10.

5. . ...................................... ..

Now use some of these adjectives to describe people you know.

1. chain:

22
 A C T I V I T I E 8

d. Synonyms
Sometimes there are adjectives which have the same or similar meanings.
These are called synonyms. Here are six words:

happy

sad

rich

beautiful

wonderful

thin

Which words in the box below have similar meanings? There are three
synonyms for each word above. Fill in the table.

affluent attractive depressed ecstatic

slim excellent fantastic ~reat glad handsome
joyful miserable pretty prosperous skinny
slender unhappy wealthy

N.B. There are often special uses for adjectives:

For example:
Prosperous and affluent are formal words.
Skinny is negative but slim is positive.
Handsome is usually used for men or boys.
Ecstatic is stronger than happy.

23
 A C T I V I T I E s

'Too' with an Adjective

IJ In the story, Juliet says: 'I am tuu young to get married.' Lady Capulet says:
'You are too old to fight.'
How many more sentences can you make? Use: ' ... too ... to ... '
Use the words below,

a. lazy to carry
b. tired to drive a car
c. fat to go shopping
d. young to dance
e. cold to study
f. ill to go to bed
g. unhappy to wear this dress
h. late to pass the test
i. early tu go to the beach
j. heavy to cat dinner
k. stupid to learn English
I. poor to make a mistake
m. intelligent to play foothall

For example:
rt'.s too IQ t,e to Jo .sli.opp~l\,.j .
.5/i.-e '.s too -hr~.d to .sh..du.
<.J

1-l-e '.s too (Q2_;1 +.o CQrr~ f:h.i..S .si.~d:CQ.S-e.

Who can make the most sentences?

Now practise questions and answers with a friend:

wh.~ do11.'t ~ Ol<. ,Jo .sh.oppi.'\j 1 rt'.s f.oo (Qt.-e.

w~~ do11. 't. ~ 01,t. .stud~ 1 r•~ too -f:;_r,ed.

24
 A C T I V T I E s

Families
IJ Complete these words. Each word is the name of a member of a family.
a. Romeo is Lord Montague's s
b. My father's sister is my a __
c. Juliet is Lady Capulet's d _ _ _ te r
d. Lord Montague is Romeo's f ___ _
e. Benvolio is Romeo's o us in
f. Lady Capulet is Juliet's m ___ _
g. Romeo is an only child. He has no br _ _ _ _ _ s
h. He has no
i. Romeo has two par _ _ _ _
j. Lady Capulet is Lord Capulet's W---
k. He is her h ____ _
I. My father's brother is my u ___ _
m. My mother's mother is my grand_
n. My sister's son is my n ____ _

Now read DOWN from the letter's' in the first line.

Put the letters in these spaces:

s --- ------- _ _ V_R S

This is Shakespeare's description of Romeo and Juliet. The first word means
'unlucky' .

25
 A C T I V I T I E s

The Queen of the Fairies 1

P E T EI Look at the six sentences below. You will hear a cunv!lrsatio11 between
Romeo and his friend Mercutio. Decide if each sentence is correct or
incorrect. If it is correct, put a tick (✓) in the box under A for YES. If it is
not correct, put a tick(✓ ) in the box under B for NO.
A H
1. Mercutio thinks that Romeo is deeply in love. LJ □
2. Romeo dreamt about Juliet last night. □□
3. Queen Mab is a real person. □□
4. Mercutio says that Queen Mab keeps us awake. □ ~
5. Mercutio says that Queen Mab visits girls, soldiers and lovers. □□
6. Mcn:utio thinks that Queen Mab is very powerful. □□

Iii Now rewrite the incorrect sentences.

a In exercise 5 Romeo and Mercutio talk about dreams. Think of any books you
have read/ films you have seen which have dreams in them:

• did the dreams come true?

• were the dreams frightening?
• how was the dream told / shown'?

Discuss with your partner.

a. Do you often have dreams?

b. Do you dream in colour or hlack and white'?
c. Do you have nightmares?
d. Do you have re-occurring dreams?
e. Do you think that dreams can come true?
f. Think of the last vivid dream you had and describe it to your partner.

1. fairiP.s: a fairy is a small ma:;;ical creature with wings.

26
 A C T I V I T I E s

The Verona Times

PETl!I This is part of a letter that a citizen ufVerona receives from a friend:

... IK .!1ouY' Kexf lt-Htl", pfr.1.st. f:e(/ Ifft .f:Ae 11.tJ<Js frnm CVtvo11.A.
,;i./1

( KMY'A l"lvtt f:/ttY-e f\JAs A .stvut fitJAf: Is it 1:Y"ue? ftJA!J did it /1.11.pprnf

Now the citizen is writing a letter to this friend. Write the citizen's letter in
about 100 words.
Explain about the Montagues and the Capulets. Describe the fight and give
the Prince's decision.

IJ Your friend has asked you to predict what will happen at the Capulets'
party. Write the story of the party; then read or listen to Part Two to see if
you were close to what really happened.
Your story must begin with this sentence:

,..Rol-1-1.W AflA J,Aurntto p1,1-t oft J,l,lA;sk-:; AK.i?l rnte.nd. U..e pMt~.
1
',

',
I

I
i
I
I
I
!I
I

Write your story in about 100 words.

27
. . . - - - - - - - - - - - PART TWO

THE GARDEN OF THE

CAPULET$

omeo went to the party with

Benvolio and his friend,
Mercutio. They were a 11
wearing masks. It was very
dangerous for the Montagucs
and their friends to go to a party in the house
of the Capulets.
'I cannot wait 1 to see fair 2 Rosaline,'
said Romeo as they approached 3 the house.
Lord Capulet welcomed them. 'Come
in, gentlemen. Dance and drink and eat.
Enjoy yourselves.' He did not recognise the
son of his enemy, Lord Montague.

1. I cannot wait: I am very excited.

2. fair : beautiful.
3. approached : came near.

28
 PART TWO

He spoke to all the guests. 'Now, girls, dance to the music. When I
was younger, I whispered sweet things in the ears of the ladies. But
now I am old. My dancing days are finished. I will sit
here with the old people and talk about the past.'
As they went into the house, Romeo saw Juliet for
the first time. He forgot Rosaline! He fe 11 in love!
'Who is that lady?' asked Romeo. 'She is more
beautiful than the moon. She is like a bright jewel 1
in the darkness. She is like a dove i among crows. I
have never loved until now.'
But Tybalt recognised Romeo's voice. 'It is a
Montague. Bring me my sword. It is a great insult for
a Montague to come here to laugh at our party. I will
kill him.'
'What's the matter, TyhalU' asked Lord C<1pulet.
'That man in the mask is a Montague, uncle.'
'Be calm, Tybalt. Is it Romeo? He has a good
reputation in Verona. This is a party. I want no trouble .1

in my house. Let him enjoy himself.'

'No, uncle. H1:1 is our enemy.•
'Don't be cheeky, 4 young man. I am the master in this
house. You must do as I say.'
Tybalt did not agree but he did not want to make Lord Capulet
angry. 'I will leave the party. I cannot stay here with a Montague in
the room. But I will not forget. Romeo will have a good time tonight
but tomorrow he will pay!'
Romeo went to Juliet and talked to her. He did nol know who she
was. He took her hand gently in his.
'My lips" are ready to kiss you,' he said softly. 6

1. jewel: for example, a diamond or a pP.arl.

4. cheeky : rurlH, not polite.
2. dove : a beautiful white bird. ~ !>"
5. lips : part of the mouth.
3. trouble : prnhlHms. 6. softly : in a low, quiP.t voic:H.

29
 ROMEO AND JULIET

'I do not know you,' protested Juliet.

'I must kiss you,' insisted Romeo.
'Here I am,' said Juliet. 'My lips are here.'
Romeo kissed Juliet. He kissed her a second time.
Then the Nurse came to take Juliet to her mother.
'That is Juliet. She is a Capulet,' the Nurse told Romeo.
Romeo was very surprised and upset. 1 He was in
love with the daughter of the enemy of his family.
'Quickly, let's go,' said Benvolio. 'It is dangerous hem.'
Juliet asked the Nurse, 'Who is that young man?'
'That is Romeo. He is a Montague.'
Juliet was also very surprised and upset. She was
in love with the son of the enemy of her family.
'We can never get married,' she thought.
After they left the party, Mercutio and
Benvolio looked for Romeo.
'Look! He is there in the shadows. 2 What is
he doing?' said Mercutio.
'He is jumping 3 the wall. He is going into
the garden of the Capulets.'
Mercutio called out. 'Romeo! Madman!
Lover! He is going to look for Rosaline.'
'Quiet! You will make him angry,' said Benvolio. 'His love is blind.' 4

Mercutio laughed. 'Good night, Romeo. He is probably sitting under

a tree, dreaming about that girl. He is mad.'
Mcrcutio and Benvolio w1ml home. The night was silent.
In the dark garden, Romeo suddfmly saw a light. Juliet was standing
on her balcony. 'She is beautiful,' he thought. 'Her eyes are stars.
They give light to the night. Her gloves touches her check f\ - I would
like to be her glove!'

1. upset: sad, confused. 4. blind : unable to see.

2. shadows : dark places without light. 5. glove : you wear this on your hand.
3. jumping : going over. 6. cheek : the side of Lhc face.

30
 -

---- ---- ---- I

__ _) ----

L_
7 ---···

I - - - , -.
 ROMEO AND JULIET

Juliet began to speak to the night. She did not know that Romeo
was listening.
'Ah, Romeo,' she sighed. t

'Speak again, angel,' he whispered. 2

'O Romeo, Romeo! Why is your name Romeo?

Let's change our names. Then we can love.
Forget that you are a Montague.
Or, if you love me, I will not be a Capulet.
Montague and Capulet are only names.
A rose can have any name. It always smells 3 sweet.'
Romeo called out. 4 'I will change my name for you.'
'Who's there?' asked Juliet. 'Who is listening in the
middle of the night?'
'I will not tell you my name because it is your enemy.'
'[ know your voice. Are you Romeo? But how did you
get over the garden wall?'
'Love gave me wings. s No walls can shut out love.'
'[f my family find you, they will murder you.'
'The night hides me. I am safe. Love has sent me here
to you.'
Romeo and Juliet talked together. Romeo knew Juliet's
secret - she loved him. They decided to get married
secretly.
'Will you be true"?' 6 asked Juliet.
'Yes, my darling,' replied Romeo. 'I promise by the moon.'
'But thP- moon changes. Will your love change?'
'Never. l wHl always love you. Do you love me?'
'I told the night that I loved you and you heard me.
But I wish l had been silent.'
'Have you changed your mind?' 7

1. sighed [said]: breathed heavily

5. ·wings : - -
2. whispered : said very quietly. 6. true : faithful. loyal.
3. smells : has a perfume. 7. changed your mind : r.hangP.rl
4. called out : spoke lo,u;\ly, yo,ir idea.

32
 PART TWO

'No, my love is as deep as the sea. But I must go. The Nurse is
calling. Good night, Romeo.'
'Good night, Juliet.'
The Nurse called: 'Juliet! Juliet!'
Tm coming, Nurse. Good night.'
'Good night.·
'It is very sad and very sweet to say good night. But tomorrow, we
will be married.'

33
 A C T I V T I E s

Comprehension and Opinion

D What happened in Part Two?

a. Why were Romeo and his friends wearing masks?
b. What happened when Romeo l;aw Juliet?
c. What did Romeo and Juliet do?
d. How did Romeo enter the garden?
e. Where was Juliet?
f. What did Romeo and Juliet decide to do?

What do you think?

Will Romeo and Juliet get married·r

Will they be happy? Do they really love each other?

Use of Adverbs
We use adverbs to describe actions. They usually end in '-ly'.

For example: They will get married secretly.

Adjectives ending in '-ic' usually add '-ally'.
For example: How did Mercutio talk about Romeo? Sarcastically.
A few adverbs do not end in '-ly'.
For example: He ran fast. They worked hard .

II Complete the sentences below with suitable adverbs from the box:
angrily anxiously beautifully comically
immediately kindly loudly lovingly
passionately sadly stupidly violently

a. Romeo fell in love with Juliet ........ , ..................................... .

b. The Prince spoke .................................................................. .
c. Henvolio behaved ................................................................. .

34
 A C T I V T I E s

d. Tybalt fought .......................................... ~............................. .

e. The Nurse called .................................................................. .
f. Juliet thought about Romeo .................................................. .
g. The servants behaved ........................................................... .
h. Romeo and Juliet loved each other ....................................... .
i. At the party, Juliet danced ................................................... .
j. Lady Montague asked about Romeo ..................................... .

Past Simple and Past Continuous

Look at this sentence:
While Romeo was looking for Rosaline, he saw Juliet.

The first action continued for a long time:

'Romeo was looking ... ' (Past Continuous)

The second action happened suddenly, during this time:

'he saw ... ' (Past Simple)

II Now put the verbs in these sentences in the Past Continuous (was/were -ing)
or Past Simple form. Remember that some verbs have an irregular past form
(e.g. see ' saw).

a. While Benvolio {try) to stop the fight, Tybalt (arrive).

b. The Prince (see) that everybody (fight).
c. Benvolio (walk) near the forest when he (meet) Romeo.
d. The Nurse (help) Juliet when her mother {come) into the room.
e. While Romeo and Juliet (kiss), the Nurse (see) them.
f. Tybalt {recognise) Romeo's voice while he (talk).
g. While Romeo (stand) in the garden, Juliet (begin) to speak.
h. While Juliet (say) goodbye to Romeo, the Nurse (call).

Here are some examples from a modern love story:

i. Juliet (use) her computer when Romeo (phone) her.

j. While her parents {watch) TV, Juliet (leave) the house.
k. Romeo (not want) to meet Juliet because his favourite team (play) football.
I. Juliet (not answer) the phone because she (watch) a video.
m. While Tybalt and Benvolio (fight), the police (arrive).

35
 A C T I V I T I E s

Love and Marriage

II In Shakespeare's play, Juliet says good night to Romeo with these words:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 5 8 8 9 10 11

8 12 13 13 4 8 14 3 3 14 12

Each number represents a letter of the alphabet.

If you can find the words in the gaps below, you will be able to know what
Juliet said.

For example: The answer for number 1 is 'RING'.

Therefore, 3 = R 5 = I 6 = N 7 = G

1. A married woman wears this on her finger: _ _

3 5 6 7

2. When people get married there is a: _ _ D D

12 13 5 6 7
3. The woman who gets married is the: B D
3 5 13

4. The man who gets married is the: B D M

3 5 13 7 3 14 14

5. They usually get married in a: --

10 11 9 3 10 11

6. They are married in church by a: --- ---

1 3 5 13 8 4

7. Everybody hopes the couple will be: Y

11 2 1 1

8. But sometimes marriages end in: D V

5 14 3 10 13

9. Romeo and Juliet will marry: _ _ _ _ _ _ L Y

8 13 10 3 13 4

10. Sometimes people have a broken: _ _ _ _

11 13 2 3 4
11. Romeo and Juliet were in: L V
14 13
12. They fell in love at first: ___ G
8 5 11 4
13. Rosaline was Romeo's first: G L P D
5 3 3 5 13 6

Do you understand Juliet's words'! If not, ask your teacher or a friend who
knows good English to explain them to you.

36
 A C T I V I T I E s

T: GRADE 6

El TOPIC - CLOTHES AND CELEBRATIONS

Bring a photograph or some pictures of a wedding in your country.
Talk to the class and include information on the following:

a. What dothes did the bride and bridegroom wear?

b. What did other people wear?
c. What fuud and drink did you have?
d. What was the music and atmosphere like?

The Party
PETII There are seven questions in this exercise. For each question there are three
~ pictures. As you listen to the recording choose the correct picture and tick
(✓) in the box below it.

Example: Where is the speaker standing?

1. Where is Lord Capulet standing?

~--~
i
l
'

\ I
' :
1I
I
'----=;:c......_ _ j

ffil□

37
 A C T I V T I E s

2. Who have just arrived at the party?

l fi
l
I
l A.=-1"~~~
!ID□
3. Where is Juliet?
,-·-
!
. ___]
~----J
-- ·---· · - · -r
• II
i
l

[cJ□

4, What is the Nurse looking at?

[90
5. How many servants are there?
 A C T I V I T I E s

6. Who is on the balcony?

'
D
-- - --~ l..........____
r ------ \
l,____ ._ ______ - ··--· ____
I
__J
oo□ [gLJ
7. Which of these is not at the party?

[90

8. What is the reporter's question?

9. What is the correct answer? You can check your answer on page gg_

II Romeo saw Juliet at the party and spoke to her in the garden.
Write the note which Romeo sends to Juliet next day. In the note, you should

• tell Juliet how much you love her

• tell her why you love her - because she's beautiful etc.
• arrange to meet her again

Write 35 - 45 words.

39
 A C T I V I T I E s

£1 An English friend of yours called Tom likes Shakespeare very much. You
want to invite him to a performance of Romeo and Juliet.
Write a card to Tom. In lhe card, you should

• invite him to come to the theatre

• tell him the date and time of the performance
• ask him to let you know if he wants to come

Write 35 - 45 words.

P ET II At the time of Romeo and Juliet, women did not have the opportunity of a
career, so several of Juliet's friends are looking for men to marry.
On the opposite page there are some descriptions of single men.
Decide which man (A-H) would be the most suitable for each woman (1-5).
For each of these numbers write the correct letter.

1. LJ Mariana doesn't care whether her husband is handsome or rich.

For her, the most important thing is to have a good family life.
She enjoys cooking and looking after a household.

2. D Silvia enjoys going to parties. She thinks it is important to impress

her friends who are all very fashionable and sophisticated. She likes
wearing expensive jewels and clothes.

3. D Daniela is young and beautiful. She thinks that money is the most
important thing in life. She loves gold more than people. But she
cannot stand the thought of an old husband.

4. D Francesca wants to be a nun but her parents insist that she marries.
She wimts A lot of time to herself for meditation and reading the Bible.
Shfl is afraid that she will be too busy for this if she is a wife.

5. LJ Claudia has read a lot of romances. Her idefl of a perfect husband is a

man who adores his wife. She wants a man who will be her slave.

40
 A C T I V I T I E s

SINGLE MEN FROM VERONA

A Vincenzo has a great deal of gold and silver which he keeps in a secret
place. People call him an old miser. He has decided to get married hecause
he wants a young bride.

B Benedict has a lot of important friends and gets lols of invitations. He is

very handsome and wears expensive clothes. He is looking for a wife who
will not let him down when they are oul together in society.

C His friends laugh at Dario because he treats women like goddesses. He

believes that a man should serve his wife and try to fulfil all her dreams.
He is young handsome and well-educated.

D Paolo is a merchant who travels a great deal, so he is often away from

home. He has enough servants, cooks and gardeners to look after
everything in his house. His friends say that his wife will have nothing to
do except wait for Paolo to come back from a journey.

E Carlo is not rich or handsome but he will make a very loving husband. He
wants a wife who will slay al home and look after him. He does not want
any children as he thinks his wife will pay him less attention if she
becomes a mother.

F Rodrigo has always wanted to have a lot of children. He is only rich

enough to have one servant, so he needs a wife who can help him care for
his household. His female friends think that he is handsome but he says
they are all too fond of pleasure lo make a good wife for him.

G Inigo is very romantic. He showers his girlfriends with roses and hires
musicians to serenade them at night. However, if he gets married, it is
likely he will get bored with his wife and continue to flirt with the most
heautifnl women in Verona.

H Stefano is young and himdsome. He has no money at the moment but his
father is one of the richest men in Verona. The doctors expect his father to
die soon, so Stefano, his only son, will inherit all his gold and property.

41
 A wa~ through Verona
Verona was born a very long
time ago. In the year I 00 AD it
was already an important part of
the Roman Empire. It became an
important commercial, cultural
and artistic centre because of its
strategic location. It was located
at the crossroads of three
important Roman roads.
Verona was built according to
the typical Roman city plan. The
Forum was always the civic,
political and religious centre of
a Roman city. Jn the medieval
days, when Romeo and Juliet
lived in Verona, the Forum had
become Piazza Erbe. Piazza
Erbe was, and still is, the heart
of the city centre.
The powerful Scaligeri family
ruled Verona for more than a
century, from 1259 to 1387. The famous ' Juliet's Balcony' in Verona.

Cangrande I della Scala was responsible for the

great cultural and artistic development of Verona.
The symbol of the Scaligeri was a ladder, as in the
surname 'della Scala'. This symbol is still visible on
many monuments.
During the Renaissance, the important families of
Verona decorated the outside walls of their
splendid homes and palaces with enormous paintings, called frescos. These
families loved their city and wanted to make it as beautiful as possible.

42
 A map of the historical sites of Verona.

The Church of San Zeno, a splendid example of Romanesque architecture,

was part of Romeo and Juliet's time. The huge Roman Amphitheatre, called
the Arena, still remains in its original site. The medieval city grew around
Piazza Erbe and the Arena.
Romeo and Juliet lived in the medieval centre of the city, near the Adige
River. Juliet's house was in Via Cappello, a very busy street of medieval
Verona. Lots of hat-makers and wine cask-makers 1 had their shops there.
The famous balcony, where she and Romeo met at night, is in the courtyard
of her home.
Romeo's house was behind the Scaligeri tombs, not far from Juliet's house.
Another important part of medieval Verona was the beautiful convent of the

1. wine cask-makers : people who m~ke. wine casks.

43
 Franciscan Friars, where Romeo
and Juliet were secretly married.
Juliet's tomb is in the crypt of the
convent. Through the centuries,
innumerable visitors such as
Empress Maria Teresa of Austria,
Charles Dickens and Lord Byron,
have visited Juliet's tomb. People
from all over the world, young and
old, continue to visit Juliet's home,
her tomb and her splendid city.

Juliet ·s Jomh in the crypt of the

Franciscan convelll.

A view of Verona from the River Adige.

44
PET D Read the text and the questions below. For each question, choose the
co1-rect answer, A, B, C or D.

1. Verona became an important commercial, cultural and artistic centre

because
A D it was part of the Roman Empire
B D it won many wars
C D of its slrategic location
DD it was connected by road Lo lhree other cities

2. According to the typical Roman city plan, the Forum was

AD an area for theatre and dance
BD lhe civic, political and religious centre
CD the main wall of the city
DD the main market place

3. Piazza Erbe is
A □ the heart of the dty centre
B LJ the religious centre of Verona
C LJ where Romeo and Juliet met
D LJ where Romeo and Juliet lived

4. Cangrande della Scala I, of the Scaligcri family,

A O was a bishop of the Church of Sau Zeno
B D was responsible for the grnat development of Verona
C D was a crmil Roman ruler
DD the ruler of Verona at the time of Shakespeare

5. Juliet's house was

A D in Via dellc Arche Scaligere
B D near the Church of San Zeno
C D in Via Cappello
D D in an unknown location

6. Romeo and Juliet were secretly married

A D in the Church of San Zeno
B D in the convent of the Franciscan Friars
C D in Piazza Erbe
D D in a convent in a nearby city

+5
 PART THREE

THE PRINCE
OF CATS

omeo went to see Friar 1 Laurence, his friend and

teacher. The sun was rising 2 and it was a beautiful
morning. The Friar was working in his garden. He
was an expert gardener who knew all the plants
the poisonous 3 ones, the medicinal ones, the good and the bad ones.
'Friar,' said Romeo, 'I want to get married.'
'To Rosaline?' asked the Friar.
'No, I have forgotten Rosaline. She is nothing to me. I love Juliet
and she loves me. You must help us. We want to get married today.'
'What? I see that young men's love is not in their hearts but in their
eyes!'

2. rising: coming up (to rise-rose-risen) ,

3. poisonous : it will kill you if you eat it.

46
 PART THREE

'But Friar, you often told

me that I was foolish to
love Rosaline. Juliet is my
true love.'
'Well, perhaps your
marriage will make
the Capulets and the
Montagues friends. It is a
good thing for Verona. I
will help you.'
Benvolio and Mercutio
were looking for Romeo in
the streets of Verona.
'Poor Romeo,' said
Benvolio. 'His heart is
broken. Rosaline does not
love him.'
'That's not his only
problem,' replied Mercutio.
'Tybalt has challenged 1
him. He has sent a letter to
his house. He wants to
fight him.'
'But Tybalt is dangerous.'
'Yes. Tybalt is the
Prince of Cats. He is an
artist with his sword. 2

Romeo is a lamb. 3 He will I

i
die.'
i
j_ _.._________ __, --·-- --··--•"· ·-·-- ----- _J

1. challenged: invited to fight.

2. an artist with his sword : he fights very well.
3. a lamb:~ yo11JJg sheep, an innocent person.

47
 ROMEO AND JU Ll ET

'Here comes Ro1neo.'

'He is already dead. Rosaline has killed him with her cold eye! To
him, she is more beautiful than Cleopatra. She is the most beautiful
woman that ever lived. Lovers are fools!'
Mercutio called to Romeo. 'Where did you go last night after the
party? You ran away from us.'
'Excuse me. I was busy.•
'Busy with Rosaline, eh? Forget love, Romeo. Remember your
friends. Friendship is more important than love.'
'But look,' said Mercutio, 'here comes a fat old woman.'
It was the Nurse. Juliet had sent her to find Romeo. 'I
must speak alone with you, sir,' she said.
Mercutio laughed. 'Is this your new
girlfriend?' he asked.
'Go away,' said Romeo.
'Now, Nurse, what do
you want'!'
'First of all,
I want you to promise
that you will be kind to
Juliet. She is very young.
You must not hurt her.'
'I love her.'
'Then what do you
want me to tell her?'
'Tell Juliet to come
to Friar Laurence's

( cell 1 this afternoon.

We will get married
there.'

1. cell: the place where a friar lives.

48
 PART THREE

'I love Juliet, sir. I remember when she was a little child. Look after her
when you are her husband.'
The Nurse went back to Juliet who was waiting anxiously. She told
her the news. 'Tell your parents that you are going to pray,' 1 said the
Nurse. 'Then go to see Friar Laurence.'
The two lovers got ready 2 for their secret wedding.
In the afternoon, the sun was shining. Romeo went secretly to Friar
Laurence's cell.
'The day is bright,' said the Friar. 'It is a sign that the future will be
happy.'
'I do not care 3 if I die tomorrow. It is enough that Juliet is mine.'
'Don't be so passionate. It is better to love moderately. Then love
will last 4 longer.'
At last Juliet arrived. She was very
nervous. So was Romeo. They were very
young but very much in love. Friar
Laurence was like a father to them. He
took them into his cell and they were
married.
Meanwhile, Benvolio and Mercutio
were walking in the streets of Verona. 'Let's
go home,' said Benvolio. 'The Capulets am out in the streets. If we
meet them, we will have to fight. In this hot weather, young men do
mad things.'
'Don't worry. We are safe.'
'Here come the Capulets. Tybalt is there!'
'The Prince of Cats. I am not afraid.'

1. pray: speak to God.

2. got ready : preparnd themselves.
3. I do nol care : il is nol important lo mo.
4. last : endure, continue.

49
 ROMEO AND JULIET

Tybalt approached Mercutio. 'I want to speak with you.'

'Do you want to speak or to fight'?'
'You are not a Montague but a friend of Romeo. That makes you my
enemy.'
'Be careful,' said Benvolio. 'We are in the public streets. If you
fight, the Prince will be angry.'
At that moment, Romeo came back from his secret wedding.
'Fight, you villain!' shouted Tybalt.
Romeo did not want to fight because Tybalt was Juliet's cousin. 'I
am not a villain. But I will not fight with you.'
Mercutio was angry because he thought that Romeo was a coward. 1

He took out his own sword.

'What do you want?' asked
Tybalt.
'I want one of your
nine lives, Prince of
Cats! '
'I will fight you
as Romeo is too
afraid to fight,'
agreed Tybalt.
Romeo came
between Mercutio and
Tybalt as they began to
fight. 'Stop fighting.
The Prince will be
angry. He will punish
you. Stop fighting!
Stop, Tybalt! Stop,
I good Mercutio!'

I shouted Romeo.

1. r.oward : so01eone who is afraid.

50
 PART THREE

But Tybalt took the opportunity to kill Mercutio. The sword passed
under Romeo's arm as he stood between them. Then Tybalt ran
quickly away.
Mercutio groaned. 1 'Aaaaagh! I am hurt. I am dying. Romeo, this
quarrel 2 between your families has killed me.'
'Are you badly hurt'?' asked Romeo.
'A scratch, 3 a scratch. It's enough. Bring me a doctor.'
'Be brave, Mercutio. It cannot be so bad.'
'Look for me tomorrow in my grave. 4 The Prince of Cats has killed
me. Why did you come between us?'
'I wanted to help .. .'
Mercutio fell to the ground and died. It was Romeo's fault. 5 His
friend was dead.

1. groaned : criod with pain.

2. quarrel : argumont, fighL
3. scratch, a small wound; a cat can scratch you.
4. grave : the place for a dead person under the ground.
5. fault : mistake, responsibility.

51
 A C T I V I T I E s

Comprehension and Opinion

D What happened in Pact Three?
a. Why did Friar Laurence agree to help Romeo?
b. Who was the Prince of Cats?
c. What did Romeo tell the Nurse?
d. What happened at Friar Laurence's cell?
e. Why did Romeo refuse to fight Tybalt?
f. What was the result of the fight?

What do you think?

Mercutio said: 'Lovers are fools!' Do you agree?
Was Romeo responsible for his friend's dFJath?

Animals and Character

II Men;utiu i;alls Tybalt 'the Prince of Cats' meaning that he is dangerous. He
calls Romeo a 'lamb' meaning that he is gentle and innocent,
We often use animals when we ace describing somebody figuratively.
Here are the names of sume other creatures:

dog donkey fox horse lion mouse owl pig swan

Fill in the gaps below with the most suitable word from the list. Use one
animal name twice.
He/She is
a. as brave as a ................................................................ .
b. as dirty as a ................................................................ .
c. as strong as a .............................................................. .
d. as timid as a ................................................................ .
e. as stupid as a .............................................................. .

52
 A C T I V I T I E s

f. as clever as a ............................................................... .
g. as faithful as a ............................................................ .
h. as ,,vise as an ............................................................... .
i. as greedy as a .............................................................. .
j. as beautiful as a .......................................................... .

The Present Perfect

Do you remember these sentences?

The Montagucs and the Capulet.~ have hated each other for hundreds of years.
Mercutio and Benvolio haven't seen Romeo since the party.

The verbs are in the Present Perfect tense. We use this tense when we are
talking about a period of time between the PAST and NOW. We often use it
with for ... or since ...
For example: He has lived in Rome for sixteen years.
She has lived in Vienna since 1994.

P E T EI Here are some sentences about the characters in the story,

For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same
as the first, using no more than three words.
Write the missing words in the gap.

Example: I hegan to love Juliet when I first saw her.

I've . !?.Y.f':0.. ~!,!\i_~f:.:':1.t:1.l?~.... I first saw her.

1. Romeo hegan to he sari when he fell in love with RosalinP..

Romeo has ..................................................... he fell in love with Rosaline.
2. How long ago did Juliet meet RomP.o?
How long ...................................................... Romeo? (USP. a form of know)
3. Juliet met Romeo twenty-four hours ago.
Juliet has ....................................................................... twenty-four hours.
4. When did they begin to fight the Montagues?
How long ............................................................................ the Montagues?
5. They began to fight them hundreds of years ago.
They have .................................. .................................... hundreds of years.

53
 A C T I V I T I E s

6. The Friar came here to live five years ago.

The Friar has .............................................................................. five years.
7. The Nurse began to tend Juliet when she was a baby.
The Nurse has .................................................................... she was a baby.
8. The Nurse began to work for the Capulets at 15 years old.
The Nurse has worked for the Capulets .................................. 15 years old.

The Nurse and Juliet

'8) IJ You will hear a conversation between Juliet and the Nurse. The Nurse has
returned from the city where she has seen Romeo. Juliet wants to know the
news but the Nurse makes her wait. Listen carefully. Complete Juliet's
questions.

Juliet: Where 1 .............................................................. '{

Why 2 .............................................................. ? Ah. she"s hara.
Have 3 .............................................................. ?
Nurse: I am very tired. I have run from the town. My bones 1 ache. z
Juliet: What 4 .............................................................. ?
Nurse: Well, I have seen Romeo. He is handsome, young and polite. But
have you had dinner yet?
Juliet: Nurse, don't ask stupid questions.
Whats .............................................................. ?
Nurse: My head aches. I am very tired.
Juliet: I am sorry for you.
But sweet Nurse, what r, .............................................................. ?
Nurse: He says ... Where is your mother?
Juliet: She's in the house. But please be quick.
Is 7 .............................................................. ?
Nurse: Don't be angry. I have run all over the city for you. Next time, go
and ask Romeo yourself.
Juliet: Sweet Nurse, please tell me.
Did H.............................................................. '/
Nurse: He wants to marry you at Friar Laurence's cell this afternoon.
Juliet: Aaah! Thank you, Nurse.

1. bones: parts of the skeleton. 2. ache : hurl, cause pain.

54
 A C T I V I T I E s

El Look at these pictures. They tell the story of Parts One, Two and Three of Romeo
and Juliet.

1. fight 2. tell

3. decide
4. go

5. see 6. kiss

55
A C T V I T I E 8

7. jump s. talk

9. meet 10. get married

11, fight 12. die

56
 A C T I V I T I E s

What are the Past Simple forms of the verbs below the pictures?

1. fight .fR!-!1~t ....... 7. jump

z. tell ··••+••······ ······ 8, talk

3. decide ••••••••••••••••••• 9, meet
4. go 10. get
5. see 11. fight
6. kiss 12. die

Now write your summary of the action. Put the verbs in the past tense and
use the linking words to join some of them.
Begin:

The Mont;;igues ;;ind the C;;ipulets hated each other.

One day they fought in the streets.. .

But then 2 . ........................................................................... Later,

3 . ...................................................................................................
4 . ................................................................................................. .
At the party, 5 ...............................................................................
and 6 . .......................................................................................... .
After the party, 7 ......................, ....................................................
8. .. ......................................................................... .and, next day,
9 . ................................................................................................. .
In the afternoon, 10. .................................................................... .
But in the city streets, 11. . .......................................................... ..
12 . ......... ...................................................................................... .

57
 PART FOUR

FORTUNE'S FOOL 1

t that moment, Tybalt returned.

'Boy!' shouted Tybalt. 'You came here with Mercutio
and you will die as he did!'
Romeo wos so angry that he lost control. He took out
his sword and fought with Tybalt. He killed him.
'He killed my friend. Now he is dead. He is with Mercutio. Juliet,
your love made me a coward but now I am brave.'
Benvolio took his arm. 'Romeo, you must escape. The people are
coming. The Prince will punish you with death.' 2

'Oh, I am Fortune's fool!' With those words, Romeo ran away.

Soon, the citizens arrived, followed by the Prince. They saw
Mercutio and Tybalt lying dead on the ground.

1. Fortune's Fool: the victim of bad luck, of Fate.

2, punish you with death : Benvolio thinks the Prince will kill Romeo because he has killed
Tyhalt.

58
 ROMEO AND JULIET

'Where are the people who began this fight?' asked the Prince
angrily.
'I can tell you the complete story,' promised Benvolio.
'Oh Tyhal tr' s<.;reamed 1 Lady
Capulet. 'My brother's child. He has
been murdered. A Montague must
die for this.'
'Romeo wanted to stop the
fight.' explained Benvolio.
'But Tybalt killed Mercutio.
Then Romeo killed Tybalt.'
'He is lying!' 2 said Lady
Capulet. 'He is a Montague.
Romeo killed Tybalt. So
Romeo must not live.'
'Romeo killed Tybalt. But
Tybalt. killed Mercutio,' said
the Prince.
'Mercutio was Romeo's
friend,' agreed Lord
Montague. 'Romeo was right to
kill his friend's killer.'
The Prince spoke seriously. 'No! It is
wrong to kill. We banish 3 Romeo from Verona! If I find him in the
city, he will die! We must not show mercy 4 to murderers.'
Those were the Prince's final words. Romeo had to leave Verona
and never return.
Juliet was waiting for Romeo, her new husband. She wanted the
night to come quickly so that they could be together. But when the
Nurse arrived, she brought bad news.

1. screamed : shouted in a high voice. 3. banish : ,.,nd away from the city, exile.
2. lying : not telling the truth. 4. mercy: pity, forgiveness.

60
 PART FOUR

'He is dead!'
'Who is dead?'
'l saw the body with my own eyes. He is dead.'
'What? Is Romeo dead?'
'No, Tybalt is dead. Romeo has killed him. Romeo is banished, he
must leave Verona.'
'Did Romeo kill my cousin? He is a villain. But 1 love him.'
Juliet was very unhappy. 'Your father and mother are crying for
Tybalt,' the Nurse told her.
'I will cry for him too,' said
Juliet. 'But I will cry longer for
Romeo. I will never see him
again. l will kill myself.'
'No,' said the Nurse. 'Romeo
is hiding 1 with Friar
Laurence. l will bring him to
you.'
'Yes, Nurse, bring him to
me quickly. Give him this ring.
He must come and say his last
goodbye.'
Romeo was talking to Friar
Laurence. 'Everything is
finished. I must leave Verona
and never see Juliet again.
Even a cal. or a dog or a
mouse may look at Juliet. But I
cannot. Give me poi son or a knife
to kill myself.'
'You are mad. The Prince has shown mercy. He lets you live.'
'You are old, Friar. But I am young and in love. I want to die.'

1. hiding : staying in a secret place.

61
 ""
.--------.,l';:,.. ROMEO AND JU L1 ET

'No, be brave. You must go to Mantua. You will be safe there. I will
send you news about Juliet. One day, you will be together again. But
here is the Nurse.'
'How is Juliet?' Romeo asked her immediately.
'She cries and cries. First, she calls out Tybalt's name, then she
calls for Romeo. Then she falls on her bed.'
'Tonight, go with the Nurse,' said the Friar. 'See Juliet for the last
time.'
Romeo went back to the house of the
Capulets. The Nurse took him into the
garden. Nobody saw them.
'Here is a ladder,' 1 she said.
'Climb 2 up and go through the
window.'
So Romeo spent his marriage night
with Juliet.

Downstairs, in the house of the

Capulets, Lord and Lady Capulet were
talking. Lord Paris was with them.
'I will talk to Juliet. She will marry you
next Wednesday ... '
'That's too soon,' said Lady Capulet.
'On Thursday then. Tybalt is dead. There
must be something good for the Capulet
family - Juliet's wedding! I am her father.
She will rlo as I say.'
Paris was very happy because he loved
Juliet. Lord Capulet told his wifo to see Juliet

2. climb : go up.

62
 PART FOUR

in the morning. She must prepare for her marriage. Her parents did
not know that Juliet was already married to Romeo, the killer of her
cousin Tybalt.
'I wish it was Thursday tomorrow,' said Paris.
'Well, goodbye until then,' said Lord Capulet. 'On Thursday, my
daughter will marry you. I promise.'
In the morning, Romeo left Juliet. He had to escape to Mantua
before the Prince found him.
'Must you go?' asked Juliet. 'It is still night. The nightingale 1 is
singing, not the lark.' 2

'Look at the sky. The sun is rising. But I want to stay.'

'Go. It is dangerous for you here. But I want you to stay. Goodbye,
sweet Romeo. Will I ever see you again'?'
'Goodbye. I will think of you every second of the day.'
They kissed. Then Romeo climbed down the ladder.
'I can see only bad luck in the future,' said Juliet. 'I seem to see you
dead.'
'Our sadness makes us think in this way. I will write every day.
Goodbye.'
'Please, God, send him back to me again.'

1. the nightinga]e ; a night bird.

2. the lark: a morning bird.

63
 A C T I V I T I E s

Comprehension and Opinion

a What happened in Part Four?

a, Why did Romeo fight with Tybalt?

b. What did the Prince decide?
c. Did Juliet hate Romeo for killing Tybalt?
d. Where rlid Romeo have to go?
e. Why was Paris happy?
f. Why was Juliet sad?

What do you think?

Was Romeo right to kill Tybalt? What should Juliet do?

Word Formation
l'J Look at these words:
lucky luckier luckiest luckily unluckily
unlucky unluckier unluckiest luck

All these words come from the word 'luck'. Put one suitable word from the list in
each gap in the sentences below. You can use the same word more than once.

a. Romeo and Juliet are the .................................................. lovers in history.

b. Mercutio had very bad ............................................................................... .
c. .. ................................................................. , the Prince did not find Romeo.
d. If Romeo has good ................................................ , he will see Juliet again.
e. Romeo is not very ...................................................................................... .
f, It was ...................................................... that Romeo and Juliet came from
families which were enemies.
g. During their fight, Tybslt was ............................................. than Mercutio.
h. .. ..................................................... , Tybalt recognised Romeo at the party.
i. Before he left, Benvolio said, 'Good ......................................... .' to Romeo.
j. 'l will be the .................................................................... man in the world
if you marry me,' said Romeo.

64
 A C T I V I T I E s

How many words can you make from:

fortune succeed fail die friend love marry

T: GRADE5

II TOPIC - CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS

Bring an object to class that you carry with you to bring good luck.
Think about the following questions;

a. When and where did you get the lucky charm from?
b. Has it brought you luck yet? When?
c. What uth~r things in your country arc considered lucky and unlucky'(
d. Think about a wedding, what things arc considered lucky and unlucky?

Already, Still and Yet

IJ Louk at thi::se s1::nten1.:es aboul the slory:
Juliet has already married Romeo.
Lord Capulet still wants Paris to marry Juliet.
Romeo hasn't gone to Mantua yet.

Here are some short stories. Put already or yet or still in the gaps in the
stories.

a. Susan expects to marry David. She has ...................... bought a wedding

dress and invited a hundred guests. But David ...................... loves his old
girlfriend, Julia. He hasn't forgotten her ...................... .
b. It is ...................... January but Bill has ...................... sent a Valentine's
card to his sweetheart, Rose. She hasn't sent him his Christmas present
...................... for last year. But he ...................... loves her.
c. Simon loves eating Italian food. This morning, he has ...................... eaten
three dishes of pasta. He is ...................... hungry. 'Haven't you cooked
dinner ...................... ?' he asks his mother. 'No, I'm ...................... washing
the rlishes,' she answers.
d. Ben is going on holiday to Verona. He has ...................... been there six
times. He loves the city because it is the city of Romeo and Juliet. 'Their
ghosts hiwen't gone away ...................... ,' he believes. 'They arc
...................... talking together in the moonlit garden.'

65
 A C T I V I T I E s

Four Zodiac Signs

P E T EJ You will hear someone talking about horoscopes. For each question, put a
tick {✓) in the correct box.

1. Capricorns will A □ be very successful in love.

B □ fall in love.
C □ travel to interesting places in this
country.

2. Cancers will have A □ a similar social life to Capricorns.

B □ a worse social life than Capricorns.
C
'
_J a much better social life than
Capricorns.

3. For Leos, it will be a A □ love and social Life.

good year for B □ work and travel.
C u love and health.
4. There will be broken A □ for Librans born after the new moon.
hearts B LJ for all Librans.
C LJ for some Librans.

5. In gfmeral, Librans may A □ a bad year.

well have B □ a good year.
C □ a bad first half of the year.

6. The horoscopes include A □ marriage, social life and travel.

predictions about B □ work, love and money.
C □ work, love and social life.

66
 A C T I V I T I E s

PETl!I This is part of a letter you have received from an English penfriend.

~owr lAst le-He:,; ~01,1 .s.i.id. -tit.At ~01,1 kAl!l kAd. A l1,,1ck0 ,0eM.
l11.
i7leA.se tell w..e All Abo1,1{; ~01A¥' ~ood. l1,,ck M:d -tiw..e ~DIA v,it"i-te.

Now you are replying to this letter.

Write your letter in about 100 words.

a Someone has asked you to write a short article for a student magazine about
superstitions in your country.
Your article must begin with this sentence:

l1-1.. 1M.,.0 c:o1,11t-tv:0 tke,,,re Me. sol1-ll -tki~s -tkAt pe.ople, -tki11.k A,,re luck0

AM otkeys vuk(ck -tke~ -tkii,1.k At'e. 1,111.lr,.ck-0 .

Write your article in about 100 words.

67
 Life in Renaissance Verona
During the Renaissance, social class and dress were closely related. Rich
families had beautiful clothes made for them. Silk, satin, brocade, gold, and
precious jewels were used for the clothes of important men, women and
children.
Wealthy men and boys wore
coloured leggings 1 and elaborate
shirts, jackets and mantles. They
also wore hats with coloured
feathers. Often, the colours of the
clothes were those of the family
coat of arms. 2
Young girls and women of rich
families wore dresses that were
very ornamental. These dresses
were decorated with precious
stones, pearls, gold and silver
threads. It usually took many
years to make a dress! Several
servants and tailors worked on
only one dress.
The poor dressed with simple
clothes of wool or cotton, with
no decoration.
Young boys and men wore a
dagger 3 on their belt for
protection. Some also carried a
sword. Family feuds 4 were
common in those days, and there
were often street fights. Alessandro Farnese (c. l 56 I) by Sofonisha Anguissola.

L legg>"8• • f .. 3, dagger: ~

2. r:nat nf arms : 11 4. feuds: hatred or violenr.P. whir.h continues over a

long period of time, lrntwP.P.n people or families.

68
A horse was a status symbol. Only the members of important families rode a
horse. The others went on foot.
The upper classes often gave costume balls in the dance halls of their enormous
homes and palaces. Only those who were invited could go to the ball.
Things have certainly changed in our times. Men and women, rich and poor,
usually dress in a similar way. Many clothes are unisex. We don't have our
clothes made by hand. We buy them in shops.

Portrait of a yowig ~•oman: Antea (second half of Lhe 16th century)

by Pannigianino.

69
Today we don't carry daggers or swords. Most young people have a means of
transportation - either a bicycle, a scooter, a motorbike or a car. We don't
need a special invitation to go dancing. We simply go to a disco, whenever
we want.
However, one habit has remained the same: the late afternoon walk in lhe
main road or square. Just as Romeo and his friends met in the main square of
Verona, our young people do the same. They meet, take a walk and talk in the
main road or square of their city or town.

P ET
a For each question, mark the letter next to the correct answer.

1. During the Renaissance, clothes often indicated all of these except:

A D social class.
B D wealth.
C D marriage status: single or married.
D ~ family.

2. What did rich men and boys often wear'?

A D The same kind of clothes as women.
B D Fleautiful, el11horate clothes.
C n Hats made of feathers.
D D C::oats of arms.

3. It is not true that normally

A D it took years to make a drnss.
B D it took many people to make a dress.
C D dresses had a lot of expensive decoration.
D D dresses were made of wool or cotton.

70
 4. What did all men and boys do?

A ~ They carried swords and daggers.

B ::J They carried daggers.
C D They carried daggers and rode horses.
D D They gave costume balls in their dance halls.

5. Which of the following is the best description of the whole text'!

A D Information about the way that people lived in Renaissance
Verona.
B D A comparison of life in Renaissance Verona and now.
C D A description of people's clothes in Renaissance Verona.
D LJ Information about the different classes in Renaissance Verona.

Word Puzzle
El Find the wurd in the text to match these descriptions:
a. a soft, shiny cloth : _ _ _ _
b. a precious stone : _ _ _ __
c. a person who makes clothes :
d. a type of knife: _ _ _ _
e, a big, formal dance : _ _ _ _

f. an old means of transportation : _

g. clothes that both men and women wear: _ _ _

71
 PART FIVE

MY LADY'S DEAD!

arly next morning, Lady Capulet visited Juliet in her

bedroom. 'Daughter, are you awake?'
'It is very early. I am not well,' answered Juliet.
'Are you still crying for your cousin Tybalt? It is good
to cry. But now it is time to stop.'
'Let me cry more for my poor cousin.'
'Well, really you should cry because Romeo, his killer, is still
alive.'
'Yes, mother. I wish I could see Romeo now and ... kill him.'
'I will send a servant to Mantua to poison him,' promised Lady
Capulet. 'He will not live long. But Juliet, I have good news for you.
You will get married to Paris early next Thursday morning. Then you
will be happy.'
'No, mother. It is impossible. I don't want to get married so soon.
Tell my father this. As you know, I hate Romeo. He has killed my

72
 PA!Z'T' FIVE
f --------.

cousin. But I'd rather t r·--··---··-·--·----------------·-------...-----"----.

marry Romeo than Paris.' II
'Here comes your
father. Tell him yourself.'
'What?' said Lord
Capulet. 'Are you still
crying'? Wife, have you
told her the news?'
'Yes. The little fool
thanks you but she won't
marry Paris.'
Lord Capulet was very
angry. 'Lord Paris i.s a
very fine gentleman. This
is a great opportunity.'
'Thank you, father, hut
I will not marry him.'
'Arn you too proud 2 to
marry him? Put on a
wedding dress next
Thursday and go with
Paris to the church. If
you don't, I'll pull you
there by the hair.'
'Good father, listen to
me.'
'Don't argue~ with me.
Go to the church next
Thursday. I'm glad we
have no more children
like this.'

1. I'd rather : I would prefer to.

2. are you too proud: (here) do you think you are too superior·!
~. argue : disagree.

73
- - - - - - -~ ROMEO AND JULIET

'Please don't be angry with my little Juliet, sir,' said the Nurse.
'Shut up, you fat old fool!'
'Be calm,' Lady Capulet told him.
'I have decided. If you don't obey me, 1 I will throw
you out in the street.'
When her parents had gone, Juliet asked the
Nurse for advice. 2

'I already have a husband that I love. What

should I do?'
'Well, Romeo is not here. Paris is a fine
gentleman, it's true. He is more handsome than
Romeo. Forget Romeo and marry Paris.'
'Do you speak from your heart?'
'Of course,' said the Nurse.
Juliet realised that she could not trust 3 the Nurse.
She went to Friar Laurence to ask his advice.
The Friar was very worried. Paris was talking to him
and had told him that he would marry Juliet.
'Does she love you?' asked the Friar.
'I don't know. We haven't talked about love because
she is weeping 4 for her cousin's death. But our marriage
will make her happy again.'
'But look, here comes Juliet.'
'Welcome, my lady and my wife,' said Paris. 'Have you come to tell
the Friar that you love me?'
'I cannot answer that,' said Juliet. 'But please, let me talk to the
Friar privately.'
When they were alone, the Friar told Juliet to be happy. 'If you are
brave enough, I have a plan that will help you and Romeo. You will be
together again.'
'What must J do? I will rlo anything for Romeo, my husband.'
'Go home and agree to marry Paris.'

1. obey me : follow my instructions. ~- trust: hP.!iP.VH in, hP. friHndly with.

do as r say. 4. weeping : crying.
2. advice: help, guidancP..

74
 PART FIVE

'No! 1 cannot.'
'Listen carefully. On Wednesday night, go to your bedroom alone. Take
this bottle and drink the liquid. It is a special potion. 1 You will sleep for
forty-two hours. Your family will think that you are dead. They will carry
you to the tomb 2 of the Capulets. Meanwhile, I will send a message to
Romeo. He will come secretly to the tomh. When you wake up, you can
escape together. Are you brave enough to do this, Juliet?'
'Give me the bottle, Friar. Love will give me strength.'
Juliet went home. Lord and Lady Capulet were very happy when
she told them that she had met Paris at Friar Laurence's cell and that
she would marry him.
'Now I am going to my room to pray. Do not come with me , Nurse, I
want to be alone.'
In her room, Juliet looked at the bottle of mysterious liquid which
Friar Laurence had given her.
'I am afraid. Perhaps it is poison. Or perhaps I will wake in the
tomb and Romeo will not be there. I will be alone
in the middle of all the dead bodies with my
dead cousin, Tybalt. It will be terrible.'
Bravely, 3 Juliet picked up the
bottle and raised it to her lips.

1. potion : a drink with a special effect.

2. tomb : a place to put dearl people. 3. Bravely: courageously.

75
~ - - - - - -~ ROM CO AND JULIET

'Romeo, Romeo, I drink to you!'

She drank. She fe11 on the bed and slept.
The next morning, it was Thursday. The Nurse came
to wake her up for her marriage. 'You lazy girl ,' she
said. 'You mustn't lie in bed on your wedding day ...
Help! Help! My lady's dead!'
Lord and Lady Capulet ran to their
daughter's room.
'She's dead, she's dead, she's dead,'
cried Lady Capulet.
'Her body is cold. I cannot
speak,' said Lord Capulet.
At that moment, Paris and Friar
Laurence entered the house. 'Is
Juliet ready to go to the church?'
asked the Friar.
'Oh Paris,' said Lord Capulet, 'death has
taken your wife.'
The Nurse began to cry. '0 terrible day! 0 sad day! 0 horrible day!
There has never been such a black day. 0 sad day! 0 unhappy day!'
'Do not be sad,' said the Friar. 'Juliet is in Heaven. She is happier
there than when she was alive.'
'The wedding must become a funeral,' said Lord Capulet. 'Tell the
musicians to play sad tunes. 1 Put the wedding flowers on my
daughter's body.'
Lord and Lady Capulet took Juliet to the tomb of the Capulets. The
Nurse, Lord Paris and Friar Laurence followed her body. The Friar
was the only one who knew the secret - Juliet was alive. He was
thinking: 'I have sent Friar John to Mantua to tell Romeo to come back
to Verona. He will be here when Juliel wakes up.'

1. tunes : mu.sic

76
 A C T I V I T I E 8

Comprehension and Opinion

II What happened in Part Five?

a. What did Lady Capulet tell Juliet?
b. What did Lord Capulet say he would do to Juliet?
c. What did the Nurse tell Juliet to do?
d. How long would Juliet sleep after drinking the liquid?
e. What did Juliet say as she drank the liquid'?
f. Why had Friar John gone to Mantua'?

What do you think?

Will the Friar's plan succeed?

What will happen if Friar John
doesn't reach Mantua in time?

Past Perfect versus Past Simple

Louk at this sentence:
After Romeo hod met the servant, he went to tlie party.
There are two actions in the past - 'had met' and 'went'. We use the Past Perfect
form for the earlier action: had met and the Past Simple for the later action: went

II In each sentence below, put one of the verbs in the Past Perfect and one in
the Past Simple.

a. Romeo .................... {be) in love with Rosaline before he .................... (see)

Juliet.
b. After he .................... (hear) her speaking on her balcony, he ................ ,. ..
(know) that she loved him.

78
 A C T I V I T I E s

c. Tybalt .................... (challenge) Romeo to fight because he .................... {go)

to the Capulets' party.
d, After Tybalt .................... (kill) Mercutio, Romeo .................... (lose)
control.
e. The Prince .................... {send) Romeo away because he .................... (kill)
Tybalt.
f. Paris .................... (not know) that Juliet .................... (marry) Romeo.
g. Although the Nurse .................... (help) Romeo, later 8he .................... (tell)
Juliet to marry Paris.
h. Juliet .................... (drink) from the bottle that the Friar .................... (give]
her.
i. After she .................... (drink) the liquid, she .................... (fall) asleep.
j. The Nurse .................... (think) that Juliet was asleep but then she
.................... (think) that she was dead.

P E T IJ Louk at the text in each question. What does it say?

Mark the letter next to the correct explanation - A, B or C.

Example; NO STREET
:FIGHTS
AT ANY Tll\lE

A L] You must never fight in the streets.

B D You can fight in the streets sometimes.
C D You can fight but not in the streets.

1. POISONOUS LIQUID
KEEP AWAY
FROM CHILDREN!!!

A D Adult8 but not children may drink this.

B D Only drink this when you are far away from children.
C D You shouldn't let children have access to this liquid.

79
 A C T I V I T I E s

2. Guests for the wedding of

Juliet Capulet and Lord. Paris
should be at the church by noon.

A D No guests should arrive before noon.

8 D The wedding will start at noon or soon afterwards.
C LJ The wedding will be finished before noun.

:cs. loMt to tht e,o/JVt/lf

;.;ithi11 ~/I ho<Jt of
ru,tivi19 this MtSS~t.
A LJ You should come to the convent suo11 after you get this message.
B D You should wait for an hour before coming to the convent.
C D You can come lo the convent at any time.

4. e-mail:
To: Friar John@saintmarks
From: Friar Laurence
Cancel your journey to Padua tomorrow and
start for Mantua today to warn Romeo.

Friar John should

A LJ go to Mantua today and Padua tomorrow.
B ::J start his journey from Mantua.
C D change the date and destination of his journey.

5. l)ANGEll!t!
'flllS AREJI IS t:uts1m
1'0 'fDE PUHi.iC
FOR A'f LEAS'I' 1101Jlt WEEKS
HE(:AUSE OF 1'HE RISn (HI Pl.AGUE.

A D The area will be safe after four weeks.

B D You cannot enter this area.
C D Be careful: if you enter this area, you may catch the plague.

80
 A C T I V I T I E s

Parents and Children

D Juliet's parents wanted to make her marry Paris. What should parents
decide for their children? Fill in the table below to show what you think. Put
a cross (.X) for 'NO' and a tick (v') for 'YES'.

PARENTS SHOULD DECIDE:

age of child in years 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16

a. th e time they come home al night: □ □ □ □

b. the TV programmes they watch: LJ LJ □ □
c. the time they go to bed: LJ LJ LJ □
d. the time they spend on homework: □ □ □ □
e. where they go on holiday: □ □ □ □
f. the kind of clothes they wear: □ □ □ □
g. the friends they go out with: □ □ □ □

Discuss your answers with your classmates.

T:GHADE5

El TOPIC - ENTERTAINMENT
Bring a programme or advertisement for the cinema, television or a club that
you know.
Talk about the following:

a. Tell the class about the dub or film that you know or talk about which
programmes you like to watch on television.
b. What things do other young people like doing in their free time in your
town?
c. Do your parents tell you what you should and shouldn't do in your free
time? Give examples.

81
 A C T V I T I E 8

l!J This is part of a letter that you receive from a friend in another country.
!1t m.!3 couKh~, AK~ol'l.e 1u1.d.e'f .Z.-1 cAx't mM'f~ c,.iitkou-t -tkt A~'flt)t,ltK-t o{
hls M ku pMt.th. ~otA GAMo-t 8lt A Jv-iv11-1.8 lice.,1_ce, o'( d.v-i,1_k Alwkol
tA1-1.tll ._0ou'v-e, ,2,0. /-Ok.A-!: 'ft8kh d.o tllM8lYS kA\Jl ti\. ._001,i;r couKh-_11?

Now you are replying to this letter.

Write your letter in about 100 words.

True and False

~ IJ You will hear twelve statements about the story repeated twice. ELEVEN of them
are not completely true. For each one, write down the truth.

For example, if you hear: Romeo was Mercutio's brotlier.

write: Romeo was Mercutio's friend.
Be careful! ONE of the stutcmcnts is true.

1. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••
2. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3. ··•················••······•·························································································
4. ···············································································•··· ········ ···········--·············

S2
 A C T V I T I E s

5. ••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
6 . ......... , ...........................................................................................................
7 . .....................................................................................................................

8. ············································--·················································--·········--·········
9 . .....................................................................................................................

10.
11.
12.

The Verona Times

II This is part of a letter that Benvolio received from the editor of the Verona
Times.

/A)e /I.Aul ke.AY'A Abo1,1t tlv. Ae.AH of J1,1liet CA.p1,1 le-t. fle.Ase. su1.~ us
11 v-e.po'ft Abo1,1-t kex .J.e.A--tk.

Now you are replying to this letter. Write your letter in about 100 words.

OR The editor of the Verona Times has asked you to write a report about the
day that Mercutio and Tybalt died. Your report must begin with this sentence:

'Jkis w..oY-K.tl'l..8 -tke. uiole.K.t d.e.A-tk-'> of t~o 'fie.It ~OIA1t6 l-t-lf-11. oGW'f'ft.d. tit
<lJev-oM..A.

Write your report in about 100 words.

83
~ - - - - - - PART SJX

WITH A KISS, I DIE

omeo was in the city of

Mantua.
'I have been
dreaming about
Juliet. 1 was dead but
when she kissed me I became a king.
Even a drnam of love is sweet. This
dream has made me happy.'
At that moment, his servant
Balthasar, found him. He had come
with the latest news from Verona.
'Balthasar! What is the news from
Verona? Have you got letters from the
Friar'! How is my mother'? How is my
father? How is Juliet°!"

84
 PART SIX

His servant replied sadly. 'Juliet is dead. She lies in the tomb of the
Capulets.'
'What! Get me some horses. I will ride to Verona tonight.'
When Balthasar had gone, Romeo made his plans. 'I will go to the
tomb. I will kiss her for the last time. Then I will drink poison. If
Juliet is dead, I will die too.' He began to think carefully. 'There is an
apothecary 1 who has a shop near here. He is very poor. If I pay him
well, he will sell me some poison.'
So Romeo went to the apothecary and gave him some gold.
'Here is the poison. It is enough to kill twenty men.'

In the middle uf the night, Paris was at the tomb of the Capulets.
He had come to put flowers on Juliet's grave.
'Sweet Juliet,' said Paris, 'I will visit your grave every night and cry
for you. But someone is coming. I will hide and watch ... '
Romeo arrived at the tomb with his servant. 'Give this letter to my
father tomorrow morning, Balthasar. Now go away. Don't try to stop
me. 1 am stronger than tigers or the roaring 2 sea.'
Romeo used a strong metal bar to open the tomb. Paris was watching.
'This is Romeo, who murdered Juliet's cousin. He has come
here to damage the tomb. I will arrest him!'
Paris called to Romeo. 'You are n
Montague, the one who killed Tybalt.
You must die!'
'I do not know you,' said Romeo. 'Go
away if you want to live. Do not fight with
me. I am desperate.'
'I arrest you, murderer!' said Paris.
They began to fight.
Romeo fought like a madman. He was
stronger than Paris and killed him.

1. apothecary : a pharmacist, a person who sells medicines.

2. roaring: making a great sound. like a lion or tiger.

85
 ROMEO AND J ULlET

'Put my body with Juliet,' cried Paris as he died.

Romeo knelt down 1 to look at his face.
'It is Paris! Balthasar told me that he wanted to marry Juliet. We are
both unlucky. But where is Juliet? I must look at her beauty for the
last time.'
Romeo went inside the tomb. He saw Juliet lying there and thought
that she was dead.
'Oh my love, my wife! Death has kissed you. But you are still beautiful.
Death is jealous. He keeps 2 you here as his lover. I will
also stay here. But let me hold you in my arms. I love you.'
Romeo held Juliet. He took a cup of poison out of his
pocket and raised it to his lips.
Outside, someone was calling him: 'Romeo! Romeo!'
He kissed Juliet. 'With a kiss, I die.'

Meanwhile, Friar John had come to Friar Laurence's cell.

'Have you given my letter to Romeo, Friar John?'
'No, Friar Laurence. I did not reach ~ Mantua. There
was plague 4 in one of the villages on the road and the
soldiers did not let me pass.'
'What! This is bad news. If Juliet wakes when Romeo
is not there, she will be afraid. I must go to her.'
Friar Laurence hurried s to the tomb. He met Balthasar.
'I can see a light in the tomb. Who is looking among
the skulls 6 and the worms?' 7

'It is my master, Romeo.'

'How long has he been there'!'

1. knelt down: went down on his knees.

2. keeps : holds.
:J. Teach : arrive a.t.
4. plague : a very serious illness that spreads quickly.
S. hurried: went quir.kly.

6. skull: hard bone of the head. ~

7. worms : small animals with a long, thin body, no bones and no legs.

86
 PART SIX

'Half an hour. I was sleeping bul I dre,nnt there was a fight between
my master and another man.'
'I must go to him. Romeo! Romeo!'
But when the Friar went inside the tomb, Romeo ha<l already drunk
the poison. He was dead.
Inside tho tomb, it was cold and dark. Juliet woke up and saw the Friar.
'Where is Romeo'?' she asked.

87
 ROMEO AND JUl--i!ET

'He is dead,' replied the Friar. 'Paris is also dead. But we must go.
The Watchman 1 is coming. Come with me. I will take you to the nuns 2

who will let you live with them.'

'No, I will stay with Romeo,' said Juliet.
The Friar left her. Juliet held Romeo in her arms.
'I will drink poison too - but the cup is empty. Let me kiss his lips.
They are still warm. But I can hear people coming.'
Outside the tomb, the Watchman was approaching.
'Quick, here is Romeo's dagger. Let me die!'
Juliet stabbed 3 herself and fell.
Everyone arrived at the tomb of the Capulets. lt was too late. Romeo
and Juliet had both died. Their great love story was finished.
'Here is the body of Paris,' said the Watchman. 'And here are the
bodies of a boy and gir I.'
'Juliet!' cried Lord Capulet. 'There is blood and a dagger. Our only
daughter is dead. This is a terrible day for the Capulets.'
Lord Montague spoke: 'Last night, my wife died from a broken heart
because Romeo was banished from Verona. Now he is dead, poisoned.
This is a terrible day for the Montagues.'
'I can explain everything,' said the Friar. 'It is all a mistake, a
terrible mistake. They loved each other. The Nurse and I helped them
to get married secretly. Now they are dead.'
Finally the Prince spoke.
'My friends Mercutio and Paris are dead. Tybalt is dead. Romeo and
Juliet are dead. This is a terrible day for Verona. Lord Montague and
Lord Capulet, shake hands. Your families must be friends. Love will
change the world!'

1. Watchman : a kind of policeman.

2. nun~ : religions women who live without men.
3. stabbed : ki l!ed with a knife.

88
 A C T V I T I E s

Comprehension and Opinion

II What happened in Part Six?
a. What did Romeo decide to do?
b. Why did Paris and Romeo fighl?
c. Was Juliet really dead when Romeo saw her?
d. Why did Friar Laurence's plan not succeed?
e. How did Juliet kill herself?
f. What did the Prince say?

What do you think?

Who is responsible for the deaths? Will the Monlagucs and the Capulets be friends?

Past Simple Passive

El We can write: Homeo killed Paris. (Past Simple Active)
or Paris was killed by Romeo. (Past Simple Passive)
Change these sentences in the same way from Active to Passive. Use was or
were + the past participle.

a. TybalL killed Mercutio and then Romeo killed Tybalt.

b. The Prince banished Romeo.

c. The Friar hid Romeo in his cell. Luckily, the Prince did not find him.

d. Juliet sent the Nurse to find Romeo. She took him to the garden of the
Capulets at night.

e. The Capulets put Juliet's body in the tomb.

f. The soldiers prevented Friar John from reaching Mantua.

g. The Watchman found three dead bodies.

90
 A C T I V I T I E s

h. The Friar helped Romeo and Juliet.

i. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet and the actors* performed it in

London. (* 'by the actors' is not important, so forget it.)

The Verona Times

PETEI Read the newspaper article below and choose the correct word for each
space. For each question, mark the letter next to the correct word - A, B, C
or D.

TRAGIC DEATH OF YOUNG LOVERS

fn the middle (0) ...6..... the night, three deaths occurred at the Tomb of the
Capulets. The Watchman discovered the body of Count Paris outside (1) ......... .
Capulets' tomb. There was an even (2) .......... sight insirle. Juliet of the Capulets
and Romeo of the Morl.tagues (3) .......... dead. (4) .......... understood what had
happened unlil Friar Laurence (5) .......... his story. We now know that the
teenagers were in love but had (6) .......... the truth (7) .......... their families had
been enemies for centuries. They had got married (8) .......... each other secretly.
But when her parents ordered her to marry Paris, Juliet didn't know (9) .......... to
do. Read more about this tragedy in (1U) .......... newspaper.

o. @ of B at C in D by
1. A of B the C a D from
2. A worst B baddest C worser D worse
3. A laid B lying C lay D lied
4. A Everybody B All C Nobody D None
5. A said B discussed C telled D told
6. A hided B hidden C hid D hiding
7. A although B because C when D after
8. A for B with C by D to
9. A how B which C what D why
10. A tomorrow's B next C following D later

91
 A C T I V I T I E s

Lines from Shakespeare

~ IJ You will hear some famous Jines from Shakespeare's original play. Remember
that Shakespeare wrote 400 years ago, so the language is old-fashioned and
difficult! Which character is speaking? Can you decide at which moment in the
story?
a. .. ...................... : Thou * wast the prettiest babe that e'r I nursed.
An I might live to see thee * married once, I have my wish.
* Thou, thee, thy: old forms of 'you, you and your'.
h. ...... ..... .... .. ... .... . For you and I are past our dancing days.
c. ........... ....... ...... . It seems she hangs upon the cheek * of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear.
* cheek: the side of the face.

d. ........................ My only love sprung* from my only hate!

* sprung: (past participle of 'to spring') come from.
e. ... .. ....... ............ . But soft, what light through yonder .. window breaks?
It is the east, anri Juliet is the sun.
* yonder: that.
f. ....... .......... ....... . See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
0, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
g. ........................ . 0 Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou * Romeo?
Deny thy father anrl refuse thy name,
* Wherefore art thou: Why are you called ...
h. ........................ . What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
i. .. .......... ..... ....... . 0, swear * not by the moon, th 'inconstant moon *
* sweai·:promise seriously.
* th'inconstant moon: the changeable moon.
j. ........................ . Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
k. ........................ . Young men's love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.
l. ......................... A plague o' both your houses.*
They have made worms' meat of me.
* houses: here, families.

m . ........................ : For never was a story of more woe *

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
* woe: sadness.

92
 A C T I V I T I E s

Characters in the Play

II Here are some opinions about the story. In each box, write:
A if you agree. D if you disagree. ? if you are not sure.
A D ?
a. Romeo and Juliet were loo young to love. □□□
b, Lord Capulet was a bad father. LJ □ □
c. The Prince was not strict (= strong) enough. □□□
d. Lord Montague and Capulet were responsible for
the lovers' deaths. □□□
e. Romeo was a murderer. □□□
f. Juliet was right to kill herself. □□□
g. Friar Laurence made a lot of mistakes. □□□
h. Tybalt was the cause of all the problems. □□□
i. Henvolio was the best person in the story. □□□
j. The Nurse was a foolish old woman. □□□
Compare your answers with your partner's.

All the Romeos and all the Juliets

Ill Here is a short poem:
'Jke. CApuld-s kAtd tke. faott.tA~ue..s
{A)/ico kAte.i::l tke. CApt-1le:t.s;
tkt'ft ~1e·a A11.0"<"1 ~od.s Ill rtltv'o11.A
AM b{oo/4 n-o-util'l~ 111.. tkt ~-tv-u-ts.
1$1,1t Atte:< H.t J.e.Atk ot A bo3 Al1.c?. ~lY-l,
-tkliY- !ol!t ti ve.t-l. 011.. -to 1,k A11..~t -tke. 6',lo-r{J.,
Al1.il\ so do ts Hu'.. lol!e. ot .1.ll -tke. "Romeos Al1.~ All tke. J1,1lie.-t.s.

Today, there are modern Romeos and Juliets.

Maybe they come: from different social classes
or from opposite sides in u war
or from different races
or from different gangs
or from the supporters of different foothall teams
or from different galaxies!

Think of ideas for a story about one of these.

Maybe your 'Romeo and Juliet' will be as famous as Shakespeare's.

93
 Juliet through the centuries
Juliet Capulet is undoubtedly one of the best known characters of literature.
She lived long ago, and yet people all over the world know her tragic love
story. She and Romeo are considered the eternal symbol of love, everywhere.
There have been countless love stories, happy ones and sad ones. And yet,
this tragic love story has been remembered and retold through the centuries,
in many different ways.
Poets have written poems about the two young lovers. The great Italian poet,
Dante Alighieri, mentions the two feuding families in his Divina Commedia
(Purgatorio). Artists have created paintings on this subject. Musicians have
written music for operas, symphonies and ballets, all based on Shakespeare's
play. These are a few examples:

Vincenzo Bellini Capuleti e Montecchi (opera) 1830

Hector Berlioz Giulietta e Romeo (symphony) 1839
Charles Gounod Romeo and Juliet (opera) 1867
Peter I. Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet (tone poem) 1892
Sergei Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet (ballet) 1936

Gazing through a fish tank, the photogenic Leonardo DiCaprio captures the hearts of
millions of teenage fans. A scene from Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet (1996).

94
There have been numerous film productions, too. In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli
directed the excellent film, Romeo e Giulietta. Another very recent film
version is Romeo and Juliet, with Leonard DiCaprio.
The famous American musical West Side Story is a modern version of the
eternal love story. West Side Story takes place in the immigrant
neighbourhoods of New York City in the 1950s. Instead of two enemy
families, there are two young enemy gangs. The famous American orchestra
conductor and composer, Leonard Bernstein, wrote the exciting music for
this wonderful musical.

A scene from the famous American musical West Side Story (1961) by Leonard Bernstein.

Juliet has been represented and interpreted in many different ways through
the years. The Juliet we see in West Side Story, for example, represents the
typical young girl of the twentieth century. She is very different from
Shakespeare's heroine. Her appearance, her language, her aspirations and her
life are very different. But the sentiments of love and passion remain the
same through the centuries.

95
P ET
a Look at the statements below and decide if each statement is correct or
incorrect. If it is correct, mark A. If it is incorrect, mark B.

A B
1. Juliet and Romeo are considered the eternal symbol
of love, all over the world. □ □
2. Dante Alighieri mentions the two lovers in his
Divina Commedia. □ □
3. The Italian composer, Vincenzo Bellini, wrote a song
about Juliet. □ □
4. The Russian composer Prokofiev wrote a ballet called
Romeo and Juliet. □ □
5. Leonard Bernstein, the contemporary American composer,
wrote a tone poem called West Side Story. □ □
6. West Side Story takes place in New York City in the 1950s. LJ □
7. Instead of two feuding families, there are two enemy gangs. LJ LJ

INTERNET PROJECT

Choose one of the film productions mentioned above - Zeffirelli's Romeo e

Giulietta, Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio, or West Side Story
and using the internet find out as much information about the film as
possible.
Try and include the following:
,. Director
■ main actors with some biographical information
■ date of release
• whether faithful to the original
H setting
• critical acclaim

96
 :E X I T T E 8 'r

PETD Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space.
For each question, mark the letter next to the correct word - A, B, C or D.

(0) ...6..... love bring happiness? Romeo and Juliet (1) .......... in love as soon
as they saw each other. In other (2) .......... , il was love al first (3) .......... ,
Usually, falling in love is a very happy experience that (4) .......... lead to
marriage and a lifetime together. (5) .......... , in this case, the love of the
teenage couple caused a series of problems. Mercutiu, Tybalt and Paris all
(6) ........... In addition Romeo an<l Juliet killc<l (7) .......... as a result of a
terrible misunderstanding. (8) .......... was responsible? Was it Friar Laurence
or their parents or Tybalt? What (9) .......... you (10) .......... ?

o.@Does B Do C Why D Is
1. A fell B falled C felt D feeled
2. A terms B words C wise D example
3. A seeing B look C sight D glance
4. A maybe B m<1y C must D does
5. A Although B And C However D Also
6. A dead B death C dyed D died
7, A themself B theirselves C herself D themselves
8. A What H How C Which D Who
9. A do B are C does D have
10. A thinking B thought C think D agree

97
 E X I T T E S T

PETII These questions are about the whole story.

For each question, mark the letter next to the best answer - A, B, C or D.

1. Which of these is most probably one of the main reasons why Shakespeare
chose to write about the story of Romeo and Juliet?
A LJ Because it was a story about l{enaissance Italy.
B D Because it was a story about love and death.
C D Because it was a story about secrets and lies.
D D Because it was a story about people from his own time,

2. What do we learn about Romeo from the play?

A D He was clever and thoughtful.
B D Juliet was the only girl he ever loved.
C D He sometimes acted too quickly without thinking.
D D He defended his own family passionately.

3. Friar Laurence
A D tried to help Romeo and Juliet but failed.
B D gave poison to Juliet.
C D acted kindly and openly.
D D lived in a prison cell.

4. The Prince banished Romeo

A D because it is wrong to kill.
B D because he married Juliet without permission.
C D because he was a Montague.
D D because the Capulets wanted revenge.

5. Which of the following is the best overall description of the story of

Romeo and Julien
A D Two teenage lovers overcome their problems despite tho
disapproval of their parents.
B D Two teenage lovers die as a result of a secret plan that wont wrong.
C D The love between two teenagers ends in death because of the feud
between their families.
D D Two families end their long-standing quarrel as a result of a secret
marriage between their children.

98
 E X I T T E S T

=>ETII Look at the statements below about Shakespeare and Romeo and fvliet.
Read the appropriate parts of the story to decide if each statement is correct
or incorrect. If it is correct. mark A. If it is not correct, mark B.

A B
1. Juliet was a Capulet and Romeo was a Montague. LJ □
2. First of all, Juliet's parents wanted her to marry Tybalt. LJ □
3, Juliet"s father encouraged Tybalt to fight Romeo. □□
4. The Nurse discovered Juliet talking to Romeo from the balcony. □□
5. Friar Laurence agreed to help them to bring peace to the families. □□
6. Mercutio fought Tybalt after Romeo had refused the challenge. □□
7. Romeo visited Juliet for the last time with the Nurse's help. □□
8. The Nurse advised Juliet to forget Romeo and marry Paris, □□
9. Paris wanted to fight Romeo because Romeo had married
Juliet secretly. □□
10. When the Friar arrived at the tomb, both Romeo and Juliet
were d ead. □□

Now rewrite the incorrect sentences.

Answer to exercise 5, page 39.

There are 59 people in the room. Did you include the reporter?

a·ot •s-5 'v·g ·v·t. ·v·9 'V' !. ·a·t '8'£ 'H'Z 'v·1. r
8 ·s'v ·t-·v·& ·::n: ·w 1. z
:::roi ' V"6 ' ff8 'Q"L. 'Q"9 ':)' S 'a·i, ':::n: ' H"Z 'V'l l

99
 RoMEO
AND ULIET

Playscript
" " ACTONE . , .

THE MONTAGUES AND THE CAPULETS

in the beautiful city of Verona. there are two families - the Montagues and the
Capulets. Th ey hate each other. They have hated each other for hundreds of
years. One day, the servants begin to fight in the streets.

SERVANTS OF THE MONTAGUES: The Montagues are better th1:m the Capulets?
SERVANTS OF THE CAPULETS: Our masters, the Capulets, arc better!

Then Benvolio and Tybalt arrive.

BENVOLIO : Stop fighting!

TYBALT: Fight with me, Benvolio.
BENVOLIO : No! Fighting is stupid!
TYBALT: Your sword is out. Fight?

Then Lord and Lady Capulet arrive. Lord Capulet is old but he wants to fight too.

LORD CAPULET : Bring me my sword.

LADY CAPULET: You are too old to fight. You don't need a sword,
you need a crutch.
Then Lord and Lady Montague arrive. Soon everyonR is fighting. It is veiy
dangerous. At last, the Prince arrives. He is very angry.

PRINCE : Stop fighting! J want peace in my city.

Lord Capulet and Lord Montague, you are old hut you are nut wise. If your
two families fight again, you will both die!
LORD CAPULET: l, Lord Capulet, promise not to fight again.
LORD MONTAGUE : I, Lord Montague, promise not to fight again.

The Prince is happy. Everyone goes away.

PAUSE

Lady Montague and Benvolio are talking.

BENVOLIO; Tybalt wants to kill all the Montagues. He is very dangerous.

LADY MONT AGUE : Where is my son, Romeo? Is he safe?
llENVOLIO : He is not here. He is walking by himself in the forest. He is sad.
LADY MONTAGUE: Why is he sad?
BENVOLIO: I don't know. But look, he is coming now. I will ask him.
Why are you unhappy, Romeo?
ROMEO : I am in love.
BENVOLIO: Who do you love?
ROMEO: I love sweet Ros;iline. She is beautiful, intelligent and good. But she
does not love me. That is why J am sad.
BENVOLIO : Forget her. There are many other girlR.
ROMEO : No, I can never forget her.

PAUSE

Lord Capulet is talking to his wife, Lady Cnpufat.

LORD CAPULET; I am going to have a party. I will invite all the important
people from Verona. But not the Montagues.
LADY CAPULET: You must invite Paris.
LORD CAPULET: Yes, I want him to meet Juliet. One d;iy, they will get married.
LADY CAPULET : I like that idea. l will go and tell Juliet.
LORD CAPULET: Tell my servant to come here.

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SERVANT: Yes, my Lord?
LORD CAPULET: Here is a list of guests. Go and invite them.

The servant meets Romeo and Benvono in the street. He does not know that they
are Montagues.

SERVANT: Can you help me? I can't read the names on this piece of paper.
BENVOLIO: Look, Romeo. Rosaline will be at the party.
ROMEO : l have an idea.

PAUSE

Lady Capulet is talking to Juliet. Juliet is fourteen years old. She has an old nt1rse
who looks after her.

LADY CAPULET: You will meet Paris at the party. Perhaps you will marry him
one day.
JULIET : Mother, I am too young to get married.
NURSE : I would love to see my little Juliet married. You will have happy rfays
and happy nights.
SERVANT: The party is ready, my lady.

~ ACTTWO ~
THE GARDEN OF THE CAPULETS

Romeo is going to the party with Benvolio and his friend, Mercutio. They are all
wearing masks. It is very dangerous for the Montagues and their friends to go to a
party in tlie house of tlie Cap11lets.

ROMEO : Put on your masks. They must not recognise us. I cannot wait to see
fair Rosaline.
SERVANT : Welcome, gentlemen. Come in. Dance and drink and cat. Enjoy
yourselves.

As they go into the lwuse, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time.
He forgets Rosaline! He falls in love! But Tybalt recognises Romeo's voice.

102
ROMEO : Who is that lady? She is more beautiful than the moon. I have never
loved until now.
TYBALT: I know his voice. It is a Montague. J will kill him.
LORD CAPULET: Be calm. Tybalt. Thjs is a party. I want no trouble.

Romeo goes to Juliet and talks to her. He doe:, not know who she is.

ROMEO : My lips are ready to kiss you.

JULIET : But I do not know you.
ROMEO : I must kiss you.
JULIET : Here I am. My lips are here.

Romeo kisses Juliet. He kisses her a second time.

NURSE: Juliet, your mother wants you. You must come with me.
ROMEO: Excuse me, who is that girl?
NURSE: Young man, that is Juliet. She is a Capulet.
ROMEO: (thinking aloud) What! I am in love with the daughter of the enemy of
my family.
JULIET: Nurse, who is that young man?
NURSE : That is Romeo. He is a Montague.
JULIET: Oh no! I am in love with the son of the enemy of my family. We can
never get married.

After they leave the party, Mercutio and Benvolio look for Romeo.

MERCUTIO: Look! He is there in the shadows. What is he doing?

BENVOLIO : He is jumping the wall. He is going into the garden of the Capulcts.
MERr:OTIO: Romeo! Madman! Lover! He is going to look for Rosaline.
HENVOLIO: Qi1iet! You will make him angry. His love is blind.
MERCUTIO : Good night, Romeo. He is probably sitting under a tree, dreaming
about that girl. He is mad.

Mercutio and Benvolio go home. The night is silent.

In the dark garden, Romeo suddenly sees a light. Juliet is standing on her balcony.
She begins to speak to the night. She does not know that Romeo is listening.

103
JULIET: 0 Romeo, Romeo! Why is your name Romeo? Let's change our names.
Then we can love. Forget that you are a Montague. Or, if you love me, I will
not be a Capuifit. Montague and Capulet are only names. A rose can have any
name. It always smells sweet.
ROMEO : I will change my name for you.
JULIET : Who's there'? Who is listening in the middle of the night?
ROMEO : It's me. Romeo.
JULIET : Why are you there?
ROMEO : I love you. And I know that you love me.
JULIET : What shall we do? Our families are enemies.
ROMEO: We must get married secretly. We will do it tomorrow. I will tell the
Nurse where you must meet me. Will you marry me?
JULIET: Yes, Romeo. Hut will you be true'?
ROMEO: Yes, my darling.
NURSE : Juliet! Juliet!
JULIET: Good night, Romeo. I must go. The Nurse is calling.
ROMEO : Good night, Juliet.
NURSE: Juliet! Juliet!
JULIET: l'm coming, Nurse. Good night.
ROMEO : Good night.
JULIET: Good night.
ROMEO : (further away) Good night.
JULIET : It is very sad and very sweet to say good night. But tomorrow, we will
be married.

104
 ~ ACTTHREE {C-

THE PRINCE OF CATS

Homeo goes to see Friar Laurence, his friend and teacher. The Friur is working in
his garden. The sun is rising. It is a beautiful morning.

ROMEO : I want to get married.

FRIAR : To Rosaline?
ROMEO: No, to Juliet. I love her.
FRIAR : Good. Perhaps your marriage will make the Capulcts and the Montagues
friends. It is a good thing for Verona. I will help you.

Benvolfo and Mercutio am looking for Romeo in the streets of Verona.

BENVOLIO : Poor Romeo. His heart is broken. Rosaline does not love him.
MERCUTIO: That's not his only problem. Tybalt has sent a letter to his house.
He wants to fight him.
BENVOLIO : Tybalt is dangerous.
MERCUTIO: Yes. Tybalt is the Prince of Cats. He is an artist with his sword.
Romeo is a lamb. He will die.
BENVOLIO: Quiet! Here comes Romeo.
ROMEO : Hello, Benvolio. Hello, Mercutio, my friend.
MERCUTIO : Are you still sad? Have you been crying all night for Rosaline? But
look, here comes a fat old woman.
NURSE: Romeo, Romeo. I must talk with you, privately. Do you have any news
for Juliet?
ROMEO: Yes. Tell JuliP.t to come to Friar Laurence's cell this afternoon. We will
get married there.
NURSE : I love Juliet, sir. I remember when she was a little child. Look after her
when you are her husband.

The Nurse goes back to Juliet. She tells her the news. The two lovers get ready for
their secret wedding. In the afternoon, the sun is shining. Romeo goes secretly to
Friar Laurence's cell.

105
FRIAR: The day is bright. It is a sign that the future will be happy.
ROMEO : r do not care if I die tomorrow. It is enough that Juliet is mine.
FRIAR: Don't be so passionate. It is better to love moderately. Then love
will last longer.

At last Juliet arrives. She is very nervous. So is Romeo. They are veI}' young but
very much in Jove. Friar Laurence is like a father to them. He takes them into his
cell and they are married.

But in the streets of Verona, there are problems.

TYBALT ; Mercutio, where is Romeo'!

MERCUTIO: I don't know, WhyY
TYBALT : I want to kill him. He came to the party of the Capulets. You are his
friend. You came with him. I want to fight you too.
MERCUTIO : Here is Romeo.
TYBALT : Fight, you villain!
ROMEO : I cannot fight you.
MERCUTIO : Romeo! Are you a coward? Tybalt!
TYBALT : What do you want?
MERCUTIO : I want one of your nine lives, Prince of Cats!
TYBALT : I will fight you as Romeo is too afraid to fight.
ROMEO: Stop fighting. The Prince will be angry. He will punish you. Stop,
Tybalt. Stop, good Merculio!
MERCUTIO : Aaaaagh! I am hurl. I am dying. Romeo. this quarrel between your
families has killed me.

Mercutio falls to the ground and dies. It is Romeo's fault. His friend is dead.

106
 ~;, . ACT FOUR

FORTUNErS FOOL

Romeo is angry. He loses control. He takes out his sword and fights with Tybalt.
He kms him.

ROMEO: He killed my friend. Now he is dead. He is with Mercutio.

BENVOLIO: Romeo, you must escape. The people are coming. The Prince will
punish you with death...
ROMEO : Oh, lam Fortune's fool! I must go.
PRINCE : What is happening? How did Tybalt die?
BENVOLJO : Romeo wanted to stop the fight. But Tybalt killed Mercutio. Then
Romeo killed Tybalt.
PRINCE : Romeo must leave Verona. He has murdered Tybalt. If I find him in
Verona, he will die.
LADY CAPULET : Tybalt is dead. The Montagues must pay for this. Henvolio is
lying. Romeo is a murderer and must die.

Juliet is waiting for Romeo, her new husband. She wants the night to come .'W
that they can be together. But when the Nurse arrives, she brings bad news.

NURSE : He is dead!
JULIET : What? Is Romeo dead?
NURSE : No, Tybalt is dead. Romeo has killed him. He must leave Verona.
JULIET : Did Romeo kill my cousin? He is a villain. But I love him.
NURSE: Your father and mother are crying for Tybalt.
JULIET : I will cry for him too. But J will cry longer for Romeo. I will never see
him again. I will kill myself.
NURSE: No. Romeo is hiding with Friar Laurence. I will bring him to you.

The Nurse comes to find Romeo. He is talking to Friar Laurence.

ROMEO : Everything is finished. I will kill myself with this knifo.

FRIAR: No, be brave. You must go to Mantua. You will be safe there. I will send
you news about Juliet. One day, you will be together again. But tonight, go
with the Nurse. See Juliet for the last time.
NURSE : Come with me. Here is the house of the Capulels. Here is a ladder.
Climb up and go through the window.

So Romeo spends his marriage night with Juliet.

Downstairs, in the house of the Capulets, Lord and Lady Capulet are talking.
Lord Paris is with them.

LORD CAPULET: I will talk to Juliet. She will marry you next Thursday. Tybalt
is dead. There must be something good for the Capulet family - Juliet's
wedding! I am her father. She will do as I say. Wife, see Juliet in the morning
and tell her. She will marry Paris.

In the morning, Romeo leaves Juliet. He must escape to Mantua before the Prince
finds him.

JULIET : Must you go? It is still night. The nightingale is singing, not the lark.
ROMEO: Look at the sky. The sun is rising. But I want to stay.
JULIET: Go. It is dangerous for you hem. But I want you to stay. Goodbye, sweet
Romeo. Will I ever see you again?
ROMEO : Goodbye. I will think of you every second of the day.

,f ACTFIVE 1"
MY LADY'S DEAD!

Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she must marry Paris.

LADY CAPULET: You will get married to Paris early next Thursday morning.
JULIET: No, Mother. As you know, I hate Romeo. He has killed my cousin. But
I'd rather marry Romeo than Paris.
JULIET (thinking) : I am already married.
LORD CAPULET: Paris is a fine gentleman. Marry him on Thursday or never
speak to me again.
NURSE : Please don't be angry with my little Juliet, sir.
LORD CAPULET: Shut up, you fat old fool. I have decided. If you don't obey mo,

108
 I will throw you out in the streets. Goodbye. Remember, on Thursday, you are
going to be married.
LADY CAPULET: Goodbye, daughter. You must obey your father.
JULIET : Nurse, tell me, what should I do?
NURSE: Well, Romeo is not here. Paris is a fine gentleman, it's true. He is more
handsome than Romeo. Forget Romeo and marry Paris.
JULIET : Do you speak from your heart? (thinking} I cannot trusl her. I will ask
the Friar for advice. He is the only person who can help me.

The Friar is very worried. He is talking to Paris.

PARIS : I am going to marry Juliet.

FRIAR: Does she love you?
PARIS: I don't know. We haven't talked about love because she is weeping for
her cousin's death. But our marriage will make her happy again.
FRIAR: But look, here comes Juliet.
PARIS: Welcome, my lady and my wife. Have you come to tell the Friar that you
love me?
JULIET: I cannot answer that. But please, let me talk to the Friar privately.
PARIS : Goodbye. I know that you love me. I will see you on Thursday in the
church.
FRIAR: Be happy. Juliut. I have a plan. You and Romeo will be together.
TULIET : Tell mo! What is it?
FRIAR: Go home and agree to marry Paris. On Wednesday night, go to your
bedroom alone. Take this bottle and drink the liquid. It is a special potion.
You will sleep for forty-two hours. Your family will think that you are dead.
They will carry you to the tomb of the Capulets. Meanwhile, 1 will send a
message to Romeo. He will come secretly to the tomb. When you wake up, you
can escape together. Are you hrave enough to do this, Juliet?
JULIET : Give me the hottle, Friar. Love will give me strength.

f11liet goes home.

TULIET: Mother, Father, I have changed my mind. I will obey you. I have seen
Lord Paris at the Friar's etill and I've told him that I love him.

109
LORD CAPULET: Good, you are a good daughter.
LADY CAPULET: You have made your old father happy.
JULIET: Now I am going to my room to pray. Do not come with me, Nurse, I
want to be alone.

PAUSE

JULIET : Here is the bottle. I am afraid. Perhaps it is poison. Or perhaps l will

wake in the tomb and Romeo will not be there. I will be alone in the middle of
all the dead bodies with my dead cousin, Tybalt. It will be terrible.

Bravely, Juliet pich up the bottle and raises it to her lips.

JULIET: Romeo, Romeo, I drink to you!

Shu drinks. She falls on the bed and sleeps...

The next morning, it is Thursday. The Nurse comes to wake her up for her
marriage.

NURSE; You lazy girl. Why are you still sleeping? You mustn't lie in bed on
your wedding day.... Help! Help! My lady's dead! My lady's dead!

Lord and Lady Capulet take Juliet to the tomb of the Capulets. They are very sad.
Their only child is dead.

FRIAR: I have sent Friar John to Mantua to tell Romeo to come back to Verona.
He will he here when Juliet wakes up.
NURSE : Oh sad day! Oh unhappy day! Oh terrihle day!

110
 "'llllltl ACTSIX -..r

WITH A KISS, I DIE

Romeo is in Mantua. His servant, Balthasar, comes to bring him the latest news.

ROMEO: I have been dreaming about Juliet. Even a dream of love is sweet.
BALTHASAR: Juliet is dead.
ROMEO : Whal! I will ride to Verona tonight. I will kiss her for the last time.
Then I will drink poison. If Juliet is dead, I will die too.

In the middle of /he night, Romeo arrives at the tomb of the Capulets. Paris is
also there with his servant.

PARIS : I have come tu put flowers on Juliet's grave. But who is this? You are a
Montague, the one who killed Tybalt. You must die.
ROMEO : I do not know you. Go away if you want to live. Do not fight with me. I
am desperate. I am stronger than tigers or the roaring sea.
PARIS : I arrest you, murderer.

They fight.

ROMEO : It is Paris! l have killed him. Ballhasar told me that he wanted to marry
Juliet. We are both unlucky. But where is Juliet? [ must look at her beauty for
the last time.

PAUSE

ROMEO: Oh my love, my wife! Death has kissed you. But you are still beautiful.
Death is jealous. He keeps you hero as his lover. I will also stay here. But let
me kiss you. With a kiss, I die.

Romeo kfases Juliet. He takes a cup of poison out of his pocket and raises it to llis
lips.

FRIAR : Romeo! Romeo!

Friar John has come to Friar Laurence's cell.

FRIAR: Have you given my letter to Romeo, Friar John?

TORN: No, Friar Laurence. I did not reach Mantua. There was plague in one of

111
 the villages on the road and the soldiers did not let me pass.
FRIAR: What! This is bad news. If Juliet wakes when Romeo is not there, she
will be afraid. I must go to her.

PAUSE

FRIAR : I can see a light in the tomb. Who is looking among the skulls and the
worms?
BALTHASAR : It is my master, Romeo.
FRIAR: I must go tu him. Romeo! Romeo!

But when the Friar goes inside the tomb, Romeo has already drunk the poison.
He fa dead.

Juliet wakes up and sees the Friar.

JULIET : Where is Romeo?
FRIAR : He is dead. But we must go. The watchman is coming. Come with me.
JULIET : No, I will stay with Romeo. I will drink poison too - but the cup is
empty. Let me kiss his lips. They are still warm. l can hear people coming.
Quick, here is Romeo's dagger. Let me die!

Everyone arrives at the tomh of the Capulets. It is too late. Romeo and Juliet have
both died. Their great Jove story is finished.

WATCHMAN : Here i1, the body of Paris. And here are the bodies of a boy and
girl...
LORD CAPULET: Juliet! There is blood and a dagger. Our only daughter is dead.
This is a terrible day for the Capulcts.
LORD MONT AGUE : Last night, my wife died from 4 broken heart because
Romeo was banished from Verona. Now he is dead, poisoned. This is a
terrible day for the Montagues.
FRIAR: l can explain everything. It is all a mistake, a terrible mistake. They
loved each other. The Nurse and I helped them to get married secretly. Now
they are dead.
PRINCE : My friends Mercutio and Paris are dead. Tybalt is dead. Romeo and
Juliet are dead. This is a terrible day for Verona. Lord Montague and Lord
Capulet, shake hands. Your families must be friends. Love will change the
world.

11'2
ISBN13: 978-3-526-52126-6
ISBN10: 3-526-52126-3

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