Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare Retold

By William Shakespeare and James Anthony

Tackling Romeo and Juliet? Easily understand every line and quickly master Shakespeare's classic tragedy of young love and family feuding.

Does Shakespeare's 400-year-old language often leave you confused? Do you wish there was an easier way to get to the heart of the story without tedious cross-referencing? Award-winning Shakespearean a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Redbrick Books
• Release date: Sep 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781914927164

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is arguably the most famous playwright to ever live. Born in England, he attended grammar school but did not study at a university. In the 1590s, Shakespeare worked as partner and performer at the London-based acting company, the King’s Men. His earliest plays were Henry VI and Richard III, both based on the historical figures. During his career, Shakespeare produced nearly 40 plays that reached multiple countries and cultures. Some of his most notable titles include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. His acclaimed catalog earned him the title of the world’s greatest dramatist.

Book preview

Reading Shakespeare Retold

Shakespeare Retold intersperses modern English, line-by-line and beat-for-beat, after each of Shakespeare’s great originals.

ORIGINAL:  Fate, show thy force. Ourselves we do not owe.

RETOLD:  Fate, show your strength! You choose my destiny,

ORIGINAL:  What is decreed must be, and be this so.

RETOLD:  And what you choose for me to be will be.

There is no ‘right or wrong’ way to read Shakespeare Retold. However, a good way to start is to read the original lines, then cross-reference to the retelling when the going gets tough, or just to reaffirm your understanding of the line. Play around with it and do what is best for you.

This ebook contains two versions of the text:

  – Shakespeare’s lines interspersed with the Retold lines

  – The Retold only lines.

Note, Shakespeare’s directions in the play are left ‘as is’ in this text, as most are easily understood without the need for clarification.

UNDERSTANDING IAMBIC PENTAMETER

Shakespeare wrote most of his work in the 10-beat format known as iambic pentameter. The retellings also use this format. So, what is iambic pentameter?

An iamb is a word or phrase with two beats:

one soft/short, one hard/long.

e.g., di-dum; because; in fact; despite; resolve.

Penta is the Greek word for five.

Meter is the Greek word meaning measure, e.g., metronome.

Hence, iambic pentameter is simply five iambs combined to flow in one line, e.g.,

di-dum di-dum di-dum di-dum di-dum

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

If music be the food of love, play on.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

EXCEPTIONS

Two exceptions to the regular iambic pentameter format are widely used by Shakespeare:

1) Weak Endings

Regular iambic pentameter has 10 syllables, but an additional syllable can be added to create what is known as a ‘weak ending’. Shakespeare’s most famous line has a weak ending:

To be, or not to be? That is the question.

The better part of valour is discretion.

di-dum di-dum di-dum di-dum di-dum di

2) Trochaic substitution

Though an iamb is ‘di-dum’, a trochee is ‘dum-di’,

e.g. biscuit, reason; bathroom.

Replacing the first iamb with a trochee is known as ‘trochaic substitution’, e.g.,

Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself.

Now is the winter of our discontent.

dum-di di-dum di-dum di-dum di-dum.

VERSE VS PROSE

Not every line of Shakespeare’s work is written in iambic pentameter. Often he simply wrote in prose, albeit embellished with poetic qualities. It’s easy to tell the difference:

Verse: The first word of an iambic pentameter line is ALWAYS capitalised, even if it’s a continuation of a sentence from the previous line.

Prose: Prose lines are not capitalised, unless the norms of sentence structure require it.

RHYME

Shakespeare often uses rhyme to emphasise the poetics of the line, especially to signify the closing lines of a particular scene. Throughout these retellings, the rhyme structure is followed (although not always using the same word Shakespeare used to rhyme with.)

Characters

ROMEO

Initially melancholy due to unrequited love for Rosaline, Romeo’s world changes when he meets Juliet at their family rival’s the Montague’s party, falling in love and getting engaged on the same night.

After a street quarrel incites Romeo to kill Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, Romeo is banished from Verona by the prince.

After hearing that his wife Juliet has ‘died’, he returns to die alongside her, killing Juliet’s other suitor Count Paris beforehand.

JULIET

13-year-old Juliet is smitten with Romeo as soon as she meets him, but laments when she learns he is from her family’s sworn enemy, the Montagues.

Juliet secretly marries Romeo, yet her father insists she must marry Count Paris. Desperate to avoid this forced marriage, she receives a potion from Friar Laurence that will make her appear dead.

Her supposed wedding day turns into a funeral when her family find her dead in bed.

When she wakes up, she finds Romeo dead besides her, then decides to take her own life with a sword to her chest.

CAPULET

Juliet’s overbearing father is the patriarch of the family. Initially tolerant of Romeo’s intrusion to his party, he soon turns intolerant when Juliet refuses his request to marry Count Paris.

After seeing Romeo and Juliet dead, he offers to make peace with his former rivals the Montagues.

LADY CAPULET

Juliet’s mother, subservient to Capulet, and coercive to Juliet when trying to have her married to Count Paris at Capulet’s request.

After Romeo kills Tybalt, she urges revenge by having a servant sent to Mantua to kill him.

FRIAR LAURENCE

Friar Laurence is a holy man who helps both Romeo and Juliet, first to get married in secret; then defending her against marrying Count Paris; then helping Romeo escape to Mantua once banished; then hatching the plan for Juliet to take a potion to make her appear dead.

His plans unravel after Father John fails to deliver details of his plan to Romeo, thereby setting off the tragic chain of events.

MERCUTIO

Romeo’s good friend, funny and inventive, prone to waffling on with extrapolated imagery. Rather hot-headed, he gets in a fight with Tybalt, which – due to Romeo’s attempts at pacification – leads to Mercutio being stabbed and dying from his injury.

BENVOLIO

Romeo’s cousin, Benvolio is mild-mannered and balanced (compared to Mercutio), striving to help Romeo get over his initial love of Rosaline.

He tries, unsuccessfully, to defuse the fight that leads to Mercutio’s untimely death.

TYBALT

The fiery Tybalt is the angriest person in the play, seemingly seeking to fight the Montagues at every opportunity.

After being talked down by Capulet to avoid a fight at the Capulet’s party, Tybalt swears he’ll get revenge.

When meeting in the street, he fights with Mercutio, killing him. Enraged, Romeo returns and kills Tybalt, leading to Romeo’s banishment.

Tybalt is buried in the same crypt where Juliet lays.

MONTAGUE

The patriarch of the Montague family, he is a concerned father and husband caught in the bitter feud with the Capulets. He deeply cares for his son, Romeo, and strives to maintain peace in Verona.

LADY MONTAGUE

Lady Montague’s concern for Romeo's well-being reflects a maternal warmth, and her untimely death when her son is banished adds to the tragic dimension of the play.

COUNT PARIS

An attractive and wealthy aristocrat, Count Paris is lined up by Capulet to marry his daughter, Juliet.

After Juliet’s apparent death, he visits the crypt to lay flowers on her grave, only to be met by Romeo who, after an argument, stabs Count Paris, killing him.

NURSE

Juliet’s life-long nurse is a colourful character, efficient and well trusted by the Capulet family.

She visits Romeo to tell him of marriage plans, only to be mocked by Mercutio and Benvolio.

She discovers Juliet’s ‘dead’ body, and shares the tragic news with the family.

PRINCE

The ruler of Verona, the Prince strives to keep the peace between the warring families, threatening death to those who do not obey.

After Romeo kills Tybalt, the Prince realises that Tybalt was the instigator of the fight, thus he chooses to banish Romeo rather than have him killed.

The prince encourages peace between the families after the death of Romeo and Juliet.

ROMEO AND JULIET

ACT 1

PROLOGUE

Two households, both alike in dignity,

Two families, both equal in prestige,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

In beautiful Verona, set our stage,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where ancient hatred reignites a siege,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

And civil conduct turns to civil rage.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

Two offspring of ill-fated enemies,

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

That, jinxed by love, both die by suicide,

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Whose tragedy each family finally sees

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.

That, by their deaths, their feuding’s set aside.

The fearful passage of their death-marked love,

The risky path, on which both lovers died

And the continuance of their parents' rage,

And parents’ anger never was retracted

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

Until their deaths, could not be pacified,

Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;

Will, for the next two hours, be re-enacted.

The which if you with patient ears attend,

If you sit patiently and pay attention,

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

We’ll strive to show what we’ve yet failed to mention.

ACT 1, SCENE 1

VERONA. A PUBLIC PLACE.

[ENTER SAMPSON AND GREGORY, OF THE HOUSE OF CAPULET, ARMED WITH SWORDS AND BUCKLERS]

SAMPSON

Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.

Gregory, like we won’t carry coal, we won’t take insults.

GREGORY

No, for then we should be colliers.

No, for if we did, we’d just be coalminers.

SAMPSON

I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.

I mean that, if they irritate us, we’ll draw our swords.

GREGORY

Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.

Yes, while alive, you’ve got to stick your neck out.

SAMPSON

I strike quickly, being moved.

I strike out quickly when wound up.

GREGORY

But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

But you aren’t quickly wound up to start a fight.

SAMPSON

A dog of the house of Montague moves me.

A jerk from the house of Montague winds me up.

GREGORY

To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:

If you move, you’ll annoy them; you’re brave standing still:

therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.

so, if you say you’re moved, that means you’ll run away.

SAMPSON

A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will

A jerk from that house has moved me to stand my ground;

take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.

I’ll walk close to the wall to force a Montague into the gutter.

GREGORY

That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes

That makes you look a weakling, for the weakest people

to the wall.

go to the wall.

SAMPSON

True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,

That’s true; so women, seeing as they’re weaker,

are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push

are always thrust up against the wall. So I’ll push

Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids

the Montague men into the gutter and thrust their ladies

to the wall.

up against the wall.

GREGORY

The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.

The fight is between our masters and us men, their servants.

SAMPSON

'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I

They’re all the same; I’ll show them I’m a bully. When I

have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the

have beaten up their men, I will be cruel to their

maids, and cut off their heads.

ladies, and cut off their heads.

GREGORY

The heads of the maids?

Cut off the ladies’ heads?

SAMPSON

Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;

Yep, the heads of their maids, meaning take their virginity;

take it in what sense thou wilt.

take that whichever way you like.

GREGORY

They must take it in sense that feel it.

The ladies you rape will feel it.

SAMPSON

Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and

The ladies will feel me whilst I’m standing; and

'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.

they all know I’ve got a gorgeous body.

GREGORY

'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou

Good job you’re not a fish; if you were, you’d

hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! Here comes

be a codpiece. Get your weapon out! Here come

two of the house of the Montagues.

two of those jerks from the house of Montague.

SAMPSON

My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.

I’ve got my naked weapon out. Argue; I’ll back you up.

GREGORY

How! Turn thy back and run?

How? By turning and running?

SAMPSON

Fear me not.

Don’t worry about me.

GREGORY

No, marry; I fear thee!

Shut up; I do worry about you!

SAMPSON

Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

Let’s stay the right side of the law, and let them start the fight.

GREGORY

I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as

I will sneer as we pass them, then let them take it as

they list.

they see fit.

SAMPSON

Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them;

No, as they dare. I’ll flip the bird at them,

which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

which will upset them, if they don’t respond.

[ENTER ABRAHAM AND BALTHASAR]

ABRAHAM

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

Do you flip the bird at us, mate?

SAMPSON

I do bite my thumb, sir.

I do flip the bird, mate.

ABRAHAM

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

Do you flip the bird at us, mate?

SAMPSON

[Aside to GREGORY]

Is the law of our side, if I say ay?

Are we on the right side of the law if I say yes?

GREGORY

No.

No.

SAMPSON

No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I

No, mate, I do not flip the bird at you mate, but I do

bite my thumb, sir.

flip the bird, mate.

GREGORY

Do you quarrel, sir?

Are you looking for a fight, mate?

ABRAHAM

Quarrel sir! No, sir.

Fight, mate? No, mate.

SAMPSON

If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.

If you are, mate, I’m ready. My boss is as good as yours.

ABRAHAM

No better.

He’s no better.

SAMPSON

Well, sir.

Well, mate.

GREGORY

Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinsmen.

Talking of better: here comes one of my master’s relatives.

SAMPSON

Yes, better, sir.

Yes, better, mate.

ABRAHAM

You lie.

You’re lying.

SAMPSON

Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.

Let’s fight then, if you’re men. Gregory, remember your jab.

[THEY FIGHT]

[ENTER BENVOLIO]

BENVOLIO

Part, fools!

Break this up, you idiots!

Put up your swords; you know not what you do.

Put your swords away; you don’t know what you’re doing.

[Beats down their swords]

[ENTER TYBALT]

TYBALT

What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?

What, do you plan to fight these gutless servants?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Turn round, Benvolio, and face your death.

BENVOLIO

I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,

I’m trying to keep the peace. Put down your sword,

Or manage it to part these men with me.

Or use it to break up these men with me.

TYBALT

What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,

What, with a sword, talk peace! I hate the word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and you:

Have at thee, coward!

I’ll fight you, coward!

[THEY FIGHT]

[ENTER, SEVERAL OF BOTH HOUSES, WHO JOIN THE FRAY; THEN ENTER CITIZENS, WITH CLUBS]

FIRST CITIZEN

Clubs, bills, and partisans! Strike! Beat them down!

Bring clubs and spears! Strike at them! Beat them down!

Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!

Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!

[ENTER CAPULET IN HIS GOWN, AND LADY CAPULET]

CAPULET

What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!

What’s this commotion? Give me my long sword!

LADY CAPULET

A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?

You need a crutch to walk! Why get a sword?

CAPULET

My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,

Give me my sword! Old Montague is here

And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

And waves his sword in front of me in anger.

[ENTER MONTAGUE AND LADY MONTAGUE]

MONTAGUE

Thou villain Capulet,--Hold me not, let me go.

You evil Capulet. Don’t hold me back, let me go.

LADY MONTAGUE

Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.

You will not walk towards your enemy.

[ENTER PRINCE, WITH ATTENDANTS]

PRINCE

Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,

You rebels and you enemies of peace,

Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--

Slandering your weapons with your neighbours’ blood…

Will they not hear? What, ho! You men, you beasts,

Why don’t they listen! Hey! You men, you thugs,

That quench the fire of your pernicious rage

Who seek to quell your own destructive anger

With purple fountains issuing from your veins,

With gushing blood that spurts out of your veins,

On pain of torture, from those bloody hands

You will be tortured if your bloody hands

Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground,

Don’t drop your wrathful weapons to the ground

And hear the sentence of your moved prince.

And hear the verdict of your livid prince.

Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,

Three fights in town, begun by flippant comments,

By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,

By you, old Capulet and Montague,

Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets,

Have three times shattered peace within our streets,

And made Verona's ancient citizens

And made Verona’s adult citizens

Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,

Take off their charming jewellery,

To wield old partisans, in hands as old,

To pick up spears in weary hands, all cut

Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate:

And scarred from fights to quell your vengeful hatred.

If ever you disturb our streets again,

If ever you disturb our streets again,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.

You’ll pay the price by paying with your life.

For this time, all the rest depart away:

For now, the rest of you, get out of here.

You Capulet; shall go along with me:

You, Capulet, you’re going to come with me.

And, Montague, come you this afternoon,

And, Montague, you come this afternoon

To know our further pleasure in this case,

To learn what I’ve decided in this case,

To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.

To old Freetown, our public house of justice.

Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

Again, all leave, or else you will be killed.

[EXEUNT ALL BUT MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, AND BENVOLIO]

MONTAGUE

Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?

Who reignited our long-standing grudge match?

Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?

Speak, nephew, were you here when it began?

BENVOLIO

Here were the servants of your adversary,

The servants of your foe were standing there

And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:

Whilst yours were here, both fighting when I got here.

I drew to part them: in the instant came

I drew my sword to separate them, then came

The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared,

The angry Tybalt, brandishing his sword

Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,

Which, as he shouted accusations at me,

He swung about his head and cut the winds,

He swung above his head, swiping in the air,

Who nothing hurt withal hissed him in scorn:

Which hurt no one but made a sneery hiss.

While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,

Whilst fighting, swiping, thrusting with our swords,

Came more and more and fought on part and part,

Increasing vigour, both holding our own, 

Till the prince came, who parted either part.

Until the prince arrived to break us up.

LADY MONTAGUE

O, where is Romeo? Saw you him to-day?

Where’s Romeo? Have you seen him today?

Right glad I am he was not at this fray.

I’m pleased he wasn’t fighting in this fray.

BENVOLIO

Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun

Madam, an hour before the lovely sun

Peered forth the golden window of the east,

Appeared from the horizon to the east,

A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;

I had things on my mind, so took a wander,

Where, underneath the grove of sycamore

And there, beneath the grove of sycamore trees

That westward rooteth from the city's side,

That grow along the west side of our city,

So early walking did I see your son:

I saw your son out walking really early.

Towards him I made, but he was ware of me

I walked towards him, but he spotted me

And stole into the covert of the wood:

And darted off to hide within the trees.

I, measuring his affections by my own,

I guessed that, based on how I felt myself,

That most are busied when they're most alone,

That people’s minds are busy when alone,

Pursued my humour not pursuing his,

So kept out of his way, like I was pondering,

And gladly shunned who gladly fled from me.

And left him all alone, as he desired.

MONTAGUE

Many a morning hath he there been seen,

There have been many mornings he’s been seen there,

With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.

In tears that add to early morning dew.

Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;

His sighs create condensing breath, like clouds;

But all so soon as the all-cheering sun

But then, just as the lovely sun begins

Should in the furthest east begin to draw

To rise up in the sky out in the east

The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,

To draw Goddess of Dawn Aurora’s curtains,

Away from the light steals home my heavy son,

My melancholy son sneaks home, from sunlight,

And private in his chamber pens himself,

And locks himself away within his bedroom,

Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out

Closing the windows, shutting out the daylight

And makes himself an artificial night:

To make his room seem like it’s still the night-time.

Black and portentous must this humour prove,

This attitude suggests there’s worse to come

Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

Unless, from good advice, it is undone.

BENVOLIO

My noble uncle, do you know the cause?

My noble uncle, do you know the cause?

MONTAGUE

I neither know it nor can learn of him.

I neither know it nor can make him tell me.

BENVOLIO

Have you importuned him by any means?

Have you used every way you have to ask him?

MONTAGUE

Both by myself and many other friends:

I’ve tried myself, and so have many friends,

But he, his own affections' counsellor,

But he keeps his emotions closely guarded,

Is to himself--I will not say how true--

Known only to himself – which isn’t wise –

But to himself so secret and so close,

And keeps them all so secretly contained

So far from sounding and discovery,

So nobody can hear or understand him,

As is the bud bit with an envious worm,

Much like a rose infected with a worm

Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,

That eats it up before its leaves have flowered

Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.

Or had the chance to share its sun-drenched beauty.

Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow.

If only we could learn what makes him sad,

We would as willingly give cure as know.

Then we could help to stop him feeling bad.

[ENTER ROMEO]

BENVOLIO

See, where he comes: so please you, step aside;

Look, here he comes. Now, please, you both should go;

I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.

He’ll either say what’s wrong, or tell me no.

MONTAGUE

I would thou wert so happy by thy