What Woe! What Grief!

The Nurse: Act V

Oh what woe! Such painful agony! Both Juliet and Romeo are dead! How will Verona be able to make it through this terrible loss!! Oh! I can't help but feel guilty, as if the deaths of these two precious children are related to my mistakes, my actions! If only I hadn't suggested to Juliet that it would be a good idea to marry Paris... The day after

Romeo fled for Mantua, Lord Capulet approached Juliet, telling her that she was to marry Paris. Although he is a fine man, Juliet told her father that she refused to marry him, understandably so. Oh, but my Lord went into a fury after that! He screamed at Juliet, threatening to throw her out onto the streets if she refused to marry Paris. My Lady wasn't much help either, for she refused to help Juliet in any way. OH it was awful! Juliet crying in a helpless heap on the floor! I wanted so dearly to help her. So I tried comforting her, telling her that everything was going to be alright. After a minute, I even suggested that Juliet should go ahead, follow her father's wishes and marry Paris. I know, I knew that she was already married to Romeo and that she loved him more than life itself. But it may have been the smart thing to marry Paris. It may not have been the right thing, but at least I thought it would be the smartest. Juliet would be able to continue to live a comfortable, and who knows, if it was written in the stars for the two to be together, it may have been that Romeo whisked her away to Mantua one day. Life would have just been easier if Juliet had obeyed her parents. It broke my heart the way Juliet looked at me after I spoke my ind. Looking into her eyes, you could tell that she thought I was nothing more than a heartless traitor. I just wish she could have known that all I wanted for her was the best.

She fled from my sight, and it wasn't until a few hours later that she came back, returned home from Friar Lawrence's council. I was surprised, for all her previous rebellion had abated. One of the servants told me that she had gone to her father and had agreed to marry Paris. I was relieved when I heard this. Finally, the girl had obtained some sense. All throughout the day the Capulet house was busy preparing for the wedding. That is, until I went to wake Juliet from her bed. I bustled in, minding my own business, and pulled back the curtains. I remember seeing her cold hands, her face as pale and as beautiful as cold marble. I screamed, for Juliet was (or appeared to be) dead! Due to the death, all of the wedding preparations were switched to those of a funeral, and my dear, dear Juliet was laid with her ancient relatives under the cold, cold earth. Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. It was as if all of the sun had been buried, all that I had cared for for thirteen years, gone! And now, learning the truth that Juliet was not actually dead is too much to bear! I haven't had the chance to speak with my Lord or my Lady, so all I know is that Juliet awoke in the tomb to find a poisoned Romeo lying next to her. She then was so stricken with grief that she took her own life with a dagger! Oh! What sadness!!! Why must the fates be so cruel?

Two Deaths and a Marriage!

The Nurse: Act III

Oh! Oh my word! Tybalt is dead! A lovely member of the Capulet family, dead! And by the hand of Romeo! It can't be!! Poor, poor Juliet! Apparently, just after the two were married, Romeo went into the square, searching out his companions. That scurvish knave Mercutio was acting up apparently, uncontrollable, I hear. Well, from what I hear, Tybalt walked into the square with his kinsmen when Romeo went up to him and did his best to be friendly. That Mercutio, though, he was outraged at this sight! He placed the blame on Tybalt, and the two began to duel! I hear, being the good soul that he is, Romeo did what he could to break up the fight. But it was no use, for Tybalt pushed passed him and killed Mercutio! Personally, I don't mourn the scum in the least. It was a good riddance. No use, that one! Well, being so enraged with anger at the death of his kinsman (though I have no idea why a good boy like Romeo would associate with the likes of that rat), Romeo killed Tybalt! Oh Tybalt! Dead! He was such a gem that one! He had the whole world at the tip of his sword! But poor Juliet! To have her dear cousin killed by her newly wed husband! I can't imagine how she is feeling! I feared silently that Prince Escalus had issued the death sentence to the young Montague, but he only issued banishment. So from what I hear, Romeo is bound to flee to Mantua tomorrow. Poor Juliet! When I told her of Romeo's banishment, she couldn't believe it! Yet, she still loves the boy. Rightly so, I believe. The course of true love never did run smooth. She bid me to go seek out Romeo and tell him to sneak up Juliet's balcony in the night. Ho ho! The girl has spunk! Even in the midst of sorrow, she still makes the time to enjoy herself! I later found Romeo with Friar Lawrence. Apparently, news of his banishment did not settle well with Romeo. The boy tried to kill himself! Well, Friar Lawrence talked some sense into him. When I told Romeo of Juliet's message, he seemed quite chipper all of the sudden. He said he would be there, and I rushed off to relay the news to Juliet. Today certainly has been a day of many events. A marriage, two deaths, and an attempted suicide! What ruckus! Ha! Leave it to today's youth to find pleasure even in the most grievous of times…

Certainly an Eventful Day!

The Nurse: Act II Scene IV &V

Goodness me! Today certainly has been a whirlwind! I haven't really written in a while, so I guess I should take a minute to reflect what happened during the Capulet ball. Juliet found a man! I was so excited for her! She came up to me, trying to be sly, and pointed to different men and asked who they were. I could tell that she wanted to know the name of a man she had just met. I wasn't fooled! I can recognize a twinkle in her eye when I see one! Well, she pointed to a man whom I recognized, but I didn't remember the name of. She asked me to find out his name. So, I walked over and casually asked him his name. Poor boy. I could immediately tell that he was the one that Juliet had been talking too, for his smitten eyes never left her figure

as he said to me, "My name is Romeo Montague." A Montague! You couldn't even imagine my surprise!! My Juliet had been conversing with a Montague! At first, I thought about reprimanding Juliet in her choice of this boy. What would her parents say and do if they found out? It certainly wouldn't help the feud. Then again, maybe it would. If these two just so happened to be in love and got married, would the families finally see past their differences and come together for the happiness of their children? Also, it wouldn't be right for me to deny Juliet a chance at true love. It might be nice to have the chance to spend your life with someone who you truly cared about. Not many women these days have that choice or even the chance. So, with these thoughts in mind, I told Juliet of the boy's name, acting as if it didn't even phase me. (I told myself I would think about it later. After all, the two had just met, they wouldn't resort to anything drastic right away.)

So, this morning, I wake up

and go to Juliet's chambers. As I'm helping her dress, she tells me that young Romeo had talked to her at the foot of her balcony the previous night, and the who had decided to get married that day! Ay me! Marriage?!?!?! After one day?!?!!?! I immediately tried to talk some sense into Juliet, but she protested. That girl can be so stubborn! She begged me to seek out Romeo in the town square and ask where the two were to meet that afternoon. Reluctantly, I agreed. You're probably asking, why would I agree to that? Trust me, if you had been working for the Capulets all your life and had spent many a year watching blood being shed over a senseless, ancient grudge, you would have done the same.

I'll do anything I can in the hopes of ending this feud. I find it to be quite selfish, and quite honestly, it becomes bloody annoying. Turning my back on an ecstatic Juliet, I took my manservant Peter and travelled to the square. Well, I believe that I have been emotionally scarred, for in the square I was verbally assaulted by the most impudent young man! Mercutio, I believe his name

is. I didn't do anything to bother him! I simply asked for some privacy with Romeo in order to talk, and he proceeded to make fun of me and call me names! Ugh! I would have been able to set him stra

ight if it wasn't so bloo

dy hot. The youth of today! So disrespectful! That Mercutio is lucky that I'm not as young as I once was! Oooh! He ruffled my feathers that one! Anyways, after that little distraction, I pulled young Romeo aside. Juliet made a good choice with that one! What a respectful young man! I can tell that he truly loves Juliet! He wasn't that bad a looker either! So this afternoon, Romeo and Juliet are to be married by Friar Lawrence. I believe that good things will result from this union!

Finally! An End To The Torture!

Mercutio: Act II, Scene IV

My God what a day! A day full of joy and relief for many people! Romeo is himself again! It's about time this happened. Benvolio and I were walking about the streets this morning, talking about none other that Signor Whiny Pants himself. It turns out that he never went home last night after the Capulet ball. Good man! It seems like he came to his senses and finally got himself some action! But then of course, he could have been moping about Rosaline in a ditch somewhere. Benvolio said that when he asked a Montague servant of Romeo's whereabouts, he heard that Tybalt Capulet had sent a letter to the Montague household. I bet it was a letter challenging Romeo to a duel. Romeo wouldn't last five minutes against Tybalt. That man is a fine swordsman. I've seen him practice, and it seems to me that he is the best in Verona. Don't get the idea that I like that Capulet or anything, because I don’t. He's too hot tempered in my opinion. I simply admire his aptitude with the sword. Just because Romeo's family

hates the Capulet house doesn't mean that I have to hate them as well. I'm my own person with my own opinion. Quite frankly I think this feud is ridiculous. The two families should reconcile their non-apparent differences and shut up already. Anyways, Romeo wouldn't stand a chance against Tybalt, even if his swordsmanship was superior. He's already been mentally wounded by Rosaline. I swear he cares more about the fact that his love is unrequited than he does about his own well-being. As Benvolio and I talked, Romeo finally decided to show his face. I was prepared to face the moaning and groaning as usual, but he seemed unusually happy. He started talking, and by the look on his face I could tell he had been with a woman. Finally! Sense finally decided to barge into that head of his! Benvolio and I were actually enjoying Romeo's company until that nurse from the Capulet house bustled into the square. That woman is far bigger and more matronly than any mother hen in Verona. So of course I did what I could to ruffle her feathers. I then decided to leave with Benvolio. She wanted to talk privately with Romeo for some reason. Whatever. Who knows? Maybe Romeo was far more desperate than I thought. For all I know, he could have been with the Nurse all night!

Romeo? What a Pain!

Mercutio: Act II Scene I

Today was epic! What luck it was to run into that idiot servant of the Capulet house! I could hardly hold in my laughter when he asked if Romeo could read the guest list for the Capulet's party! It was bloody great timing actually, because I was getting annoyed with Romeo's whining again. "Rosaline this!" and "Rosaline that!" Ugh! It's enough to make a person want to puke over Romeo just to shut him up! He needs to come to his senses about women. If they don't want to be with you and, oh I don't know, they rather join a CONVENT instead, you gotta learn to give up on them and go after the next one. I mean, come on, there are PLENTY of great looking women in the world. Take Genevieve from down the street for example. Why wouldn't Romeo want to go after a piece like that for a change, instead of obsessing sickeningly over Rosaline? I mean she has looks that are enough to make a man... Anyway, as I was saying, it was bloody luck that we ran into that Capulet servant today. We found a party to crash! The Capulets were having this ball with a HUGE guest list (which we weren't on, what a shame), and Benvolio suggested that we all go to it. He told Romeo that it was a sure way to get his mind off of Rosaline. Thank God for Benvolio and his patience. When I was ready to snap Romeo's head off because of the complaining, good old Ben used his head and suggested a solution that was far more peaceful and interesting for all of us. It took a lot of coaxing for us to convince Romeo to go with us, but he eventually gave in. Before we could finally convince him though, we had to sit through more of his sickeningly phony worship of Rosaline. Not only that, but we had to listen to crap about some "ill foreboding" that Romeo had about going. He was convinced that the party was going to bring about his "untimely death" or something, and that it was all a part of some fate that was written in the stars. I swear, the only untimely death that was imminent was mine due to boredom.

So we went to the party. And let me tell you, old Ben sure does have his uncanny stokes of genius every one in a while! The party was LOADED with gorgeous babes, and not only that, it was chock full of food and wine as well. I can't really remember the party

in great detail, except that it included girls and about four glasses of the bubbly. Anyways, I pretty sure Romeo was pretty occupied (thank God), because he didn't come moaning to me even

once about Rosaline. He must have been really preoccupied, because when Benvolio and I left, we couldn't find the bastard! So of course we went looking for him, and I remember thinking that he had just run off to go and mope about. I remember laughing and calling out to him in imitation of a far more interesting Rosaline. Eventually though, old Ben and

I gave up and went home to bed with all of the other sensible people in Verona. We're just about to go and look for Romeo again. Hopefully he grew a brain and was with a chick all night instead of moping around in the woods somewhere. Oh well. We'll find out what he's up to eventually. Here we go again.

Juliet is to Be Married!

Nurse (Act I, Scene III)

Ay me! Juliet is to be married soon! Oh! I remember when I nursed her at my bosoms as if it were only yesterday… Quite frankly I wish those days could've lasted forever, but life and its hardships continue whether I like it or not. Even though those days are gone, I still swear that Juliet sucked out some of my wit when she was merely a babe. She seemed passive about the idea of marriage when my Lady brought it up, but I know my Juliet! I could see the wheels of frustration turning in her head. She doesn't want to be married of just yet! She's only thirteen, and she's told me that she wants to experience more of the world (not to mention the opposite sex) before she has to settle down and "face those dreadfully dreary aspects of being a wife." I've told her time and time again that she can't defy the way the world works, but that girl has spunk (a quality that I pride in myself, mind you), and she is determined to defy the norm. I admire her determination to be different, but how could she be frustrated at the idea of marrying Paris! He is a fine young man, and trust me, you don't run across men like him every day! Not only does he come from a highly respectable family, but he also has the looks to make the head of every woman in Verona spin on its axis! If only I were as lucky to be in Juliet's position, bless her heart. She has the world at her feet, that one. Hopefully Juliet will realize her fortunate situation tonight when she meets Paris at the ball. I foretell that she will fall madly in love this very night! All she has to do is look into Paris's eyes, flirt (which she can do VERY well thanks to yours truly), and she will be set for life. Why worry about having a dreary life when you have a man like Paris to sleep by your side every night? A strapping young man is really all a woman needs to realize her purpose in life. Men complete us, and all we have to do is reap the benefits that come with them!