Romeo And Juliet: Part 4
Romeo And Juliet: Part 4
Part Four: Fortune's Fool
At that moment, Tybalt returned.
'Boy!' shouted Tybalt. 'You came here with Mercutio and you will die as he
did!'
Romeo was 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.'
'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.
'Where are the people who began this fight? ' Ask the Prince angrily.
'I can tell you the complete story,' promised Benvolio.
'Oh Tybalt!' screamed 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!' 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 Romeo
from Verona! If I find him in the city, he will die!We must not show mercy
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.
'He is dead!'
'Who is dead?'
'I 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 I 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. I will kill myself.'
'No,' said the Nurse. 'Romeo is hiding with Friar Laurence. I 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 cat or a dog or a mouse may look at
Juliet. But I cannot. Give me poison 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.'
'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,'! she said. 'Climb 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 do as I say.'
Paris was very happy because he loved Juliet. Lord Capulet told his wife to
see Juliet 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 is singing,
not the lark.'
'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.'