A Guinea Pig Romeo & Juliet

Two households , both alike in dignity,

William Shakespeare’s classic story of youth, beauty and true love, retold in an entirely new way.

ISBN:

9

9 7 8-1-4 08 8-9 0 64-6

7 81 4 08

8 9 0 6 4 6

90100

£7.99

W W W.BLOOMSBU RY.COM

A G U I N E A P IG ROM E O & J U L I E T

In fair Verona , where we lay our scene…

A G U I N E A P IG

A G U I N E A P IG

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A G U I N E A P IG

A pair of star- crossed lovers … A N A D A P TAT I O N O F T H E O R I G I N A L B Y

M R. W I L L I A M

SHAK ESPEAR E

LON D ON B L O O M S B U R Y P U B L I S H I N G , B E D F O R D S Q UA R E .

2017

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DR A M AT I S P E R S ON A E

ROM E O

J U LI ET

of Montague

of Capulet

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M E RC U T I O

T Y B A LT

Friend to Romeo

Cousin to Juliet

PR I NC E OF V E RONA

Keeper of the peace

F R I A R L AW R E N C E

N URSE

A monk

Chaperone to Juliet

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Three times have the great families of Capulet and Montague fought in the streets of Verona. To keep the peace, the Prince of Verona declares that if these mortal foes disturb the quiet again, they will pay with their lives.

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Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…

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AC T I

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Mercutio finds a lovesick Romeo walking in a grove of sycamore trees.

M E RC U T IO:

Good morning, Romeo.

ROM EO:

Is the day so young? Ay me, sad hours seem long.

M E RC U T IO:

What sadness lengthens Romeo’ s hours?

ROM EO:

In sadness, cousin, I love Rosaline, yet she’ ll not be hit with Cupid’ s arrow.

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ROMEO:

The all-seeing sun Never saw her match since first the world begun.

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Mercutio invites Romeo to a banquet being held by the Capulets, hoping that Romeo will see other women more beautiful than Rosaline and be cured of his lovesickness.

M E RC U T IO:

At this same ancient feast of Capulet Are all the admired beauties of Verona.

Compare Rosaline with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

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Romeo and Mercutio set off for the Capulet banquet.

M E RC U T IO:

Come, gentle Romeo, the feast is done And we shall come too late. We must have you dance.

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ROMEO:

I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars…

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Meanwhile in the Capulet household Juliet’ s Nurse gives her the surprising news that Paris, the local nobleman, wishes to marry her.

N URSE:

Now you are almost fourteen, Juliet, tell me, How stands your disposition to be married?

J U LIET:

It is an honour I dream not of.

N URSE:

Well, think of marriage now: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love And does await you at the feast tonight.

Enter a servant to escort Juliet to the banquet.

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N URSE:

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Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.

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Romeo and Mercutio enter the banquet. Romeo forgets all about Rosaline when he sees Juliet.

ROM EO:

What lady’ s that?

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright…

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ROMEO:

Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I ne’ er saw true beauty till this night.

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Romeo approaches Juliet to take her hand.

ROM EO:

If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My two lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

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Juliet says it is no sin to hold hands.

J U LIET:

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this: For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.

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Juliet says that lips, like hands, should be used in prayer. Romeo asks if he might ‘pray' to her…

ROM EO:

Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

J U LIET:

Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROM EO:

O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do: They pray – grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

J U LIET:

Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.

Romeo leans forward to kiss her.

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ROMEO:

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Then move not, while my prayer’ s effect I take.

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www.bloomsbury.com BLO OM S BU R Y and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2017 Abridgement and photography Š Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2017 Alex Goodwin and Phillip Beresford have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author and Photographer respectively of this work.

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I S BN U K : H B : 978-1-4088-9064-6 I S BN US : H B : 978-1-63557-000-7 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Costumes and props by Tess Newall Photography and design by Phillip Beresford Abridgement by Alex Goodwin Illustration on page 2 by Elizabeth Stettler Printed and bound in China by C&C Offset Printing Co., Ltd All papers used by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in well-managed forests.

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