Just Juliet Act 2

NURSE: Tongue? Get a room, Romeo.

JULIET: Romeo, my love, we don’t have time for this. Friar? How fast can you perform the rite?

FRIAR: Romeo, Juliet, have you come here to enter into marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?

ROMEO AND JULIET: We have.

FRIAR LAWRENCE: Are you prepared to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?

ROMEO AND JULIET: We are.

ROMEO: I take you, Juliet, to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you, in good time and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love you and honor you all the days of my life.

JULIET: I take you, Romeo, to be my husband. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love you and honor you all the days of my life.

NURSE: Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord is with thee, blessed are those . . .

JULIET: Thank you so much Friar.

ROMEO: Till tonight.

JULIET: A thousand times more to want thy light.

I thought I’d feel different after the wedding,

I guess I feel relieved. I thought I’d feel stuck

After getting married. Like being bound

To someone forever. But I’m in limbo.

This day is going to slow, the sun’s still up

And Romeo can’t even come until it’s dark.

Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,

That runaways’ eyes may wink, and Romeo

Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen.

Lovers can see to do their amorous rites

By their own beauties, or, if love be blind

it best grees with the night. Come, civil night,

And teach me how to lose a winning game

Where I’m the prize. Hide from Romeo how much

I don’t know, hide my shaking hands, blush on

My cheeks, and tremor in my voice until

I feel safe, ready, warm and loved by him.

It’ll be like being loved by love himself.

O, I have bought the mansion of a love

But not possessed it, and though I am sold,

Not yet enjoyed.

I’ve heard so many jokes about wedding nights, and what sex is

like, Nurse has told me what’s going to happen but now it feels

more abstract than ever even though it’s so close, any minute

now even. Romeo is a gentleman. Romeo is my husband. Why am I

still so scared? Will things really be that different after?

NURSE: Juliet!

JULIET: Nurse? What’s wrong? Where’s—

NURSE: He’s dead.

JULIET: What? Can heaven be so envious?

NURSE: Romeo can, though heaven isn’t. God! Romeo, Romeo, who would have thought, Romeo!

JULIET:

What devil art though dost torment me?

Oh god, not Romeo, my Romeo.

NURSE: Juliet it’s true, I saw the wound myself, on his chest. It was the most blood I’ve ever seen, just bleeding and bleeding. Tybalt never deserved a fate like that.

JULIET: Tybalt?

NURSE: He was so honest and kind, O Tybalt, my Tybalt!

JULIET: Tybalt? Romeo and Tybalt? What happened, Nurse, how are they both gone?

NURSE: No, no, Juliet, Tybalt is dead, Romeo is banished. Romeo killed Tybalt in the street and for that he’s banished.

JULIET: Banished? O God, did Romeo’s hand shed Tybalt’s blood?

NURSE: Yes. Romeo’s lucky to be alive, your mother wanted him to be killed for slaying Tybalt. Juliet, you need to stay away from Romeo. He’s a murderer!

JULIET: No, no, no, Romeo is not... Romeo couldn’t have done this. Did you see it happen?

NURSE: Not the whole thing, no. Just Tybalt there on the ground and Romeo running away. Juliet, you can’t–

JULIET: I need to talk to someone who was there. Who was there?

NURSE: Juliet, this is ridiculous–

JULIET: I’ve just lost my cousin and I thought I lost my husband too. A banished, murdering Romeo is just as bad as a dead Romeo.

NURSE: Juliet, be careful!

JULIET: Katherine! Katherine! Let me in, please!

KATHERINE: Juliet, what are you doing here? It’s not safe out here, least of all for a Capulet right now. People are saying that the men of the two families could attack each other at any moment.

JULIET: Did you see Romeo and Tybalt?

PETRUCHIO: Juliet? Well, she can’t be outside. Let her in.

JULIET: I need to know what happened. Romeo isn’t a killer, I don't believe it. Katherine, tell me what you saw.

PETRUCHIO: Why are you so defensive of Romeo?

JULIET: I-I met him at the masked ball, and he just seemed so... kind.

KATHERINE: Please, my lord, Juliet must be in shock. I can talk to her and calm her down, before Paris gets here.

JULIET: Paris is coming here?

KATHERINE: But why are you so defensive of Romeo? Did you actually meet him at the ball?

JULIET: It’s kind of a long story–

KATHERINE: How can it be a long story if you met at the ball?

JULIET: He’s my husband, now.

KATHERINE: Husband! When did you get married?

JULIET: Today! Which is really why I need to–

KATHERINE: Juliet, this seems too fast/ maybe you should...

JULIET: /It was either marry Romeo or marry Paris! I don’t really think you’re one to lecture me on marriages.

Katherine, I’m /sorry–

KATHERINE: I’m happy that you got to make a choice for yourself, Juliet. But most of us don't have a choice. Do you really think I want to be where I am? Don’t you think I wish that there were anywhere else I could be right now? But there’s not. I have to go with what I’m given. My story is already written. And look at what your choice has gotten you. Your cousin is dead.

JULIET: You wouldn’t have always said that.

KATHERINE: I know how things work. I know I can’t win.

JULIET: Katherine/let me try to help you–

KATHERINE: No. I don’t need any help.

JULIET: Katherine–

KATHERINE: What did you want to know about Tybalt and Romeo?

JULIET: What happened? I don’t believe that Romeo killed Tybalt in cold blood.

PARIS: Thank you– Juliet. I didn’t know you’d be here, my love. What a surprise! I’m so sorry about Tybalt.

JULIET: Thank you, but I actually was just leaving.

PARIS: No, stay. I’m talking to your father later today but I’d love to spend more time with you before the wedding.

JULIET: I really have to go–

PARIS: Wait here with me and when I go to speak with your Father I’ll take you with me.

JULIET: No, I can/go alone.

PARIS: /No? Huh. Your father told me you’d be obedient to your husband.

JULIET: You’re not my husband.

PETRUCHIO: What did I tell you, Paris? You have to train them if you want a good wife.

JULIET: God! You’re such a prick! I wish Katherine had never met you!

KATHERINE: I said go! Now!

JULIET: Oh my god, Katherine. That was the first time I’ve seen the fire back in Katherine’s eyes since she married that...that monster! I’ll get Romeo and then we’ll return for Katherine. He can’t have run off on his own. And he can’t have just run away from the fight with nothing. If he ran before the prince arrived, he wouldn’t even know he’s banished. If he ran towards the church, Friar Lawrence may have hidden him.

Lady Montague?

LADY MONTAGUE: You are the Capulet’s daughter, are you not?

JULIET: I am. Are you alright?

LADY MONTAGUE: They’ve banished my son. My only son.

JULIET: Maybe you will see him again. You can’t give up on him.

LADY MONTAGUE: Child, you are young. I’ve tried for years to stop the feud, to get my husband to listen to me, to get anyone to listen to me, but all they do is call me hysterical.

JULIET: We can petition the Prince, or maybe you could go find Romeo–

LADY MONTAGUE: There’s nothing I can do.

JULIET: No there has to be something we can do.

LADY MONTAGUE: You should hold onto the hope you carry. At my age I’ve lost it, and now I’ve lost my only hope for my family.

JULIET: But you’re full of hope. I saw you address the Prince, you were right. And you were brave.

LADY MONTAGUE: I was stupid. I stirred things up more and now my Romeo is gone. Banishment is worse than death. It’s torture. I know my sweet boy is out there but I have to live knowing I’ll never seen him again. To have a child is to have your heart walking and living outside your body. You’ll understand when you have children. It’s the joy and curse of being a mother.

JULIET: My lady, I admire you.

LADY MONTAGUE: What’s your name?

JULIET: I’m Juliet.

LADY MONTAGUE: Juliet.

JULIET: Where are you going?

LADY MONTAGUE: Goodbye, Juliet.

JULIET: I need to find Romeo.

Hello? Friar?

FRIAR LAWRENCE: Why are you here? Is anyone with you?

JULIET: No, it’s just me. Is Romeo here?

FRIAR LAWRENCE: Do you have something you need to tell him?

JULIET: So he’s here?

FRIAR LAWRENCE: Do you have something you need to tell him?

JULIET: Is he here or not? Get him to my room. Tonight. Tell him we’ll figure out what to do together. Tell him I forgive him and...And I need him.

FRIAR LAWRENCE: I will.

JULIET: Wait, Friar! Promise me you’ll get him to me tonight. Promise me.

FRIAR LAWRENCE: It’ll be his decision.

JULIET: Tis’ but thine name that is mine enemy. He killed my cousin, but my cousin would have killed him. This is all insane. And now I’m back where I was earlier today waiting for Romeo and . . . Am I really still going to have sex with Romeo tonight after today? I don’t even know if he’ll want to. I want to. My feelings for him outweigh my grief for Tybalt. Is that fucked up? But when we kissed today, it felt like something so big, like on a celestial level. And then looking in his eyes and seeing the little half smile on his face after? Oh, and how he just ran to me and hugged me right when he saw me... He makes me so so happy. and safe. I need him to get here. Now.

ROMEO: Juliet? Are you there?

JULIET: Yes! Yes!

ROMEO: Hi.

JULIET: Hi.

ROMEO:/I’m sorry I killed your cousin, and I understand if you hate me now.

JULIET:/I don’t care that you killed my cousin, I just wanna have sex with you.

I mean, I care, but I still wanna do the other thing too.

ROMEO: Really?

JULIET: Really.

ROMEO: Are you sure?

JULIET: Very sure. Are you sure?

ROMEO: Yeah, I just didn’t think that was on the table anymore.

JULIET: It’s on the table. It can even happen on a table if, you know, if we want to.

ROMEO: That’s great.

JULIET: Wait. I’ve never done this before.

ROMEO: I figured that. We’ll go as slow as you need to.

JULIET: Have you? Done it before?

ROMEO: Yes.

JULIET: Then you know what to do?

ROMEO: You do know what happens, right?

JULIET: Yeah, I do–I just, I’m, I–

ROMEO: We can do whatever you want to do.

JULIET: Romeo.

ROMEO: It is my soul that calls upon my name. How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears.

JULIET: Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.

ROMEO; Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

JULIET: O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

ROMEO: What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?

JULIET: Do you remember when we were behind the curtain at the masked ball?

ROMEO: Yeah.

JULIET: And you kissed my neck and...

ROMEO: Yes.

JULIET: We could start with that.

What are you–

Do it.

I’m ready.

O!

O, Romeo, Romeo. Last night was...the best sex I’ve ever had. And the only sex I’ve ever had. He is still an amazing kisser. He’s amazing at kissing other things too. Falling asleep in his arms, that was the best sleep I’ve ever gotten. Now I know why Nurse keeps bringing this up, it is fucking awesome. And I’m glad she did because she told me some things to do that at first I thought she really shouldn’t be telling me but they really worked out on him, like this one thing where you hold it at the bottom and then you put your mouth–

Oh my god.

Shhhhhh

LADY CAPULET: Good morning Juliet. You’re not dressed yet? Did you sleep ok?

JULIET: Oh, I, uh, went to bed late.

LADY CAPULET: I did too, crying over Tybalt.

JULIET: What happened to Tybalt?

LADY CAPULET: Oh, poor thing, you’re in the denial stage. I just came to make sure you were up and ready because Paris is coming to call on you in half an hour.

JULIET: Right. Right.

LADY CAPULET: Well, get dressed.

JULIET: I forgot about Tybalt. And Paris.

ROMEO: I did too.

JULIET: I guess I thought that was a nightmare.

ROMEO: You still don’t hate me? For what I did?

JULIET: No.

ROMEO: Are you ok?

JULIET: No.

ROMEO: What’s wrong?

JULIET: I don’t know what to do.

ROMEO: I have to go to Mantua, while I’m banished.

JULIET: No.

ROMEO: No, I have to go. The Friar says that the Prince will calm down

and let me come back after a while.

JULIET: No. You can’t leave.

ROMEO: Why not?

JULIET: If you leave, they’ll make me marry Paris.

ROMEO: I’ll be back before they can do that.

JULIET: No, you won’t.

ROMEO: You don’t know that.

JULIET: I just have a bad feeling.

ROMEO: Well, we have half an hour, maybe I can make you feel good again?

JULIET: No.

ROMEO: I’ll be back. It won’t be that long.

JULIET: Do you really think we’ll see each other again?

ROMEO: I’m sure that we’ll see each other again.

I feel it so; and all these woes shall serve

For sweet discourses in our times to come.

JULIET: O God, I have an ill-divining soul!

Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low,

As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.

Either my eyesight fails or thou lookest pale.

ROMEO: And trust me, love, in my eye so do you.

Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu.

My love, I promise I’ll see you again.

JULIET: Romeo, be careful.

ROMEO: So strive my soul.

JULIET: I do not know what to do. I’ve always known who to ask, what to

say, where to go, but now I’m at a stand still with myself.

Romeo is leaving for Mantua, Paris is calling on me today,

Tybalt is dead, and I can’t do anything about it. I can’t even

help Katherine. She says her story is already written. That

can’t possibly be how this all ends...do I even have a chance to

change anything that will happen to me?

LORD CAPULET: Good morning, Juliet. Sleep ok?

JULIET: No.

LORD CAPULET: Neither did I. Last night seems to have been cursed. Lady

Montague died.

JULIET: What? No I saw her.

LORD CAPULET: You saw her?

JULIET: Just on the street. Visiting Katherine. How did she...?

LADY CAPULET: Ad broken heart. Over Romeo’s banishment.

JULIET: A broken heart? What does that really mean?

LADY CAPULET: It doesn’t matter. That vile villain Romeo should have been

killed for what he did to Tybalt.

JULIET: How can you say that?

LORD CAPULET: Enough. Don’t talk back to your mother. Besides, Paris is waiting downstairs for you.

JULIET: I am not marrying him.

LORD CAPULET: What?

JULIET: I am not marrying him.

LORD CAPULET: What are you talking about?

JULIET: I said; I am not marrying him.

LORD CAPULET: She’s had a day to grieve. He was her cousin, not her brother.

JULIET: I am not marrying him! That’s not what I’m supposed to do!

LORD CAPULET: Exactly. All the other girls your age are married, Katherine is

married, you will be married. You need something to make you

grow up. Your refusal to marry Paris shows me you don’t

understand the way things work. We’ve tried to raise you to know

your place in the world. Your Nurse and mother have tried to

turn you into a lady, but you act like a disobedient wench! We

have no choice but to give you a trial by fire. You will marry

Paris tomorrow.

JULIET: I am not marrying him!

LORD CAPULET: Stop saying that! If you do not marry him you are not my

daughter. You’ll no longer be a Capulet and you will not be

welcome in this house! God! I need to get out of here or you’ll

be in no state to walk down the aisle! I will see you at the

church tomorrow!

JULIET: Mother, help me. I can’t marry him, I’m already–

LADY CAPULET: I’m sorry, Juliet. If he’s done with you, I have to be too.

JULIET: Nurse.

NURSE: It’s alright, it’s alright. He’s just angry, my sweet girl, you know how he gets. He’ll calm down by tomorrow, I’m sure.

JULIET: What should I do?

NURSE: What do you mean? You only have one option here, dear.

JULIET: You mean marry Paris?

NURSE: Paris is a gentleman. You’ll be safe and cared for. Romeo is

gone, and you can’t be out on the street on your own. And Paris

loves you.

JULIET: So you think I should just go along with this? And give up?

NURSE: It’s not giving up, it’s just the only thing you can do. No one

knows about your marriage to Romeo besides me and the Friar. And

I’m sure he’ll keep it a secret. He wants to keep the peace,

he’ll marry you to Paris and annul your marriage to Romeo in the

eyes of God. Somehow, I’m sure.

JULIET: I should go see the Friar, now. To make sure that he’ll marry me to Paris tomorrow. Just in case.

NURSE: No, go first thing tomorrow morning. He already knows about the

wedding tomorrow, and you need your sleep for your big day!

Goodnight, my sweet girl. This is exciting! Who else gets to be

a bride twice in one week! And if you’re nervous about your

wedding night tomorrow, you can ask me anything. Just remember

that trick I told you where you hold it at the bottom and then

put your mouth—

JULIET: I’ll be fine! I actually think I’m very prepared.

NURSE: Wonderful! It’s all going to work out, Juliet. Get some sleep!

JULIET: Traitorous bitch. She thinks I should just lie down and marry Paris. That’s ridiculous! That’s fucking ridiculous. I’m going

to the Friar tonight, and I’m going to Mantua tonight to be with

Romeo and get out of goddamn Verona.