#tybalt hating him because he doesn’t have to be a montague

[cto10121]

Broke: Mercutio being the nephew of the Prince and thus wearing Escalus colors

Woke: Mercutio being the nephew of the Prince but purposefully wearing blue to show his identification with the Montagues and being taken as an honorary member by all parties involved

[romeoeatzkorn]

I don't know why I made this

Why Romeo + Juliet 1996 lowkey implied that gay people (Tybalt) exist

A unorganized essay by Roxx

I firmly believe there is no way Tybalt, Capulet's nephew and Juliet’s cousin, was heterosexual in any way, shape, or form. He is, at least to me, extremely queer coded, whether it was intentional or not. The way Tybalt interacts with the cast screams Internalized Homophobia, from his aggressive and somewhat jealous nature towards Romeo to the banter he and Mercutio shared during their fight, he is just a very queer character and the gays love a enemies to lovers story (I’m the gays)

We don’t see Tybalt interact with Juliet, but I personally would guess they are close, at least as close as cousins are, given they most likely lived a majority of their lives together. If you really look into Romeo’s attempt to calm Tybalt in the play (and most versions) it can read in a homoerotic nature

Tybalt:  “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford, No better term: Thou art a Villain”

Romeo: Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain am I none. Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.” Quote; Act 3 scene 1, they basically just broke up

 and the 1996 version of the film doesn’t help this notion of Tybalt having a raging homo crush on Romeo (haha mean girls reference) either, given how close they are standing next to each other and Romeo’s expression, in that film he looks absolutely heartbroken that Tybalt would resort to such violent action and refuses to strike him. that angers Tybalt and he beats Romeo up, talk about romance am I right? (That was sarcasm, don’t beat your partners it’s fucked up),  and before this, Tybalt looked at Romeo in a way that made him look almost obsessed with him. 

Mercutio and Tybalt are obviously interconnected, they’re not opposites though instead they’re two sides of the same coin, They could even be read as a metaphor for how the hyper-masculinization of Queer men of colour, especially black and dark skinned Queer men, can be harmful and imply the stereotype that men of colour are violent and “uncivilized.” 

So Tybalt’s aggressive nature could be read a reflection of his own internalized homophobia and self hatred that has been pushed onto him by society and probably even his own family, While Mercutio’s aggression could be read as a form of self perseverance to keep himself out of harm's way. They both know that if they are openly queer, they are inherently in danger just by existing.

Tybalt, within this context, hates Romeo because he’s in love with him and he can’t fathom the idea of being in love with a man and a Montague no less.

Also he literally calls Romeo “My man”, I know in various contexts that could mean a platonic bond but c’mon, that's pretty damn gay.

So you might be asking, “Why do you think Romeo and Juliet would be better if Romeo and Tybalt were in love instead? And why not Mercutio and Tybalt?” Firstly, no one would’ve died; The entire reason R & J is R & J is because Tybalt was there, what truly sets off the chain reaction of some of the most memorable parts of R & J is Tybalt. If he wasn’t in the room when Romeo and Juliet were talking, R & J wouldn’t exist, and if he was Romeo’s romantic interest instead no one would be dead, Secondly, JULIET IS TOO YOUNG, I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL, and Third, Romeo and Tybalt would have a more interesting dynamic; the idea of Tybalt having to learn how to be vulnerable with a romantic partner is pretty interesting, I don’t think Tybalt could really ever learn to be vulnerable with Mercutio given both of their short tempers (and Mercutio is lowkey a dick but he’s still cool either way) and lack of respect for the others house. Romeo, obviously, is a bleeding heart romantic who is very very dramatic, while Tybalt is a ruthless, blood-thirsty, and closed off jackass who has some form of daddy and/or mommy issues, and that sort of opposites attract dynamic is the most interesting part of the entire idea of Romeo & Tybalt being an item.

it's giving "She likes a boy, She likes a boy, She likes a boy, She likes a boy, and I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy"

[strangelittlestories]

“Oh, shi-” Rae stopped themself and looked around the library furtively, spotting at least one stern-faced librarian ready to shush them, then swiftly changed tack. “Oh … *zounds*!”

“What’s up?” asked Sam.

“Look at this!” Rae thrust the battered copy of the play in front of Sam’s face.

Sam’s eyes crossed. A not uncommon reaction to being presented with Shakespeare.

“Uh, what am I looking for? It’s all thou’s and wherefore’s and all the dick jokes are hidden…”

“This bit, here-” Rae stabbed the page with their finger. “Look at Tybalt’s dialogue.”

“There isn’t any.” Sam’s brow knitted. “It just says TYBALT and then an intestine and then it’s blank.”

“It’s a *colon*, not an intestine…” Rae started, then got a hold on their inner pedant (which, in fairness, was quite squirmy). “But that’s not the point. You’re right. Tybalt doesn’t have any dialogue in this scene, but he *should*.”

“...you don’t mean?”

“The ‘prince of cats’ is loose in our school!”

“Wait … there’s a furry in this play?”

“No, it’s a nickname because he’s violent but also stylish.”

“...he’ll fit right in round here, then.”

“Until he stabs someone! Come on!”

- - -

Tybalt was confused. And when Tybalt was confused, he got angry.

This is why - given the notable absence of any Montagues in this strange and over-bright facility - he currently had his fist planted in a locker, directly above a fellow teenager’s head.

The teen looked nervously up at the dent in the locker, and was grateful that his last-minute dodge had narrowly avoided a similar dent on his pate.

“Where…” hissed the rowdy Capulet “...is Romeo?”

“Uh, do you mean Romeo Chavez? He graduated last year, man!”

“Neigh, rogue, my quarry ‘tis a Montague. A villain and wretched thorn on the rose of Verona!”

“Dude, I … is that him over there?”

The teen pointed excitedly and Tybalt whirled around, drawing his rapier. Too late, he realised there was no-one there.

“Peace!” Yelled the teen as he scurred away, suddenly eager to get to Maths class.

“Peace? I hate the word.” Spat Tybalt, sheathing his rapier and setting off to stalk down the halls of Verona High.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Semi-serious question: How much should we blame Tybalt for what happens in Romeo & Juliet?

This is a completely out-of-the-blue ask but what do you know...I have Thoughts™ on it anyway lmao. I actually have two answers to this question, and the answer depends on how you view the family feud and what you identify as the actual conflict in R&J (and thus, who the instigators and people responsible for the conflict are).

Answer A: we blame Tybalt as a primary instigator of the actual events that happen within the bounds of the play and as someone who bears quite a bit of responsibility for what happens. This answer is very attractive because it looks at the play directly through the lens of the events readers are directly seeing taking place: Tybalt is the one egging on the Montague-Capulet servant fights in the beginning opposite Benvolio, who (bless him) wants nothing but peace. Tybalt is the one who wants to kill Romeo at the Capulets' masquerade and is told no by Monsieur Capulet, and Tybalt is the one who issues the honor duel challenge to Romeo in response to this denial. Tybalt kills Mercutio, and even though this fight is initiated by Mercutio and is unintentionally instigated (since he was trying to fight Romeo), Tybalt happily accepts, and his murder of Mercutio is what initiates his duel with Romeo and his own eventual murder, resulting in Romeo's banishment...........which leads to Romeo and Juliet's fatal communication mishap later on.

So if you are just looking at the direct events of the play, I think it's not necessarily a bad analysis to say that Tybalt consciously and deliberately inflames inter-familial tensions (even when given direct orders and specific reasons not to do so) in a way that sparks his own murder-homicide, Romeo's banishment, and (eventually) the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. While he himself is not responsible for the family feud, the R+J romance, or Romeo and Juliet's deaths, he directly contributes to the plot in such a way that those events become inevitable through his actions.

Answer B: we blame Tybalt as a product of his environment who is generally acting within the acceptable bounds of the greater Capulet-Montague family feud, but because of Romeo and Juliet's actions (all of which are outside the scope of his knowledge and predicated on the larger family feud rather than Tybalt's actions in particular), what would probably just be duels in courtyards results in the deaths of 6 people; thus, the Capulet and Montague parents bear far more responsibility for R&J's events than Tybalt.

Tybalt has grown up in an environment where familial honor is paramount and fighting to protect that honor with violence is not only expected but at least nominally encouraged. And of course, it's the broader family feud that causes the play's events; after all, if the Montagues and Capulets weren't feuding, Tybalt would have no reason to feel slighted enough by Romeo showing up uninvited to his uncle's ball that issuing a death duel challenge seems like a reasonable response. Romeo and Juliet would have no real reason to hide their clandestine relationship. Juliet wouldn't have felt the need to create a plan to fake her death and be smuggled out of the city in order to reunite with her lawfully wedded husband. The play's direct events largely occur because of choices Romeo and Juliet make that are directly connected to the one thing overshadowing literally everything else: their families hate each other.

Romeo goes to the ball in the first place because he thinks it's a Fun Time to sneak into a party hosted by his enemies that he's not invited to. Tybalt's angry that Romeo's there because his Family Honor™ is being slighted by a Montague waltzing into a Capulet party uninvited (even though it's not even his party and his uncle is explicitly fine with it). Romeo and Juliet get married in secret because their families won't approve. Because their marriage is secret, Tybalt doesn't understand why Romeo refuses to fight him and feels condescended to and brushed off instead of understanding Romeo's genuinely sincere desire not to fight a fellow kinsman. Because Tybalt feels condescended to (and then laughed at/goaded by Mercutio), he gets into the duel which eventually ends his life and results in Romeo's banishment from Verona.

Meanwhile, because Juliet cannot tell her parents that she's married to a Montague, her pleas to delay or end her impending marriage to Paris are unsuccessful. Because her pleas are unsuccessful, she and Friar Lawrence concoct the plan that eventually ends with the deaths of herself, Romeo, and Paris. All of these things are connected to one thing: the reality that Juliet is a Capulet and Romeo is a Montague, which has nothing to do with Tybalt's actions.

Personally, I put a lot of blame for the events of the play's final three acts on Monsieur Capulet, since the entire R+J marriage and reunion plot is directly instigated by M. Capulet refusing to allow Juliet any freedom of choice or temporal leeway re: marriage (especially to Montagues). Romeo marrying Juliet but being unable to publicly acknowledge it (and thus being unable to justify refusing to fight Tybalt in a way Tybalt will accept) instigates Tybalt's and Romeo's disagreement in Act 3. And while Juliet's marriage to Romeo was technically unconnected to her impending marriage to Paris, she wouldn't have felt such a huge rush to get out of the city and reunite with Romeo post-the Act 3 slaughter event if her father wasn't literally going to force her into an immediate marriage with Paris (even after telling him to wait another two years, until Juliet was 16 and of official marriagable age, at the beginning of the play).

Depending on the results of dealing with the larger parental feud, Mercutio and Tybalt may or may not still fight (I feel like being called the 'king of cats' and Mercutio saying that he would have 'one of [Tybalt's] nine lives' is more than enough to justify that fight independent of the larger feud, especially since Mercutio isn't actually a Montague; he's just Romeo's friend), but the bloodshed would probably be limited to them instead of the 6 deaths that eventually ensued. M. Capulet's actions in the aftermath of that fight might not have saved Mercutio or Tybalt (who both got caught up in and subsequently fell victim to family feuds that ultimately weren't even theirs to fight as a family friend and cousin, respectively), but they would have saved Paris, Romeo, and Juliet.

tl;dr: Tybalt does a lot of shit that directly contributes to the 6-person slaughter event that R+J becomes, and thus definitely bears some responsibility, but is ultimately himself a victim of the plot's Big Villain (the larger Montague-Capulet family feud, which the adults are responsible for) and thus cannot bear sole or even the majority of the responsibility for responding the way he does to events that occur because of larger family systems issues and beyond the scope of his knowledge.

[edettethegreat]

Review of Romeo X Juliet (the anime adaption of Romeo and Juliet, VERY loosely based off of the original play)

Well I think it’s gonna be kinda long, so I’m gonna put a cut right here.

OK.

What it got right/ what was in there that was in the actual play:

Romeo and Juliet are from two opposing families (Montague and Capulet). They fall in love with each other. There are some other characters who also exist.  

What was in there that was NOT in the actual play:

Literally everything and anything else. This is not an exaggeration in the least bit. Juliet grows wings at some point. And maybe turns into an actual tree.

So. What’s Romeo X Juliet about?

The basic Premise:

Montague (not the whole family- just Romeo’s father) is the main antagonist. He kills out the entire Capulet family when Juliet is a child, but somehow Juliet is rescued. Juliet spends the next like 13-14 year of her life pretending to be a boy by the name of Odin to hide from Montague, and also does vigilante work, because life isn’t so good under Montague’s rule. Oh yeah, Montague’s like. The king or something. 

There are also characters from other Shakespeare plays there. And Shakespeare himself is a character. 

The Characters:

Characters who aren’t from Romeo and Juliet (but are from other Shakespeare plays):

Shakespeare himself- he’s literally just Shakespeare himself. Just chilling, watching the whole plot go down. 

Emilia- an actress in Shakespeare’s acting troupe

Regan- a servant girl working for Shakespeare’s mother’S family.

Cordelia- I think she’s like. A servant to the Capulet family? Who got away with Juliet when Montague killed them off? Anyway she’s Plot relevant. She marries Benvolio.

Ophelia- oh boy. Where do I even start. OK you know what? I’ll get to this when I get up to Escalus. Just. Scroll to where I talk about Escalus.

Petruchio- he’s pretty irrelevant- he only exists for one episode, and then he dies a tragic death

Hermione- the girl Romeo’s engaged to. 

Characters that are actually from Romeo and Juliet: 

(In the order of easiest to explain to hardest to explain)

Juliet- Ok. She’s the main character. She does vigilante work until she can’t anymore. 

Romeo- literally just Romeo. Exactly what you’d expect from Romeo. He doesn’t do anything mind blowing. I mean, he does try to kill Montague, but everyone tries to kill Montague because he’s basically a dictator.

Lady Montague- I think she went off to become a nun or something, because she didn’t like that her husband was basically a dictator who goes around murdering people. She’s nice. I liked her.

Benvolio- not the brightest guy. Really. He and his family gets exiled because his father disagreed with something Montague said. Ends up marrying Cordelia.

Mercutio- one of the antagonists, but literally the worst one. He decides to betray Romeo and join Team Antagonists because I think he wanted power or something? It wasn’t entirely clear. He then betrays his father to Montague, and Montague kills his father. Then Montague tells him that he’s totally better than Romeo and he could totally replace him as Montague’s son. So you’re probably thinking “hey that sounds a lot like that one part of Edmund’s arc”- BUT IT’S NOT- Mercutio is about 0% dedicated to any of this and is a huge coward. Then he tries to kill Romeo. That doesn’t work out. Then he kills Montague and goes mad. I don’t know why he does any of this. I don’t think he himself knows why he does any of this. Also he’s *really* annoying. (Literally just go watch it- you’ll see- he’s *so* annoying.)

Montague- OK SO. This fellow here has actually a tragic backstory that motivates his evilness. Listen to this wild ride of of a story: So. Capulet (not Juliet’s father- her grandfather or great grandfather or someone else related but not her father) had a affair with some lower class lady, and MONTAGUE WAS THE RESULT. YES. THAT’S RIGHT. I HAVE ANOTHER TRAGIC SAD LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE BASTARD TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION. Anyway. Montague just wanted to kill out the whole Capulet family as revenge. Sounds fair enough. So he gets adopted or something by the Montague family, kills out the people ahead of his until he’s the heir (I think?), and then goes on a killing spree with the Capulet family. Then he becomes. Like. An evil dictator. That lowers his coolness by a large percentage. He was pretty neat before, but I’m not so pro-evil dictators. 

Tybalt- HOLD ON. IF YOU THOUGHT MONTAGUE’S STORY WAS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY BUT GREAT NONETHELESS, THEN BEHOLD THE STORY HERE.  Ok so. He’s introduced when he suddenly appears out of nowhere being super mysterious. Juliet was doing some vigilante work, and it looked like she was about to get caught, and he swoops in and saves the day. And Juliet’s all like “who on earth are you?” And he basically says “the name’s Tybalt- I’m loyal to the Capulet family- that’s all you gotta know”. (He might also tell her that he’s her cousin- idk). Anyway. He spends most of the time being mysterious and kinda emo, and hating Montague. Until his tragic backstory is revealed. BASICALLY. You know how I mentioned Montague was climbing the rankings in the Montague family? So at that time, the Montagues and Capulets weren’t really enemies or anything. So they hung out. And while climbing the ranks, he ended up courting a Capulet- Juliet’s mom’s sister. THAT’S RIGHT. TYBALT IS THE SON OF MONTAGUE AND A CAPULET. ANOTHER BOTH LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE BASTARD. I HAD NO IDEA THERE WOULD BE ONE, LET ALONE TWO. YOU ALL KNOW THAT’S MY FAVORITE TYPE OF CHARACTER. 

Me, when the Montague and Tybalt reveals happened:

And onto the absolute craziest change made to any character ever-

Escalus- He’s. He’s a tree. A physical tree. I’m not even kidding. I wish I was. He’s a physical magical tree, that magically sustains the world. Ophelia (remeber I said I’ll explain her when I explain Escalus?) is the magical guardian of this magical tree. The tree is sustained by the women of the Capulet family occasionally sacrificing themselves to merge with the tree or something? Towards the end of the show the world starts literally collapsing around everyone, and Ophelia is like “hey Juliet the only way to save the world is for you to sacrifice yourself and come merge with the tree. If not the everyone will literally die.”

And Juliet’s like “yeah sounds fair”. But Romeo’s like “NO! I love you! You will not merge with a tree!” 

And Ophelia’s like “um. Literally everyone will die if she doesn’t.” And Romeo’s like “But at least we’ll die together!!”. So Ophelia and Romeo fight each other and they both kill each other. Then Juliet’s like “welp since romeo’s already dead, i may as well die too.” And (I think??) merges with the tree? Also she grows wings. Anyway. That’s that. That’s the show. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

OTHER THINGS- Mainly about Tybalt because I love him (more specifically- I love emo vigilante Tybalt, but the play version of angry rich boy Tybalt)

-When Romeo finds out that Tybalt is kinda his brother, he’s like “oh cool! You’re my brother now!” And Tybalt is like “huh. Yeah, I guess you’re right”- and from there onward they are 100% committed to being brothers. 

-There’s this one scene where Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet all simultaneously decide “yup Im gonna go kill Motague. I have the biggest right to kill him. He’s for me to kill”. So Tybalt gets there first and is like “PLOT TWIST I’M YOUR SON!” And draws his sword. Then Romeo enters and is like “YOUR REIGN OF TYRANNY IS OVER!” And draws his sword. And then Juliet comes in and is like “I AM JULIET OF THE HOUSE OF CAPULET!”. And then Juliet decides not to kill him, because Mercy (TM). And then Mercutio comes in and stabs him, because (here’s a bit of the plot I forgot to mention) Montague sent him to hold off the rebellion (The Capulet’s team+ most of the citizens), and Mercutio epically failed. So he was like “the citizens will kill me if I go to them. And Montague will kill me if I go to him. Welp. I guess I have to kill him.” Then Mercutio goes mad. Because why not.

-Benvolio and Mercutio have literally nothing to do with each other. I don’t think they ever even speak. What 

-everyone rides around on these dragons with wings called Dragon Steeds.

-Also instead of it taking place in Verona, it takes place in Neo-Verona. A floating city miles above ground. 

-I think that’s it

[biggesthalseystanxoxo]

romeo and juliet are hopeless now

"Good artists copy; great artists steal."

Was this quote uttered by Steve Jobs when he declared that he was willing to engage in thermonuclear warfare with Android in 1996? Or Pablo Picasso, who was misquoted as he referred to Igor Stravinsky's iteration, while they both borrowed from T.S Elliot's dictum, "Immature poets imitate, mature artists steal." Well, to be honest, it doesn't matter too much because everyone who uttered almost the same message moulded it to fit their own requirements. Regarding art at face value makes us see it as just stories and paintings to be hung on walls or choreographed into melodies and built into cities when there's so much more behind it.

For example, at a quick glance, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is nothing more than a story of two immature children who disregard their parents wishes to get married. But the tale of loverboy and manic pixie dream girl acts as a cautionary tale, a warning for foolishness, impulse, and rivalry; eliminating the repercussions the characters faced from their actions would remove the deterrent, and the play would lose its significance. And that - is what makes his work timeless. 

So timeless that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has been picked apart and scrutinised hundreds of times; in fact, in terms of movie adaptations alone, this 16th-century story has been staged for the screen over fifty times. But this time, we're having a look at singer/songwriter Halsey's take on iconic literature in the setting of her own discography. Instead of fair Verona, Halsey's entire album released in 2017 titled 'Hopeless Fountain Kingdom' is jam-packed with references as it plays with Shakespeare's original script, and she decides to set the two-hour traffic of her stage in Anorev (wildly creative; I know) - the fictional city housing her modern interpretation of Romeo and Juliet.

And while you may already be familiar with many of Shakespeare's works after being obligated to tap along to his iambic pentameter and pick apart his prose, Halsey has managed to take the cult classic film (Romeo + Juliet 1996) by Baz Luhrmann and reinvent it for herself. She chose to maintain critical concepts and themes like lust, conflict, the inevitability of fate, the idea of death and love that blinds but adds her own like same-sex love, betrayal, female sexual liberation and modern romance. 

The houses alike in dignity are Aureum as the Montagues and Angelus as the Capulets. Our main characters are now Solis Angelus and Luna Aureum, which mean sun and moon and represent Juliet and Romeo, respectively, making the quote "star-cross'd lovers" literal. Halsey says that Solis was chosen as the name for Juliet since, in Act 2 Scene 2 of the play, Romeo confesses that Juliet is his sun but, contradicting him, is Luna, meaning the moon. Throughout the music videos, we do not see the original Romeo's homie-o's Benvolio and Mercutio. However, we know that Solis's best friend is [SPOILER ALERT] the traitor, but the audience has no other means to identify him or relate him to since all we see is his withering lack of loyalty. To my excitement, we see some Rosa (depicting Rosaline) content in the music video about the song that describes Luna (or, well, Halsey) reflecting on her relationship with Rosa she had been trying to move on from (just like Act 1 Scene 2 in the original but with the same-sex love twist). 

Halsey has chosen not to follow the exact chronological order in Shakespeare's script, but she incorporates key points into each of the five music videos that conclusively create her circular plot. In the 'Strangers' MV, we see Luna and Rosa physically fighting in a boxing ring - symbolising their break up early, and towards the end, Luna meets Solis for the first time. The 'Now or Never' MV depicts Luna and Solis finally getting closer together and realising they love each other. Luna goes to a tarot reader, and he tells her their love is pure, yet there is interference, and before she gets to ask any more questions, she is forced to leave. Shortly after, Solis confesses to his best friend (who is unnamed, thankfully, or else I'd have started using his name to curse), who conveys Solis's secret to the elders of the house of Angelus, and warfare begins and ends as quickly as it started, resulting in bloodshed and civil hands staining with civil blood. This continues directly into the next MV of the song called 'Sorry', which is more of a lamenting ballad where Luna walks through the ruins of the battlefield as she sings apologetically. In the 'Bad At Love' MV, Luna is on the run/banished, much like Romeo after he murders Tybalt. She comes across the same place she took a tarot reading but finds it abandoned.

Meanwhile, back in the comfort of his home Solis quickly sprawls a message onto paper telling Luna he loves her and sends a messenger to deliver it immediately. Again, Mr McTraitorFace (aka Solis's best friend) meddles in other people's business and switches the letters so that it reads as if Solis wants Luna dead and that he hates her (referenced in the lyrics of her sidetrack titled 'Lie' - "I get the message you wish I was dead"). Luna receives this message, and the audience collectively winces as, just like in Shakespeare's original work, another untimely misconception occurs, and the phenomenon of blatant miscommunication strikes once again. Ultimately, the 'Alone' MV shows Luna moving over Solis at a party (which is visually similar to the Masked Capulet house party) and thus, we are back again to the start of the story - where an opportunity may arise for new love to be found. 

Halsey herself quotes her story to be a "celebration of death" because it's the end of their "death-marked love", and she's rejoicing as she's revolved once around the circle, and it's time to spin around another chapter while making way for new art to be created. 

[the-ultimate-romanian]

Romeo & Juliet headcanons:

Recently I’ve read Romeo & Juliet in school and I like it (and became attached to Juliet and Tybalt) so I’ve got some headcanons for Romeo, Juliet and Tybalt

Romeo:

-I feel like he is 14-16 years old

-Is 100% a bisexual

-his favourite colour is red!

-people think he is likes to fight just because he is the son of the Montagues but dislikes it and prefers to write poems

-after marring Juliet he became attached to all people in the house of Capulet and thought of them as family + he hates himself because he killed Tybalt

-people think he is a playboy lol

-is actually in love with the idea of being in love than actually being in love with someone

-he sees Friar Lawrence as a second father

-actually has a good relationship with his parents

-if he were in the modern world he would preferred to read over staying on his phone but would be active on booktok and reading most recommendations.

-definitely looks up to Catherine Parr

Juliet:

-is canonically 13-14 years old

-pan sexual

-likes reading

-has a good relationship with her cousins (especially Tybalt)

-doesn’t have a good relationship with her parents

-she sees the nurse as her mother and was basically raised by her

-she dislikes the conflict between the Capulet’s and the Montagues

-her favourite colour is orange!

-if she were in the modern world she would 100% read fan fiction on wattpad and ao3 and would laugh so hard at the y/n slander jokes

-she and Rosaline are best friends

-looks up to Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I

Tybalt:

-I feel like he is quite young like 14-16 years old

-closed gay or bisexual with a heavy preference for men

-his father d*ed before he was born :((

-pretends he hates Montagues but he actually likes them and admires them

-doesn’t actually like fighting but he was forced to be manly by his uncle (Lord Capulet) so he can one day take over him as Capulet doesn’t have any sons

-very religious but he doesn’t hate sinners, he says he doesn’t have to stick his nose in other people businesses (unless they are Montagues)

-favourite colour is blue or green

-has a really great relationship with his mother and sees his uncle (Lord Capulet) as a father

-has a great relationship with Juliet

-if he were in the modern world he would probably be a really sporty guy and his favourite sport would be fencing

-secretly looks up to Cathrine of Aragon and Mary I (also known as Bloody Mary)

That’s it.

Should I do more or?

[margridarnauds]

Toho RJ 2021 costumes? What do you think?

Thanks for the question! 

....so, I actually unfollowed the RetJ Toho page. Because as much as I ADORE Toho RetJ, I actually couldn’t sit by for this production, I was so discouraged, and the more I looked, the more I was discouraged, so I didn’t even stay long enough for the costume reveals. That being said.... I do have MIXED opinions .

Which is actually better than it sounds, because as much as I hate almost everything I’ve been hearing about this production, “mixed” is actually positive-leaning. 

Romeo’s costume looks considerably cleaner, but also....cheap?

Let’s compare:  

(Yes, I’m showing Ohno. Yes, we’re at THAT point.) 

The new one looks like Romeo just....grabbed it off the rack? As opposed to it being something that he actually wears every day? It looks BETTER, more streamlined, but it looks more like a costumme™ VS something that really fits the setting, much less something that fits ROMEO as a character. (Dye it red and it would be a suitable Tybalt costume.) Part of why I actually HATED RetJ Toho’s costuming the very first time I saw previews for it was that I thought that, well....they were hideous. They were hideous, they were cheap, they looked like anything you could see on the STREET, and I wanted my pretty flowing gowns BACK. 

BUT! Then, as time went on, as I saw the full musical, I realized the genius behind them: They perfectly suited the world that THIS particular production wanted to show. No, you couldn’t put them on the French cast, because they aren’t the French cast - They have an entirely new setting to work with, rougher, grittier, just several degrees removed from us. So, in that context, do I think that Romeo’s costume works for Romeo Montague, the character, in the setting that Toho’s created? Not really. It looks BETTER, I think, in the sense that it’s something I, personally, would be more willing to wear, I like the cut better, I like the darker colors, I like the design, I like the silver accents and the overall color scheme, but it isn’t something that FITS. (Also am I high or does the strap on the shoulder somewhat look like his new Zuka look?) 

I do like Mercutio and Benvolio more because, in their case, I was (1) Never particularly ATTACHED to the old designs - I never particularly cared for how busy they were and the color scheme always seemed rather bleh (though I understood the IDEA behind it, as far as showing that, even though the Montagues looked like a mess, they had more cohesion as a group than the Capulets) and (2) ....I do like the Renaissance styled cut sleeves. I can see, in those cases, a bit of method behind the madness, and I respect it. I respect combining 16th century and modern fashion to create a contemporary look that still references the original. (Look. I’m still in love with the choices made in Julie Taymor’s Tempest.)

Only problem is that Benvolio does look LESS “Gang Leader” and more “Fratboy Who Thinks That Cutting Down On Starbucks Will Fix Your Student Debt.” 

As opposed to this mess who has definitely lost his phone in one of his pockets at some point: 

Juliette runs into a similar problem as Romeo: 

On one hand, I do like ASPECTS of it. I like the color scheme, the red accents really hold the whole thing together, though I’d leave that belt (which also reminds me unfortunately of the Red Leather Belt of Horror from the recent Zuka production.) I like the sleeves because, once again, Italian Renaissance fashion being modernized, but I’m also still not really sold it fits the world of TOHO RetJ. It DOES fit Juliette more as a character than Romeo’s. A part of me like the collar and the layering - Even if it makes for a gown that looks either....I want to say 19th century or 1950s (I can almost see her going on a milkshake date with Romeo), which really works with that idea of Juliette kind of having a cute “vintage” aesthetic, which we can see even back in the 2019 production. 

VS this, which has less of a vintage appeal (though it DOES still have that styling, with both the jacket and the skirt, I would still place her style around the 1950s), is probably something that I would be less inclined to pick up if I had to choose between one or the other, but that kind of fits the idea of a princess growing up in this totally ruined town (and also looks more like regular street fashion). Verona’s still a bit of a wasteland, we get that distinct vibe from the projections, even if they’re now far enough out from the nuclear explosion to have trees again. It doesn’t really make sense for me that Juliette would have this fresh off the rack look, even if Daddy C spoils her, because (1) He’s broke and (2) ....logistically, it would be a nightmare. Clothing would have to be made to last, like 2019 Juliette, who’s wearing NICE clothes, but clothes that are more practical, more likely something that she’s worn a few times. (But also. The new shoes are CUTE. I can admit it.) It’s also what makes Paris stand out: He DOES have an impractical, shiny costume that he must have spent a FORTUNE on, because he has money to burn and no sense. 

No signs of intelligent life found here. 

The rest....I wasn’t too invested in the changes one way or another, only thing I really noted was that Lady C’s corset’s a bit of a letdown. We really went from: 

To

The result is flat and rather cheap, the buckle looking like a failed attempt at ornamentation that really ends up just coming out of nowhere. 

THAT being said: Oka Kojiro back in his gray Peyrol coat for Escalus really makes me feel like coming home, I’ve missed seeing that man on stage, I’ve missed seeing him in gray, barking at actors decades his junior, so you know what? Maybe, just maybe.........I will keep a slightly closer eye on this. I won’t pretend that I’m more encouraged than I am, but I like the Juliettes and I like Escalus and tbh, they’re my favorite characters anyway so......

Overall.........I can’t say that I hate everything they’ve done. Quite a few of them are pretty, I like the hints of historical fashion, but I also feel like they’re kind of losing that strong sense of setting that really makes the Toho distinct from basically any other production of RetJ out there (yes....even as opposed to ResJ). 

[arisefairsun]

What do you think would've happened if Juliet never met Romeo and got married to Paris instead?

I think it’s hard to say, because Juliet repulses Paris, but I’m not certain how much that disregard derives from her love for Romeo. ‘Proud can I never be of what I hate,’ she says about her marriage to Paris. But would she be so opposed to it if she wasn’t in love with (and married to) Romeo? The Nurse says that Juliet ‘had as lief see a toad, a ver toad, / As see [Paris]. I anger her sometimes, / And tell her that Paris is the properer man; / But I’ll warrant you, when I say so she looks / As pale as any clout in the versal world.’ I think these lines  can be read in different ways—did she say those things to Juliet before meeting Romeo? Afterwards?

But whether Juliet’s aversion to Paris is influenced by her feelings for Romeo or not, I think Paris’ personality could hardly satisfy Juliet. Their conversation in act IV, scene I seems full of tension to me. Juliet is quick-witted, intelligent, her use of language wonderfully nuanced. But Paris can’t decipher the true meaning behind her words—he doesn’t really try very hard. This is a man who is about to marry a woman he’s never talked to. ‘You say you do not know the lady’s mind. / Uneven is the course, I like it not,’ says Friar Lawrence. Paris answers that Tybalt’s death has saddened her so much, surely marrying a man she doesn’t know will make her feel better. But he does not imediately ask about her well-being when he interacts with her; on the contrary, he talks to her as if she were his wife already: ‘Happily met, my lady and my wife.’ Juliet answers evasively: ‘That may be, sir, when I may be a wife’. ‘That “may be” must be,’ he assures rather bossily.

That contrasts greatly with Juliet and Romeo’s first exchange, in which they build a sonnet together, the poetry blooming willingly. They often share lines (verses that would remain incomplete without each other’s input), mirroring each other through internal rhymes. But Juliet and Paris use single lines only, their dialogue plain and strict, forced.

Given that Juliet is utterly meek and obedient at the beginning of the play, I think she might have agreed to marry Paris had she never met Romeo, just to please her parents. She thinks of her own heart like a dart which her parents are to throw to their liking, her agency non-existent (’no more deep will I endart mine eye / Than your consent gives strength to make it fly’). But would she have been happy? Would she have become the fiery sun she is in the play? She is silent and submissive in the first act. But then? Boundless seas roaring within her, galloping through her dreams like fiery-footed steeds, breaking caves with her screams of love. Her poetry is raw, her thoughts radical. She feels greater than Verona itself, defying customs and prioritizing her own will.

What makes it so enchanting to me, so charmingly radical for a 400-year-old play, is that Juliet loves to contradict Romeo. Hell, to cut him off mid-sentence and teach him to express himself earnestly. O, swear not by the moon. Shut up, Romeo. Not like this. She asks him to marry her (and I’ve noticed this is something that authors and filmmakers tend to change whenever they make an adaptation of the play loosely inspired by the original dialogue). Then in the wedding scene, he asks her to describe the happiness they both feel, but she turns down his offer: ‘Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, / Brags of his substance, not of ornament.’ She says whatever she wants, however she wants, whenever she wants. She takes control of herself. Just look at these lines. The yearning. The zeal.

And Romeo? Romeo is delighted. This foolish boy, the heir of the Montagues, expected by everyone to be bold and aggressive like the other men of his household—he gladly accepts Juliet’s assertiveness. ‘I would I were thy bird,’ he tells her when she says she wishes he were a little bird she could pet (she feels so intensely, she fears she might kill him with ‘much cherishing’ if he were her bird). Later on, he is ecstatic when he wakes up from a dream: he dreamed Juliet found his lifeless body ‘And breathed such life with kisses in my lips / That I revived and was an emperor.’ Such life. Juliet is his prince in a shiny armor. The title of the play might be Romeo and Juliet, but the very last words are ‘Juliet and her Romeo.’

Would she have displayed such ardor, such fierceness if she had never fallen in love freely? To me, Paris seems far too cold, too conventional, too sober to further Juliet’s yearning for liberty. Would they have become ‘Juliet and her Paris’? The way I see it, Paris represents everything Juliet ought to be (Capulet’s obedient, shy daughter, who gets married to a count to benefit her family) and everything she is not (this exuberant, outspoken girl who secretly marries the heir of her family’s worst enemy and dreams of turning him into a constellation that will make the world fall in love with the dark).

[momowho34]

omfg thats not what Romeo and Juliet is about.

Alright you fucks, I’m tired of hearing bullshit about Romeo and juliet so imma rant about it. If you think romeo and Juliet is about true love and melodrama then ur fucking wrong. The cultural context is one of the most important parts of the goddamn play. Somehow Romeo and Juliet managed to become one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays and a lot of people still managed to miss the point. Sit down, this is why Romeo and Juliet was a subversive masterpiece.

If you started watching Romeo and Juliet without any context on what it’s about, it would appear to be a fairly straight forward romantic comedy that was popular in Shakespeare’s day. He actually wrote a lot of basically rom coms over his career. The play is set up thusly: Romeo and Juliet are both nobles who love eachother, and through hijinks and the help of their closest pals, they’re going to overcome trials and tribulations through the power of love and end up together because that’s how these stories usually go. There’s slapstick sword fights, dirty jokes, comedically over dramatic characters, the works. One of the funniest characters is Mercutio, romeos best friend (and maybe boyfriend, it’s complicated) . He delivers the funniest lines and is a bit hotheaded, but overall a good guy. After Romeo and his buddies secretly crash a party thrown by juliets (the enemy house) family, the volatile Tybalt tracks down mercutio and then challenges him to a fight solely because of the feud going between their two families. What you expect to happen is for tybalt to get knocked on his ass. Instead, Mercutio is murdered in cold blood in front of his closest friends on stage.

This is where the play begins to shift. Romeo kills tybalt for killing his best friend and then flees from the city to escape murder charges. Juliet is left with the choice of siding with her family or Romeo. Let me explain the position these two are in at this point: Romeo is wanted, if he’s found, he’ll be executed by the Prince. His best friend is dead and he doesn’t have a life line anymore. Juliet, on the other hand, is destined to marry a stupid old guy that she hates if she doesn’t take action quickly. She picks Romeo, and they decide to run away together. To clarify, these two aren’t in love because they’re meant for eachother, they’re in love because they’re desperate. The meaningless conflict between house Capulet and Montague has torn away everything they really care about and left them reeling. They’re not tragic heroes, they’re scared kids. This is why they kill themselves in the end, because they think they’ve lost the only person that they’re still living for.

And the irony to all of this is that none of it needed to happen. None of it! If it weren’t for the stupid blood feud, Romeo could have actually started courting Juliet and possibly won her family over. Again, he’s a noble, so that could have actually worked. Even if it didn’t, tybalt and Mercutio would still be alive. (and so would Paris but he’s a dick so I’m kind of glad he dies in the end) But because these stupid families fed their children lies and taught them to hate eachother, tybalt launches the downward spiral. It takes the deaths of six people for these dumbasses to kiss and make up over a feud that has no logical reason to exist.

tldr; Shakespeare straight up went “oh look it’s a funny-haha romantic comedy jk it’s a heart wrenching tragic peice about how we pass conflicts down to our children and make them just as miserable as we are, and how love can become just as destructive as it is amazing and that meaningless violence is funny to look at on stage but it has real world consequences that can reverberate for centuries and make us become responsible for the deaths of our children,” and y’all need to give him credit for that!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!! Pop culture butchered the meaning of this play and I’m so fcking mad about it.

[cto10121]

R&J Clown Takes Round ♾️ Part 14

Featuring a lot of recycled clownery, some comments on the recent Jamie Lloyd production, which looks to be a mess of clownery as well, and R&J being such a ~~light-hearted comedy. On nom nom

Tag yourself, I’m “a critic second.”

I like how Clown OP had to act like the Chorus’ very flattering and romantic description of R&J was a literal prophecy. 🤣 Like R&J were some Lord of the Rings-esque fantasy novel.

So “star-crossed lovers” have nothing to do with R&J being destined to fall in love. It literally means “crossed by the stars.” As in, the forces of the universe hate their guts and fucked them over. This idea is repeated with the Friar saying that Death is “enamored” with Romeo’s parts (the French musical as always picked up on that brilliantly) and that he and Juliet are “wedded to calamity.”

You said it, Clown OP! Fuck *checks list* Titanic, Casablanca, Pyramus and Thisbe, The Fault in Our Stars, Brokeback Mountain, Moulin Rouge, The Bridges of Madison County, The Notebook, The English Patient, and all of dem cats. No one on this earth has ever or will ever think of these as love stories!!!!

“The families weren’t paying attention—” The Capulets tried to marry Juliet off because she “wept immoderately” for Tybalt’s death. Because she felt sad for the death of her own cousin. Before that they kept Juliet under almost constant supervision, and Juliet herself is called for at least three times.

The only accusation of neglect that may ring true is the Montagues, who are so hands-off they have to get freakin’ Benvolio, their own nephew, to find out about their own son. Even so, they seem much nicer than the Capulets. Lady M died of heartbreak over Romeo’s banishment and even in his madness Romeo made sure to let his parents know via letter of his intentions.

“R&J Is A Comedy!!1!!1” Round ♾️

So this is what happens in the “light-hearted” first half of the play before Mercutio’s and Tybalt’s deaths that these clowns insist is a comedy:

Sampson and Gregory joke about killing and raping Montague women

Tybalt threatens to murder Benvolio and attacks him

The Prince threatens to execute anyone who disturbs the peace again

Romeo talks about how Rosaline has sworn never to have sex and what an awful waste it is that she won’t open her legs to that sweet golden cum 😔

Capulet thinks Juliet is too young for marriage, but Paris cheerfully says that younger girls than she is (13-14) are already “happy mothers” 🤢

Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she was around her age (13-14) when she had Juliet—so that makes it a-OK to get her married!

The Nurse reminisces fondly about the time her husband joked about two-year-old Juliet having sex eventually when she gets smarter. Not older. Smarter. 🤮Oh, and she also casually drops the fact that the Capulets left Juliet with the Nurse and said husband while they were in Mantua doing fuck knows what

Mercutio’s fantastical Queen Mab speech becomes dark really quickly as he talks about raping virgins

Romeo has a presentiment of his untimely demise…which eventually comes true

Juliet worries that their love will be “like lightning”—here and gone before you know it

The Nurse believes Paris is hotter/better than Romeo for Juliet, which makes Juliet mad, foreshadowing their rupture

The Friar gives a dark warning in his famous “These violent delights” speech about the longevity of too-swift love

I think it’s obvious that there are attempts by Shakespeare to 1) satirize the feud and violent Veronian society and its gender roles and 2) foreshadow Romeo and Juliet’s death and set up the tragedy re: the Nurse’s betrayal of Juliet.

Just because a tragedy isn’t all doom and woe for 2 hours doesn’t mean it isn’t a tragedy. There is the danger, yes, of a production being 100% intense 100% of time; the dark comedy/satire is very much necessary from a thematic standpoint. I reckon that was the fault of this Jamie Lloyd one. But I read this shit when I was 10 and Mercutio’s and Tybalt’s deaths didn’t surprise me at ALL. It was an “oh shit” moment, sure. But I definitely understood why it occurred and I was not surprised. A good R&J production should have that same feeling.

[siichees]

/something new, written specially for @une-reine-du-monde 💙❤️/

Ship: Tyvolio

It was always the same time, the same hour, even the same minute - sound of the piano, soft but somehow still easy to hear from the outside, filled every evening.

Tybalt jumped over the wall, noiselessly landed on the grass – he had something of a cat, indeed – and sneaked closer to the opened window just like he had done so many times before.

This was his way to escape from all the thoughts which were screaming in his head in his Uncle's voice; they were saying him that he's not worth to be a Capulet, he's not strong enough to defend family's name – so he had been fighting Montague's to prove them wrong, to make his family proud of him.

But this day the sound of the piano stopped in the middle of a beat and so did Tybalt's heart. He moved nervously, ready to run away, but a quiet voice froze him at the halfway point.

"I know you're there, Tibby."

But he stood still, unable to reveal himself – being here was weak, wasn't it? He jumped and turned around when something touched his shoulder. No, it wasn't something – it was someone, it was him.

Fair-haired boy was sticking out of the window, half-smiling because of Capulet's reaction, but still worried about him – because Tybalt would never let anyone get that close to him without noticing them.

------------------------

"Is this about your Uncle again?" asked Benvolio. Normally, Tybalt would just go away, maybe yelling to stop asking him questions like this, but this time it was different. He looked like as if he wanted to leave yet there was something that made him stay.

However, he didn't answer, it wasn't that easy. He turned his head on the side, staring at the wall and avoiding Ben's glance as well as an answer.

"I know it is."

There was a long moment of quietness in the room, but filled with Tybalt's inner fight, making it dense, almost substantial.

"I don't understand what he wants from me," Tybs said quietly and then clenched his fists.

"I'm trying to «be Capulet», as he says," he mocked his Uncle's voice, "but he keeps telling me that everything I do is wrong."

Something strange could be heard in his voice – as if he was about to cry, but cry with anger and frustration. Still, he didn't let himself shed any tear, he would lose his battle in a second if he did.

Instead, Tybalt kicked the leg of the desk and growled quietly, but his rage was nothing but a coping mechanism of everything that was happening inside and around him and he was just sick of it. He sat on Ben's bed with heavy sight. Benvolio wanted to hug him - he had been wanting to since he remembered - but he knew that it wouldn't be the best idea – this Capulet didn't like being touched, especially like this. Or maybe he was scared, 'Volio thought. Scared of getting closer to anyone, that's why he had been fighting them his whole life. And by "them" he meant also Tybalt's family, that was a different kind of fight. But then, this boy sitting on his bed seemed defended and tired of keeping his guard up.

"Tibby..."

"I shouldn't be there." Tybs stood up, wanting to run away from this uncomfortable situation.

"Why?" Benvolio was given a suprised look.

"You're a Montague," Tybalt said slowly, it was obvious, wasn't it?

"This time surname doesn't matter." Ben sat on window sill, giving Capulet boy space but also cutting off his way of escape. "Your family is hurting you."

"No, they-..."

"Yes, they are."

"It's my-..."

"It's not your fault!" Tybalt had never seen Ben so angry and worried at the same time and, what was weirder, both of those feelings were about him. Someone cared about him, Montague cared about him - that shut Tibby's mouth, letting Benvolio to continue his outburst.

"It's always their fault!" Understanding came with his next words, how hadn't he noticed before, why did he need to see Tybalt in that state first? "They, they keep telling you, me that we should hate each other, defend our surnames, but from what, for what? They want power, position, they want to be admired, but is this what you really want? Tell me, do you want it? Do you need it?"

Even if he didn't hear any answer from Tybs, he knew. He saw his eyes.

"I don't care about my surname, about your surname, they don't define us. «Be Capulet», what is it even supposed to mean? Fight Montagues. You can't have any other interests, you have to fight us, me, just because you're born as Capulet, you see how stupid it is?"

'Volio shaked his head, he had much more to add, but he couldn't put it into words - or he wasn't brave enough to voice some of those things.

"You don't have to... Don't have to fight, but don't let them control you like that. Don't let them be the ones who choose what's good for you, because that's definitely not good for you - they're hurting you. You're hurt, you're scared..."

He couldn't go on, he got pushed away in a blink, when Capulet jumped in his direction and then through the window. Yet before disappearing in darkness, Tybalt stopped at no more than an arm's reach and stared at Ben for a while - his eyes shined oddly as he tried to say something, but remained quiet. And scared. And even though, he didn't take back his hand when feeling gentle touch of Benvolio's fingers on the top, not right away.

Then he fleed.

Ben knew he would be back.

[therookieking412]

Friday Spin Class

This was meant to be written and posted last Friday!

Hello, Welcome and buckle up because we’re going for a ride!

Princess Tutu is chock full of allegories and allusions of ballets, operas, classical music and literature, and fairy-tales, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Midsummer’s Dream, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet.

So I have talked about Romeo and Juliet before in relation to the characters of the show, to Mytho and Rue as well as Fakir and Ahiru. 

Y’all remember this, too?

And this? The staircase that are actually based on a prop from the ballet, and specifically they’re Juliet's balcony. 

And who could forget this?

The dance they perform in the lake of despair derived from the Balcony Scene and Farewell Before Parting. 

There was another post about this dance on my blog and you can read more in depth about it there. We’re not here to talk about their dance, maybe I’ll bring it in a little bit, but the specifics of the dance isn’t the topic of discussion. 

I read a post a while ago about how Ahiru fills the role of Romeo twice - once when she threw rocks at Mytho’s (and Fakir’s) window, aaaaand I don’t remember what the other one was, but there’s definitely two and someone made a post about that. 

However, I want to take it one step further and say that Ahiru takes the role of Romeo fully, not just in some situations. 

But What about Fakir? 

He takes the role of Juliet. 

So, listen. 

I’ve been reading Romeo and Juliet, and the more I read it the more I agree with this dissertation. 

Let’s go over the first, what, five minutes of the first episode? 

Ahiru tells us, the audience, that she is in love with Mytho, before Pique and Lillie break the fact (rub it in her face) that Mytho already has Rue! Leaving her heartbroken. 

How does Romeo’s story start? 

He’s heartbroken that his love for Rosalind is unrequited.

Interesting.

Also, I want to point out that Benvolio is described as a friend of and cousin to Romeo, with Mercutio being described as “...a show-off who likes to entertain others” (Romeo and Juliet, A word to the Reader, pg 8). Benevolio doesn’t get much description outside of his relationship with Romeo, but Benevolio, I’ve found, is a pretty constant character who generally cares about Romeo. 

And in case you haven’t already guessed, Pique and Lillie fit into the role of Benvolio and Mercutio, and they fit it pretty well. Lillie being super overdramatic (and bloodthirsty) providing a lot of humor to the scenes she’s in, and Pique is a genuine friend to Ahiru who is looking out for her, e.g. all the excuses she gives Mr. Cat so Ahiru won’t be forced to marry him. 

Another character I want to point out is Autor and Tybalt. 

Autor’s main theme is also Dance of the Knights, which (I haven’t seen the ballet) I believe is the first dance of the Capulet’s ball. A dance that Tybalt partakes in, and while I’m not familiar with music theory, I do believe that you can hear parts of the Dance of the Knights in other scenes with Tybalt. Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin, and based on Autor’s findings, he is Fakir’s cousin (twice removed or whatever). 

Princess Tutu is not an adaption of Romeo and Juliet, but a lot of the elements of the story are present here, especially where Ahiru and Fakir reside. 

Firstly, I want to talk about how Fakir is Juliet. We already have the two examples of Ahiru acting as Romeo, but what does Fakir have besides stabbing himself? 

From Juliet’s first scene, you can see she’s smart, strong, and clever; the balcony scene, Romeo oh Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo (asking why is your name Romeo, not where is he) Juliet’s speech is her excusing the fact that his name doesn’t define him, and that it’s only for his name that they can’t be together. 

Juliet finds out Romeo is a Montague, but does that turn her away from him? Does that make her love him any less? Does she turn on him? Become like her family and hate him just because of his family ties? 

No. 

Juliet is still upset, but she overcomes it.

When Fakir finds out Ahiru is really a duck he doesn’t treat her any differently or love her any less. 

Ahiru likewise is Romeo, she starts out with an unrequited love, and while she doesn’t fall in love with Fakir as instantly as Romeo does, as I said last week, she still loved him first. 

Ahiru is framed as Romeo, however in their dances and the promotional art, she takes over the role of Juliet.

Romeo runs on impulse, and is considered hot-tempered, very clearly, I can think of two situations where Ahiru gets angry and impulsive, the first when Fakir locks Mytho in the library, and the second when she first meets Autor.

Ahiru races into the scene and tries to open the locked door and almost gives herself away to Fakir. Well, she definitely does, she tells Fakir she knows what’s going on, just not who she is. But the point being is that she comes in and starts scolding Fakir before trying to open a locked door by pulling on the handle. 

The second is when Autor offers Fakir his help in drawing out and obtaining his story spinning abilities, he demands that Fakir follow his every order and then Ahiru brusts in, ready to fight on Fakir’s behalf.  

Sounds impulsive and hot-tempered to me. 

Ahiru is also our symbol of peace, especially as Princess Tutu, she doesn’t fight anyone she only asks them to dance and defends herself. But Romeo kills Tybalt. 

Ahiru never really settles around Autor, her first meeting with him isn’t great, when she goes to find Fakir, she watches him stumble and fall, and without any context accuses Autor of doing something to him, when they go to the Oak Tree grave Ahiru is concerned for Fakir and tries to go to him, but Autor grabs her and holds her back, which isn’t going to make anything better. 

Ahiru doesn’t kill Autor, but the relationship they have is still hostile and far from peaceful.

Ahiru and Fakir have a very unique story that stems from many places, but their roles as Romeo and Juliet fit them perfectly, where Drosselmeyer intended them to or not.

Now I’ve said that I don’t think Drosselmeyer was a smart man, I think he was a fool, he abused his powers and thought of this as more of a game rather than something serious, a form of entertainment. While I’m sure Drosselmeyer has seen Romeo and Juliet, I doubt he would engrain their love story in his, especially since Ahiru was supposed to proclaim her love to Mytho and disappear into a speck of light.

Personally, I don’t think Drosselmeyer doesn’t have a role in Romeo and Juliet, he doesn’t fit in as nicely as some of the other characters do, I would hardly call him Shakespeare, but perhaps a member of the audience, standing and watching the tale.

Fakir and Ahiru were never intended to be Romeo and juliet, and even when Drosselmeyer saw what was happening and used that to his advantage - trying to make Ahiru drown herself - Fakir and Ahiru still resisted their fates, and while their story doesn’t end in death, it still ends in something bittersweet, something far from a happy ending.

[hell-heron]

For the pros/cons meme - Romercutio, Tycutio, Bencutio, Tyvolio, Romtycutio, Romvolio, Rombalt (basically all of them lol except Montacrew OT3 cause we know that one has no cons 😉) I wanna hear all your opinions ❤️

Jesus Christ ahfjksdl

ok here come the Opinions

Romercutio

Pros: - I stoically acknowledge it’s the only one here with any canon basis whatsoever

- Gave us the extremely important Italian kiss! And the Mab speech snuggles! And the potential for death snuggles! I can respect it on this standpoint

- the banter is top notch. Romeo up and answering “in bed, asleep, where they do dream things true :D” is straight up one of the highlights for me. Baby boy babies

- can’t believe them being willing to die AND kill for each other is canon and absolutely no other possible interpretations of that scene exist-

Cons: -  they sort of seem types of people who get on great as friends but may be a lil idealistically incompatible for long term romance, which tbf applies to like everyone else here but they’re the only ones who are friends to lovers

- while I love your fic and some other I read the characterization is sometimes sort of unrecognizable to me, at least in the unrequited/more canon compliant ones? Mercutio is so joyless and humiliated a character and Romeo this pretty frat boy constantly getting into girls’ skirts (he wishes) that exists to be unattainable and pined for. A lot of these people tbh don’t sound like they like Romeo

- I just have a bit of a squick for unrequited love where the subject of it is both the protagonist and the only one getting a het love interest bc idk it feels sort of meanspirited for the other character? Just like from a narrative standpoint bc actually nothing from actual characterization suggests Mercutio gets significantly less laid than Romeo lol. And while I have much less trouble with requited stuff, fucking Romeo and Juliet is not a canon where I’m hugely tempted to subvert the canon het you know

Tycutio 

Pros - Mercutio does get a very gay monologue about the whole Prince of Cats thing

- Enemies to lovers! Banter! Sparring! Every version of the duel is so sexy!

- There is somewhat of an healthy foil situation that isn’t on characterization or values as they both are abjected disasters but like... on the axis of Mercutio’s chaotic neutral-ness and ability to question everything and see behind people’s bullshit VS Tybalt need to be aligned with a cause and self-righteousness. It feels like it has actually redemptive potential for them while all other enemies to lovers I acknowledge to be a wretched trash fire

- It’s really fun to rewrite versions of C’est le jour so they’re Tycutio instead of incesty

- potential for being a foil to r&j actually, like in the sense of another similar love story that was attempted but couldn’t withstand the hate and pressure like... internally rather than externally

- A Tender Thing

Cons: - I’m told the murder thing is a con to some people

- It gave us the Austrian kiss

- *gestures at the entirety of the revival*

- the fic is all so sexual agh which totally makes sense and I do imagine them to have some odd kink but I want to imagine it and not read it

Bencutio 

Pros: - it’s just very cute and ends in abject angst and “this is the truth or let Benvolio die”

- it seems like really wholesome and healthy and shit, like, there’s a lot of them having fun together and bickering and worrying about Romeo together because it doesn’t preclude them all being friends as a trio 

- the “thou art as hot a Jack as any in Italy” speech is so hot like. The level of “I see you beyond the stoic responsible exterior you’re projecting and the person you think you are and that’s okay and also you have really pretty eyes” and meanwhile it’s also trolling the whole time

- I totally imagine Benvolio’s interventions in the prince of Cats speech to be like “oh Jesus Christ and who is this Tybalt now .-.” all jealous

- I really love the Toho setup of them being the Montague leaders together and the potential for like mutual support and happiness through the fighting ok

Cons: - I’m gonna admit I’m invested in like multiple version of these guys but that you only get to with multiple layers of AU made up by myself or others

-  objectively Any Two Guys

- the fandom is composed of criminals obviously very averse to Romeo which is annoying as the trio friendship is a main part of both characters and also there’s no reason to be meanspirited, also I really disagree on the characterization on Benvolio as everyone seems to ignore 1) the aforementioned “thou art as hot” speech and 2) that he’s the one who has the idea to go the party

- it doesn’t add anything at all to the play 

Tyvolio 

Pros: - I think it brings some spicy angst to the duel and also like, somewhat justifies Tybalt only wanting vengeance on Romeo for the ball despite him being there too

- really interesting potential for foils if you assume they have a similar situation within their families which is decently supported by the play and Very by the musical (I’m currently Stewing with thoughts about this re the Italian Jesus Christ this is the last time I write subs) , but tbh even without that you can do lots of different things with the way people cope with high stress situation and what personalities they make for themselves also in light of both of them getting a “my God you’re so full of bullshit” speech from Mercutio

- GeR

Cons: - they absolutely wouldn’t get along ever and you have to really contrive a premise for them to meet and don’t immediately ditch each other

Romtycutio 

Pros: - Wretched boy <3 

- The only thing nicer than a ship where two people murdered each other is a ship where all three murdered each other

Cons: I literally never thought about this ship before we talked about it

Romvolio

Pros: - they’re so unfairly pitted against each other shipping is cathartic tbh

- they’re sweet babies and I love them

- their first dialogue in the play is so tender, they’re so obviously emotionally close (or at least expect themselves to be emotionally close even if that is changing a bit as they Become Men with different priorities and all) and Romeo being all alarmed at Benvolio saying he weeps for him ad calling him “good soul” is just so sweet

- agh all the potential for baby fic and codependency and snuggles 

Cons: - I just see them more as brothers, and like I imagine a bit more of a age difference between them than I would normally ship tho that’s like most items on this list entirely my opinion

Rombalt 

Pros: - I’ve become ridiculously attached to the Tybalt is Rosaline AU

- Apparently it’s a kink for me *sideyes* 

- I find it quite poetic Romeo takes time to talk to Tybalt’s corpse in the cript and tell him that now he can have revenge and so. Very much fucked up shit potential

Cons:  - Doesn’t seem very long term healthy for Romeo aghdjs unlike Romtycutio that like has a buffer

- It’s a bit arbitrary for me to like as enemies to lovers? Like I get the feeling of why Tybalt dislikes Mercutio and Benvolio but Romeo is literally target with murder for going to a party so it’s just sad 

[crackspinewornpages]

Romeo and Juliet -William Shakespeare

Prologue

“Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, were we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.”p.882 Then it completely spoils the play. (thanks assholes maybe some of us wanted to be surprised by a five hundred year old play that’s been adapted and referenced a million times)

A1S1

In Verona, Sampson and Gregory, servants of Capulet House, are walking with their swords and shit talking Montague House. How they will conquer the men in a fight and for the women, “The heads of the maids?” “Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;”-“Me thy shall feel while I am able to stand; and ‘tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.”p.882 (seriously Shakespeare makes so many dick and sex jokes how could anyone think his stuff is high brow) They draw their swords as Abraham and Balthazar of Montague House enter and Sampson goads them into fighting by biting his thumb at them. (like flipping the bird) “Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?” “I do bite my thumb sir.”p.883 A fight breaks out, Benvolio tries to break it up and Tybalt of Capulet House fights him, then it’s a full on street brawl and the wives of Capulet and Montague have to hold back their husbands.

The Prince and his train arrive, and he commands them to stop on pain of torture and declares the Capulet and Montagues fighting has disturbed the peace too many times. “If ever you disturb our streets again your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.”p.883 He says he’ll speak to the heads of the houses later and everyone but the Montagues and Benvolio leave as he explains to them how the fight started. Lady Montague asks where her son Romeo is, he saw him earlier walking sadly through the sycamore trees, their son has been wallowing in misery and locking himself in his room all day, isn’t new to them. (well he is a teenager) They don’t know why their son is acting like this and Benvolio will talk to him and find out.

Benvolio meets his cousin Romeo asking him what’s wrong, he’s miserable because of love and Benvolio follows to get the story. He loves a woman, Benvolio isn’t surprised, Rosaline has other ideas. “Well, in that hit you miss: she’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow; she hath Dian’s wit; and, in strong proof of chastity well arm’d, from love’s weak childish bow she lives unharm’d.”p.885 (girl swears a vow of chastity to avoid a creep total mood) Romeo says she’s too pretty, too wise, to refuse love, Benvolio tells him to forget her and move on. Romeo doubts Benvolio can get him to forget her and Benvolio takes it as a challenge.

A1S2

In the street Capulet is talking to Paris and a servant about how they have to keep the peace and Paris asks about his offer, but Capulet isn’t sure. “my child is yet a stranger in the world, she hath not seen the change of fourteen years;”p.885 (Juliet is thirteen) Wait until she’s fifteen (that’s not better) Paris argues that there’s already happy mothers younger than her. (11, 12 these girls aren’t mothers they’re dead) Capulet says she’s his only surviving child but Paris can start to woo her at a masque he’s having. As they leave Capulet gives the servant, Peter an invitation list, unfortunately he can’t read. Romeo and Benvolio come by still arguing about Romeo forgetting Rosaline when Peter asks him to read the letter. Then Peter invites Romeo to the party and Benvolio thinks it’s a good idea since Rosaline will be there. “Compare her face with some that shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow.”p.886 Romeo will go just to see Rosaline.

A1S3

In a room in the Capulet House Lady Capulet and a Nurse wonder where Juliet is, she comes and Lady Capulet wants to talk to her. The Nurse starts a story on how Juliet was the butt of a sex joke (Juliet is thirteen) and Juliet has to tell her to stop. “Thou wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed: and I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish.”p.887 Lady Capulet says that’s the point and asks Juliet what she thinks, Juliet never really thought of it. (because she’s thirteen) Lady Capulet tells her she gave birth to her at her age (you got pregnant and gave birth at thirteen the damage it can do it doesn’t surprise me Juliet is your only surviving child) and Paris has shown interest. (because he’s a creep) He’ll be at the party tonight and Juliet says she’ll see if she loves him and a servant comes to tell them it’s starting, and the Nurse tells her. “Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”p.887

A1S4

In the street Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio are wearing masks and gather with the other guests. Romeo worries about crashing the Capulet party, Benvolio isn’t concerned, “let them measure us by what they will, we’ll measure them a measure, and be gone.”p.888 Romeo says he won’t dance and Mercutio makes sex jokes but Romeo says he had a bad dream about the party. Mercutio starts a story of the fairy Queen Mab (Oberon’s mother) who visits dreams until Romeo stops him, Mercutio says its just fantasy. Benvolio says its time to go and Romeo still has concerns, “I fear too early; for my mind misgives some consequence yet having in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date with this nights’ revels, and expire the term of a despised life clos’d in my breast be some vile forfeit of untimely death.”p.889 (foreshadowing)

A1S5

In Capulet’s halls servants are bustling to prepare and set some food aside for themselves. Capulet and Juliet make rounds with him welcoming guests and encouraging them to dance. Romeo sees Juliet and asks a servant who she is he says she’s too beautiful, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”p.889 (so what was all that about Rosaline who we ever meet) Tybalt hears him and knows he’s a Montague and wants to fight him Capulet hears and tells him to leave Romeo alone as he’s well liked, Tybalt will let him go now but won’t let this transgression pass. (well aren’t you a little murder kitten)

Romeo meets Juliet they flirt and kiss until the Nurse comes to tell her her mother wants her. Romeo then finds out she is a Capulet and is devastated. Juliet asks her Nurse to find out who Romeo is and if he is married and the Nurse tells her he is a Montague. “My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.”p.891 (it’s your parents that are enemies for an undisclosed reason not you two)

Prologue (again)

Describes their love and how their affection is young, “with tender Juliet match’d, as now not fair. Now Rome is belov’d and loves again, alike bewitched by the charm of looks, “p.891 (so Juliet is young and Romeo falls in an out of love by looks) But their families are enemies so it will be difficult.

A2S1

At a wall by the Capulet’s orchard Romeo is conflicted with his feelings and climbs over the wall as Mercutio and Benvolio come by. They call for him and Benvolio guesses he jumped the wall and Mercutio mocks his love for Rosaline trying to anger him. Benvolio says he’s hiding in the trees, “blind is love and best benefits the dark.” “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.”p.891 (stay classy guys) They decide to leave him.

A2S2

In the orchard Romeo says their words don’t hurt him, then sees Juliet in the window and soliloquys about her beauty, (you know comparing her thirteen year old hotness to a summer’s day) wishing he were her glove so her could touch her cheek. Juliet then starts talking to herself, why does Romeo have to be a Montague. “Deny thy father, and refuse thy name; or; if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”p.892 But his name is an enemy what is a Montague, “what’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would,”p.892 Romeo calls out to her and she asks how he got there, he says love led him there and stone and kinsmen wouldn’t stop him. Juliet worries for his safety if he’s caught and asks if he loves her, she knows he’ll say yes but he has to say it faithfully.

He starts to swear by the moon, but she says not to since it changes, if he swears on himself she’ll believe him. He starts too but she stops him, “it is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden; too like lightning, which doth cease to be ere one can say it lightens.”p.893 (almost aware that they are moving too fast) Romeo assures her and they confess their love and to meet again as Juliet goes to her Nurse who called. She comes back telling him to propose marriage tomorrow (yep definitely too rash and sudden) and they decide she’ll send for him at nine. As they part she wishes he was a blind bird tied with a string to her beck and call and he wishes her were that bird. “Sweet, so would I: yet I should kill thee with much cherihings.”p.894 (foreshadowing)

A2S3

I Friar Laurence’s cell he’s musing on plants when Romeo enters and he knows he did sleep that night. Romeo says it’s true but he wasn’t with Rosaline, already forget her name. He says he crashed the Montague party and fell in love with Juliet and wants to marry her today. Laurence says that’s quite the change as, “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”p.894 He points out that Romeo’s cheeks are still tear stained over Rosaline, Romeo says it was childish of him, he’s buried that love he really loves Juliet and she him. (you are a romantic that falls in and out of love all the time and this is the first girl who’s shown you interest a naïve thirteen your old girl) Lawrence is skeptical but agrees to marry them.

A2S4

In a street Mercutio and Benvolio are still looking for Romeo, Benvolio says Tybalt sent a letter to challenge Romeo. Mercutio says he’s already dead from unrequited love and doubts his ability to answer Tybalt. Mercutio insults Tybalt’s name (apparently it was a popular cat name) and his fighting skills then Romeo arrives and apologizes for skipping out on them ignoring their jibes and claims of Rosaline being prettier than ancient beauties. They start making sex jokes until the Nurse and Peter enter looking for Romeo and Mercutio and Benvolio leave to have dinner at the Montagues. The Nurse warns Romeo to stay loyal and not to double deal Romeo swears he’s not. He says to tell Juliet to come at noon to Friar Laurence’s to be married and the Nurse says she’ll make a cloth ladder so they can have a wedding night. (she’s thirteen)

A2S5

In the Capulet garden Juliet is worried that it’s a half hour past nine and her Nurse isn’t back yet. Finally, she comes and Juliet presses her for news and why is she sad. The Nurse says he got tired and to wait but caves into Juliet’s pestering. The Nurse says Romeo is a good looking man and thinks he’s gentle, but Juliet wants news on the marriage. The Nurse complains about her aches until Juliet apologizes but she still wants to know the Nurse says to do her messages herself and to go to the Friar Laurence to marry and she’ll make a ladder for them. (eugh)

A2S6

In Friar Laurence’s cell, Lawrence and Romeo wait for Juliet and Romeo declares he doesn’t care about any misfortune from this compared to the joy he feels now. Friar Laurence warns him, “These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume:”p.898 (translated don’t let your wild emotions get the best of you it usually ends quickly and badly) Juliet then arrives and they speak poetically of their love until Laurence hurries them to get married.

A3S1

In public Mercutio, Benvolio and some servants convene and Benvolio suggests they go inside and the heat will biol men’s blood to fight, Mercutio says he has a quick temper as anyone and shouldn’t judge. Tybalt arrives with others and calls that he’s looking for Romeo and the begin to taunt him wen Romeo appears. Tybalt calls Romeo a villain, Romeo claims he has a reason to love  him and won’t fight but Tybalt wont have it. “I do protest I never injur’d thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise, till thou shalt know the reason of my love:”p.899 (Romeo’s a good dude y’know despite falling in love with a thirteen year old he won’t fight because they’re family now) He now loves the name Capulet but Mercutio has enough and draws his sword to fight. Romeo pleads for them to stop as the Prince forbade fighting in the street but they don’t listen and Mercutio is fatally wounded.

It’s not too deep or wide but it’ll do enough and curses both the Montagues and Capulets. “A plauge o’ both your houses!”-“Why the devil! Come you between us?”p.900 (because he didn’t want your dumbass to die) Romeo says he was trying to stop  them and Mercutio dies cursing them. Now angry, Romeo claims his love for Juliet made him effeminate (…really) and tells Tybalt one of them has to die. They fight and he kills Tybalt, (congratulations Romeo married all of what two hours and just killed your wife’s cousin) but it roused the citizens and Benvolio tells him to run as the Prince will have him killed.

The Prince arrives with the Montagues and Capulets asking what started it all. Benvolio tells him, “I can discover all the unlucky mange of this fatal brawl: there lies the man, slain by young Romeo, that slew thy kinsmen, brave Mercutio.”p.900 Lady Capulet demands Romeo’s death for killing her nephew and Benvolio explains Tybalt started the fight, Romeo tried to stop it but Tybalt killed Mercutio under Romeo’s arm and Romeo killed him in revenge and fled. Lady Capulet says he’s lying because he’s a Montague and wants justice, but the Prince isn’t sure. “Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio; who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?”p.900 So he exiles Romeo and won’t hear pleas or excuses, if he returns he will be killed. (funny you say that)

A3S2

In the Capulet’s orchard Juliet waits for Romeo and wants it to be night already so he can come over. The Nurse comes in distraught and stumbles over her words saying he’s dead and Juliet thinks she means Romeo killed himself. The Nurse says Tybalt and Juliet thinks he killed Romeo, finally the Nurse tells her Tybalt is dead and Romeo is banished for it, Juliet curses nature. “Was ever a book containing such vile matter so fairly bound? O! That deceit should dwell in such a gorgeous place.”p.902 The Nurse curses that there is no faith and honest in men and Romeo Juliet denounces her for criticizing her husband. (so what only you can insult your husband) “My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; and Tybalt’s dead, that would have slain my husband: all this is comfort; wherefore weep I then?”p.902 She decides Romeo’s banishment is worse since it’s before her wedding night and she’ll die a virgin, (apparently the worst thing ever) the Nurse she’ll bring him and Juliet gives her a ring to give to him.

A3S3

In Friar Laurence’s cell, Lawrence calls to Romeo to come out and tells him the Prince banished him and Romeo says that’s worse than death since he can’t see Juliet. (omg can’t see my girlfriend of two days this is the worst thing ever) Lawrence tries to make him feel better by saying he’ll help but Romeo flails on the ground. (I bet Laurence is thinking long and hard at this point about why he even associates with this kid) They hear knocking and Lawrence tells him to get up as the Nurse enters with news for Romeo. He worries that Julie thinks he’s a murderer, the Nurse says she said nothing but cries and Romeo is distraught he caused her this pain and asks Lawrence where he should stab himself. (woah woah woah calm down) Lawrence scolds him for acting unmanly, so quickly to hate himself they’re both alive. “Rouse thee, man; thy Juliet is alive, for those dear sake thou wast but lately dead; there act thou happy: Tybalt would kill thee, but thout slew’st Tybalt; there art thou happy too:”p.904 Go to her chamber and comfort her (she’s thirteen I’m getting my nail bat) and reconcile, the Nurse gives him the ring Laurence then tells him to hide in Mantua until news of their marriage spreads and Romeo feels better.

A3S4

In the Capulet House the Capulets and Paris are talking, Capulet says because of Tybalt’s death he hasn’t had time to talk to Juliet about the marriage to Paris. Paris bemoans he had no time to woo her and Lady Capulet says she’ll find out what she thinks by tomorrow. Capulet wants Paris to try but thinks his wife will do better to tell her she’ll be married on Thursday and Paris wishes it were tomorrow. (Hi, Paris, I’m Chris Hansen, have a seat)

A3S5

In Juliet’s chamber it’s morning and Juliet tries to convince Romeo it’s still night, but he says he can’t stay or he’ll be put to death. Juliet says the light is just a meteor and Romeo says he’ll stay if it kills him but Juliet changes her mind, “O! Now be gone; more light and light it grows.” “More light and light; more dark and dark our woes.”p.905 The Nurse warns her mother is coming and they hurry farewells but as he descends Juliet sees he looks pale, “I have an ill-diving soul: methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb:”p.905 (foreshadowing) She wishes he’ll come back soon and wonders what her mother wants.

Lady Capulet thinks she’s been crying over her cousin but she says it’s feelings of loss, “Well, girl, thou weep’st not so much for his death, as that thy villain lives which slaughtered him.”p.905 Juliet says he’s been banished she grieves but pardons him, Lady Capulet wants vengeance and will send someone to Mantua to kill Romeo. Juliet says she won’t be satisfied until she holds Romeo and if her mother has poison, she’d temper it so Romeo would sleep. (heh funny you should say that) Lady Capulet continues to misinterpret but changes the subject to joyful news that she’ll be married on Thursday to Paris. Juliet says he won’t make her a joyful bride, tell her father if she weds it will be Romeo, Lady Capulet says to tell her father herself.

Capulet enters with the Nurse and Lady Capulet tells him Juliet won’t have it, “I would the devil were married to her grave!”p.907 (be careful what you wish for) Capulet calls her ungrateful and threatens to drag her to church on Thursday to be married to Paris. Juliet asks for him to listen but he keeps calling her names and threatens to disown her, instead of a blessing she is a curse. (kid won’t do one thing so threatening them and calling them ungrateful is the obvious immediate reasonable action of a loving father to his only child) The Nurse says he’s also to blame, he gets mad at her too and starts ranting that he just found Juliet a noble husband and here she says she doesn’t want to wed. She will be wed on Thursday or she will be in the streets when he leaves Juliet asks her mother to talk to him, “delay this marriage for a month, a week; or, if you do not, make the bridal bed in that dim monument where Tybalt lies.”p.907 (really beating over the head with the foreshadowing) Her mother won’t help her and follows her husband.

Juliet wants her Nurse to help, the Nurse thinks it’s better for her to marry Paris (you also had a hand in this also she’s already married) as Romeo is banished, is as good as dead. (hmm) Juliet pretends to listen and says she’s going to confession at Friar Laurence’s cell. In reality she won’t listen to her any more and wants his help. “I’ll to the friar, to know his remedy: if all else fail, myself have power to die.”p.908

A4S1

In Laurence’s cell he’s talking to Paris about his marriage to Juliet, it’s too soon, he doesn’t know how Juliet feels, (she’s already married) he doesn’t like it. Paris says Juliet is upset by Tybalt’s death, little time for talk of love and her father thinks it’s best. Juliet arrives and is indifferent to Paris who’s arrogant of her love until Laurence has him leave. Alone together, Juliet asks for help, he already knows she’s to be married Thursday, Juliet pulls out a knife and says if he can’t fix things she’ll kill herself. (why are these kids so quick to kill themselves)  Laurence tells her to stop, (please) he has a solution, she’ll do anything not to marry Paris, (except tell everyone she’s already married or join  Romeo in Mantua but she is thirteen (I’ll go to my grave reminding people of this) what kid at that age has good ideas) he tells her to pretend to agree to it then take this draught to make her appear dead and Romeo will come for her. He’ll write him a letter to come and take her to Mantua Juliet takes the draught.

A4S2

Juliet returns home and tells her father she went to confession and to repent her disobedience and asks for forgiveness. Capulet is glad for the change and orders Paris be fetched as he’s so happy he’s moving the wedding to Wednesday. The Capulets have her Nurse prepare her as they plan for tomorrow. (good thing they’re planning this themselves hate to see a Wedding Planner’s rates for a wedding scheduled in less than 24 hours)

A4S3

In her chambers Juliet has her Nurse leave her and dismisses her mother as she wants to be alone, surely they are already so busy. Alone, Juliet wonders what will happen when she drinks the drought, if it doesn’t work she’ll be married, (illegally since bigamy is against the law) but she still has her dagger. He could be poisoning her to hide his role in marrying Romeo but she won’t think of it, but if she wakes before Romeo arrives she’ll be terrified in that vault with Tybalt’s ghost. (why not just run off to Mantua) For Romeo he drinks it and falls on her bed.

A4S4

In Capulet’s hall the Capulets are giving orders and send the Nurse to wake Juliet.

A4S5

The Nurse enters her chamber but can’t wake her and is in denial at first then calls for help. Lady Capulet comes and cries that Juliet was her only life (then what was that whole thing last night) and calls for help, they cry to Capulet that Juliet is dead and he’s in shock. (and they don’t notice the knife or bottle on her bed) Friar Laurence, Paris and some musicians enter and Capulet tells them Juliet died in the night. “Death is my son-in-law, Death is my heir; my daughter hath wedded: I will die, and leave him all; life, living, all is Death’s!”p.911 They all cry until Friar Laurence basically to stop crying and reminds them she’s in heaven (if I was a parent and found my kid dead and you told me that you would not have a jaw anymore) and Capulet has the wedding changed to a funeral, how everything for a wedding can be used in a funeral, (yeah but if you invite people to a wedding and it turns out to be a funeral they’re going to be pretty upset but not in the way you’d expect) and Laurence ushers everyone out. Peter asks the musicians to play a happy tune to ease his sorrowful heart the musicians refuse and wait for lunch. (I actually remember our teacher having us skip this part because it had nothing to do with the plot)

A5S1

In Mantua Romeo talks cheerfully about a dream he had, “I dreamt my lady came and found me dead;-strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think,-and breath’d such life with kisses in my lips, that I reviv’d, and was an emporer.”p.913 (hmmm) Balthazar comes to him and Romeo asks him news of Juliet and Baltazar says he saw her dead and laid in a vault. Romeo wants to leave immediately but Balthazar says he’s distraught and could cause misadventure (practically every level headed character is telling them not to act rashly if only these kids would have listened) and when asked for news from the friar he has none and Romeo sends him for horses.

Romeo says he will lie with Juliet tonight and calls an apothecary and pays him forty docuts for poison. The Apothecary says selling such drugs is illegal, Romeo says he’s too poor to refuse and the apothecary gives in. “There is thy gold, worse poison to men’s souls, doing more murders in this loathsome world than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell: I sell thee poison , thou hast sold me none.”p.913 (so much said in one short scene)

A5S2

In Friar Laurence’s cell Friar John visits as he sent him to deliver the letter of Juliet to Romeo. John says he couldn’t send it because after a sickness he was quarantined, (yeah it’s shit when that happens) and Laurence is upset because of the danger when Juliet wakes and no one is there. He sends John to get a crowbar as he writes another letter to Romeo.

A5S3

At the Capulet family vault Paris is bringing flowers for Juliet (sounds like a lovely song) until his page whistles that someone is coming. Romeo is coming with Baltazar and tells him he came to take a ring back from Juliet and to go and deliver a letter to his parents, Balthazar takes it but doesn’t believe Romeo and stays to watch. Romeo opens the tomb and Paris sees and thinks he’s about to do something to the corpses and goes to stop him. Romeo tells him to leave him alone, Paris won’t and they draw swords and Paris is killed (play stupid games win stupid prizes) and the page runs off to get someone. Romeo honors Paris’s request and lays him beside Juliet and he wonders how she can still look beautiful in death and asks for Tybalt’s forgiveness. “Death , that hath suck’d the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty: thou art not conquer’d; beauty’s ensign yet is crimson in thy lips and thy cheeks, and death’s pale flag is not advanced there.”p.915 (dude check for a pulse or stop being dramatic and a wait a few minutes because if it doesn’t look like a duck swim like a duck or quack like a duck then she’s probably not fucking dead)

Romeo takes the poison and kisses Juliet and he dies just as Laurence enters the churchyard and finds Balthazar. He asks whose lantern is in the Capulet vault, Romeo’s, and Balthazar follows him. They take in the scene of Paris and Romeo dead just as Juliet wakes up asking for Romeo. Laurence tells her he’s dead and he’ll take her to stay with nuns and with her refusing to leave and fearful of the watch, he leaves without her. Juliet sees Romeo took poison and there’s none left for her, “I will kiss thy lips; haply, some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative. “p.916 It doesn’t work so she takes his dagger and stabs herself and dies before the watch comes with the page, they call the scene a pity and send for the Montagues. (to think all of this could have been avoided if she had a sassy gay friend too bad Mercutio was already dead)

The watch returns with Balthazar, Laurence, the Prince and the Capulets. Lady Capulet says people in the streets are yelling about Romeo, Juliet and Paris, and their monument. The watch describes the scene and the Prince demands an explanation and the watch tells him what happened and Capulet sees his supposed dead daughter bleeding. (this is why you check for a pulse beforehand) Montague enters telling the Prince his wife died from grief because Romeo was an exile (she died from grief her son was in the next city she could have easily visited this is just tacked on to add to the tragedy isn’t it) the Prince tells him to look and to not rage until everything is cleared up.

Friar Laurence comes forward, “Romeo, there dead, was the husband to that Juliet; and she, there dead, that Romeo’s faithful wife:”p.917 (faithful they were married for like a day and a half) He married them before Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment. Juliet wouldn’t marry Paris, he gave her a drought and wrote to Romeo to come get her, but he didn’t receive it, so he came and saw Romeo and Paris dead. Juliet then woke but wouldn’t go with him and killed herself (because you knew this girl was suicidal and didn’t stay to stop her) the Nurse will vouge for him.

Balthazar says he told Romeo of Juliet’s death and they came and Romeo gave him a letter for his parents before he went into the vault, the page says Paris came to lay flowers. The Prince says the letter proves everything, Romeo came to die with Juliet, and he calls out the families, “See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love; and I, for winking at your discords too, have lost a brace of kinsmen: all are punish’d.”p.917  (see what letting shit get out of hand and ignoring it causes) There children sacrificed, the families make amends, the Prince notes the sun wont shine and has them make peace elsewhere, “for never was a story of more woe that this of Juliet and her Romeo.”p.918 (there’s a lot I could say but I think KrimsonRogue (9:17-10:23) summed it up best)

(”Don’t waste your love, on somebody who doesn’t value it.” this quote as been attributed to Shakespeare and this play but I couldn’t  find it or a proper source so I guess it’s just one of those made up internet things)

[aki-draws-things]

Domesticity memes with Bentyrocutio? :D

big spoon/little spoon: Well that's a bit hard in a OT4, but most times Romeo is squished in the middle even though he's most likely the taller one. (Tybalt will never admit it but being held is quite relaxing and he likes it more than he would say.)

favorite non-sexual activity: Fighting? No, but Mercutio's favorite activity is poking at them at every waking hour in the most annoying ways. While Romeo and Volio mostly ignore him Tybalt pokes back. Some days it's a wonder the four of them really work. But also, making adventurous trips outside Verona is something they do sometimes, but they should be careful, the world is a dark and scary place.

who uses all the hot water: eeeh... Benvolio. He usually take a shower first and uses most of it, then Mercutio. With Tybalt water is just lukewarm. Romeo complains endlessly, poor boy.

most trivial thing they fight over: family dinners. As in going to visit/invite family over for dinner. Capulets, except for juliet and rosaline didn't see that relationship too well, Montagues are a bit more open (Antonio was a bit taken back because.. cousins??? Boys?? You're related, though distantly…. It's weird???! But he's fine with it otherwise), and the prince is just confused… and mercutio was supposed to be his heir and all.  Also they "fight" over plants, tybalt wanted to plant some of the roses in their garden, Mercutio forgot to water them and they died… 

who does most of the cleaning: oh, they do turns on who cleans what, but they work on it together. 

what has a season pass on their dvr/who controls the netflix queue: tybalt has the season pass cause he's the one who actually remembers to renew it everytime. Mercutio fills the Netflix queue with everything he finds even remotely interesting. (and Romeo with love films…) 

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: Romeo tried to fix it once. Once being the key word. After anyone who's home when heat stop working/gives problems calls the landlord or a technician.  

who steals the blankets: tybalt is constantly cold, even in summer he sleeps with a blanket and he leaves them around the house, beds, couch, armchair (ben called him old man when he caught him asleep in it 😂). But mercutio toss and turns so most times he steal the blankets and roll in them like a mummy. 

who leaves their stuff around: all of them leave something around. Tybalt with blankets, Mercutio clothes, any kind of clothes (especially those he’s supposed to be wearing at the time, just to be annoying…), Benvolio books, papers, he put his favorite pen in the cutlery drawer and proceed to complain he lost it. Romeo leave keys, wallet, his phone, all laying around in different places.

who remembers to buy the milk: If it’s not written on the grocery list its more likely they’re gonna forget it, but sometimes Romeo has like.. an epiphany while they’re paying and runs to grab it.

who remembers anniversaries: The calendar. While being pretty organized and making some nice parties for birthdays and anniversary they always have to write them down or they would straight up forget it’s that day.

Who cooks normally? As mainstream as it can be but they do it together everytime they’re all home. Which ends up in a messy kitchen no one in kitchen clean duty wants to clean. As long as Mercutio stays away from the barbecue things would go smooth.

How often do they fight? Oh, well…. that depends on who is fighting. Romeo hardly fight with any of them, Benvolio a little more but it’s very light and trivial . Mercutio and Tybalt… it’s a miracle they haven’t murder each other yet. (They all learned, especially Mercutio, never to make sudden moves with hands when fighting Tybalt, though. They can yell they hate each other all they want, but he raised a hand to grab him once and… well whatever thing they were fighting for just disappeared.)

What do they do when they’re away from each other? Endless calls/video calls. All the time, at all hours. They try to avoid being apart anyway.

Nicknames for each other? They’re pretty normal, shortening of they’re names and such.  Mostly from Mercutio, Romeo could become either Rome (yes, the city) or Meo. Benvolio is Benny or Lio sometimes. Tybalt either Tyb or Balt. (Prince of Cats is still the way he’s saved on Mercutio’s phone and he calls him that sometimes.) Mercutio is Cutio. Or House Fire-Starter after he tried to make a barbecue and almost set the house on fire.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner? They go out for anniversary and birthdays mostly so… not the birthday boy, the other three pay. Their anniverswary they use a common account they have.

Who steals the covers at night? Isn’t there the question up?? Well, It’s Mercutio anyway. Turns and turns and roll in them like a mummy.

What would they get each other for gifts? Usually some useful things like matching mugs, or shirts. Romeo gave Tybalt a little pot with a sunflower after the disaster with the roses.

Who kissed who first? Mercutio… With all of them. It’s uncertain if he was drunk or not, but he managed to kiss all three of them the same night.

Who made the first move? As said, Mercutio. On one night he kissed all three. On getting in a relationship… that had been a little slower but it was anyway always Mercutio getting involved with all of them.

Who remembers things? The calendar? Well, Tybalt has the habit of writing down everything he/they need to remember so, in a way, him...

Who started the relationship? Mercutio, with all of them. For romeo, Ben and Tybalt, falling in love had been slower but they got there.

Who cusses more? Mercutio fucking Escalus. Followed by Benvolio.

What would they do if the other was hurt? Romeo panics. A lot. More than he should. He panics over a fever like one of his partners is dying. Mercutio depends on the kind of hurt. normal illness he stay pretty calm, physical injuries he doesn’t really know how to deal with them. Benvolio is sooooo calm and responsible, somehow manages to never lose patience and always knows what to do. Tybalt knows what to do most times, he took care of himself for a while before miving in with them, he looks calm until he’s caught alone. He worries, mostly oout of fear of losing that nice family he found.