Chapter Two. “A rose by any other name.”

Later that evening, Romeo and Benvolio were out in the street. They were dressed for the party. They were wearing their masks for the ball and were walking to Lord Capulet's house. Romeo's best friend, Mercutio, was with them. Mercutio wasn't a Capulet or a Montague. He was related to Prince Escalus so he had an invitation to the party. He was a very good friend to have. He was almost always happy. He was funny, clever and loved life. That night he was excited about the party and was dancing in the street. Romeo didn't feel the same. He looked sad.

‘Come on, Romeo. You dance too.'

‘Oh, leave me alone, Mercutio. I don't feel like dancing tonight.'

‘You're in love. People in love always want to dance. What's your problem?'

‘I don't want to go to the party. I think it's a crazy idea.'

Mercutio looked at Romeo. ‘But why? It'll be fun. You'll meet lots of new girls.'

‘I don't want to go to the party and I don't want to dance. I had a dream last night.'

‘Well, so did I!' said Mercutio.

‘Oh, ha, ha! Yes, I'm sure you had a dream too, but mine was a

nightmare. It was horrible,' Romeo started to explain to his friends. He was worried because his dream was about death and it made him think about an unhappy future. He didn't like it. Benvolio and Mercutio wanted to make Romeo feel better. They talked about love and happy dreams. They talked about girls and the party. They laughed and joked with him all the way to Lord Capulet's house.

When they arrived, Lord Capulet was waiting in the hall. ‘Welcome, welcome. Come in. Come and dance. Come and enjoy yourselves,' he said to everyone, ‘I'm too old for dancing these days, but you young people must dance! Dance, dance!'

The musicians were playing, the servants were working hard. Some guests were dancing and other guests were chatting. Everyone was having fun, except poor, sad Romeo. He was looking for his Rosaline. Then, suddenly, he saw a beautiful girl on the other side of the room. When he saw her, he immediately forgot Rosaline. He called a servant and said, ‘Who's that girl?'

‘Which girl do you mean, sir?' answered the servant.

‘The girl over there. The loveliest girl in the room. Who is she? She's so beautiful. She lights up the whole room. She's like a bright star on a dark night. No girl here is as beautiful as she is. I've already forgotten Rosaline; this girl is my true love.'

The servant didn't recognize the girl. But, unfortunately, someone else recognized Romeo's voice. Someone recognized that Romeo was a Montague at a Capulet party. That someone was Tybalt. The dangerous, angry Tybalt from the fight in the square. Tybalt immediately took out his sword. ‘A Montague, here? An enemy, here?

I'll kill him!'

‘Tybalt. Stop!' shouted Lord Capulet, ‘I don't want a fight in my house.'

‘But Uncle, this is Romeo. A Montague and our enemy. A Montague in your house. I'm going to kill him.'

‘Stop now, Tybalt. Calm down. I know Romeo's a Montague, but he's not a bad young man. Leave him alone.'

Tybalt didn't answer. He ran out of the room. He was very, very angry with Lord Capulet and with Romeo. ‘I won't forget this moment,' he said to himself.

After Tybalt left, Romeo decided to speak to the beautiful girl. He didn't know her name. He didn't know that the beautiful girl was Juliet. He didn't know she was a Capulet. Romeo Montague was in love with Juliet Capulet. He went over to her. ‘I don't know who you are,' he said, ‘but I know that I love you.'

‘You're very handsome,' she replied, ‘I think I love you too.'

Romeo kissed Juliet and then they kissed again. They were in love. Juliet's nurse saw them. She was worried so she called Juliet. ‘Your mother wants to speak to you. Go and see her now.'

Juliet went to find her mother and Romeo asked the nurse about the girl. ‘Who is she?' he asked.

‘That's Juliet. She's Lord Capulet's daughter,' replied the nurse.

Romeo turned to his friend, Benvolio. ‘Oh no, I'm in love with the daughter of a Capulet. Benvolio, what can I do?'

Benvolio was surprised and he was also quite worried. ‘Come on now,' he said quietly to Romeo, ‘we have to go. It's dangerous here.'

The two young men quickly left the party.

When Juliet was alone again with her nurse, she asked about Romeo. ‘Who was that man?'

‘That was Romeo,' replied the nurse. ‘He's a Montague.'

‘Oh no. I'm in love with the son of Lord Montague. What can I do?' said Juliet.

When Romeo left the party, he said goodbye to Benvolio and walked into the street behind Lord Capulet's house. He needed to think. From the street he could see Lord Capulet's garden. It was a beautiful garden full of flowers and fruit trees. There was a high wall around the garden. He knew that his lovely Juliet was on the other side of the wall. He couldn't leave her now. He just couldn't leave her. He walked up and down the street again and again. He looked at the wall again and again. Then he decided. ‘I must climb the wall and be near her,' he thought. He quickly climbed the wall and went into the garden.

Meanwhile, Mercutio was also leaving the party. He saw Benvolio in the street. ‘Where's Romeo?' asked Mercutio, ‘has he gone home?'

‘No, look! There he is,' replied Benvolio, ‘he's climbing the wall into Lord Capulet's garden!'

Mercutio laughed and called to Romeo. ‘Come on Romeo. You're mad. Forget about Rosaline. She doesn't love you.'

‘Shhhh!' said Benvolio, ‘he'll hear you and then he'll be angry with you.'

‘You're right, I don't want him to be angry. I want him to be happy. I want to see him laughing again.'

‘I know, but he's in love with Rosaline. His love's blind. Come on. Let's leave him. I'm tired and I want to go to bed.'

Benvolio and Mercutio left Romeo in the garden. They went home and went to sleep. They thought that Romeo was looking for Rosaline.

They didn't know that Romeo was only thinking about Juliet, his Juliet.

Romeo walked around Lord Capulet's garden for a while. He was happy just to be near Juliet. Suddenly, he saw a light from a window in the house. He quickly hid behind a tree. He saw Juliet come out of her room. She stood on the balcony looking out at the garden. ‘Juliet, my Juliet,' he thought, ‘She's so beautiful. She's as beautiful as the sun. This moon is nothing when Juliet's here because she's like the sun. Her eyes are like stars in the night. She's mine. She's my Juliet. She's my love.'

Juliet didn't know that Romeo was in the garden. She was thinking about her kiss with him. She loved him too. ‘Oh Romeo. Why are you a Montague? Why am I a Capulet?' she said aloud, ‘I'll change my name for you. My name means nothing to me now.'

Romeo heard Juliet. ‘Shall I tell her I'm here?' he thought, ‘Yes, I must.' Romeo called to Juliet. ‘Juliet, I'm here,' he said.

‘Who are you?' she answered.

‘I'm no one. I haven't got a name.'

But Juliet recognized his voice. ‘I know you. I know your voice. You're Romeo and you're a Montague.'

‘What's a Montague? What's a Capulet? What's a name?' said Romeo. ‘Think about this. A rose is always a rose. If you give a rose a different name, it'll still smell sweet. Do you really want to change your name for me? I'll change my name for you, too.'

Romeo and Juliet talked and talked. They promised to love each other for ever.

‘Marry me,' said Romeo.

‘Yes,' said Juliet, ‘but how? My family will never allow it.'

‘I'll find a way,' he replied.

They talked some more. They talked all night. Suddenly, Juliet realized it was nearly morning. ‘You must go,' she said. ‘It's dangerous for you here. I'm so sorry because I don't want this night to end. I don't want you to go, but I know you have to.'

Romeo promised again to find a way to marry Juliet.

Early the next morning, Romeo went to see his friend, Friar Laurence. The friar was a wise old man and he was Romeo's teacher. He knew a lot about herbs, which he used to make medicine. He knew which herbs were good and which herbs were dangerous. When Romeo arrived, Friar Laurence was working hard in his garden.

‘Hello Romeo. You're awake very early today.'

‘Yes father, I didn't sleep last night. I'm in love.'

‘Were you with Rosaline, my son?'

‘No, I don't love Rosaline. I never loved Rosaline. I'm in love with Juliet. I want to marry her and I need your help.'

Friar Laurence was a bit surprised. He was also a little angry with Romeo. ‘One minute you love Rosaline. The next minute you love Juliet,' he said. ‘That's not right.'

Romeo explained his problem to the friar. ‘When I was with Rosaline, I didn't understand love. Then, when I met Juliet, I suddenly understood everything. Juliet is my real love.'

The friar listened carefully and he realised that Romeo really was in love with Juliet. He decided to help them. ‘Yes. I'll help you,' he said. ‘This marriage is a good thing and perhaps it'll stop all the hate. Perhaps Montagues and Capulets will be friends when you're married. Yes, I'll help you both.'