Chapter Five. "With a kiss, I die.”
Back in Verona, Friar Laurence was waiting for Friar John. He was waiting for news from Mantua. Finally, Friar John arrived. ‘Welcome home,' said Friar Laurence. ‘How was Romeo? Did you give him my message? Is he here yet?'
‘I'm sorry,' replied Friar John, ‘I couldn't give him the message because I had some trouble on the way.'
‘But why?' said Friar Laurence, ‘What happened?'
Friar John explained. ‘I stopped in a village near Mantua, but some people had the plague. No one could leave the village because the soldiers were stopping everybody. I never arrived in Mantua. I never saw Romeo.'
Friar Laurence was very worried. ‘I must go to Juliet,' he said. ‘She'll wake up soon and she'll be all alone. She'll be frightened. I must be with her when she wakes up. She can hide at my house until Romeo arrives.' The friar ran to the church.
Meanwhile, Count Paris and his servant were outside the church. Count Paris was leaving flowers for Juliet. He was very sad and he wanted to be alone. ‘Give me some time alone with her,' he said to his servant, ‘but tell me if you hear someone coming. I don't want anyone to see me here. I just want to be alone.' The servant went away to watch. Suddenly he heard a noise and he ran to Count Paris. ‘There's someone coming, my Lord,' he said.
‘Quick, hide,' said the count. They hid in the dark and they watched.
Romeo and his servant were walking towards the church. They watched as Romeo gave his servant a letter. ‘Take this letter to my father tomorrow morning,' said Romeo, ‘I'm very sad. I just want to die. Now go away. Leave me alone. I want to be with Juliet.'
Romeo's servant promised to leave, but he was worried about Romeo. He decided to wait for Romeo outside the church. He hid in the dark and waited.
Just then, Count Paris came out of his hiding place. ‘Romeo, you're a dog!' he shouted. ‘You killed Tybalt! My Juliet killed herself because you killed Tybalt.'
‘Leave me alone!' said Romeo, ‘I don't want to argue with you. Can't you see I'm a desperate man? I don't want to fight with you. I just want to die. Go away.'
But Count Paris pulled out his sword and attacked Romeo. Count Paris's servant was frightened and he ran to find help. He ran to find Prince Escalus and the soldiers.
Count Paris wasn't a good fighter, but Romeo was. It was an easy fight for Romeo and Count Paris quickly fell. ‘I'm a dead man,' he said to Romeo. ‘You've killed me. Please, put my body next to Juliet's. I loved her and I want to be beside her.'
With these words, Paris died.
Romeo carried the count's body into the Capulet family vault. He saw the sleeping Juliet. She looked dead. Romeo looked sadly at her. ‘Why did you have to die?' he said. ‘You're so beautiful. Oh, my love, my wife. I can't live without you.'
Romeo drank the poison and he kissed his lovely Juliet. ‘With a kiss, I die,' he said to her. Romeo fell down, dead.
Friar Laurence was running towards the church when he met Romeo's servant. ‘Is Romeo in there?' said the friar.
‘Yes,' said the servant, ‘he's been in there for about half an hour.'
Friar Laurence ran down the steps into the family vault. He saw Count Paris and Romeo, dead on the floor. He couldn't believe his eyes. Then, Juliet started to move, she was waking up. ‘Hello Friar Laurence,' she said. ‘Where's Romeo? Where's my Romeo?'
‘Quick. Let's go,' said the friar, ‘I can hear someone coming. I'm sorry, but something terrible has happened. Romeo's dead and so is Paris. But we must go quickly now. The soldiers are coming. We must go.'
‘No, I can't leave,' said Juliet. ‘You go.'
Friar Laurence was frightened and ran away. Romeo's servant followed him.
Juliet looked around the vault. She saw Romeo and she saw the empty poison bottle in his hand. ‘Without you I want to die. Why didn't you leave any poison for me?' she said, picking up the bottle. ‘Perhaps, if I kiss you. Perhaps you'll have poison on your lips. Then I can die with your kiss.'
Juliet kissed Romeo. His lips felt warm but there wasn't any poison left on them.
Outside the soldiers were coming closer. Quickly, Juliet took Romeo's dagger. She fell down onto Romeo's body. She was dead.
Two soldiers came into the vault. They were shocked when they saw the three young bodies. ‘Something terrible has happened here.
Look outside! Find the killers!' they shouted. Then the other soldiers arrived. They brought Friar Laurence and Romeo's servant with them. ‘We found these two men outside,' said one of the soldiers. ‘They were running away.'
‘Good,' said his friend, ‘let's wait for Prince Escalus.'
A few moments later, Prince Escalus arrived. Lord Montague and the Capulets were with him. The prince looked at Friar Laurence. ‘Tell us what happened here,' said the prince.
The friar told the prince and the two families the whole story. He told them about the two young lovers. He told them about the secret wedding. He told them about the sleeping potion. Finally, he told them about the tragic problem with the message, the message which never arrived. Everybody listened sadly.
‘This is all our fault,' said Lord Capulet. He turned to Lord Montague. ‘Please, take my hand. Our children loved each other. They died because of our hate. We must stop this hate, now.'
‘Yes,' said Lord Montague, and he took Lord Capulet's hand. ‘So many people have died: Mercutio, Tybalt and Count Paris. Last night, my wife, Lady Montague, died of sadness. Now this final tragedy, this final woe. Romeo and his young Juliet.'
The two families decided to build a statue of the two lovers. A statue of Juliet with Romeo by her side.
‘This is a sorry story,' said the prince. ‘Go away and think. Go away and think about what your hate has done. Think about Romeo and his Juliet. Think about Juliet and her Romeo, because', he said, ‘there never was a story of more woe, than the story of Juliet and her Romeo.'
