DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Sampson: Servant of the house of Capulet. He supports his master’s rivalry with the Montagues.
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Gregory: Servant of the house of Capulet
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Abraham A member of the Montague household.
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Balthasar: A member of the Montague household.
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Benvolio: Benvolio is a Montague, Romeo’s cousin, and friend. His name means "well-wisher", from the Latin “benevolus” and it is Benvolio who tries to avoid quell fights between his Montague family members and the Capulets.
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Tybalt : Tybalt is a Capulet, and Juliet’s cousin. He is pugnacious; always ready to fight for the house of the Capulets. He kills Romeo’s best friend Mercutio, and in retaliation Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona by the Prince. The name “Tybalt” is based on a folktale of Shakespeare’s time about a fox named Renard and a cat called Tybalt. In the play Mercutio calls Tybalt the “Prince of Cats.” Today some people still name their cats “Tibby
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Image: I04 Tybalt - Reynard-the-fox.jpg
Samuel Phillips Day “Renard the Fox” c.1869.
Lord Capulet: Lord Capulet is a very wealthy man. His name is derived from the French language, and means a “swelling.” He hates Lord Montague, Romeo’s father. Juliet is his only child. Although she is very young, he agrees to marry her to Count Paris. This alliance will keep his family’s wealth and power secure from the Montagues, since Count Paris is related to the Prince of Verona.
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Lady Capulet: Lady Capulet is Juliet’s mother. She is anxious to have Juliet marry Paris, and argues that she also married very young. Her relationship with Juliet is formal and distant. In Shakespeare’s time wealthy families had a nurse, what we call a “nanny,” for their children. Lady Capulet relies on the nurse to convince Juliet to marry Paris.
** Images: Luhr-Lady Capulet.jpg, Skagen-Lady Capulet.jpg, Zeff-Lady Capulet.jpg
Lord Montague: Lord Montague isRomeo’s father, the patriarch of the Montague clan, and the bitter enemy of Capulet. The name is from the French, “De Mont aigue” meaning “from the sharp or steep mountain.” At the beginning of the play, Lord Montague is mostly concerned with finding out why Romeo, his only child, is so sad.
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Lady Montague: Lady Montague is Romeo’s mother. He is her only child, and she dies of grief when he is banished to Mantua, about 50 kilometers away. In this picture the wilted flower she holds, is the emblem of her lost child.
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Prince Escalus: Escalus is the Prince of Verona. He is related to Mercutio and Paris. The name Escalus implies a scale of justice. The Prince is furious that the Montague and Capulet families continue to threaten civil war in his city-state. Finally, he announces that he will enforce the death penalty on any family members who disturb the peace.
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Romeo: Romeo is the son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. He is a teenager in love, first with Rosalind, whom we never meet, because he forgets her when he sees Juliet for the first time.Romeo is good friends with Benvolio, Mercutio and Friar Lawrence. He and Juliet marry secretly because their families are involved in an ancient feud, and would not approve of this alliance. Romeo is reluctant to fight Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, but kills him after Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo is banished from Verona.
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Count Paris: Paris is related to the Prince of Verona, and wants to marry Juliet. Her parents support the match but Juliet would rather die than leave Romeo and marry Paris. Paris is named after the Greek myth in which Paris of Troy abducts Helen of Sparta, starting the Trojan war.
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Juliet’s Nurse: Juliet’s nurse has raised her from infancy. She is a plain but comical character, given to long and often vulgar speeches. She offers common sense advice to Juliet who lives a sheltered life and receives little affection from her parents. The nurse is loyal to Juliet’s feelings and communicates back and forth between Juliet and Romeo to arrange their wedding, the day after they meet!
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Juliet: Juliet is very young and innocent, just turning 14. She is the only daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet and is kept close to home, allowed out only to go to church. She and Romeo meet at the masquerade party that the Capulets hold at their mansion near the beginning of the play. Juliet keeps her love for Romeo a secret from her parents. She does not want to marry Count Paris and is prepared to risk her life to be with Romeo.
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Mercutio: Mercutiois Romeo’s best friend. He is a relative of Prince Escalus. Like the Roman god Mercurius, Mercutio moves quickly and is eloquent. His name is related to the word "mercurial," meaning unpredictable and tempermental," which is how Mercutio behaves in Romeo and Juliet. But Mercutio is also funny, talented, hotheaded and loyal to Romeo.
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Image: I17 scuplture Mercury.jpg
The Roman god “Mercury”
Peter: Servant to Juliet’s nurse.
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Friar Laurence: Friar Laurenceis a holy man of the Franciscan order of the Roman Catholic Church, and a friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence secretly marries them hoping that the marriage will reconcile their families and bring peace to Verona. He has expertise in the uses of medicinal plants and makes a potion for Juliet so she can appear to be dead. Their plan is for Juliet to wait in her tomb for Romeo to return from Mantua so they can be together.
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Three Musicians: Hired by Lord Capulet for Juliet’s wedding.
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Friar John: Another member of the Franciscan Holy Order, and the man who Friar Laurence asks to take the letter to Romeo informing him that Juliet is pretending to be dead. Unfortunately, Romeo never receives the letter and believes that Juliet is really dead.
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Apothecary: The person who compounds and sells drugs. He provides Romeo with a poison so strong it is illegal in Mantua.
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