After Juliet is a play written by Scottish playwright Sharman Macdonald.[1] It was commissioned for the 1999 NT Shell Connections programme, in which regional youth theatre groups compete to stage short plays by established playwrights.
The basic premise of the play, following on from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is "What happened to the Capulets and Montagues after Romeo and Juliet died". The setting of After Juliet is described as "Verona. Or it could be Edinburgh, Dublin, Birmingham, New York, or Liverpool. It could be 1500, 1900, 2000, or 3000".[2] The only place that After Juliet cannot be set is Glasgow, as one of the characters, Rhona, is from Glasgow, and away from home.
It continues to be performed by youth groups around the world.
Plot
The play centres on Rosaline, Juliet's cousin and Romeo's ex-flame. Ironically, Rosaline had been in love with Romeo, but was playing hard to get. Tortured by the loss of her love, Rosaline has become a sullen, venomous woman. She actively seeks to be elected the 'Princess of Cats' and run the Capulet family.
Meanwhile, the Capulets and Montagues have obeyed Prince Escalus and called a truce. The treaty quickly descends into a farce as both sides continue to rage against each other. Amid the turmoil more doomed love springs- between Benvolio Montague and Rosaline. Benvolio is warned by Valentine (Mercutio's twin brother) to stay away from her if he knows what's right.
The climax of the play comes during an election to determine whether or not Rosaline or Petruchio (Tybalt's brother) will succeed Tybalt as Prince or Princess of Cats. The election fails to have any results and the fate of the truce is left open ended.
A 2009 youth, stage version of the show featured Valentine as the twin sister of Mercutio; this added an extra storyline where Valentine is in love with Benvolio and is jealous of Rosaline. Benvolio's final scene ends with Valentine running off stage after his rejection.
Rosaline is a capulet and is Juliet's cousin. A tense truce holds between the Capulet's and the Montague's after Romeo and Juliet's death. Benvolio, Romeo's cousin is in love with Rosaline, Juliet's cousin; but Rosaline is bent on revenge.
Here is the monologue / the full monologue:
Rosaline Monologue
Your spirit haunts me, Juliet
I see more of you dead
than I did when you were alive...
that's a joke, more of you dead.
Go on laugh. And more of you alive than I wanted to.
Laugh. Laugh, go on.
Come on, Juliet.
We were hardly close as cousins.
You were too small, too pretty, too rich
Too thin and too much loved for me to cope with.
'Spoilt' is the word that springs to mind
though I don't want to speak ill of the dead.
(SHE TOUCHES THE FLOWER)
All a flower does is wither
It's the memories that stay forever
So they tell me
So what do I recall of you?
Juliet, daddy's princess, rich,
Mummy's darling, quite a bitch.
You scratched my face once, from here to here
I have the scar, I have it yet.
You can see it quite clearly in the sunlight;
A silver line
You wanted my favourite doll
And of course you got it
For though I was scarred, you cried.
And your nurse swooped down
And took the moppet from me
Spanked me hard for making you unhappy;
Gave my doll to you, her dearest baby.
Later you stole my best friend;
Wooed her with whisper;
Told her gossip's secrets;
Gave her trinkets, sweetmeats.
Later still, you took my love
And didn't know you'd done it;
Then having taken him
You let him die.
If you'd swallowed the friar's potion earlier
You would have wakened.
And my love would still be alive.
None of this would have happened.
I know you, Juliet.
You hesitated, frightened.
Didn't take the stuff until the dawn.
Wakened too late in the tomb.
In the night I dream of Romeo.
He's reaching his arms out from the vault.
The poison has him in its hold.
He fills my nights with his longing for life.
Until I am afraid to go to sleep.
For though I love him still
I cannot soothe his pain.
If I could, I would
But it is not me he's reaching out for.
So why, Juliet,
Should I spend my cash on flowers for you?
are you a saint simply because you were daft enough to die for love?
Love?
A passing fancy,
No more nor less.
Tomorrow or tomorrow or tomorrow
you would have tired of him.
Like your fancy for the doll;
Once possessed, you left it in the rain;
yesterday's fancy, mud in its hair,
Damp stained the dress Id made for her.
They think you brave to have taken your life
But you believed in immortality.
Daddys princess could not die.
she would be there at her own funeral
to watch the tears flow
and hear her praises sung.
So you haunt me.
Don't turn away.
Listen. Listen.
What is it that youv brought about?
What trail does your fancy drag behind?
What punishments lie in your fancys wake?
Listen Juliet.
Come here. Come close.
Press your ear to the earth so I know your listening.
There's a trial going on.
Even now in all solemnity.
Four lives hang on the balance
forced by your selfish suicide
To take their chance
Standing at the mercy of the court.
They wait to see weather life or death
is granted them by what we call justice
It's a strange justice.
Law meted out by the rich who measure their wisdom by the weight of their gold,
As if riches bear witness to virtue.
You and I know they don't.
So four poor people are brought before the prince
to see whether they live or die.
You brought this on them.
No feud wrought their trials.
Their misery is tribute to your precocity.
Married. And at thirteen!
So. So. Sweet Coz.
Here. This is the last flower
You'll get from me.
Death flowers have the sweetest scent
That's that bit done.
Your spirit haunts me, Juliet
I see more of you dead
than I did when you were alive...
that's a joke, more of you dead.
Go on laugh. And more of you alive than I wanted to.
Laugh. Laugh, go on.
Come on, Juliet.
We were hardly close as cousins.
You were too small, too pretty, too rich
Too thin and too much loved for me to cope with.
'Spoilt' is the word that springs to mind
though I don't want to speak ill of the dead.
(SHE TOUCHES THE FLOWER)
All a flower does is wither
It's the memories that stay forever
So they tell me
So what do I recall of you?
Juliet, daddy's princess, rich,
Mummy's darling, quite a bitch.
You scratched my face once, from here to here
I have the scar, I have it yet.
You can see it quite clearly in the sunlight;
A silver line
You wanted my favourite doll
And of course you got it
For though I was scarred, you cried.
And your nurse swooped down
And took the moppet from me
Spanked me hard for making you unhappy;
Gave my doll to you, her dearest baby.
Later you stole my best friend;
Wooed her with whisper;
Told her gossip's secrets;
Gave her trinkets, sweetmeats.
Later still, you took my love
And didn't know you'd done it;
Then having taken him
You let him die.
If you'd swallowed the friar's potion earlier
You would have wakened.
And my love would still be alive.
None of this would have happened.
I know you, Juliet.
You hesitated, frightened.
Didn't take the stuff until the dawn.
Wakened too late in the tomb.
In the night I dream of Romeo.
He's reaching his arms out from the vault.
The poison has him in its hold.
He fills my nights with his longing for life.
Until I am afraid to go to sleep.
For though I love him still
I cannot soothe his pain.
If I could, I would
But it is not me he's reaching out for.
So why, Juliet,
Should I spend my cash on flowers for you?
are you a saint simply because you were daft enough to die for love?
Love?
A passing fancy,
No more nor less.
Tomorrow or tomorrow or tomorrow
you would have tired of him.
Like your fancy for the doll;
Once possessed, you left it in the rain;
yesterday's fancy, mud in its hair,
Damp stained the dress Id made for her.
They think you brave to have taken your life
But you believed in immortality.
Daddys princess could not die.
she would be there at her own funeral
to watch the tears flow
and hear her praises sung.
So you haunt me.
Don't turn away.
Listen. Listen.
What is it that youv brought about?
What trail does your fancy drag behind?
What punishments lie in your fancys wake?
Listen Juliet.
Come here. Come close.
Press your ear to the earth so I know your listening.
There's a trial going on.
Even now in all solemnity.
Four lives hang on the balance
forced by your selfish suicide
To take their chance
Standing at the mercy of the court.
They wait to see weather life or death
is granted them by what we call justice
It's a strange justice.
Law meted out by the rich who measure their wisdom by the weight of their gold,
As if riches bear witness to virtue.
You and I know they don't.
So four poor people are brought before the prince
to see whether they live or die.
You brought this on them.
No feud wrought their trials.
Their misery is tribute to your precocity.
Married. And at thirteen!
So. So. Sweet Coz.
Here. This is the last flower
You'll get from me.
Death flowers have the sweetest scent
That's that bit done.
I am cropping the monologue to this:
Your spirit haunts me, Juliet
I see more of you dead
than I did when you were alive...
that's a joke, more of you dead.
Go on laugh. And more of you alive than I wanted to.
Laugh. Laugh, go on.
Come on, Juliet.
We were hardly close as cousins.
You were too small, too pretty, too rich
Too thin and too much loved for me to cope with.
'Spoilt' is the word that springs to mind
though I don't want to speak ill of the dead.
(SHE TOUCHES THE FLOWER)
All a flower does is wither
It's the memories that stay forever
So they tell me
So what do I recall of you?
Juliet, daddy's princess, rich,
Mummy's darling, quite a bitch.
You scratched my face once, from here to here
I have the scar, I have it yet.
You can see it quite clearly in the sunlight;
A silver line
You wanted my favourite doll
And of course you got it
For though I was scarred, you cried.
And your nurse swooped down
And took the moppet from me
Spanked me hard for making you unhappy;
Gave my doll to you, her dearest baby.
Later still, you took my love
And didn't know you'd done it;
Then having taken him
You let him die.
If you'd swallowed the friar's potion earlier
You would have wakened.
And my love would still be alive.
None of this would have happened.
I know you, Juliet.
You hesitated, frightened.
Didn't take the stuff until the dawn.
Wakened too late in the tomb.
I see more of you dead
than I did when you were alive...
that's a joke, more of you dead.
Go on laugh. And more of you alive than I wanted to.
Laugh. Laugh, go on.
Come on, Juliet.
We were hardly close as cousins.
You were too small, too pretty, too rich
Too thin and too much loved for me to cope with.
'Spoilt' is the word that springs to mind
though I don't want to speak ill of the dead.
(SHE TOUCHES THE FLOWER)
All a flower does is wither
It's the memories that stay forever
So they tell me
So what do I recall of you?
Juliet, daddy's princess, rich,
Mummy's darling, quite a bitch.
You scratched my face once, from here to here
I have the scar, I have it yet.
You can see it quite clearly in the sunlight;
A silver line
You wanted my favourite doll
And of course you got it
For though I was scarred, you cried.
And your nurse swooped down
And took the moppet from me
Spanked me hard for making you unhappy;
Gave my doll to you, her dearest baby.
Later still, you took my love
And didn't know you'd done it;
Then having taken him
You let him die.
If you'd swallowed the friar's potion earlier
You would have wakened.
And my love would still be alive.
None of this would have happened.
I know you, Juliet.
You hesitated, frightened.
Didn't take the stuff until the dawn.
Wakened too late in the tomb.
So you haunt me.
Don't turn away.
Listen. Listen.
Don't turn away.
Listen. Listen.
Press your ear to the earth so I know your listening.
Married. And at thirteen!
Here. This is the last flower
You'll get from me.
Death flowers have the sweetest scent
That's that bit done.
Here. This is the last flower
You'll get from me.
Death flowers have the sweetest scent
That's that bit done.
I chose to do this monologue because I like the words and I like how they have done a follow up from the story of Romeo and Juliet because I always wondered what happened with Rosaline because that is who Romeo loved in the first place and I never saw her so I always wondered what happened with how Rosaline felt. It is really long so I remembered when I showed it a long time ago that I was given advice to cut it down so that is what I have done.
Dear Corrina can you provide an annotated script and show me what techniques you have used to access the text and heart of this character? What exercises have we done in class that you can use here? Show me your workings as an actor on the three monologues you have selected.
ReplyDelete