Am to lose my precious wife as I have been banished from Verona after a tragic incident that occurred. I arrived at a public place in Verona to find my fellow men amongst Tybalt and his companions. They were engaged in a battle of ‘words, puns and other fanciful expressions’. Tybalt insulted me in an attempt to provoke a fight, but he was now part of my family so I refused the challenge. Both Mercutio and Benvolio saw my refusal as a means of betraying my loyalty towards my friends and family, but unknown to them Tybalt was family now. Mercutio became ‘incensed’ by my ‘apparent cowardice and challenged Tybalt referring to him as a ‘rat-catcher’. They fought and I tried desperately to end the fight, but amidst the confusion Tybalt stabbed Mercutio. The Prince had expressed that this type of behaviour was forbidden on the streets of Verona, only earlier during the week. Tybalt and his companions fled, but I soon realised that Mercutio was ‘fatally wounded’ and I tried to help him away as he shouted that Tybalt, the ‘King of Cats’ was a ‘Cat to scratch a man to death’, but he died almost instantly.
I was so upset, my betrayal towards Mercutio had led to his death and if I had not intervened he would probably have survived. His death was my entire fault. Juliet’s beauty had made me ‘effeminate’ and in my ‘temper softened valour’s steel.’ Anger began building up inside of me and as Tybalt returned, in a sudden outburst I lunged at him and attacked him fiercely regardless of the consequences. I stood numbly looking at his rigid body now slowly coated in a pool of blood. I had killed him. I was raging and had behaved with ‘fire-eyed fury.’ Benvolio urged me to leave immediately and escape the presence of the Prince who would shortly arrive.
I fled to Friar Lawrence’s cell and waited for his arrival to receive my punishment. As he entered the cell he said that I was ‘wedded to calamity’, but I was too fearful to listen I begged him to tell me of the prince’s sentence. He turned and calmly said that my punishment was banishment from Verona. Banishment? I looked at him and questioned as to why he referred to it as banishment, ‘be merciful, say death.’ Juliet was my entire life and if I were no longer able to see her, it may as well have been a death sentence. One hour away from her was torture, how would I cope for a longer period? To be banished is ‘death mis-termed.’ I would rather be dead than spend days wallowing in grief and self pity at the absence of my beloved wife. The friar tried to persuade me to listen to reason, but he could not possibly understand my plight. I was too confused and upset too listen to his wise advice any longer, I could only think of poor Mercutio and how I could have prevented his death.
The Friar explained that the prince could have killed me, but gave me mercy as Mercutio had been a member of his family and I had been a good friend to him. I was grateful to him for his leniency with me, but could not bare the thought of my world without Juliet. On hearing from the nurse that Juliet was similarly ‘grief stricken’ I blamed myself and attempted to end my life there and then, the nurse snatched the dagger away from me and told me to ‘stand an you be a man, for Juliet’s sake.’ She was right, I had to be strong now, if not for myself, then for Juliet.
As the nurse left, she quickly returned and gave me Juliet’s ring requesting that I spend one final night with her before my departure to Mantua. I must however be away from the Capulet’s house before sunrise, or risk leaving the house in disguise so not to be caught. The Friar is to use my servant as a messenger and will keep me informed of the events occurring in Verna during my absence. He insists that he will beg pardon of the prince and explain my predicament to my family and friends. I wish Juliet and I could ‘blazon’ our marriage, but such circumstances have prevented this and though my eyes cannot see Juliet, her beauty will be present in my heart and mind for I shall see her soon and we will be together again.
