Act I, Scene III and IV: Israel/Palestine
Act I, Scene III
Lady Capulet and the Maid enter.
Lady Capulet
Maid, where is my daughter Juliet? Tell her to come to me.
Maid
I swear to you, I already told her to come. Come on! Where could she be? What could she be doing? Juliet!
Juliet enters.
Juliet
What? Who’s calling me?
Maid
Your mother wants to speak with you.
Juliet
Ummi, I am here. What do you need?
Lady Capulet
I’ll tell you what I need. Maid, leave us alone, because we need to talk privately. Wait, maid, come back. I just remembered that you can listen to our secrets. You know how young Juliet is.
Maid
Absolutely, I know her age down to the hour.
Lady Capulet
She isn’t even fourteen.
Maid
I would bet fourteen of my own teeth -though I only have four- that she is not fourteen. How long is it until her birthday?
Lady Capulet
Two weeks and a few days.
Maid
Of all the days in the year, in just a few weeks on that special day, Juliet will turn fourteen. She and my own daughter Susan, God rest her soul, were born on the same day. Susan has died and is with Allah. She was too good for me. Anyway, as I said before, she will be fourteen. Yeah, she will. I remember it well. It’s been eleven years since the earthquake, the day she died, and I will never forget it. I was sitting under the sun, you and your husband were in Jerusalem, and my little baby was with me. The house began to shake with the earthquake, and there was no need to tell me to get out of there. Eleven years ago. She could stand up by herself back then, I swear. She ran and waddled all around. I remember, just the day before, she had cut her head. My husband, God rest his soul, was such a happy man, and he had picked up my child and said, “Oh! Did you fall on your face? You will fall backward when you grow up, won’t you?” I swear, when he said that, my pretty young girl stopped crying and said, “Yes.” Oh, I will never forget that, even if I live a thousand years.
Lady Capulet
Enough! Just stop talking.
Maid
Yes, ma’am. But i just can’t help laughing that the baby just stopped crying and said “Yes”. I swear, she had a huge bump on her forehead, a painful bruise, which made her cry so hard. And when my husband said, “Did you fall on your face? You will fall backward when you grow up, won’t you?”, she just stopped crying and said, “Yes.”
Juliet
Please, stop talking.
Maid
Shalom, I’m done talking. May God choose you to receive his grace, for you were the prettiest baby I have ever nursed. If I live to see you marry someone someday, all my wishes will come true.
Lady Capulet
Well, we need to discuss marriage. Tell me, Ibnah, how do you feel about marriage?
Juliet
It is honorable, but I do not desire it.
Lady Capulet
Well, now you need to start thinking about it. Here in Palestine there are girls your age, from noble families, who are already mothers. In fact, I was already your mother when I was about your age, and you are still a virgin. So, I’m going to say this quickly...the wonderful soldier Paris wants you to be his wife.
Maid
Ooh, he is quite a MAN. He’s a great man, greater than any in the world. He’s as perfect as a statue sculpted from wax.
Lady Capulet
No flower in all of Palestine is as beautiful as Paris.
Maid
Absolutely. He is a fine flower, truly fine.
Lady Capulet
So, what do you say? Will you love Paris? You will see him at our party tonight. Look at his face and enjoy his beauty. Your Abbun and I would be proud to call him our son-in-law. Just examine how handsome he is. He is more handsome than any other wealthy man or soldier in our city. Look into his eyes. Paris is single, and all he needs is a bride to make him complete. It is a crime to hide a beauty like you from a handsome man like Paris. Anyone who could be Paris’ bride would be thrilled. You would share everything he has, and lose nothing.
Maid
You wouldn’t lose a thing. In fact, you’d get bigger! Men make women bigger by getting them pregnant.
Lady Capulet
Make your decision. Will you marry Paris?
Juliet
I will look at him at our party tonight, and see what I like about him.
Peter enters.
Peter
Madam, the guests have arrived, dinner is being served, and people are asking for you, Juliet, and the maid. Everything is getting out of control. I must go serve our guests. Please follow me and come to them.
Lady Capulet
We will come with you. Let’s go, Juliet.
Maid
Go, Juliet, find the man of your dreams who will make your days and nights happy.
Act 1, Scene IV
Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio enter disguised in masks at the party
Romeo
Alo haver! ...What is our excuse for being here? Or are we going to kick in the door to crash this party?
Benvolio
We are not here to get into another brawl, as much as those Capulets deserve the ass kicking that we would give them. No we will not fight them...we will dance, then we will leave.
Romeo
Give me the light, I don’t want to dance.
Mercutio
Romeo, you have to dance. How else are you to forget about Rosaline?
Romeo
You guys can go and dance, my love for Rosaline weighs me down; I cannot dance with my leaden soul.
Mercutio
I thought you were a romantic, Romeo. Steal Cupid’s wings and fly higher than the rest of us.
Romeo
Cupid’s arrow has given me too deep a wound, I cannot fly with his arrow piercing me.
Mercutio
You’re being depressing, and love isn’t depressing. You are doing love a disservice Romeo. Love is a tender thing.
Romeo
Love hurts too much to be tender, every time I see Rosaline the scorn in her eyes is like a punch in the gut.
Mercutio
If love is bad to you, be bad to love. Give as good as you get, you cannot expect to get anywhere with rejection walking all over you.
Benvolio
Come on guys, lets knock on the door and get into this party.
Romeo
Give me the light, dancing is for those with light hearts, if I refuse to see women my heart cannot be broken, I’ll watch with the light. It looks like fun but I will watch for now.
Mercutio
You are up to your ears in love, it’s like mud. If you intend to be stuck in mud we will pull you out. Just as we will pull you out of love tonight. You are wasting daylight let’s go before it is too late.
Romeo
Have you lost your mind? It’s night.
Mercutio
I mean we’re wasting the battery of our light here by delaying, which is as good as wasting daylight, use your common sense Romeo.
Romeo
We have good intentions for this party, but it’s not a good idea.
Mercutio
Why?
Romeo
I had a dream last night.
Mercutio
So did I
Romeo
Well, tell me what your dream was?
Mercutio
Dreamers often lie.
Romeo
They lie in bed when they dream truth.
Mercutio
Then I see you’ve been with Bupkes Mishegas (Israeli for worthless, insane woman).
Benvolio
Who is that?
Mercutio
She is the mother to our demons. She is no larger than the bullets in our guns. She rides around in the tanks propelled by the big wheels and track causing mass destruction with little attention. The tracks on her tank are made of bones. The steel is covered in their blood. The uniforms are made of the hair and flesh of those who get in the way. Her fuel is made of the hearts of all her men. Her tank driver is a big, muscular man in all black. He is twice the size of the cows that are slaughtered for him to eat. Her seat is made of empty skulls. It was made by a blacksmith or an old welder; they’ve been slaved to the head of the military as long as anyone can remember. In this torturous tank she rides every night through the brains of honest young men and makes them dream about the ugly truth. She rides over the little girls of Palestine and makes them dream of being grown women being forced to join the military. Bupkes Mishegas often breaks the legs of people who they paint their toes which she hates. Sometimes she rides over over a political leaders ears and makes them dream they are being elected. Sometimes she ignites the flames to the poor homes and makes people dream of water being boiled in the kettle for tea. Sometimes she rides over an Israeli soldier's neck, and he dreams of slashing the throats of foreign enemies, of breaking down walls, of ambushes, of Palestinians dying, and enormous cups liquor. And then bombs ring in his ear and he wakes up. He is frightened so he prays and goes back to sleep. Bupkes is the old hag who gives false dreams of peace to the ones at the battle stations. She is the one -
Romeo
ENOUGH! b'seder! Mercutio, be quiet. You are making no sense.
Mercutio
True. I am talking about dreams, which are products of a brain that’s doing nothing. Dreams are nothing but imagination, as thin as air, and less predictable than the wind which blows east and then changes and blows west.
Benvolio
The wind you are talking about is blowing us of our course. Dinner is over, and we are going to get there too late.
Romeo
I am worried we will get there too early. I have a feeling this party tonight will be the start of an uneasy time, something that will entangle my own death. But whoever controls my life can make me go wherever they want. Lets go friends! Let this be a good night.
Benvolio
Mazltof!
Lady Capulet and the Maid enter.
Lady Capulet
Maid, where is my daughter Juliet? Tell her to come to me.
Maid
I swear to you, I already told her to come. Come on! Where could she be? What could she be doing? Juliet!
Juliet enters.
Juliet
What? Who’s calling me?
Maid
Your mother wants to speak with you.
Juliet
Ummi, I am here. What do you need?
Lady Capulet
I’ll tell you what I need. Maid, leave us alone, because we need to talk privately. Wait, maid, come back. I just remembered that you can listen to our secrets. You know how young Juliet is.
Maid
Absolutely, I know her age down to the hour.
Lady Capulet
She isn’t even fourteen.
Maid
I would bet fourteen of my own teeth -though I only have four- that she is not fourteen. How long is it until her birthday?
Lady Capulet
Two weeks and a few days.
Maid
Of all the days in the year, in just a few weeks on that special day, Juliet will turn fourteen. She and my own daughter Susan, God rest her soul, were born on the same day. Susan has died and is with Allah. She was too good for me. Anyway, as I said before, she will be fourteen. Yeah, she will. I remember it well. It’s been eleven years since the earthquake, the day she died, and I will never forget it. I was sitting under the sun, you and your husband were in Jerusalem, and my little baby was with me. The house began to shake with the earthquake, and there was no need to tell me to get out of there. Eleven years ago. She could stand up by herself back then, I swear. She ran and waddled all around. I remember, just the day before, she had cut her head. My husband, God rest his soul, was such a happy man, and he had picked up my child and said, “Oh! Did you fall on your face? You will fall backward when you grow up, won’t you?” I swear, when he said that, my pretty young girl stopped crying and said, “Yes.” Oh, I will never forget that, even if I live a thousand years.
Lady Capulet
Enough! Just stop talking.
Maid
Yes, ma’am. But i just can’t help laughing that the baby just stopped crying and said “Yes”. I swear, she had a huge bump on her forehead, a painful bruise, which made her cry so hard. And when my husband said, “Did you fall on your face? You will fall backward when you grow up, won’t you?”, she just stopped crying and said, “Yes.”
Juliet
Please, stop talking.
Maid
Shalom, I’m done talking. May God choose you to receive his grace, for you were the prettiest baby I have ever nursed. If I live to see you marry someone someday, all my wishes will come true.
Lady Capulet
Well, we need to discuss marriage. Tell me, Ibnah, how do you feel about marriage?
Juliet
It is honorable, but I do not desire it.
Lady Capulet
Well, now you need to start thinking about it. Here in Palestine there are girls your age, from noble families, who are already mothers. In fact, I was already your mother when I was about your age, and you are still a virgin. So, I’m going to say this quickly...the wonderful soldier Paris wants you to be his wife.
Maid
Ooh, he is quite a MAN. He’s a great man, greater than any in the world. He’s as perfect as a statue sculpted from wax.
Lady Capulet
No flower in all of Palestine is as beautiful as Paris.
Maid
Absolutely. He is a fine flower, truly fine.
Lady Capulet
So, what do you say? Will you love Paris? You will see him at our party tonight. Look at his face and enjoy his beauty. Your Abbun and I would be proud to call him our son-in-law. Just examine how handsome he is. He is more handsome than any other wealthy man or soldier in our city. Look into his eyes. Paris is single, and all he needs is a bride to make him complete. It is a crime to hide a beauty like you from a handsome man like Paris. Anyone who could be Paris’ bride would be thrilled. You would share everything he has, and lose nothing.
Maid
You wouldn’t lose a thing. In fact, you’d get bigger! Men make women bigger by getting them pregnant.
Lady Capulet
Make your decision. Will you marry Paris?
Juliet
I will look at him at our party tonight, and see what I like about him.
Peter enters.
Peter
Madam, the guests have arrived, dinner is being served, and people are asking for you, Juliet, and the maid. Everything is getting out of control. I must go serve our guests. Please follow me and come to them.
Lady Capulet
We will come with you. Let’s go, Juliet.
Maid
Go, Juliet, find the man of your dreams who will make your days and nights happy.
Act 1, Scene IV
Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio enter disguised in masks at the party
Romeo
Alo haver! ...What is our excuse for being here? Or are we going to kick in the door to crash this party?
Benvolio
We are not here to get into another brawl, as much as those Capulets deserve the ass kicking that we would give them. No we will not fight them...we will dance, then we will leave.
Romeo
Give me the light, I don’t want to dance.
Mercutio
Romeo, you have to dance. How else are you to forget about Rosaline?
Romeo
You guys can go and dance, my love for Rosaline weighs me down; I cannot dance with my leaden soul.
Mercutio
I thought you were a romantic, Romeo. Steal Cupid’s wings and fly higher than the rest of us.
Romeo
Cupid’s arrow has given me too deep a wound, I cannot fly with his arrow piercing me.
Mercutio
You’re being depressing, and love isn’t depressing. You are doing love a disservice Romeo. Love is a tender thing.
Romeo
Love hurts too much to be tender, every time I see Rosaline the scorn in her eyes is like a punch in the gut.
Mercutio
If love is bad to you, be bad to love. Give as good as you get, you cannot expect to get anywhere with rejection walking all over you.
Benvolio
Come on guys, lets knock on the door and get into this party.
Romeo
Give me the light, dancing is for those with light hearts, if I refuse to see women my heart cannot be broken, I’ll watch with the light. It looks like fun but I will watch for now.
Mercutio
You are up to your ears in love, it’s like mud. If you intend to be stuck in mud we will pull you out. Just as we will pull you out of love tonight. You are wasting daylight let’s go before it is too late.
Romeo
Have you lost your mind? It’s night.
Mercutio
I mean we’re wasting the battery of our light here by delaying, which is as good as wasting daylight, use your common sense Romeo.
Romeo
We have good intentions for this party, but it’s not a good idea.
Mercutio
Why?
Romeo
I had a dream last night.
Mercutio
So did I
Romeo
Well, tell me what your dream was?
Mercutio
Dreamers often lie.
Romeo
They lie in bed when they dream truth.
Mercutio
Then I see you’ve been with Bupkes Mishegas (Israeli for worthless, insane woman).
Benvolio
Who is that?
Mercutio
She is the mother to our demons. She is no larger than the bullets in our guns. She rides around in the tanks propelled by the big wheels and track causing mass destruction with little attention. The tracks on her tank are made of bones. The steel is covered in their blood. The uniforms are made of the hair and flesh of those who get in the way. Her fuel is made of the hearts of all her men. Her tank driver is a big, muscular man in all black. He is twice the size of the cows that are slaughtered for him to eat. Her seat is made of empty skulls. It was made by a blacksmith or an old welder; they’ve been slaved to the head of the military as long as anyone can remember. In this torturous tank she rides every night through the brains of honest young men and makes them dream about the ugly truth. She rides over the little girls of Palestine and makes them dream of being grown women being forced to join the military. Bupkes Mishegas often breaks the legs of people who they paint their toes which she hates. Sometimes she rides over over a political leaders ears and makes them dream they are being elected. Sometimes she ignites the flames to the poor homes and makes people dream of water being boiled in the kettle for tea. Sometimes she rides over an Israeli soldier's neck, and he dreams of slashing the throats of foreign enemies, of breaking down walls, of ambushes, of Palestinians dying, and enormous cups liquor. And then bombs ring in his ear and he wakes up. He is frightened so he prays and goes back to sleep. Bupkes is the old hag who gives false dreams of peace to the ones at the battle stations. She is the one -
Romeo
ENOUGH! b'seder! Mercutio, be quiet. You are making no sense.
Mercutio
True. I am talking about dreams, which are products of a brain that’s doing nothing. Dreams are nothing but imagination, as thin as air, and less predictable than the wind which blows east and then changes and blows west.
Benvolio
The wind you are talking about is blowing us of our course. Dinner is over, and we are going to get there too late.
Romeo
I am worried we will get there too early. I have a feeling this party tonight will be the start of an uneasy time, something that will entangle my own death. But whoever controls my life can make me go wherever they want. Lets go friends! Let this be a good night.
Benvolio
Mazltof!