Dramatis Personae for Romeo and Juliet

ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.

MERCUTIO, a young gentleman and kinsman to the Prince, friend of Romeo.
PARIS, a noble young kinsman to the Prince.
Page to Paris.

MONTAGUE,
LADY MONTAGUE.
ROMEO, Lord and Lady Montague’s son.
BENVOLIO, Lord and Lady Montague’s nephew and friend of Romeo and Mercutio.
ABRAM, a Montague servant.
BALTHASAR, Romeo’s servant.

CAPULET.
LADY CAPULET.
JULIET, Lord and Lady Capulet’s daughter.
TYBALT, Lord and Lady Capulet’s nephew.
Capulet’s Cousin, an old gentleman.
NURSE, a Capulet servant.
PETER, a Capulet servant attending on the Nurse.
SAMPSON,Capulet servant.
GREGORY,Capulet servant.
ANTHONY,Capulet servant.
POTPAN, Capulet servant.
Servingmen,

FRIAR LAURENCE, of the Franciscan Order
FRIAR JOHN, of the Franciscan Order
An Apothecary of Mantua.
Three Musicians: Simon Catling, Hugh Rebeck, James Soundpost.
Members of the Watch, Citizens of Verona, Masquers, Torchbearers, Pages, Servants.
CHORUS

MONTAGUE / CAPULET

Luigi da Porto’s Historia novellamente ritrovata due nobili amanti… (c. 1530) was one of the main sources for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Historia novellamente … was a full-scale narrative derived from a popular north Italian legend. Da Porto gave the Italian legend an historical context by using a political feud in late medieval Italy between the political factions of Montecchi and Cappelletti as motive for the secret marriage between the two young lovers. Historically, the hostility between the two factions was caused by fact that the Montecchi were staunch supporters of the Pope while the Capelletti supported the Holy Roman Emperor.

MERCUTIO

The name derives from the word ‘mercurial’, meaning ‘quick and changeable in temperament’. ‘Mercury’ was also the Roman messenger god, the fastest-moving planet and is a liquid metal. In Greek mythology, the god Mercury gave a golden apple to Paris, thus beginning a chain of events which lead to another clandestine love affair and subsequently to the Trojan war.

TYBALT

‘Tybalt’ has ancient Germanic origins, meaning “a bold leader of the people”. Tybalt is the only male heir to the house of Capulet. Tybalt’s murder at the hand of Romeo leaves Romeo as the only Capulet heir due to his secret marriage to Juliet.

‘Tybalt’ would be a familiar name to Shakespeare’s audience, as Tybalt the Cat was a well-known character in the popular medieval fables of Reynard the Fox. Mercutio alludes to this referring to Tybalt as ‘Prince of Cats’ and later, as ‘rat-catcher’. In the fables, Tybalt the Cat is vicious and quarrelsome.

PARIS

Juliet’s suitor shares his name with a Greek mythological character. Paris, a prince of Troy and the handsomest man on Earth, was called upon to decide which goddess was fairest, Juno, Minerva or Venus, and give them a golden apple. Juno bribed Paris with power and Minerva with wisdom, but Paris declared Venus the fairest. In return Venus gives Paris the love of the most beautiful woman on Earth, Helen of Troy, thus beginning the chain of events which leads to the elopement of Helen and Paris and to the death and destruction of the Trojan war.

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