Romeo, Juliet, and the Rules of Verona

The Capulets and the Montagues loathed one another. That was the way it was. That was the way it was always supposed to be. Every member of the Montagues had to despise every member of the Capulets and vice-versa. In this hatred, Verona prospered.

People visited the city just to see for themselves this hatred play out. They bought paintings of duels, poetry that recited eyewitness accounts in an artistic form, and books that retold the stories in juicy details. The visitors attended plays that reenacted the happenings between the two sides, read the 'gossip scrolls' of events revealed by supposedly reputable sources, and they even ate at restaurants themed 'Montague' or 'Capulet', and depending on which side one sat, they pretended to hate the other.

So much madness! So much chaos! But oh, were the visitors and tourists here for it.

Romeo didn't particularly understand any of it. He took advantage of it all however. See, the 'planted' hatred between his family (the Montagues) and Capulets made him a profit as well. Since all of this was supposed to happen, and he was supposed to benefit only his family, he had gone on to blend in with the tourists disguised as a pauper who held all the gossip and most current news regarding the feud between the two families.

All of those gossip scrolls had to come from somewhere, didn't they?

Romeo Montague would wink at such a question.

The one who wouldn't wink was Juliet. She was exhausted of all the tourists, of the dramatics, the falsities, the city, and even her own name. All of this foolishness that involved her gave favor to the Capulets, and so the visitors wanted to know more about her mystery, especially since she was the only daughter in the family. Still, this was insanity! She should not be walking down the street where some random person could come up to her and ask her to sign a copy of a portrait of her!

But that was how it the structure of Verona had to be, wasn't it? Two powerful families in a feud were likely to get a legion of fans!

What would happen next? Who would duel against who? Did anyone have the audacity to start a fight with Tybalt, even if just for the entertainment of others? Was Romeo truly in love with Rosaline or was it just an obsession? Would Juliet ever accept Paris's advances?

Romeo had answered the question pertaining to him. He was not in love with Rosaline, but he was told that he was supposed to be or act like he was because that gave the gossip scrolls what Escalus called ratings. Also, Rosaline always had a way in at the parties, and Romeo had to take advantage, which would actually give Escalus more of the ratings he sought. See, Escalus was in charge of Verona and her neighboring cities. He at first never enjoyed the ongoing feuds, but when he saw how much revenue they brought in, he needed to capitalize on it!

Juliet had answered her question as well. She was betrothed to Paris solely because her parents willed it after he asked them for her hand in marriage since he found her to be beautiful. In a party filled with people wearing masks, she was the only one who chose not to wear one, instead wearing her faraway gaze, and allegedly, that was beautiful to the nobleman Paris and voila! It must be love.

In Escalus's mind, all was according to plan to keep Verona the way it was.

With Romeo Montague gaining favor for his family in his antics and disguises and Juliet Capulet gaining favor because of the forced dramatics in her 'love life' (not to mention, the skyrocketing 'ratings' every time her cousin Tybalt confronted any male who dared approach her), the two were never bound to meet. Romeo enjoyed the parties. Naturally, Juliet avoided them. She did not want to be forced into this mystery ongoing feud, she did not want to be forced to attend parties in her own family's home, she did not want a 'will they or won't they (what did that even mean)' with her eventual small friendship with Paris, and she did not want to be forced to marry.

However, good ratings were necessary. Escalus always knew best.

With Romeo's rebellious and mischievous nature and boyish good looks, the women enjoyed catching up with any stories or poetry or gossip scrolls about him. They especially loved the artwork featuring him and his friend, Mercutio. With Juliet's brooding and fiery personality and her delicate loveliness, men wanted to know her, women wanted to update themselves on her too and even mimic her dressing style, and Tybalt wanted to start fights with whoever so much as looked at her the wrong way.

The formula was simple.

Romeo and Juliet needed to meet.

And the rules of Verona stated that the two had to fall in love.

As Escalus had put it: "Verona's visitor count would triple." And what would this city be without more money, without more feuding, and a drop of forbidden love?

Will Romeo--the young bachelor who revels in his carefree life and the attention it brings him--fall in love with Juliet, the woman who escapes into her art and who is engaged to another man and who has a self-proclaimed bodyguard who challenges anyone who tries to court her? And will she love him in return? Oh, the plot twist, the scandal if that were to occur!

"My visitors of Verona...to find out the answers to any of these questions, stay around and await the next story of our latest gossip scroll."

And Escalus winked.