A Convenient Lie

Scene Four(Next day)

(Enter Lady Capulet with a baby in her arms.  She faces the audience.)
Lady Capulet: This…this is my true child, the one I love, the one I adore.  He is mine, he is Tybalt’s…I shall raise him free of all these fools, in secret, away from my greedy, stupid husband.  He shall be just like Tybalt, and I will have my true love once again.  Ah, how I miss him so.  ‘twas all the fault of that Nurse and that Friar.  They shall be punished, punished for their actions.
(Enter Capulet.)
Capulet: You…you wanted to see me, my wife?
Lady Capulet: Ah, yes, dear, I just wanted to discuss this problem further with you.  Please, enjoy a glass of wine with me.  ‘tis freshly made, the best in the county.
Capulet: Why thank you, ‘tis red?
Lady Capulet: Of course, I know red ‘tis your favorite.  Please, drink.  See, it’s not poisoned!
(Lady Capulet drinks from her glass.)
Capulet: Ah, this is quite good!  There is something bitter about it, though, which detracts from the overall taste…do you know what this could be?
Lady Capulet: Know not do I…or perhaps I do.  Perhaps this bottle I hold in my hand is the cure to the poison you just drank.
(Capulet throws his glass to the ground.  It shatters.)
Capulet: You, you, you lying–
Lady Capulet: Please, no expletives.  Oh, and careful where you spill that wine, I just had my rug redone.
Capulet: I…I can feel the poison working its evil ways upon my body already.  My limbs, they feel numb.  I can’t move my fingers!
Lady Capulet: Yes, that was the intention, obviously.  To kill you, I mean.
Capulet: But…but why?
Lady Capulet: Soft has your heart gone, retired from its once rebellious ways.  Yet of course, never was it as valiant as that of my sweet Tybalt…
Capulet: Tybalt…that villain?  What part hath he to play in this?
(Lady Capulet stands up and pulls out a dagger.)
Lady Capulet: You shall not slander my lover’s name!
(She thrusts forward and stabs Capulet, who tumbles to the floor.)
Capulet: My wife, my wife…you have killed me.
Lady Capulet: There, there, now, rest your silent head upon the cushions of broken glass.  I want you to be in pain as you enter into the gates of hell.
(Enter servant through side-door.)
Servant: Lady, lady, is everything all right?  I heard a commotion!
(Servant looks down and sees Capulet’s body.)
Lady Capulet: ‘tis a pity I shall have to kill you now.  You were my favorite servant.
(She hurls the dagger at the servant, but it misses.  Servant pulls out his sword.)
Servant: I’ve had this suspicion for several days, milady, but now ‘tis proven.  I think thou art quite insane!
Lady Capulet: Quiet, fool!  Does thou darest draw your sword at me?
Servant: Yes, I do dare to draw my sword!  I must put an end to this all!
(Servant charges forward and stabs Lady Capulet.)
Lady Capulet: Tybalt, sweet Tybalt…Is that your face above me?  Kiss me one last time, Tybalt…I’m going to see you now…
(Lady Capulet dies.)
Servant: My god, what have I done?  Everyone ‘twill think ‘twas me that killed the two of them, and though that’s half right, I need it to be all wrong.  What was I thinking?
(Servant exits, dragging both bodies with him.  He returns after both bodies are gone and sees the baby lying on the ground.)
What are you doing here, little child?  How did you even come to be here?  I shall take care of you, don’t worry.  Now that is an idea!  I shall run away with you, child, and we’ll survive somewhere else.
(Servant exits with baby.)

Scene Five (Last Scene)

(Nurse enters, running, but stops when she sees Lady Montague and Montague facing her.  The two servants come up behind her.)

Nurse: Why do you pester me?  All I wanted ‘twas peace, friends!
Montague: And peace I would have given you, if you would have given it to us.
Lady Montague: I have nothing more to say to you, Nurse.
Nurse: Then why, why was my presence required?
Montague: I was going to propose a generous deal.  But no more, Nurse, no more.  You and the Friar disappoint me, especially him.  He always seemed like a good, honest, hard-working man.  You, I’m not so sure about.
Servant: What would you have me do with her, sir?
Montague: Kill her.
(Exit Montague and Lady Montague.)
Nurse: With those two words you destroy the love inside of me!  The Friar and I worked, we worked for peace!  Settle the ancient grudge!  It concerns you not!
Servant: Quiet, fool, he made his decision.  Your life is in our hands now.
(Nurse breaks free of the servants’ hold on her and runs after Montague.)
Nurse: If peace did not work to solve violence, then I shall use violence to use violence!  Montague, ‘tis time to end the incessant war!
(Nurse exits.  Several seconds later, there is a scream and a yell.  Nurse enters, limping and wounded.)
Servant: You fool, you killed them both!
Nurse: Aye, and they…they killed me.
(Enter two Capulet servants.)
Capulet servant: Everyone, everyone, the Capulets are dead!
Montague servant: Aye?  So are you the Montagues!
(The servants stare at each other, then shake hands.)
Nurse: May the peace reign over you all forever.
(Nurse dies.  Enter Prince.)
Prince: With the end of the hatred comes a new beginning, a new era
Now we can start anew, create new friendships, build from the ages of hurt
And ‘tis thanks to the Friar and the Nurse
They gave their lives
Now there is peace!

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