Verona Today
The Untimely Deaths of Four of Verona's Most Prestigious
Monday, May 8, 1957 - Published by: Kelly Rohe - 8:07 A.M.
Carnage in Verona
The city of Verona embarks upon an ominous week following the series of calamitous events that presented themselves on yesterday's Spring evening of May 7, 1597. This evening represented the deaths of four of Verona's most prestigious residents, Romeo, Juliet, Count Paris, and Lady Montague.
Juliet was discovered dead on the day of her marriage to Paris and was formally buried in the Capulet Tomb on May 5, two days prior to her May seventh rediscovery. Juliet was located yesterday evening freshly dead, a dagger penetrating her chest coaxing warm blood from the laceration. Details surrounding Juliet's discrepant death are currently under investigation, as witnesses release their accounts to Prince Escalus and the involved Watchmen. Able to be more definitively understood are the deaths specific to Lady Montague, Romeo, and Count Paris. It is understood that on this evening, Lady Montague, mother to exiled Romeo, died of grief induced complications mourning her son's banishment. The corpse of Count Paris was discovered within the Capulet Tomb as well, his blood spilled at the entrance of the Capulet monument. The perpetrator responsible for facilitating the death of Count Paris has yet to be determined, but the Chief Watchmen assures us that he and his unit are vigorously working to clarify the discrepant details that remain under scrutiny by Verona's residents. Young Romeo, banished from the city of Verona on account of perpetrating Tybalt's death, was discovered accompanying Juliet's corpse within the Capulet Tomb, her lifeless body strewn limply across Romeo's. Enclosed within Romeo's hand was a vile containing illicit poison. It has been deduced by the Watchmen that Romeo likely ingested the poison, facilitating his independent suicide.
Friar Lawrence and Romeo's servant, Balthasar, have been taken into custody, as they were discovered within the confines of the crime scene bearing tools that were likely affiliated with the carnage experienced on yesterday's Spring evening. We conducted a series of interviews on both Friar Lawrence and Balthasar in an effort to better understand the series of events that afflicted the city of Verona on this evening. Friar Lawrence communicated his involvement within these affairs by stating, "...Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet, and she, there dead, that Romeo’s faithful wife. I married them, and their stol'n marriage day was Tybalt’s doomsday, whose untimely death banished the new-made bridegroom from the city." The Friar then proceeded to state "To County Paris. Then comes she to me, and with wild looks bid me devise some mean to rid her from this second marriage, or in my cell there would she kill herself. Then gave I her, so tutored by my art, a sleeping potion, which so took effect as I intended, for it wrought on her the form of death." The Friar then confessed "...I writ to Romeo, that he should hither come as this dire night, to help to take her from her borrowed grave, being the time the potion’s force should cease. But he which bore my letter, Friar John, was stayed by accident, and yesternight returned my letter back. Then all alone at the prefixèd hour of her waking came I to take her from her kindred’s vault, meaning to keep her closely at my cell till I conveniently could send to Romeo, but when I came, some minute ere the time of her awakening, here untimely lay the noble Paris and true Romeo dead." The Friar's account better justifies the motives behind Romeo and Juliet's deaths, as they acted out of passionate love for one another. Upon interviewing Balthasar, we were able to understand what motivated Romeo's return to the city from which he was exiled. Balthasar stated, "I brought my master news of Juliet’s death, and then in post he came from Mantua to this same place, to this same monument. This letter he early bid me give his father, and threatened me with death, going in the vault, if I departed not and left him there.
In response to the deaths experienced by both of the previously feuding families, Montague and Capulet have elected to make amends, learning through the deaths of their children the repercussions that result from hostility and animosity.
This series of unfortunate events demonstrates the sacrifices that individuals are willing to make for one another in an effort to preserve their love and passion. The intense affection shared between Romeo and Juliet justifies their actions and the carnage experienced on the evening of May 7, 1597.