Official Website of Harriet George Author
BENVOLIO & TYBALT is the story of a boy who falls in love with his enemy.
Benvolio Montague chases Tybalt into the sycamore grove because he is in love with him. But the 100-year-old war between their families has been forced on Benvolio. He is supposed to hate Tybalt. He can't.
Benvolio catches Tybalt, and in time, their reckless and wonderful love grows stronger than the hate their families have built between them. The forbidden lovers dream of a world where their love can thrive in the open. But Tybalt’s uncle, Lord Capulet, is determined to rule Verona and will take his power at any cost. Tybalt begs Benvolio to leave Verona, but he refuses to abandon his family.
Believing love is the only weapon that can overcome the blood feud, Benvolio deceives his cousin Romeo into falling in love with Lord Capulet’s daughter, Juliet.
Benvolio seeks to create a union between the two star-crossed lovers and bridge the gap between the families. But, Lord Capulet is willing to sacrifice anything to prevail, even his own family, and Benvolio’s plans put everyone he loves in danger.
Benvolio must protect Tybalt or he will die.
Harriet George
After playing Benvolio I needed to know why he disappears after Tybalt’s death. Why Tybalt would come back to Benvolio and Romeo after killing Mercutio? How a character like Romeo could find it in his heart to kill, on his wedding day? And when I started to dig into these questions I learned that Shakespeare answers them all. Starting with Benvolio’s monologue to his aunt and uncle, ‘A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad, Where, underneath the grove of sycamore That westward rooteth from this city side, So early walking did I see your son.’ With Benvolio’s troubled mind, I followed his story. And in it I found the answers to my questions and so much more.
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I am a debut novelist. I have studied Shakespeare at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and classical theatre at Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York. I live in Colorado and have spent the last 10 years auditing Medicaid, biking, hiking, playing outside with my enormous dog Freya, and learning all I can about the beauty of storytelling.
Synopsis
Benvolio Montague can’t help but feel hope when the sun dances gold off Tybalt’s Capulet’s hair on the dusty streets of Verona Italy. They are supposed to hate each other, but neither can figure out how to hate someone who is so wonderfully beautiful.
As their love for each other grows, so does the violence between their families.
Lord Capulet is ready to take control of Verona and will not let the Montagues stand in his way any longer. Benvolio is forced to draw his sword to protect his family, but his peaceful intentions end with his sword directed at Tybalt. Benvolio is given an ultimatum by Tybalt, this feud must end or Tybalt will leave. Desperate not to lose Tybalt, Benvolio has to find a way to bring peace to Verona.
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Believing love can end this war, Benvolio devises a plan. An alliance of love between the Montagues and Capulets. Learning from Tybalt that Lord Capulet is planning to marry off his daughter, Juliet, to a good kind man, Benvolio decides his cousin Romeo is that man. Romeo wants nothing to do with this war. So Benvolio keeps his true plan from Romeo. With help from their friend Mercutio, Benvolio and Romeo sneak into the Capulet’s masquerade ball. Benvolio dances Romeo to Juliet, and Romeo's sweet charm bonds them.
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But Benvolio must take action to ensure his plan will work. He runs to Friar Lawrence and convinces him to marry Romeo and Juliet to form an alliance and end this war. The Friar wants peace and agrees to marry them. But neither of them knows Lord Capulet has promised Juliet to the prince's cousin to gain power over the prince.
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When word of Lord Capulet’s plan reaches Tybalt, he knows Benvolio has put all of their lives in danger. Tybalt runs to Benvolio and Romeo to get them off the streets before Lord Capulet’s men can kill them. But when the townspeople see Tybalt running towards them they think he is going to kill them. The streets break into violence. Benvolio begs Romeo to announce his marriage to bring peace to the streets. But Romeo refuses, fearing this war will kill his future with Juliet. Definitely, Benvolio yells for the crowd's attention to tell them about Romeo and Juliet. Romeo runs between Mercutio and Tybalt’s fight, terrified of them learning about his marriage. With Romeo’s interference, Tybalt's sword slices through Mercutio. Mercutio dies in Benvolio’s arms. In his grief, Benvolio realizes he must protect Tybalt now and get him to Mantua and never return.
Benvolio runs to find Tybalt. But Tybalt and Romeo are fighting. Benvolio tells Romeo of his love for Tybalt. But Benvolio is too late. After a lifetime of fearing the Capulets, and after Mercutio died at the end of Tybalt's sword, Romeo’s fear has turned to hate. Before Benvolio can stop him, Romeo kills Tybalt.
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Benvolio did not protect Tybalt. And now Tybalt has died. Lost in his pain, Benvolio stumbles away from town and is hunted down by Lord Capulet. Tybalt’s love for Benvolio is a great betrayal to Lord Capulet. So he kills Benvolio.
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Chapter 1
Another bump jars me, my wooden sword falls to my feet, tumbling around the carriage floor. I grab it and shove it into the loop I made on my belt.
The carriage slowly turns, and the road becomes smooth and calm. Allowing my muscles to finally rest. Pulling open the dusty drapes on the small window, the Alps fill the frame. If I sit just right, Verona will come into sight over the last lumbering hill.
There it is.
This will be the first time I have come to Verona without my parents. The late morning sun shines steadily on top of the church steeple filling the dusty air with an eerie glow. Finally, I am here, and the romance of this town once again fills me with familiar joy. It begins in my stomach and reaches up to my smile. When I turn to share my smile with my mum, a veil of grief smothers my excitement. Returning to the window, the sunshine dims.
As we enter the town, people hustle past one another as if they are the most important person on the street. There is nothing like weaving through these people and wondering who they are, and why they think they are so high and mighty.
Slowing for the town's wild movements, I realize tonight I won’t be alone. Tonight, I'll be in a room with a bed I know well. A room where I've laughed and played. A room that shares a wall with my cousin Romeo. He will take my hand the moment I arrive and lead me into some kind of fun trouble. Our trouble will make me happy, I suppose. It used to make me happy. At least I will feel safe.
Entering the town square, the fountain of the soldier and his horse come into view. My mum loved that fountain. She would say it now if she were here, just like she did every time she saw it. Then she would scan the streets for men dressed in blue and silver. So, I do the same. The colors belong to the Capulet family. My family's enemy. The vigilance I've perfected in the past months since my parents' death guides my hand to my sword.
There are no Capulet's on the streets, but my aunt's long black hair is flowing with her movements by the church. Trying to leap out of this carriage to finally be with her, I holler as I bang on the wood panel separating me from the coachman.“Stop, please,” I yell.
Slowly and carefully, he stops. As I push the carriage door open, the smells that can only accumulate in Verona hit me with a heat I was not expecting. I turn to help my mum out of the carriage, but when her blue shoe does not peek out from her ruffly dress, and her hand doesn’t reach for mine, I slam the door shut as hard as I can and hold my knees, so I don't fall. The horses make irritated sounds, and the people give me space. In my own time, I rise. Squinting against the sun, I find my aunt. She is now standing at the large doors of the church, talking to an even larger man. Weaving through people and horses to get to her, I stop. She has a tone to her voice that reaches deep in me telling me I should wait for her to finish. I need her, but I know better. I'll try to wait to get her attention until they are done speaking.
As the sun begins to work its way through my vest and warm my back, the realization that I am here now, with my family that loves me, seeps in and I believe it. A tightness in my stomach that has become so familiar, weakens. The lightness that follows reminds me of my favorite part of Verona. Turning to the streets, my nose is trained to seek out the smell of honey and nuts and the steamy goodness of baked bread. Sniffing about, I need to cut through the rich manure lining the streets. Break past the stink of the people. There it is. The cart of baked goods drifting like a delicious cloud through the town. Nothing has been baked in my hometown since the sickness came through. Checking in with my aunt once more before chasing the cart, my eyes land on a boy standing against the church wall. His black hair falls around his face. As he slowly brushes his fingers through it, he reveals his dark eyebrows painting the top of his sparkly eyes. He finds me staring at him, and I can't look away. His smile starts in his eyes and deep dimples appear on his cheeks as his mouth tries not to smile.
My smile bursts out of my face, causing him to lose the battle with his mouth as the corners peak up before he looks down at his hands that rest atop a sword. A real sword. He looks like he is my age, but he gets to have a real sword.
My hand anxiously reaches to my belt. No, of course, my stupid wooden sword is in its sheath. I foolishly think it will keep me safe, so I take it everywhere. Did he see it? Sly and smooth, I turn my body to hide it and look back towards him. His head is still down. His black hair is gold where the sun touches it.A strange desire to do something to get his attention runs through me. But with my wooden sword stuck to me, I decide instead to move towards that honey and nut bun filling the air with a relentless buttery pull.
Scanning the streets for blue and silver, I confirm my path is clear. Following my nose to the baker's cart, I wonder if the boy with smiling eyes and gold dancing in his hair is watching me.