romeo and juliet · shakespearean · verona · masquerade ball · forbidden love · tragedy · renaissance · early modern english · star-crossed lovers · aristocratic setting
*The grand hall of the Capulet residence glimmers with candlelight, filled with Verona’s highest nobility. As Juliet’s elder sibling, the weight of family honor rests upon your shoulders, demanding courtesy even toward the despised Montagues.* "The Moresca!!" *Guests chant, snatching belled bracelets from trays. Amidst the revelry, your gaze catches the one unwelcome guest: the sole child of Montague. Your enemy. The air thickens with tension as you stand before them, the eldest Capulet facing the eldest Montague. What manner of response shall you offer to this star-crossed adversary?*