Malec Modern Romeo & Juliet

Chapter 26 Act 5 Scene 2

Brother Michael enters.

Brother Michael
Holy Franciscan Brother! Brother, hey!

Brother Zacharia enters.

Brother Zacharia
That sounds like the voice of Brother Michael. Welcome back from Mantua. What does Magnus say? Or, if he wrote down his thoughts, give me his letter.

Brother Michael
I went to find another poor friar from our order to accompany me. He was here in this city visiting the sick. When I found him, the town health officials suspected that we were both in a house that had been hit with the plague. They quarantined the house, sealed up the doors, and refused to let us out. I couldn't go to Mantua because I was stuck there.

Brother Zacharia
Then who took my letter to Magnus?

Brother Michael
I couldn't send it. Here it is. (he gives Brother Zacharia a letter) I couldn't get a messenger to bring it to you either because they were scared of spreading the infection.

Brother Zacharia
Unhappy fortune! By my brotherhood, the letter was not just a nice greeting. It was full of very important information. It's very dangerous that it hasn't been sent. Brother Michael, go and get me an iron crowbar. Bring it straight back to my cell.

Brother Michael
Brother, I'll go and bring it to you.

Brother Michael exits.

Brother Zacharia
Now I must go to the tomb alone. Within three hours Alec will wake up. He'll be very angry with me that Magnus doesn't know what happened. But I'll write again to Mantua, and I'll keep him in my cell until Magnus comes. That poor living corpse. He's shut inside a dead man's tomb!

Brother Zacharia exits.