About

Three classes, two locked in constant feud,
In Fair Veronaville, where we lay our scene,
From new revolution break to pending coup,
Where civil blood makes uncivil hands less clean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,
A pair of star-crossed lovers come to life,
Whole misadventured piteous fully blows,
Do with love heighten their families’ strife.

The fearful passage of forbidden love,
And the continuance of their families’ rage,
Which, but eternal end, nought could remove,
Is now the years’ traffic of our stage;
The which of you with patient eyes attend,
What here shall miss, our tale’s tragic end.

–Slight rephrasing of the opening Sonnet of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Slight, I say…SLIGHT!

Here in the city state of Veronaville, a citizen is of one of three classes: the Elite, the Bourgeoisie, and the Peasantry. The Elite families, under the reign of their patriarch, Lord Consort Thebe, rule over Veronaville with an iron fist. The Bourgeoisie, led by Patrizio Monty, wish to overthrow the Elite, thus liberating both themselves and the Peasantry from their wicked regime.

Tragedy befell both classes on the fateful night of June 27, 1885. During a fight outside of the Monty family ranch, a son-in-law of Thebe, Caliban Gale, pulled a gun. His target was Claudio Monty, oldest son and heir of Patrizio Monty; however, fate would have it that he should miss, and hit instead Claudio’s beloved wife, Olivia, right through the forehead. In his rage, Claudio strangled Caliban with his own two hands, then took the gun in hand, put it to his head, and pulled the trigger.

After fleeing the scene, a young man of the Elite by the name of Cornwall Dane ran to the home of Gales and informed Caliban’s wife, Cordelia, of what had happened. In her anguish, she hung herself, leaving her three children as orphans.

Tybalt, Juliette, and Hermia Gale were sent to live with their grandparents at Thebe Manor. Likewise, Claudio and Olivia’s sons, Mercutio and Romeo, were left in the care of Patrizio and his wife Isabella.

From that day forth, tensions only escalated between the Elite and the Borgeoisie–specifically, the ruling house of Thebe and the rebel family Monty.

Mostly.