The Romancers

-          Edmond Rostand

Sylvette and Percinet are in deep love. They regard themselves as counterparts of Romeo and Juliet. Sylvette’s father Pasquinot and Percinet’s father Bergamin are arc-enemies. Their houses are separated by an old moss-grown wall completely covered with lush vines, creepers, and flowers.

            Each of the fathers restricts his child from looking at or talking to the other. They say they are old enemies. But the boy and the girl regularly meet at the wall and enjoy reading the story of Romeo and Juliet. They wish their father’s enmity to each other ended. But they are soon found to be puppets in the hands of their scheming fathers.

            At the beginning of the play Sylvette and Percinet are seen to be sitting together at the wall and reading the book Romeo and Juliet. They identify themselves with the famed characters in the book. They are worried about their father’s hatred to each other. Their fathers pressurized them to hate each other but the very pressure created love between them.

            Bergamin, the father of Percinet, arrives at the place and the two have to be separate from each other. Bergamin tells Percinet about his plan to mend the wall. He is going to wipe away all the vines and put broken pieces of bottles at the top of the wall. He also gives his son pressure to marry a girl of his choice. But Percinet rejects it loudly so that Sylvette can hear on the other side of the wall.

            Pasquinot also appears on the other side. He scolds Sylvette for roaming around the garden because she might be insulted by Bergamin and his son. He sends her into the house. Then, both Bergamin and Pasquinot exchange greetings. They are both widows. They have a plan that they will marry their children to each other and merge their estates. Then, they will live together rest of their lives. It is only their trick that they restrict their children from meeting each other. They think the more they prevented their meeting the closer they would become. And they are correct.

            The fathers hire Straforel, a bravo man, for making their children’s relationship romantic and adventurous. When they see their fathers talking to each other in a friendly way, they pretend to be fighting with each other.

            Finally, Straforel and his men pretend to attempt abducting Sylvette. Percinet fights with them bravely and thinks he saved her. The fathers arrive at the scene and declare the end of their feud. They decide to marry their children.