Here are some fictional letters exchanged between Shakespearean characters.
Letter from the duchess of York Cecily Neville to her son Richard III. (Galgano Francesco)
Richard, what’s going through your head?
I never thought that a person could be able to do such terrible things like what you are doing.
I can no longer consider you my son, after I learned about the murder of my favourite son Clarence. Everyone of us knows you are responsible of your brother’s murder, and that the blame for this terrible act is not on your unfortunate, sick brother Edward, as you want us to believe!
You have killed your brother, an innocent man of your own blood (and of my own blood!) and you are even trying to blame another innocent man for your cruelty… I can’t believe it, I can’t believe I’ve given birth to a monster like you.
When you look in the mirror, don’t you see a monster? A monster is what I imagine thinking about you, now that I know what you really are. You don’t feel guilty, I suppose, but I feel guilty about you, I feel guilty towards the entire world for generating the hateful creature you are.
Now you’ve done this horrible act, who knows what you are planning! Are you going to kill Lady Anne, your wife, the innocent woman that you have persuaded to marry /into marrying you? It could be, now I know that your cruelty and your cynicism have no limit, as well as being sure that you have totally lost your empathy.
Are you planning to kill Elizabeth, my daughter in law, or maybe the young princes? I will not permit you to kill my grandchildren, hateful beast!
Are you maybe going to kill me, your poor mother? I’d rather be killed than live with the awareness of having generated a demon like you, Richard.
I’ll never forgive you, Richard.
Cecily
Letter from Macduff to his dead children. (Vitali Ilaria)
Dear children of mine,
as a year has passed by from your murder, I found myself thinking about you all again.
I wonder: how much would you have grown since I last got the chance to get a quick glimpse of you? Would you, precious daughter, have grown so pure and refined as my beloved wife was?
Of course, I will never be able to get an answer to these questions, because death does shape my memories, but life cannot change your cold young bodies.
I keep thinking about what could have if I had been there to protect you and your mother? Would all of this have happened anyway? I hear your shrill screams in the silence at night as if I had been there to hear them in first place and they tear me apart piece by piece, one at the time.
You were ripped away from me so soon and so falsely…that I haven’t yet managed to process the injustice committed by the cruel and wicked Macbeth.
In this sea of perplexity I have one certainty, though: sooner or later I will obtain a tasteful revenge and only then I will be able to go to bed peacefully at night with the realization that your murderer is gone for good. Even though this revenge will not give me back you all, my dearest family.
The hole your departure left in my broken heart will never by filled. It keeps opening afresh.
Yours, sincerely
Macduff
Exchange between Ophelia and Juliet. (Micheli Corrado)
Dear Juliet,
Love is a difficult thing; love is something that is difficult to explain perhaps because true love is very rare to find or perhaps because it doesn’t exist; I thought I was really in love with the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, whom I told you about in my last letter, but it’s not like that: he behaves in a strange way, you know, especially since his father died; he told me a few nights ago that he even talked to his father’s ghost: unbelievable, I know, and I can’t believe it. It’s not just him who is behaving strangely here at the palace, everyone is going crazy: the king, the queen, my father Polonius, all of them! I think I’m going crazy too…
But now let’s talk a little about you: how are you? and your family? Did you get married to Paris in the end?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Who knows, maybe very soon we could meet in person and get to know each other better.
With love, Ophelia.
Dear Ophelia,
I was looking forward to hearing from you again;
I see that things are getting complicated, but don’t worry, you’re not the only one: things are getting complicated and life has become difficult here too, especially with my family. You know, last night there was a dance here at the palace where I met this beautiful boy who also came secretly under my window to see me again. I think I’m really in love with him; his name is Romeo, but there is a problem: he is the son of a family that is enemy to mine, the Montagues. I don’t want to marry Paris as my family would like, but if my family finds out that I am seeing with a Montague, I don’t know what could happen…
I am a little afraid.
see you soon, I promise you
With love
Letter from Lady Macbeth to Banquo. (Cinchetti Mattia)
Dear Banquo,
You will think that I’m mad but please, pay attention to this letter, if you want to stay alive.
Be careful, dear friend, trust only your family, and be suspicious, especially of the king.
My husband fears you, because the witches say that you will be “father of kings”, so Macbeth wants to preserve his crown and he could also kill you to protect his rule.
I’m not joking, he is preparing an ambush against you and your son. Go abroad! Don’t let your family without a father, find a ship and sail far!
I’m writing this letter because I don’t want any more deaths, otherwise remorse will overcome me.
Run away Banquo!
Lady Macbeth
Letter from Juliet to her parents. (Kaur Ramanpreet)
Dear Mother and Father,
I don’t know when you will read this letter. I don’t know if I will be dead or alive at that point. I don’t even know whether you will read this or not.
I am writing it because I need to tell you that I can’t marry Paris since I love someone else. The man I love is none other than Romeo, the son of your eternal enemies, the Montagues.
Our love is not just a stupid childish love, it is sincere and pure and that’s why we got married. We wanted to make our bond stronger and purer.
I know that you will not accept our choice, but I need you to understand us and our feelings.
Romeo and I know that we cannot live happily if we stay here in Verona, so we decided to run away, at least for now. I couldn’t tell you these in person because you wouldn’t have listened to me.
As I told you I can’t marry Paris, so I will take this potion which will make me sleep for a while, at least that’s what I hope. I hope one day you will accept Romeo as my husband.
Yours sincerely,
Juliet.
Letter from Juliet’s nurse to Hamlet. (Prestini Rachele)
Dear melancholy Hamlet,
come on! Stand up and stop crying! Stop overthinking!
You are young and strong, you are intelligent and powerful: you could do everything you want!
Reasoning is very important obviously, but just thoughts don’t resolve situations: sometimes acting is the better option, you have to go on and give it a try.
I had a friend when I was young, a fantastic man (I admit: he was not just a friend, actually I fell in love with him), but he was eternally undecided. If I asked him which fruit would he prefer between an apple and a banana he had no answer; he couldn’t make an easy choice, sometimes he ate nothing and some others he chose some other food. He couldn’t make a simple decision, just think if he could decide to marry me! He started thinking and he asked me if I really loved him: I was furious because the answer was clear, but he couldn’t understand it yet, so I broke up.
If you carry on in this way you will be abandoned by your friends, too because few people are patient enough…
I always said to my dear Juliet: “You have to be in the world, not just be there”; if you want to have a great future you have to be the protagonist of your life. No one promises something to you so, what are you waiting for?
I don’t want to repeat the same mistake that I made years ago: I want to help you.
I will wait for your response.
With love, your Nurse.
Letter from Romeo to Tybalt. (Sangaletti Mauro)
Hi, Tybalt
First of all I would like to apologize with you and your family for yesterday because it was your family party and myfriends and I shouldn’t have come. I know that you are angry with us because of that, but I promise you that our two families will live in peace if you let it go. Please, listen to me: yesterday I heard my relatives talk about the conflict between our two families, and they said that they would like to make peace. So, I ask you to not begin a new row with us because the only result will be many more deaths and maybe also our loved ones could die.
Thank you, Romeo Montague.
Letter from Juliet to her nurse. (Barcella Chiara)
Dear nurse,
if you are reading this letter, it means I am already far from your arms and your loving voice, which always lightens my pains and appeases my troubled soul.
My beloved nanny, I must confess I have arranged to follow my newly-wed Romeo to Mantua…I have taken this decision in spite of having promised you to remain in Verona and wait for him to come back. Forgive me, if you can, please…you are more than a mother to me and I love you with all my heart.
After my wedding night, I heard the skylark singing at dawn and I mistook her for the night owl. I went mad and desperately asked Romeo to remain as it was still night. I tried to hold him back and, doing so, I put him in the greatest danger. I put his life at risk just for my pleasure, since letting him go was worse than death to me.
I have enjoyed the bliss of love and I can’t live without it any longer. (va bene anche do without it ma risulta molto più diretto)
And now I am on the road, hiding from enemies and suffering all sorts of pains, but I feel deeply happy for the very first time in my life.
I am not allowed to write the name of the location where we are, dearest nurse, as you can easily guess. Wherever I am, though, my heart is with you.
God knows how I wish you were here by my side to reassure me and say everything is going to be alright!
But I am a woman now. I am Romeo’s wife and my life is tied to his for ever, for good and for bad.
Farewell, my dear nanny…don’t forget your Juliet in your prayers.
Yours, Juliet
Exchange between Macbeth, Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, and King Richard III of England. (Zubani Marco)
Dear Richard,
I’m really in trouble. I don’t really know what to do; I don’t have any idea.
My wife, Lady Macbeth, is trying to convince me to kill Duncan, the king, to become the new king. It is really unfair, faithless; I can’t do it, I’m a loyal warrior, a good man, and I’m not able to commit such a horrible crime.
I’m loyal to my dear king and I have received the title of Thane of Cawdor from him right now. If I kill him, it will be an act of treason, something that I will keep in my mind forever. No, I can’t do it.
I can’t understand how you could do have done everything that you have done, yeah, you know, without regret… you have killed people, you have got rid of your right hand just because he was not supporting you totally anymore, you have killed part of your family.
Machiavelli would choose you as the best example of prince for his “De principatibus”: you have power as your unique goal, and you have done things that are better not said to gain it. And you would do anything to keep it. I don’t know how you could be so single minded… Under this respect, I want to be like you.
However, my family is my family: I love my wife and I’m not like you, I’m not that type of person that uses courtship as an instrument to keep power. I’m not the “I’ll have her, but I won’t keep her long” type of man. Love is holy, and I wouldn’t be able to desecrate it. Well, I don’t want to be able.
I’m writing to you because I don’t’ really know what to do: I want power, yes, of course, and there’s that prophecy…but it may not be real… no, I don’t want to risk it all for something that I’m not sure I will have. However, if it is true, I will be king anyway.
Therefore, I wouldn’t gain anything from committing this horrible act, but at the same time, I don’t want to disappoint my dear wife, who strongly trust this prophecy…so strongly that she wants to make it true.
Please, advise me. I don’t want to be here, in this situation.
Thanking you in advance and looking forward to your answer as soon as possible,
Yours sincerely,
Macbeth
—————————————————————————-
Dear Macbeth,
You only have one thing to do: you have to convince yourself you can do anything, you can do whatever you want. Your wife isn’t the problem, neither your family is.
You are the problem. Your fleeting thoughts in your mind are the problem.
I know you can do it. I know you will do it.
Waiting to know that you’ve done the deed,
Best regards,
Richard
Letter from Lady Macbeth to Lady Anne. (Chigioni Alyssa)
Dear Lady Anne,
I am worried for your relationship with the Duke of Gloucester because I think that he isn’t the right man for you, I’m pretty certain of what I say! You must listen to me: you have to escape from such a horrible man! And I will not accept a “No” as an answer. I‘m saying that because I see he is not interested of you, indeed he doesn’t consider you the way that you deserve; moreover his choices are taken without even asking you for an opinionor advice. It seems that you are nothing for him, or you are a simple “doll” that he has to show to the others to feel better. But the worst thing is that you allow it and it’s really inconceivable!
Look at my relationship with Macbeth: we are always together, in the bad and the good times and this is what I call true love, not yours. Think about it, has your husband ever behaved like mine with you? I do not think so. Macbeth and I support each other; for example, when he was sad, I was there to help him and to calm him down. I surely didn’t leave him alone to feel sorry, also because, let’s say this to each other: men would not be able to do anything without us. Exactly for this reason your Duke should consider you his life partner, his partner in crime.
Moreover you are young and beautiful, do you really think that you will not find another man? I know what you will answer, that after the death of your family you have nothing, but do you think that it is better to live and marry a monster or to escape to the countryside and rebuild a life? It’s true, you would abandon the life you are used to, immersed in luxury, but I’m telling you as a woman that is better live in poverty rather than leading a life of hell next to a tyrant.
I warn you: I feel that the Duke will harm you, so listen to me and get out while you have time.
I’m saying that just for your sake.
I hope you will answer me as soon as possible.
With sisterly affection,
Lady Macbeth
Letter from Richard III to Lady Macbeth (Cascone Vincenzo)
I am writing because I have heard rumors about your condition. I was told that you confessed your crimes and that you were responsible for the death of King Duncan and now guilt is consuming you. To get where I am now I killed many people and I was responsible of many murders in order to gain power and eliminate the obstacles that separated me from the throne. I think what drove us both to perform certain actions was the ambition for power that we have finally managed to achieve. You must think about what you’ve done, rather think how far you’ve come. To acquire power one must be a skilled manipulator, as we have been, and if necessary make reprehensible gestures. Remember that our victims are responsible of their own destruction, in fact they are the ones who let themselves be seduced and manipulated.
I hope you can overcome your regrets
Richard III
Exchange between Banquo and Lady Macbeth. (Monaci Davide)
(Banquo to Lady Macbeth)
Dear Lady Macbeth,
I’m writing you regarding your husband.
I don’t want to be too paranoid, but I’m worried about him. He seems so thoughtful and often not aware of what he’s doing.
Something happened to him, but I don’t know what… or rather, I have an idea. I think that his troubles started when we met the three witches on the moor. Did he tell you? That prophecy has become true: now he is king of Scotland. He should be happy, but he doesn’t seem to be. Obviously the news of Duncan’s murder must have shocked him, but there may be something else. That’s why I’m worried and I felt the need to write to the person closest to him.
Now, I have repeatedly asked myself why Macbeth is in this condition. I put myself in his shoes. I don’t want to think ill of him, but maybe Macbeth has a stain on his conscience. Lust for power can play bad tricks…
Nevertheless, I miss the times when my friend and I, as good warriors, faced enemies in defense of loyalty. Maybe this will happen again in the future, or maybe not…
I would be grateful if let you me know your thoughts on the matter, or if you could let me know any information you have.
Thank for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Banquo
(Lady Macbeth to Banquo)
Dear Banquo,
I’m glad that you wrote to me. How’s it going over there? Is your family ok? All right with Fleance?
Do not worry about my husband. It happens to everyone to have so-so moments. He just has to settle in his position as king.
He probably feels great responsibility, but, as I think you know, he will prove to be the right keeper of the loyalty of Scotland.
Of course, in the future you and Macbeth will again fight side by side against evildoers.
If you need to contact me again, don’t hesitate!
All the best,
Lady Macbeth
Scott Curtis: Banquo II
Letter from Anne Neville to her sister Isabelle. (Pagani Giuseppe)
Dear sister Isabel
I’m writing this letter to inform you about the sad death of your husband George. I’m really sorry about what had happened to him. He was arrested by an order of King Edward. Edward believed that Clarence would have broken his line and that he would have taken the crown after his death.
The king gave the order to confine Clarence in the tower and after some time he gave the order to kill him. Brakenbury said that he was commanded to deliver Clarence to the hands of two strangers. Later the body of Clarence was found inside a barrel of wine.
King Edward was repentant about Clarence’s death and tried to stop the order to kill him but it was too late.
I’m sorry to have to give you this news, but none better than me can understand how you feel reading this letter, because as you know my husband and father were killed by the same person who may be behind your husband’s death?. You have to know that as your sister I’ll always be next you and now more than ever.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Neville
Letter from Richard III to Hamlet. (De Lisi Owen)
To Hamlet, prince of Denmark;
I, Richard III, am writing this letter to you due to what it was said to me about you. I want to go against that dull way of yours of handling war and conflicts; I’d like to ask you how it is possible to do it using mere words and diplomacy.
As you probably know, I’m known for my brutal style of leadership, the times I’ve solved problems with no bloodshed are next to none (almost zero), I even killed my wife for the control of my kingdom; having said that I cannot approve your way of doing things.
Why aren’t you trying to obtain more power? I even heard that you were thinking of killing yourself. I fail to understand what is that makes you such a melancholic and enigmatic person, I demand an explanation;
Richard III.
Letter from Richard III to Macbeth. (Sipos Zalan)
Dear old friend,
How are you? It’s been a long time since the last time I wrote to you, I hope you kept yourself loyal to your right values.
Not like me, I’ve tried not to think about playing tricks and plotting but is the only thing that makes me feel good.
War is over here, but I cannot relax.
As you known I’m deformed, I’m ugly and I don’t know why everyone can be happy except me.
I’ve become kin , but something tells me not for long.
Now that I have power I feel worse, I hope you never feel the way I do.
What are your plans? Do you have anything big going on?
Everyone wants power, I hope that you don’t: power is evil, like me (or as evil as I am) , it tricks your mind and gets you into trouble.
Now, my friend, is time for me to go, I have a war to win, If I don’t you will receive this letter, so you can think about what it means to have power.
Letter from Richard III to Romeo. (Mutti Mirko)
Dear Romeo,
I’m writing to you from England with a very important reason. I have learned from some rumors that you have fallen in love with a lady from the Capulets, your family’s enemies, which is against ethical principles.
Let me give you some wise advance: for those who aspire to power, love is nothing but a huge distraction. Your behavior is against your family’s will.
If you marry your enemy your family will be dishonored and you will not be able to become the next patriarch and reach unlimited control.
How are the Montague family going to react when they discover that you abandoned traditions just for one woman? Isn’t that just unfair selfishness?
Learn from me, I never actually fall in love with anybody, I simply use people for my personal advantage, like when I manipulated Lady Ann. It was necessary, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to ascend to the throne so quickly.
Romeo, I see a big potential in you, but now you’re wasting time with something useless, thinking she will make you happy.
Please listen to what I am saying, since I learnt it from my experience.
From a very powerful king
Letter from Hamlet to Romeo. (Salvetti Mattia).
Hello, dear Romeo,
I’ve read of your dramatic story with Juliet and I couldn’t help but think of how impulsive and irresponsible you youngsters were. Perhaps if you two had been more patient and had thought of the consequences of your actions before you did something like that ,you could have lived the life you dreamt of together, your two families could finally have found peace and have been reconciled, and, by merging their forces, they could have become even stronger and dominate on Verona.
However, because of your impatience, you wasted such a chance. Of course, in hindsight, you still, it was lucky that after still did something quite useful because after your deaths your families were still able to find peace; the only shame is that you are not there to enjoy such a time of peace and beauty.
Letter from Richard III to Clarence. (Bellini Matteo)
Hi, my dear brother, this is Richard.
I’m writing this letter to you to explain my plan to become king and take the power.
You’ve receive this letter from two strange men, these are the two murderers that I’ve paid to kill you, yes I know probably you don’t believe that is really going to happen , you think that I love you but it’s not true you are only an obstacle along my climb to the throne.
If I want to become king I must kill all the people that have a claim to the crown and probably you are the easiest thanks to your kindness and harmlessness. The king is stupid and believes in what seers say, so I’ve only had to corrupt one of them to tell him what we know about the letter g and you are out of the game. You are only the first of a long series of deaths that I want to see to to become the king: King Richard III.
Letter from Macbeth to Hamlet. (Betoschi Francesco)
Dear Hamlet, how are you? What are you doing and what’s going on?
I feel very well except for some visions that happened to appear to me, but thanks to them I achieved first the title of Thane of Cawdor and soon after I achieved power.
Now I live in the castle, but I don’t like it very much, because it seems that everyone is conspiring against me.
So I was forced to kill my best friend Banquo and his son, but his son escaped and now I’m really furious.
I hope that everything is going well for you and that you have started to act and not only to think, because by doing so you will never be able to solve your problems and you will never be able to achieve your goals.
I pray that everything is okay and that you are fine. I will wait for your response.
Letter to Richerd III. (Bergamaschi Debora)
To Richard III of Gloucester,
some time ago three witches told me I would become king; my brain, clouded by the desire for power, led me to do ignoble deeds that still haunt my sleep.
I don’t think I have made the right choice.
Alas, I am not as strong and fearless as you.
The guilt and the desire for power are killing me.
Tell me, Richard, how do you overcome that weight that makes you breathless? That makes your heart so heavy that you wish you were dead? How does desire overwhelm fear? Please, I need to know your secret, because I don’t think I can hold on much longer.
Letter from Hamlet to Romeo. (Trapletti Marco)
Dear Mr. Romeo Montague,
Just as I’m sure you’ll be surprised to receive this letter, I was as amazed to hear that our stories were very similar. We both have had a time when everything was going great: for me, I had my father ruling over Denmark with winsdom and my mother was loyal to him, while you had found the love of your life. Great times. But Fate wasn’t thinking of making these times last long. My father was killed by my uncle, who was helped by my mother. AH! What a fool I was to think she still loved my father. And your close friend Mercutio has been killed by one of the Capulets. So, it was clear that our paths had reached a point of no return: we both killed in an outburst of emotions as if we were controlled by someone else, like a demon that wanted to satisfy his need of blood, caused by the death of a loved one. These deaths had huge consequences on our lives: you have been exiled from your loved Verona and, most importantly, from your love whom you had just married. I decided to write to you mainly because of this: I too had a lady that loved me, but…let’s just say she’s gone to a better place. I don’t want any other man to experience this, so I’m sure you’ll do everything you can to meet your beloved once again. As for me, I killed an innocent man in search of revenge for my father. I could have avoided it, by killing my uncle when he was alone, but, as he was confessing his sin (the murder of my father), he would have gone to Heaven; and right now, I’m about to face my responsibilities and probably my last bout of fencing, as I’m about to face my lover’s brother, who considers me responsible of her death. I have a bad feeling about this.
I wish you the best and I hope that you will be reunited to your lover, as I’m probably about to be in the next hour.
Yours sincerely,
Prince Hamlet
Letter from a witch to another one. (Acerbis Luca)
Hello sister,
We haven’t seen each other for a while, since the last full moon. I hope you are well. I’m fine, very well indeed. I have discovered a new pretty interesting rumour about the throne of Scotland. King Duncan is famous for being a good king, but he is a little too devoted to justice and goodness for my liking.
I want to go back to having fun like in the old days and feel good as we used to, so in a few days I’m going to make a prophecy to Macbeth.
That could be a good excuse to meet you again, don’t you think? We will reveal his luck, or perhaps condemnation… We will tell him:
“All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Glamis!”,
“All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!”,
” All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!”.
I will predict that he will become king: I am really curious to see his expression!
In case you accept my invitation, we will meet a little earlier in order to prepare for the meeting with Macbeth. Bring the necessary, you know what I’m talking about.
Answer me as soon you can, don’t keep me waiting as usual. I’m sure that it will be very entertaining.
I’m looking forward to hear some new from you.
Your sister
Guyscrapers 