A bit about names. Mariotto and Gianozza (also known as Lord and Lady Montague) are both taken from Masuccio Salernitano’s 33rd Novel from IL NOVELLINO – an early version of the R&J story involving secret marriages, deaths of kinsmen, and a young groom fleeing to Alexandria. The bride is then forced to marry against her will, but is given a draught by the Friar that makes her appear as if dead. Unfortunately the Friar’s message detailing the plan is waylaid by pirates (shades of Shakespeare in Love!). The story plays out the same as R&J, except Gianozza flees to a convent in Sienna, where she dies. Pregnant, if I recall correctly.
Why is Mariotto’s baptismal name Romeo? A line from Act I, Scene ii, answers that. Also just to screw with people’s heads.
The love-scene between Mari and Gianozza in the church is my homage to Luigi da Porto’s version, in which the lovers court each other in secret in Friar Lorenzo’s church all through a long winter until they can resist their passion no longer.
The name Antonio I also borrowed from da Porto, a native Vicenzian. In his version of the story (the first to name the lovers Romeo & Giulietta), he mentions the young girl’s father is called Antonio. Juliet’s mom in that story was named Giovanna, but that was the name of Cangrande’s wife. Besides, to my thinking it’s way too close to Gianozza, so we won’t be running with that.
Of course, after I started I found myself often hamstrung by the name Antonio. Shakespeare has just far too many characters named Antonio, including Proteus’ father in 2Gents. It also doesn’t help that it was one of the most popular names in Italy, then and now. But it’s a cross I’ll just have to bear, and my readers with me.
Most other characters I borrowed from Shakespeare or from history, or else extrapolated from family histories.
