"Before Romeo met Juliet, their families met in Verona. It wasn't love at first sight."
Welcome to the CAPULET series - a sprawling six-part prequel - an epic tale of ambition, passion, sacrifice and the brutal cost of revenge. Long before the tale of tragic love that defined a generation, the Capulet name was forged in the powder keg of 1434 France. Their ancestral saga is not merely a romance, but a high-stakes chronicle of loyalty, heroism, seductions and betrayals that will launch a blood-soaked feud that consumes more than one generation. Two children in Lyon, Armand de Capulet and Ilaria Marchand, are promised at birth. But in a world of shifting power, their union becomes the flashpoint for a conflict that will force them to abandon innocence for the cold, calculated necessities of survival.
Their story is told through the eyes of Marcel Poquelin, a sharp-tongued roguish musician who finds himself the unlikely chronicler of their remarkable rise. Through Marcel's irreverent lens-whose favored exclamations are "Cupid's Balls!" and "Bite my bare ass!"-you'll witness the sometimes elegant, sometimes bawdy, yet often dangerous climb of two innocents, learning to navigate a ruthless elite world of excess. But as the Capulets rise, that world darkens. From the war-torn citadels of France to the hidden, hedonistic depths of Italy, Armand and Ilaria are drawn into a volatile web of faction rivalry, dooming curses and religious fanaticism. And the moment they enter the walls of fair Verona, the might of two mercenary houses (Montecchi and Paris) await them. Both bristle with arrogance, appetites for power and pleasure, and a contempt for any but those of their factions. Both will stop at nothing to have their way in everything. Both see the naïve, newlywed Capulets as easy prey.
Yet, Armand and Ilaria's greatest enemy may be fate itself. Gifted with terrifying, accurate premonitions, Ilaria finds herself guided along their path by a succession of mystics, offering windows and warnings to what lies ahead. Every vision is heeded, every disaster confronted - until the warning of a final, catastrophic vision becomes lost in a swirl of erupting events. As the series evolves, from the vibrant ambitions of their youth, into the haunting sacrifices of their adulthood together, Ilaria and Armand (with their irreverent shadow Marcel) must confront a brutal truth which emerges: the harder they fight to change their future, the tighter the grip of destiny becomes.
CAPULET is the genesis of a time-honored tale told for the modern reader: elegant and poetic at times but also filled with grit and humor, through encounters that are often raw, provocative and relentlessly human. 1 fated pair. 3 mighty factions. 1 burning question: How did Romeo and Juliet's families come to be at each other's throats? But who among them will pay the ultimate sacrifice to make it so? As the seductions mount and body counts rise, every dark question is answered.
Book 6 - Folly. After the loss of their second daughter, a heart-wrenching issue that will determine Rosaline's future threatens to divide the Capulets. Armand's hasty vow, made to Friar Lorenzo on the night Rosaline was born-promising her life to the Church if Ilaria can be saved-has split their marriage. Unshakeable in his vow, Armand's called to France as Ilaria searches for a way to rescind it. Spurred on by the duplicitous Duchess de Paris, a plan is hatched to seek help from two allies in Rome. Yolanthe warns both men are ruthless, the price they'll impose may be more than Ilaria can pay. But a familiar enemy also awaits Ilaria in Rome, as a chance encounter ignites a chain of brutal events that follow her home. Then fate imposes its own price for every vow, ambition and act of vengeance, as CAPULET explodes in a cataclysmic reckoning to reach its haunting conclusion.
About the Author :
I conceived this project in Boston during the summer of '92 while producing my first Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet). It was staged at the Huntington Theatre Studio and sold out before we opened. That was when the notion of a prequel was born that would reveal how the famous families came to be at each other's throats, and how the associations between so many characters were first formed. The full story frame of Capulet (6 books) was written over 4 years writing 7 days a week 7 hours a day with just a few exceptions.For the trivial record, my first experience with Shakespeare was as a punishment in my last year of high school. I was given a detention for fighting (a bully was harassing a friend and though I'm no hero I intervened). The English Mistress who caught us made me memorise the 'quality of mercy' monologue from The Merchant of Venice. It had to be word perfect to avoid another stay. She told me it wasn't word perfect. But she said I was 'good' and would let me off if I agreed to audition for the play. I did. Somehow I managed to get the lead.That led me to a BA in Drama at the University of Queensland. UQ led me to a BFA in Acting at Cornish College in the USA. That led to specialised study at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in NY (closed after 9/11) and finally an MFA scholarship to study Directing at Boston University. Fast forward 25 years. I began this project in earnest during the last few months of the pandemic.I hope their tale moves you as I found it very moving to write.Marcus Hogan
Review :
'I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of Book 1 - Fate. I've already ordered Book 2 - Verona and can't wait to see how the series unfolds.'
Samantha M.I'm already reading Book 3 of CAPULET. I find Marcus Hogan's style to be poetic and fluid, the actions and characters drew me into their story immediately. I can easily imagine the scenes in every chapter translating to the screen. I enjoyed the contrast of characters in Book 1, the emotions of a young Ilaria in love, the responsibilities of Armand, destined for war with great familial expectations, and the bold cheeky 'Fool' Marcel who narrates their journey. I particularly like the sense of intrigue woven in with Ilaria's dark premonitions and unexpected encounters with mystics. This is a drama-filled read, full of wonderful dialogue which I would highly recommend to any reader. I feel men and women would both enjoy it.Cassandra A.What a ripping read so far. I had little expectation diving into Book 1 but was greatly surprised and am onto Book 3. It's funny and adventurous. Marcel is a hoot. And the scenes leap to life like it was playing on a big screen. The language is stylised but easy to read and follow, not like trying to handle Shakespeare in High School at all. My thumbs are up for Books 1 2 and 3. Can't wait for 4.
Gary H.
