The Montagues and Capulets are nobility. Mercutio and Paris are both related to the Prince.
<span>The Nurse, Peter, and Balthasar are servant class. </span>
<span>The apothecary is starving to death, so he's just poor. </span>
<span>Friar Lawrence and Friar John are clergy, so they're in a class of their own. No money, but plenty of status.
This should cover it!</span>
I'd choose this dialogue to revise your sentence:
<span>“Did you hear?” I asked them. “My painting got selected! Exciting, right?” I smiled. “Especially given that I felt so incompetent at the beginning and that the competition was ruthless!”
</span>
It feels like the option that best uses the dialogue to improve this sentence, because the other options are either too informal or just the same sentence as the original one.