Romeo & Juliet Book PDF

UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA "BENITO JUÁREZ" DE OAXACA
FACULTAD DE IDIOMAS
SEMESTER 3 - English Literature Group

SEMESTER 7 - Post-Advance English
ROMEO & JULIET

THEMES IN ROMEO & JULIET
CHARACTER LIST
ANALYSIS OF MAJOR CHARACTERS
SCRIPT
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet/themes.html
Themes
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
The Forcefulness of Love
Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in the English literary tradition. Love is
naturally the play’s dominant and most important theme. The play focuses on romantic
love, specifically the intense passion that springs up at first sight between Romeo and
Juliet. InRomeo and Juliet, love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that
supersedes all other values, loyalties, and emotions. In the course of the play, the
young lovers are driven to defy their entire social world: families (“Deny thy father and
refuse thy name,” Juliet asks, “Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no
longer be a Capulet”); friends (Romeo abandons Mercutio and Benvolio after the feast
in order to go to Juliet’s garden); and ruler (Romeo returns to Verona for Juliet’s sake
after being exiled by the Prince on pain of death in 2.1.76–78). Love is the overriding
theme of the play, but a reader should always remember that Shakespeare is
uninterested in portraying a prettied-up, dainty version of the emotion, the kind that bad
poets write about, and whose bad poetry Romeo reads while pining for Rosaline. Love
in Romeo and Juliet is a brutal, powerful emotion that captures individuals and catapults
them against their world, and, at times, against themselves.
The powerful nature of love can be seen in the way it is described, or, more accurately,
the way descriptions of it so consistently fail to capture its entirety. At times love is
described in the terms of religion, as in the fourteen lines when Romeo and Juliet first
meet. At others it is described as a sort of magic: “Alike bewitchèd by the charm of
looks” (2.Prologue.6). Juliet, perhaps, most perfectly describes her love for Romeo by
refusing to describe it: “But my true love is grown to such excess / I cannot sum up
some of half my wealth” (3.1.33–34). Love, in other words, resists any single metaphor
because it is too powerful to be so easily contained or understood.
Romeo and Juliet does not make a specific moral statement about the relationships
between love and society, religion, and family; rather, it portrays the chaos and passion
of being in love, combining images of love, violence, death, religion, and family in an
impressionistic rush leading to the play’s tragic conclusion.
Love as a Cause of Violence
The themes of death and violence permeate Romeo and Juliet, and they are always
connected to passion, whether that passion is love or hate. The connection between
hate, violence, and death seems obvious. But the connection between love and
violence requires further investigation.
Love, in Romeo and Juliet, is a grand passion, and as such it is blinding; it can
overwhelm a person as powerfully and completely as hate can. The passionate love
between Romeo and Juliet is linked from the moment of its inception with death: Tybalt
notices that Romeo has crashed the feast and determines to kill him just as Romeo
catches sight of Juliet and falls instantly in love with her. From that point on, love seems
to push the lovers closer to love and violence, not farther from it. Romeo and Juliet are
plagued with thoughts of suicide, and a willingness to experience it: in Act 3, scene 3,
Romeo brandishes a knife in Friar Lawrence’s cell and threatens to kill himself after he
has been banished from Verona and his love. Juliet also pulls a knife in order to take
her own life in Friar Lawrence’s presence just three scenes later. After Capulet decides
that Juliet will marry Paris, Juliet says, “If all else fail, myself have power to die”
(3.5.242). Finally, each imagines that the other looks dead the morning after their first,
and only, sexual experience (“Methinks I see thee,” Juliet says, “. . . as one dead in the
bottom of a tomb” (3.5.55–56). This theme continues until its inevitable conclusion:
double suicide. This tragic choice is the highest, most potent expression of love that
Romeo and Juliet can make. It is only through death that they can preserve their love,
and their love is so profound that they are willing to end their lives in its defense. In the
play, love emerges as an amoral thing, leading as much to destruction as to happiness.
But in its extreme passion, the love that Romeo and Juliet experience also appears so
exquisitely beautiful that few would want, or be able, to resist its power.
The Individual Versus Society
Much of Romeo and Juliet involves the lovers’ struggles against public and social
institutions that either explicitly or implicitly oppose the existence of their love. Such
structures range from the concrete to the abstract: families and the placement of familial
power in the father; law and the desire for public order; religion; and the social
importance placed on masculine honor. These institutions often come into conflict with
each other. The importance of honor, for example, time and again results in brawls that
disturb the public peace.
Though they do not always work in concert, each of these societal institutions in some
way present obstacles for Romeo and Juliet. The enmity between their families, coupled
with the emphasis placed on loyalty and honor to kin, combine to create a profound
conflict for Romeo and Juliet, who must rebel against their heritages. Further, the
patriarchal power structure inherent in Renaissance families, wherein the father controls
the action of all other family members, particularly women, places Juliet in an extremely
vulnerable position. Her heart, in her family’s mind, is not hers to give. The law and the
emphasis on social civility demands terms of conduct with which the blind passion of
love cannot comply. Religion similarly demands priorities that Romeo and Juliet cannot
abide by because of the intensity of their love. Though in most situations the lovers
uphold the traditions of Christianity (they wait to marry before consummating their love),
their love is so powerful that they begin to think of each other in blasphemous terms.
For example, Juliet calls Romeo “the god of my idolatry,” elevating Romeo to level of
God (2.1.156). The couple’s final act of suicide is likewise un-Christian. The
maintenance of masculine honor forces Romeo to commit actions he would prefer to
avoid. But the social emphasis placed on masculine honor is so profound that Romeo
cannot simply ignore them.
It is possible to see Romeo and Juliet as a battle between the responsibilities and
actions demanded by social institutions and those demanded by the private desires of
the individual. Romeo and Juliet’s appreciation of night, with its darkness and privacy,
and their renunciation of their names, with its attendant loss of obligation, make sense
in the context of individuals who wish to escape the public world. But the lovers cannot
stop the night from becoming day. And Romeo cannot cease being a Montague simply
because he wants to; the rest of the world will not let him. The lovers’ suicides can be
understood as the ultimate night, the ultimate privacy.
The Inevitability of Fate
In its first address to the audience, the Chorus states that Romeo and Juliet are “star-
crossed”—that is to say that fate (a power often vested in the movements of the stars)
controls them (Prologue.6). This sense of fate permeates the play, and not just for the
audience. The characters also are quite aware of it: Romeo and Juliet constantly see
omens. When Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cries out, “Then I defy you, stars,”
completing the idea that the love between Romeo and Juliet is in opposition to the
decrees of destiny (5.1.24). Of course, Romeo’s defiance itself plays into the hands of
fate, and his determination to spend eternity with Juliet results in their deaths. The
mechanism of fate works in all of the events surrounding the lovers: the feud between
their families (it is worth noting that this hatred is never explained; rather, the reader
must accept it as an undeniable aspect of the world of the play); the horrible series of
accidents that ruin Friar Lawrence’s seemingly well-intentioned plans at the end of the
play; and the tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening. These events are
not mere coincidences, but rather manifestations of fate that help bring about the
unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ deaths.
The concept of fate described above is the most commonly accepted interpretation.
There are other possible readings of fate in the play: as a force determined by the
powerful social institutions that influence Romeo and Juliet’s choices, as well as fate as
a force that emerges from Romeo and Juliet’s very personalities.
Motifs
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop
and inform the text’s major themes.
Light/Dark Imagery
One of the play’s most consistent visual motifs is the contrast between light and dark,
often in terms of night/day imagery. This contrast is not given a particular metaphoric
meaning—light is not always good, and dark is not always evil. On the contrary, light
and dark are generally used to provide a sensory contrast and to hint at opposed
alternatives. One of the more important instances of this motif is Romeo’s lengthy
meditation on the sun and the moon during the balcony scene, in which Juliet,
metaphorically described as the sun, is seen as banishing the “envious moon” and
transforming the night into day (2.1.46). A similar blurring of night and day occurs in the
early morning hours after the lovers’ only night together. Romeo, forced to leave for
exile in the morning, and Juliet, not wanting him to leave her room, both try to pretend
that it is still night, and that the light is actually darkness: “More light and light, more dark
and dark our woes” (3.5.36).
Opposite Points of View
Shakespeare includes numerous speeches and scenes in Romeo and Juliet that hint at
alternative ways to evaluate the play. Shakespeare uses two main devices in this
regard: Mercutio and servants. Mercutio consistently skewers the viewpoints of all the
other characters in play: he sees Romeo’s devotion to love as a sort of blindness that
robs Romeo from himself; similarly, he sees Tybalt’s devotion to honor as blind and
stupid. His punning and the Queen Mab speech can be interpreted as undercutting
virtually every passion evident in the play. Mercutio serves as a critic of the delusions of
righteousness and grandeur held by the characters around him.
Where Mercutio is a nobleman who openly criticizes other nobles, the views offered by
servants in the play are less explicit. There is the Nurse who lost her baby and husband,
the servant Peter who cannot read, the musicians who care about their lost wages and
their lunches, and the Apothecary who cannot afford to make the moral choice, the
lower classes present a second tragic world to counter that of the nobility. The nobles’
world is full of grand tragic gestures. The servants’ world, in contrast, is characterized
by simple needs, and early deaths brought about by disease and poverty rather than
dueling and grand passions. Where the nobility almost seem to revel in their capacity for
drama, the servants’ lives are such that they cannot afford tragedy of the epic kind.
Symbols
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or
concepts.
Poison
In his first appearance, in Act 2, scene 2, Friar Lawrence remarks that every plant, herb,
and stone has its own special properties, and that nothing exists in nature that cannot
be put to both good and bad uses. Thus, poison is not intrinsically evil, but is instead a
natural substance made lethal by human hands. Friar Lawrence’s words prove true over
the course of the play. The sleeping potion he gives Juliet is concocted to cause the
appearance of death, not death itself, but through circumstances beyond the Friar’s
control, the potion does bring about a fatal result: Romeo’s suicide. As this example
shows, human beings tend to cause death even without intending to. Similarly, Romeo
suggests that society is to blame for the apothecary’s criminal selling of poison,
because while there are laws prohibiting the Apothecary from selling poison, there are
no laws that would help the apothecary make money. Poison symbolizes human
society’s tendency to poison good things and make them fatal, just as the pointless
Capulet-Montague feud turns Romeo and Juliet’s love to poison. After all, unlike many
of the other tragedies, this play does not have an evil villain, but rather people whose
good qualities are turned to poison by the world in which they live.
Thumb-biting
In Act 1, scene 1, the buffoonish Samson begins a brawl between the Montagues and
Capulets by flicking his thumbnail from behind his upper teeth, an insulting gesture
known as biting the thumb. He engages in this juvenile and vulgar display because he
wants to get into a fight with the Montagues but doesn’t want to be accused of starting
the fight by making an explicit insult. Because of his timidity, he settles for being
annoying rather than challenging. The thumb-biting, as an essentially meaningless
gesture, represents the foolishness of the entire Capulet/Montague feud and the
stupidity of violence in general.
Queen Mab
In Act 1, scene 4, Mercutio delivers a dazzling speech about the fairy Queen Mab, who
rides through the night on her tiny wagon bringing dreams to sleepers. One of the most
noteworthy aspects of Queen Mab’s ride is that the dreams she brings generally do not
bring out the best sides of the dreamers, but instead serve to confirm them in whatever
vices they are addicted to—for example, greed, violence, or lust. Another important
aspect of Mercutio’s description of Queen Mab is that it is complete nonsense, albeit
vivid and highly colorful. Nobody believes in a fairy pulled about by “a small grey-coated
gnat” whipped with a cricket’s bone (1.4.65). Finally, it is worth noting that the
description of Mab and her carriage goes to extravagant lengths to emphasize how tiny
and insubstantial she and her accoutrements are. Queen Mab and her carriage do not
merely symbolize the dreams of sleepers, they also symbolize the power of waking
fantasies, daydreams, and desires. Through the Queen Mab imagery, Mercutio
suggests that all desires and fantasies are as nonsensical and fragile as Mab, and that
they are basically corrupting. This point of view contrasts starkly with that of Romeo and
Juliet, who see their love as real and ennobling.
From:
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet/characters.html
Character List
Romeo - The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of
about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive
and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable
character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the
Capulets, but he is not at all interested in violence. His only interest is love. At the
beginning of the play he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline, but the
instant he lays eyes on Juliet, he falls in love with her and forgets Rosaline. Thus,
Shakespeare gives us every reason to question how real Romeo’s new love is,
but Romeo goes to extremes to prove the seriousness of his feelings. He secretly
marries Juliet, the daughter of his father’s worst enemy; he happily takes abuse
from Tybalt; and he would rather die than live without his beloved. Romeo is also
an affectionate and devoted friend to his relative Benvolio, Mercutio, and Friar
Lawrence.
Juliet - The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-year-old

girl, Juliet begins the play as a naïve child who has thought little about love and
marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of
her family’s great enemy. Because she is a girl in an aristocratic family, she has
none of the freedom Romeo has to roam around the city, climb over walls in the
middle of the night, or get into swordfights. Nevertheless, she shows amazing
courage in trusting her entire life and future to Romeo, even refusing to believe
the worst reports about him after he gets involved in a fight with her cousin.
Juliet’s closest friend and confidant is her nurse, though she’s willing to shut the
Nurse out of her life the moment the Nurse turns against Romeo.
Friar Lawrence - A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civic-
minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar
Lawrence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might
eventually bring peace to Verona. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar
Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.
Mercutio - A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. One of the most
extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays, Mercutio overflows with
imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor.
Mercutio loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite
hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the
latest fashions. He finds Romeo’s romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and
tries to convince Romeo to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.
The Nurse - Juliet’s nurse, the woman who breast-fed Juliet when she was a
baby and has cared for Juliet her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and
sentimental character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her frequently
inappropriate remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the play’s
end, the Nurse is Juliet’s faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliet’s affair
with Romeo. She provides a contrast with Juliet, given that her view of love is
earthy and sexual, whereas Juliet is idealistic and intense. The Nurse believes in
love and wants Juliet to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Juliet
would want to sacrifice herself for love is incomprehensible to her.
Tybalt - A Capulet, Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side. Vain, fashionable,

supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent,
and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once
drawn, his sword is something to be feared. He loathes Montagues.
Capulet - The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of Lady
Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague. He truly loves his
daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliet’s thoughts or feelings, and
seems to think that what is best for her is a “good” match with Paris. Often
prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage
when either is lacking.
Lady Capulet - Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife. A woman who herself married
young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Juliet at close to the age of
fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris. She is an ineffectual
mother, relying on the Nurse for moral and pragmatic support.
Montague - Romeo’s father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter
enemy of Capulet. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about
Romeo’s melancholy.
Lady Montague - Romeo’s mother, Montague’s wife. She dies of grief after
Romeo is exiled from Verona.
Paris - A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by
Capulet. Once Capulet has promised him he can marry Juliet, he behaves very
presumptuous toward her, acting as if they are already married.
Benvolio - Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and thoughtful friend, he

makes a genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though
Mercutio accuses him of having a nasty temper in private. He spends most of the
play trying to help Romeo get his mind off Rosaline, even after Romeo has fallen
in love with Juliet.
Prince Escalus - The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As

the seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the
public peace at all costs.
Friar John - A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news
of Juliet’s false death to Romeo in Mantua. Friar John is held up in a quarantined
house, and the message never reaches Romeo.
Balthasar - Romeo’s dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliet’s
death, unaware that her death is a ruse.
Sampson & Gregory - Two servants of the house of Capulet, who, like their
master, hate the Montagues. At the outset of the play, they successfully provoke
some Montague men into a fight.
Abram - Montague’s servant, who fights with Sampson and Gregory in the first
scene of the play.
The Apothecary - An apothecary in Mantua. Had he been wealthier, he might

have been able to afford to value his morals more than money, and refused to
sell poison to Romeo.
Peter - A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulet’s feast and escorts the
Nurse to meet with Romeo. He is illiterate, and a bad singer.
Rosaline - The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the
play. Rosaline never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she
is very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity.
The Chorus - The Chorus is a single character who, as developed in Greek

drama, functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play’s plot and
themes.
From: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet/characters.html
Analysis of Major Characters
Romeo
The name Romeo, in popular culture, has become nearly synonymous with
“lover.” Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet, does indeed experience a love of such
purity and passion that he kills himself when he believes that the object of his
love, Juliet, has died. The power of Romeo’s love, however, often obscures a
clear vision of Romeo’s character, which is far more complex.
Even Romeo’s relation to love is not so simple. At the beginning of the play,
Romeo pines for Rosaline, proclaiming her the paragon of women and despairing
at her indifference toward him. Taken together, Romeo’s Rosaline-induced
histrionics seem rather juvenile. Romeo is a great reader of love poetry, and the
portrayal of his love for Rosaline suggests he is trying to re-create the feelings
that he has read about. After first kissing Juliet, she tells him “you kiss by th’
book,” meaning that he kisses according to the rules, and implying that while
proficient, his kissing lacks originality (1.5.107). In reference to Rosaline, it
seems, Romeo loves by the book. Rosaline, of course, slips from Romeo’s mind
at first sight of Juliet. But Juliet is no mere replacement. The love she shares with
Romeo is far deeper, more authentic and unique than the clichéd puppy love
Romeo felt for Rosaline. Romeo’s love matures over the course of the play from
the shallow desire to be in love to a profound and intense passion. One must
ascribe Romeo’s development at least in part to Juliet. Her level-headed
observations, such as the one about Romeo’s kissing, seem just the thing to
snap Romeo from his superficial idea of love and to inspire him to begin to speak
some of the most beautiful and intense love poetry ever written.
Yet Romeo’s deep capacity for love is merely a part of his larger capacity for
intense feeling of all kinds. Put another way, it is possible to describe Romeo as
lacking the capacity for moderation. Love compels him to sneak into the garden
of his enemy’s daughter, risking death simply to catch a glimpse of her. Anger
compels him to kill his wife’s cousin in a reckless duel to avenge the death of his
friend. Despair compels him to suicide upon hearing of Juliet’s death. Such
extreme behavior dominates Romeo’s character throughout the play and
contributes to the ultimate tragedy that befalls the lovers. Had Romeo restrained
himself from killing Tybalt, or waited even one day before killing himself after
hearing the news of Juliet’s death, matters might have ended happily. Of course,
though, had Romeo not had such depths of feeling, the love he shared with Juliet
would never have existed in the first place.
Among his friends, especially while bantering with Mercutio, Romeo shows
glimpses of his social persona. He is intelligent, quick-witted, fond of verbal
jousting (particularly about sex), loyal, and unafraid of danger.
Juliet
Having not quite reached her fourteenth birthday, Juliet is of an age that stands
on the border between immaturity and maturity. At the play’s beginning however
she seems merely an obedient, sheltered, naïve child. Though many girls her
age—including her mother—get married, Juliet has not given the subject any
thought. When Lady Capulet mentions Paris’s interest in marrying Juliet, Juliet
dutifully responds that she will try to see if she can love him, a response that
seems childish in its obedience and in its immature conception of love. Juliet
seems to have no friends her own age, and she is not comfortable talking about
sex (as seen in her discomfort when the Nurse goes on and on about a sexual
joke at Juliet’s expense in Act 1, scene 3).
Juliet gives glimpses of her determination, strength, and sober-mindedness, in

her earliest scenes, and offers a preview of the woman she will become during
the four-day span of Romeo and Juliet. While Lady Capulet proves unable to
quiet the Nurse, Juliet succeeds with one word (also in Act 1, scene 3). In
addition, even in Juliet’s dutiful acquiescence to try to love Paris, there is some
seed of steely determination. Juliet promises to consider Paris as a possible
husband to the precise degree her mother desires. While an outward show of
obedience, such a statement can also be read as a refusal through passivity.
Juliet will accede to her mother’s wishes, but she will not go out of her way to fall
in love with Paris.
Juliet’s first meeting with Romeo propels her full-force toward adulthood. Though
profoundly in love with him, Juliet is able to see and criticize Romeo’s rash
decisions and his tendency to romanticize things. After Romeo kills Tybalt and is
banished, Juliet does not follow him blindly. She makes a logical and heartfelt
decision that her loyalty and love for Romeo must be her guiding priorities.
Essentially, Juliet cuts herself loose from her prior social moorings—her nurse,
her parents, and her social position in Verona—in order to try to reunite with
Romeo. When she wakes in the tomb to find Romeo dead, she does not kill
herself out of feminine weakness, but rather out of an intensity of love, just as
Romeo did. Juliet’s suicide actually requires more nerve than Romeo’s: while he
swallows poison, she stabs herself through the heart with a dagger.
Juliet’s development from a wide-eyed girl into a self-assured, loyal, and capable
woman is one of Shakespeare’s early triumphs of characterization. It also marks
one of his most confident and rounded treatments of a female character.
Friar Lawrence
Friar Lawrence occupies a strange position in Romeo and Juliet. He is a

kindhearted cleric who helps Romeo and Juliet throughout the play. He performs
their marriage and gives generally good advice, especially in regard to the need
for moderation. He is the sole figure of religion in the play. But Friar Lawrence is
also the most scheming and political of characters in the play: he marries Romeo
and Juliet as part of a plan to end the civil strife in Verona; he spirits Romeo into
Juliet’s room and then out of Verona; he devises the plan to reunite Romeo and
Juliet through the deceptive ruse of a sleeping potion that seems to arise from
almost mystic knowledge. This mystical knowledge seems out of place for a
Catholic friar; why does he have such knowledge, and what could such
knowledge mean? The answers are not clear. In addition, though Friar
Lawrence’s plans all seem well conceived and well intentioned, they serve as the
main mechanisms through which the fated tragedy of the play occurs. Readers
should recognize that the Friar is not only subject to the fate that dominates the
play—in many ways he brings that fate about.
Mercutio
With a lightning-quick wit and a clever mind, Mercutio is a scene stealer and one
of the most memorable characters in all of Shakespeare’s works. Though he
constantly puns, jokes, and teases—sometimes in fun, sometimes with
bitterness—Mercutio is not a mere jester or prankster. With his wild words,
Mercutio punctures the romantic sentiments and blind self-love that exist within
the play. He mocks Romeos self-indulgence just as he ridicules Tybalt’s hauteur
and adherence to fashion. The critic Stephen Greenblatt describes Mercutio as a
force within the play that functions to deflate the possibility of romantic love and
the power of tragic fate. Unlike the other characters who blame their deaths on
fate, Mercutio dies cursing all Montagues and Capulets. Mercutio believes that
specific people are responsible for his death rather than some external
impersonal force.
8/25/2016 Prologue The Modern Shakespeare
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Enter CHORUS The CHORUS enters.
* CHORUS CHORUS
* Two households, both alike in dignity In lovely Verona, Italy, where the play is set, an ageold
* (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), feud between two noble families of equal stature breaks
* From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, out once more into violence, causing citizens to stain their
* Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. hands with the blood of other citizens. Two illfated
5 From forth the fatal loins of these two foes children of these families fall in love. Thwarted by an
* A pair of starcrossed lovers take their life, unfortunate series of events, the lovers commit suicide.
* Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Their terrible deaths end the feud between the families. For
* Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. the next two hours on this stage, you will see the story of
* The fearful passage of their deathmarked love the lovers’ doomed romance, as well as their parents’ feud,
10 And the continuance of their parents’ rage, which nothing but their childrens’ death could end. If you
Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, listen patiently to our performance, the details left out in
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage— this prologue will be shown onstage.
The which, if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Exit Exit
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8/25/2016 Act 1, Scene 1 The Modern Shakespeare
Act 1, Scene 1
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Original Play Modern Translation
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY of the house of Capulet, with SAMPSON and GREGORY, servants of the Capulet
swords and bucklers family, enter carrying swords and small shields.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals. I swear, Gregory, we can’t let them humiliate us, as if we
were carrying coal.
GREGORY GREGORY
No, for then we should be colliers. No, because then we’d be like coal miners.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
I mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw. I mean, if they make us angry, we’ll draw our swords.
GREGORY GREGORY
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar. You seem to focus more on getting yourself out of any
trouble that might lead to the hangman’s collar.
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
5 I strike quickly, being moved. I hit hard, when I’m motivated.

GREGORY GREGORY
But thou art not quickly moved to strike. But you avoid getting “motivated,” so you don’t ever have
to hit.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
A dog of the house of Montague moves me. One of those Montague jerks would motivate me.
GREGORY GREGORY
To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. To be motivated is to act, while to be valiant is to face a
Therefore if thou art moved thou runn’st away. fight. When you’re motivated, you just run away.

* SAMPSON SAMPSON
10 A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take the wall If I saw a Montague, I’d face him. I’d walk on the side of
http://www.themodernshakespeare.com/home/romeoandjuliettranslation/act1scene1 1/11
of any man or maid of Montague’s. the street closer to the wall (forcing the Montague into the
gutter).
GREGORY GREGORY
That shows thee a weak slave, for the weakest goes to the wall. Then you must be a weakling, because it’s the weak who
get shoved up against a wall.
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
* ‘Tis true, and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are That’s true, which is why women, being the weaker sex,
* ever thrust to the wall. Therefore I will push Montague’s men get “thrust to the wall.” So I’ll push Montague’s men into
15 from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall. the gutter, and thrust Montague women to the wall.

GREGORY GREGORY
The quarrel is between our masters and us their men. The feud is between our masters and us, their servants.
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
* ‘Tis all one. I will show myself a tyrant. When I have fought with It’s all the same. I’ll be the Montague’s master. After
* the men, I will be civil with the maids. I will cut off their heads. fighting with the men, I’ll be nice to the maids—I’ll cut off
20 their heads.

GREGORY GREGORY
The heads of the maids? You’ll cut off the heads of the maids?
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads. The heads of the maids or their maidenheads. Interpret
Take it in what sense thou wilt. my comment however you prefer.

* GREGORY GREGORY
25 They must take it in sense that feel it. It’s the maids you rape or kill or who will have to sense it.

SAMPSON SAMPSON
Me they shall feel while I am able to stand, and The maids will feel me as long as I can stand upright.
’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh. Everyone knows I’m a stud.

GREGORY GREGORY
‘Tis well thou art not fish. If thou hadst, thou hadst been poor It’s a good thing you’re not a fish, or else (much like your
john. erection) you’d be dried and shriveled like salted fish.
Enter ABRAM and another SERVINGMAN ABRAM and another servant of the Montagues enter.
Draw thy tool! Here comes of the house of Montagues. Draw your sword! Here come some Montague servants
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
30 My naked weapon is out. Quarrel! I will back thee. I’ve drawn my naked sword. Fight them. I’ll back you up.

GREGORY GREGORY
How? Turn thy back and run? How? By turning your back and running?
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Fear me not. Don’t worry about me.
GREGORY GREGORY
No, marry. I fear thee. Sorry, but I do worry about you.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Let us take the law of our sides. Let them begin. Let’s make sure the law is on our sides by getting them to
start the fight.
* GREGORY GREGORY
35 I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list. I’ll frown at them as I pass them. How they respond is up
to them.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is a No, I’ll bite my thumb at them. That’s an insult, and they’ll
disgrace to them, if they bear it. (bites his thumb) be disgraced if they don’t react.
ABRAM ABRAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Excuse me, sir, are you biting your thumb at us?
SAMPSON SAMPSON
I do bite my thumb, sir. I am biting my thumb.
ABRAM ABRAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? But are you biting your thumb at us?
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
* (aside to GREGORY) (whispering to GREGORY) Is the law on our side if I say
40 Is the law of our side if I say “ay”? yes?

GREGORY GREGORY
(aside to SAMPSON) (whispering to SAMPSON) No.
No.

SAMPSON SAMPSON
No, sir. I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, I’m not biting my thumb at you. But I am biting my thumb.
sir.
* GREGORY GREGORY
45 Do you quarrel, sir? Do you want to fight us?

ABRAM ABRAM
Quarrel, sir? No, sir. Fight? No.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
But if you do, sir, I am for you. I serve as good a man as you. If you do want to fight, then I’m up for it. My master is as
good as yours.
ABRAM ABRAM
No better. But not better than mine.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Well, sir. Well...
Enter BENVOLIO BENVOLIO enters.
* GREGORY GREGORY
50 (aside to SAMPSON) Say “better.” Here comes one of my (whispering to SAMPSON) Say “better.” One of our
master’s kinsmen. master’s kinsmen has just arrived.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
(to ABRAM) Yes, better, sir. Yes, my master is better than yours, sir.
ABRAM ABRAM
You lie. You’re a liar.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Draw, if you be men.—Gregory, remember thy washing blow. Draw your swords, if you’re men. Gregory, get ready to
slash them.
They fight They fight
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* (beats down their swords) Part, fools! (hits their swords with his own) Break it up, fools!
55 Put up your swords. You know not what you do. Sheathe your swords. You don’t know what you’re doing.

Enter TYBALT TYBALT enters.
TYBALT TYBALT
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? What, have you drawn your sword to fight with servants?
Turn thee, Benvolio. Look upon thy death. Turn around, Benvolio, and see the man who will kill you.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, I’m just trying to keep the peace. Put away your sword, or
Or manage it to part these men with me. else use it to help me stop this fighting.

* TYBALT TYBALT
60 What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, You hold a drawn sword, and say “peace?” I hate that
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. word, just as I hate hell, all Montagues, and you. Now we
Have at thee, coward! fight, coward!

They fight. Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then BENVOLIO and TYBALT fight. Other Montagues and
enter Citizens, with clubs Capulets enter and also start fighting. Veronese
CITIZENS enter, carrying clubs.
CITIZENS CITIZENS
Clubs, bills, and partisans! Strike! Beat them down! Beat them down with your clubs, spears, and axes. Down
Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues! with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!

Enter old CAPULET in his gown, and his wife, LADY CAPULET CAPULET, in a sleeping gown, enters with LADY
CAPULET.
* CAPULET CAPULET
65 What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho! What is this noise? Give me my long sword. Now!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET
A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword? You need a crutch! Why are you calling for a sword?
Enter old MONTAGUE and his wife, LADY MONTAGUE MONTAGUE enters, sword drawn, with LADY
MONTAGUE.
CAPULET CAPULET
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, Give me my sword! Old Montague has arrived, and he’s
And flourishes his blade in spite of me. waving his sword just to infuriate me.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
Thou villain Capulet! Hold me not. Let me go. You are a villain, Capulet! (LADY MONTAGUE grabs his
arm.) Let go of me. Don’t stop me.
* LADY MONTAGUE LADY MONTAGUE
70 Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe. You’re not taking one step to try to fight an enemy.

Enter PRINCE ESCALUS, with his train PRINCE ESCALUS enters with his attendants.
* PRINCE PRINCE
* Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, You rebels and enemies of the peace, who curse your
* Profaners of this neighborstainèd steel!— own weapons by turning them on your neighbors. Do you
* Will they not hear?—What, ho! You men, you beasts, refuse to listen?—Silence! You men, you beasts, who can
* That quench the fire of your pernicious rage only put out the fire of your anger by spilling fountains of
75 With purple fountains issuing from your veins, blood. I will torture you unless you drop your weapons
* On pain of torture, from those bloody hands from your bloody hands and listen to me, your enraged
* Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground, Prince. Because of nothing more than a casual word from
* And hear the sentence of your movèd prince. you, Capulet and Montague, three battles have raged in
* Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, our city’s streets. These battles have forced Verona’s
80 By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, citizens to take off their dignified clothes and jewelry and
* Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets instead pick up old and rusty spears in order to put an end
* And made Verona’s ancient Citizens to your fighting. If any Capulet or Montague disturbs the
* Cast by their gravebeseeming ornaments, peace in the future, they will be executed. Now everyone
* To wield old partisans in hands as old, go home. Capulet, you come with me in order to hear
85 Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate. what else I want from you. Montague, you come this
* If ever you disturb our streets again, afternoon to old Freetown, where I deliver my judgments.
* Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. Everyone else, leave this place right now or I will have
* For this time, all the rest depart away. you killed.
* You, Capulet, shall go along with me,
90 And, Montague, come you this afternoon
To know our farther pleasure in this case,
To old Freetown, our common judgmentplace.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, and Everyone exits except MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE,
BENVOLIO and BENVOLIO.
* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach? Tell me, nephew. Who stirred this old feud up again? Were
95 Speak, nephew. Were you by when it began? you here to see it begin?

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Here were the servants of your adversary, Your servants were fighting Montague’s servants when I
* And yours, close fighting ere I did approach. arrived. I drew my sword to try to stop them. Just then,
* I drew to part them. In the instant came the reckless Tybalt showed up with his sword drawn. He
* The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared, taunted me while swinging his sword through the air,
100 Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears, producing a hissing sound. As we fought, more and more
* He swung about his head and cut the winds, Capulets and Montagues showed up to join the battle.
* Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn. Finally, the Prince came and stopped the fighting.
* While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
* Came more and more and fought on part and part,
105 Till the Prince came, who parted either part.

LADY MONTAGUE LADY MONTAGUE
Oh, where is Romeo? Saw you him today? Where’s Romeo? Have you seen him at all today? I’m
Right glad I am he was not at this fray. happy he wasn’t around for this fight.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun Madam, my mind was troubled this morning, so an hour
* Peered forth the golden window of the east, before dawn I went out for a walk. As I walked, I saw
110 A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad, your son beneath the sycamore grove that grows near the
* Where, underneath the grove of sycamore western edge of the city. I walked toward him, but he
* That westward rooteth from this city side, noticed me and ran and hid in the woods. I assumed that
* So early walking did I see your son. he must be feeling the same way I was and did not want
* Towards him I made, but he was ‘ware of me to be bothered, since a person is often at his busiest
115 And stole into the covert of the wood. when he is alone. So I continued on, happy to let him be
* I, measuring his affections by my own, and pursue my own private thoughts.
* Which then most sought where most might not be found,
* Being one too many by my weary self,
*
120 Pursued my humor not pursuing his,
And gladly shunned who gladly fled from me.
* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Many a morning hath he there been seen, He’s been seen at that spot on many mornings, his tears
* With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew, adding to the morning dew and his deep sighs thickening
* Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs. the clouds in the sky. Then, as soon as the happy sun
* But all so soon as the allcheering sun begins to dawn, my unhappy son comes home in order to
125 Should in the farthest east begin to draw hide from the light. He keeps to himself in his bedroom,
* The shady curtains from Aurora’s bed, shutting his windows to keep out the daylight so that he
* Away from light steals home my heavy son, can sit in an artificial night. His bad mood is likely to have
* And private in his chamber pens himself, a bad result, unless someone can give him good advice
* Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and remove the cause of his sadness. This mood of his is
130 And makes himself an artificial night. going to bring bad news, unless someone smart can fix
Black and portentous must this humor prove what’s bothering him.
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
My noble uncle, do you know the cause? My noble uncle, do you know what’s causing his mood?
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
I neither know it nor can learn of him. I don’t. And he refuses to tell me.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
135 Have you importuned him by any means? You’ve done everything possible to get him to explain?

* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Both by myself and many other friends. Both I and many of our friends have tried to speak with
* But he, his own affections’ counselor, him. But he insists on sharing his thoughts only with
* Is to himself—I will not say how true, himself, though I don’t know how good the advice is that
* But to himself so secret and so close, he’s giving himself. He keeps his secrets so completely
140 So far from sounding and discovery, that he’s like a flower bud that can’t open to the air or sun
* As is the bud bit with an envious worm, because it’s been poisoned from within by the bite of a
* Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air, worm. If we could just find out the cause of his sadness,
* Or dedicate his beauty to the same. we’d try to help him as eagerly as we have tried to learn
* Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow. the reason for his sadness.
145 We would as willingly give cure as know.

Enter ROMEO ROMEO enters.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
See, where he comes. So please you, step aside. Here he comes. If it’s all right, please leave us alone. I’ll
I’ll know his grievance or be much denied. make him either tell me what’s wrong or force him to
refuse me.
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
I would thou wert so happy by thy stay I hope you get to hear the true story. Come, madam, let’s
To hear true shrift.—Come, madam, let’s away. go.

Exeunt MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE. Enter ROMEO MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE exit. ROMEO
enters.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
150 Good morrow, cousin. Good morning, cousin.

ROMEO ROMEO
Is the day so young? Is it still morning?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
But new struck nine. It’s just barely after nine.
ROMEO ROMEO
Ay me! Sad hours seem long. Oh, my! Time goes by slowly when you’re sad.
Was that my father that went hence so fast? Was that my father who just rushed away?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours? It was. What sadness is making your hours long?
ROMEO ROMEO
Not having that which, having, makes them short. Lacking the thing which would make them short.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
155 In love? Are you in love?

ROMEO ROMEO
Out. Out.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Of love? So you’re not in love?
ROMEO ROMEO
Out of her favor, where I am in love. I am in love. But the one I love does not love me.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Oh, it is sad how love, which in theory seems like such a
160 Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! gentle thing, should in actual experience be so rough!

* ROMEO ROMEO
* Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, How can love, which is supposed to be blind, force you to
* Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! be able to do what it wants? Where should we eat?
* Where shall we dine?—O me! What fray was here? (Noticing blood) Wait, what fighting happened here? No,
* Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. don’t tell me. I already know: it was something that had a
165 Here’s much to do with hate but more with love. lot to with hate, but even more to do with love. O brawling
* Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, love! O loving hate! Love that originates from nothing!
* O anything of nothing first created! Heavy lightness! Serious frivolity! Beautiful shapes
* O heavy lightness, serious vanity, smashed together to create an ugly chaos. Love is like
* Misshapen chaos of wellseeming forms! heavy feathers, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
170 Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, waking sleep, the opposite of what it is! That’s the love I
Stillwaking sleep, that is not what it is! feel, since no one loves me in return. Do you laugh?
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
No, coz, I rather weep. No, cousin, I cry.
ROMEO ROMEO
Good heart, at what? But why, my good man?
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
175 At thy good heart’s oppression. Beacuse of how love has oppreseed your heart.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* Why, such is love’s transgression. That’s how it works with love. My own sadness is a
* Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, heavy weight on my chest, and now you’re going to add
* Which thou wilt propagate, to have it pressed your own sadness to mine. The love you are showing me
* With more of thine. This love that thou hast shown is only increasing my grief. Love is like a smoke made out
180 Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. of the sighs of lovers. When the smoke clears, love is a
* Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; fire burning in the lovers eyes. But if that love is thwarted,
* Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; then it is a sea made out of lover’s tears. What else is
* Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears. love? A wise madness. A sweet candy that makes you
* What is it else? A madness most discreet, choke. Goodbye, my cousin.
185 A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
Farewell, my coz.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Soft! I will go along. Wait! I’ll come with you. If you leave me behind, you’ll be
And if you leave me so, you do me wrong. insulting me.

ROMEO ROMEO
Tut, I have lost myself. I am not here. Man! I’m not acting like myself. It’s as if I’m not even
This is not Romeo. He’s some other where. here. This is not Romeo, he’s somewhere else.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
190 Tell me in sadness, who is that you love. Tell me, seriously, who is the one you love?

ROMEO ROMEO
What, shall I groan and tell thee? What? Should I cry out the name in a groan of sadness?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Groan! Why, no. But sadly, tell me who. Groan? No. Just tell me who it is.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* A sick man in sadness makes his will, You wouldn’t ask a sick man to “seriously” write out his
* A word ill urged to one that is so ill. will—it would only make him feel worse. Seriously,
195 In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. cousin, I love a woman.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I aimed so near when I supposed you loved. I figured that when I guessed you were in love.
ROMEO ROMEO
A right good markman! And she’s fair I love. Then you have good aim! The woman I love is beautiful.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. A beautiful “target,” my cousin, is usually the one that is
hit fastest.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Well, in that hit you miss. She’ll not be hit Well, now you missed the target. She won’t be hit by
200 With Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit. Cupid’s arrow. She’s like Diana, protected by the armor of
* And, in strong proof of chastity well armed chastity. She is immune to the weak and childish arrows
* From love’s weak childish bow, she lives uncharmed. of love. She ignores words of love, refuses to even let you
* She will not stay the siege of loving terms, look at her with loving eyes, or open her lap to receive
* Nor bide th’ encounter of assailing eyes, golden gifts. She’s rich in beauty. But she’s also poor,
205 Nor ope her lap to saintseducing gold. because when she dies her beauty will be destroyed along
Oh, she is rich in beauty, only poor with her.
That when she dies, with beauty dies her store.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste? So she’s sworn to live her life a virgin ?
* ROMEO ROMEO
* She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, She has, and in doing so she wastes her beauty, because
210 For beauty, starved with her severity, by living in chastity she ensures that she will never pas
* Cuts beauty off from all posterity. her beauty on to her children. She’s too beautiful, too
* She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, smart, to be allowed to gain entrance to Heaven by
* To merit bliss by making me despair. making me despair. She’s sworn never to love, and in that
* She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow vow has sentenced me to a kind of living death.
215 Do I live dead that live to tell it now.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Be ruled by me. Forget to think of her. Listen to me. Stop thinking about her.
ROMEO ROMEO
O, teach me how I should forget to think! How can I stop myself from thinking?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
By giving liberty unto thine eyes. By letting your eyes wander, and looking at other good
Examine other beauties. looking girls.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* ‘Tis the way Such comparisons will only make her own beauty more
220 To call hers exquisite, in question more. obvious. It will be like the masks that pretty girls wear to
* These happy masks that kiss fair ladies’ brows, hide their faces, and which, by hiding their beauty, make
* Being black, puts us in mind they hide the fair. us think of it more. A blind man can’t forget the precious
* He that is strucken blind cannot forget eyesight he lost. Show me any beautiful girl. Her beauty
* The precious treasure of his eyesight lost. is no more than a reminder of where I can see someone
225 Show me a mistress that is passing fair; who is even more beautiful. Goodbye. You can’t teach me
What doth her beauty serve but as a note to forget.
Where I may read who passed that passing fair?
Farewell. Thou canst not teach me to forget.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I’ll pay that doctrine or else die in debt. I’ll take that bet, or else die in debt.
Exeunt They exit.
< Previous Scene Next Scene >
Act 1, Scene 1
Get the Romeo and

Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY of the house of Capulet, with SAMPSON and GREGORY, servants of the Capulet
swords and bucklers family, enter carrying swords and small shields.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals. I swear, Gregory, we can’t let them humiliate us, as if we
were carrying coal.
GREGORY GREGORY
No, for then we should be colliers. No, because then we’d be like coal miners.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
I mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw. I mean, if they make us angry, we’ll draw our swords.
GREGORY GREGORY
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar. You seem to focus more on getting yourself out of any
trouble that might lead to the hangman’s collar.
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
5 I strike quickly, being moved. I hit hard, when I’m motivated.

GREGORY GREGORY
But thou art not quickly moved to strike. But you avoid getting “motivated,” so you don’t ever have
to hit.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
A dog of the house of Montague moves me. One of those Montague jerks would motivate me.
GREGORY GREGORY
To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. To be motivated is to act, while to be valiant is to face a
Therefore if thou art moved thou runn’st away. fight. When you’re motivated, you just run away.

* SAMPSON SAMPSON
10 A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take the wall If I saw a Montague, I’d face him. I’d walk on the side of
of any man or maid of Montague’s. the street closer to the wall (forcing the Montague into the
gutter).
GREGORY GREGORY
That shows thee a weak slave, for the weakest goes to the wall. Then you must be a weakling, because it’s the weak who
get shoved up against a wall.
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
* ‘Tis true, and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are That’s true, which is why women, being the weaker sex,
* ever thrust to the wall. Therefore I will push Montague’s men get “thrust to the wall.” So I’ll push Montague’s men into
15 from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall. the gutter, and thrust Montague women to the wall.

GREGORY GREGORY
The quarrel is between our masters and us their men. The feud is between our masters and us, their servants.
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
* ‘Tis all one. I will show myself a tyrant. When I have fought with It’s all the same. I’ll be the Montague’s master. After
* the men, I will be civil with the maids. I will cut off their heads. fighting with the men, I’ll be nice to the maids—I’ll cut off
20 their heads.

GREGORY GREGORY
The heads of the maids? You’ll cut off the heads of the maids?
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads. The heads of the maids or their maidenheads. Interpret
Take it in what sense thou wilt. my comment however you prefer.

* GREGORY GREGORY
25 They must take it in sense that feel it. It’s the maids you rape or kill or who will have to sense it.

SAMPSON SAMPSON
Me they shall feel while I am able to stand, and The maids will feel me as long as I can stand upright.
’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh. Everyone knows I’m a stud.

GREGORY GREGORY
‘Tis well thou art not fish. If thou hadst, thou hadst been poor It’s a good thing you’re not a fish, or else (much like your
john. erection) you’d be dried and shriveled like salted fish.
Enter ABRAM and another SERVINGMAN ABRAM and another servant of the Montagues enter.
Draw thy tool! Here comes of the house of Montagues. Draw your sword! Here come some Montague servants
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
30 My naked weapon is out. Quarrel! I will back thee. I’ve drawn my naked sword. Fight them. I’ll back you up.

GREGORY GREGORY
How? Turn thy back and run? How? By turning your back and running?
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Fear me not. Don’t worry about me.
GREGORY GREGORY
No, marry. I fear thee. Sorry, but I do worry about you.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Let us take the law of our sides. Let them begin. Let’s make sure the law is on our sides by getting them to
start the fight.
* GREGORY GREGORY
35 I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list. I’ll frown at them as I pass them. How they respond is up
to them.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is a No, I’ll bite my thumb at them. That’s an insult, and they’ll
disgrace to them, if they bear it. (bites his thumb) be disgraced if they don’t react.
ABRAM ABRAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Excuse me, sir, are you biting your thumb at us?
SAMPSON SAMPSON
I do bite my thumb, sir. I am biting my thumb.
ABRAM ABRAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? But are you biting your thumb at us?
* SAMPSON SAMPSON
* (aside to GREGORY) (whispering to GREGORY) Is the law on our side if I say
40 Is the law of our side if I say “ay”? yes?

GREGORY GREGORY
(aside to SAMPSON) (whispering to SAMPSON) No.
No.

SAMPSON SAMPSON
No, sir. I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, I’m not biting my thumb at you. But I am biting my thumb.
sir.
* GREGORY GREGORY
45 Do you quarrel, sir? Do you want to fight us?

ABRAM ABRAM
Quarrel, sir? No, sir. Fight? No.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
But if you do, sir, I am for you. I serve as good a man as you. If you do want to fight, then I’m up for it. My master is as
good as yours.
ABRAM ABRAM
No better. But not better than mine.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Well, sir. Well...
Enter BENVOLIO BENVOLIO enters.
* GREGORY GREGORY
50 (aside to SAMPSON) Say “better.” Here comes one of my (whispering to SAMPSON) Say “better.” One of our
master’s kinsmen. master’s kinsmen has just arrived.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
(to ABRAM) Yes, better, sir. Yes, my master is better than yours, sir.
ABRAM ABRAM
You lie. You’re a liar.
SAMPSON SAMPSON
Draw, if you be men.—Gregory, remember thy washing blow. Draw your swords, if you’re men. Gregory, get ready to
slash them.
They fight They fight
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* (beats down their swords) Part, fools! (hits their swords with his own) Break it up, fools!
55 Put up your swords. You know not what you do. Sheathe your swords. You don’t know what you’re doing.

Enter TYBALT TYBALT enters.
TYBALT TYBALT
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? What, have you drawn your sword to fight with servants?
Turn thee, Benvolio. Look upon thy death. Turn around, Benvolio, and see the man who will kill you.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, I’m just trying to keep the peace. Put away your sword, or
Or manage it to part these men with me. else use it to help me stop this fighting.

* TYBALT TYBALT
60 What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, You hold a drawn sword, and say “peace?” I hate that
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. word, just as I hate hell, all Montagues, and you. Now we
Have at thee, coward! fight, coward!

They fight. Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then BENVOLIO and TYBALT fight. Other Montagues and
enter Citizens, with clubs Capulets enter and also start fighting. Veronese
CITIZENS enter, carrying clubs.
CITIZENS CITIZENS
Clubs, bills, and partisans! Strike! Beat them down! Beat them down with your clubs, spears, and axes. Down
Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues! with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!

Enter old CAPULET in his gown, and his wife, LADY CAPULET CAPULET, in a sleeping gown, enters with LADY
CAPULET.
* CAPULET CAPULET
65 What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho! What is this noise? Give me my long sword. Now!

A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword? You need a crutch! Why are you calling for a sword?
Enter old MONTAGUE and his wife, LADY MONTAGUE MONTAGUE enters, sword drawn, with LADY
MONTAGUE.
CAPULET CAPULET
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, Give me my sword! Old Montague has arrived, and he’s
And flourishes his blade in spite of me. waving his sword just to infuriate me.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
Thou villain Capulet! Hold me not. Let me go. You are a villain, Capulet! (LADY MONTAGUE grabs his
arm.) Let go of me. Don’t stop me.
* LADY MONTAGUE LADY MONTAGUE
70 Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe. You’re not taking one step to try to fight an enemy.

Enter PRINCE ESCALUS, with his train PRINCE ESCALUS enters with his attendants.
* PRINCE PRINCE
* Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, You rebels and enemies of the peace, who curse your
* Profaners of this neighborstainèd steel!— own weapons by turning them on your neighbors. Do you
* Will they not hear?—What, ho! You men, you beasts, refuse to listen?—Silence! You men, you beasts, who can
* That quench the fire of your pernicious rage only put out the fire of your anger by spilling fountains of
75 With purple fountains issuing from your veins, blood. I will torture you unless you drop your weapons
* On pain of torture, from those bloody hands from your bloody hands and listen to me, your enraged
* Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground, Prince. Because of nothing more than a casual word from
* And hear the sentence of your movèd prince. you, Capulet and Montague, three battles have raged in
* Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, our city’s streets. These battles have forced Verona’s
80 By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, citizens to take off their dignified clothes and jewelry and
* Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets instead pick up old and rusty spears in order to put an end
* And made Verona’s ancient Citizens to your fighting. If any Capulet or Montague disturbs the
* Cast by their gravebeseeming ornaments, peace in the future, they will be executed. Now everyone
* To wield old partisans in hands as old, go home. Capulet, you come with me in order to hear
85 Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate. what else I want from you. Montague, you come this
* If ever you disturb our streets again, afternoon to old Freetown, where I deliver my judgments.
* Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. Everyone else, leave this place right now or I will have
* For this time, all the rest depart away. you killed.
* You, Capulet, shall go along with me,
90 And, Montague, come you this afternoon
To know our farther pleasure in this case,
To old Freetown, our common judgmentplace.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, and Everyone exits except MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE,
BENVOLIO and BENVOLIO.
* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach? Tell me, nephew. Who stirred this old feud up again? Were
95 Speak, nephew. Were you by when it began? you here to see it begin?

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Here were the servants of your adversary, Your servants were fighting Montague’s servants when I
* And yours, close fighting ere I did approach. arrived. I drew my sword to try to stop them. Just then,
* I drew to part them. In the instant came the reckless Tybalt showed up with his sword drawn. He
* The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared, taunted me while swinging his sword through the air,
100 Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears, producing a hissing sound. As we fought, more and more
* He swung about his head and cut the winds, Capulets and Montagues showed up to join the battle.
* Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn. Finally, the Prince came and stopped the fighting.
* While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
* Came more and more and fought on part and part,
105 Till the Prince came, who parted either part.

LADY MONTAGUE LADY MONTAGUE
Oh, where is Romeo? Saw you him today? Where’s Romeo? Have you seen him at all today? I’m
Right glad I am he was not at this fray. happy he wasn’t around for this fight.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun Madam, my mind was troubled this morning, so an hour
* Peered forth the golden window of the east, before dawn I went out for a walk. As I walked, I saw
110 A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad, your son beneath the sycamore grove that grows near the
* Where, underneath the grove of sycamore western edge of the city. I walked toward him, but he
* That westward rooteth from this city side, noticed me and ran and hid in the woods. I assumed that
* So early walking did I see your son. he must be feeling the same way I was and did not want
* Towards him I made, but he was ‘ware of me to be bothered, since a person is often at his busiest
115 And stole into the covert of the wood. when he is alone. So I continued on, happy to let him be
* I, measuring his affections by my own, and pursue my own private thoughts.
* Which then most sought where most might not be found,
* Being one too many by my weary self,
*
120 Pursued my humor not pursuing his,
And gladly shunned who gladly fled from me.
* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Many a morning hath he there been seen, He’s been seen at that spot on many mornings, his tears
* With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew, adding to the morning dew and his deep sighs thickening
* Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs. the clouds in the sky. Then, as soon as the happy sun
* But all so soon as the allcheering sun begins to dawn, my unhappy son comes home in order to
125 Should in the farthest east begin to draw hide from the light. He keeps to himself in his bedroom,
* The shady curtains from Aurora’s bed, shutting his windows to keep out the daylight so that he
* Away from light steals home my heavy son, can sit in an artificial night. His bad mood is likely to have
* And private in his chamber pens himself, a bad result, unless someone can give him good advice
* Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and remove the cause of his sadness. This mood of his is
130 And makes himself an artificial night. going to bring bad news, unless someone smart can fix
Black and portentous must this humor prove what’s bothering him.
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
My noble uncle, do you know the cause? My noble uncle, do you know what’s causing his mood?
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
I neither know it nor can learn of him. I don’t. And he refuses to tell me.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
135 Have you importuned him by any means? You’ve done everything possible to get him to explain?

* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Both by myself and many other friends. Both I and many of our friends have tried to speak with
* But he, his own affections’ counselor, him. But he insists on sharing his thoughts only with
* Is to himself—I will not say how true, himself, though I don’t know how good the advice is that
* But to himself so secret and so close, he’s giving himself. He keeps his secrets so completely
140 So far from sounding and discovery, that he’s like a flower bud that can’t open to the air or sun
* As is the bud bit with an envious worm, because it’s been poisoned from within by the bite of a
* Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air, worm. If we could just find out the cause of his sadness,
* Or dedicate his beauty to the same. we’d try to help him as eagerly as we have tried to learn
* Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow. the reason for his sadness.
145 We would as willingly give cure as know.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
See, where he comes. So please you, step aside. Here he comes. If it’s all right, please leave us alone. I’ll
I’ll know his grievance or be much denied. make him either tell me what’s wrong or force him to
refuse me.
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
I would thou wert so happy by thy stay I hope you get to hear the true story. Come, madam, let’s
To hear true shrift.—Come, madam, let’s away. go.

Exeunt MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE. Enter ROMEO MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE exit. ROMEO
enters.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
150 Good morrow, cousin. Good morning, cousin.

ROMEO ROMEO
Is the day so young? Is it still morning?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
But new struck nine. It’s just barely after nine.
ROMEO ROMEO
Ay me! Sad hours seem long. Oh, my! Time goes by slowly when you’re sad.
Was that my father that went hence so fast? Was that my father who just rushed away?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours? It was. What sadness is making your hours long?
ROMEO ROMEO
Not having that which, having, makes them short. Lacking the thing which would make them short.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
155 In love? Are you in love?

ROMEO ROMEO
Out. Out.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Of love? So you’re not in love?
ROMEO ROMEO
Out of her favor, where I am in love. I am in love. But the one I love does not love me.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Oh, it is sad how love, which in theory seems like such a
160 Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! gentle thing, should in actual experience be so rough!

* ROMEO ROMEO
* Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, How can love, which is supposed to be blind, force you to
* Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! be able to do what it wants? Where should we eat?
* Where shall we dine?—O me! What fray was here? (Noticing blood) Wait, what fighting happened here? No,
* Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. don’t tell me. I already know: it was something that had a
165 Here’s much to do with hate but more with love. lot to with hate, but even more to do with love. O brawling
* Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, love! O loving hate! Love that originates from nothing!
* O anything of nothing first created! Heavy lightness! Serious frivolity! Beautiful shapes
* O heavy lightness, serious vanity, smashed together to create an ugly chaos. Love is like
* Misshapen chaos of wellseeming forms! heavy feathers, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
170 Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, waking sleep, the opposite of what it is! That’s the love I
Stillwaking sleep, that is not what it is! feel, since no one loves me in return. Do you laugh?
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
No, coz, I rather weep. No, cousin, I cry.
ROMEO ROMEO
Good heart, at what? But why, my good man?
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
175 At thy good heart’s oppression. Beacuse of how love has oppreseed your heart.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* Why, such is love’s transgression. That’s how it works with love. My own sadness is a
* Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, heavy weight on my chest, and now you’re going to add
* Which thou wilt propagate, to have it pressed your own sadness to mine. The love you are showing me
* With more of thine. This love that thou hast shown is only increasing my grief. Love is like a smoke made out
180 Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. of the sighs of lovers. When the smoke clears, love is a
* Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; fire burning in the lovers eyes. But if that love is thwarted,
* Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; then it is a sea made out of lover’s tears. What else is
* Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears. love? A wise madness. A sweet candy that makes you
* What is it else? A madness most discreet, choke. Goodbye, my cousin.
185 A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
Farewell, my coz.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Soft! I will go along. Wait! I’ll come with you. If you leave me behind, you’ll be
And if you leave me so, you do me wrong. insulting me.

ROMEO ROMEO
Tut, I have lost myself. I am not here. Man! I’m not acting like myself. It’s as if I’m not even
This is not Romeo. He’s some other where. here. This is not Romeo, he’s somewhere else.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
190 Tell me in sadness, who is that you love. Tell me, seriously, who is the one you love?

ROMEO ROMEO
What, shall I groan and tell thee? What? Should I cry out the name in a groan of sadness?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Groan! Why, no. But sadly, tell me who. Groan? No. Just tell me who it is.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* A sick man in sadness makes his will, You wouldn’t ask a sick man to “seriously” write out his
* A word ill urged to one that is so ill. will—it would only make him feel worse. Seriously,
195 In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. cousin, I love a woman.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I aimed so near when I supposed you loved. I figured that when I guessed you were in love.
ROMEO ROMEO
A right good markman! And she’s fair I love. Then you have good aim! The woman I love is beautiful.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. A beautiful “target,” my cousin, is usually the one that is
hit fastest.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Well, in that hit you miss. She’ll not be hit Well, now you missed the target. She won’t be hit by
200 With Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit. Cupid’s arrow. She’s like Diana, protected by the armor of
* And, in strong proof of chastity well armed chastity. She is immune to the weak and childish arrows
* From love’s weak childish bow, she lives uncharmed. of love. She ignores words of love, refuses to even let you
* She will not stay the siege of loving terms, look at her with loving eyes, or open her lap to receive
* Nor bide th’ encounter of assailing eyes, golden gifts. She’s rich in beauty. But she’s also poor,
205 Nor ope her lap to saintseducing gold. because when she dies her beauty will be destroyed along
Oh, she is rich in beauty, only poor with her.
That when she dies, with beauty dies her store.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste? So she’s sworn to live her life a virgin ?
* ROMEO ROMEO
* She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, She has, and in doing so she wastes her beauty, because
210 For beauty, starved with her severity, by living in chastity she ensures that she will never pas
* Cuts beauty off from all posterity. her beauty on to her children. She’s too beautiful, too
* She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, smart, to be allowed to gain entrance to Heaven by
* To merit bliss by making me despair. making me despair. She’s sworn never to love, and in that
* She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow vow has sentenced me to a kind of living death.
215 Do I live dead that live to tell it now.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Be ruled by me. Forget to think of her. Listen to me. Stop thinking about her.
ROMEO ROMEO
O, teach me how I should forget to think! How can I stop myself from thinking?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
By giving liberty unto thine eyes. By letting your eyes wander, and looking at other good
Examine other beauties. looking girls.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* ‘Tis the way Such comparisons will only make her own beauty more
220 To call hers exquisite, in question more. obvious. It will be like the masks that pretty girls wear to
* These happy masks that kiss fair ladies’ brows, hide their faces, and which, by hiding their beauty, make
* Being black, puts us in mind they hide the fair. us think of it more. A blind man can’t forget the precious
* He that is strucken blind cannot forget eyesight he lost. Show me any beautiful girl. Her beauty
* The precious treasure of his eyesight lost. is no more than a reminder of where I can see someone
225 Show me a mistress that is passing fair; who is even more beautiful. Goodbye. You can’t teach me
What doth her beauty serve but as a note to forget.
Where I may read who passed that passing fair?
Farewell. Thou canst not teach me to forget.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I’ll pay that doctrine or else die in debt. I’ll take that bet, or else die in debt.
Exeunt They exit.
Act 1, Scene 2
Get the Romeo and

Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and PETER, a servant CAPULET, PARIS, and a servant, PETER, enter

CAPULET CAPULET
But Montague is bound as well as I, Montague has sworn the same oath I have, and is bound
In penalty alike. And ’tis not hard, I think, by the same penalty. I don’t think it should be hard for
For men so old as we to keep the peace. men as old as us to remain peaceful.

* PARIS PARIS
* Of honorable reckoning are you both. You both have honorable reputations. It’s a pity you’ve
5 And pity ’tis you lived at odds so long. been enemies for so long. But, now, how do you respond
But now, my lord, what say you to my suit? to my request?
* CAPULET CAPULET
* But saying o’er what I have said before. By repeating what I’ve said before. My child is still
* My child is yet a stranger in the world. extremely young. She’s not yet even fourteen years old.
* She hath not seen the change of fourteen years. Let’s let two more summers come and go before we start
10 Let two more summers wither in their pride to think that she would be ready to be a bride.
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
PARIS PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made. Girls who are younger than your daughter often become
happy mothers.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* And too soon marred are those so early made. Girls who marry that young grow up too quickly. All of my
* Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she. hopes on this earth rest in her. But it is okay for you to
15 She’s the hopeful lady of my earth. woo her, gentle Paris; win her love. My permission for you
* But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart. to marry her is only part of it; she must also agree to
* My will to her consent is but a part. marry you. Then my blessing on the marriage will confirm
* An she agreed within her scope of choice, her choice. This very night I’m hosting a feast that I’ve
* Lies my consent and fair according voice. celebrated for many years. I’ve invited many guests,
20 This night I hold an old accustomed feast, many close friends. I’d like to invite you as well to be a
* Whereto I have invited many a guest most welcome guest. At my humble home tonight, you’ll
* Such as I love. And you among the store, see see stars that walk the earth and light the sky from
* One more, most welcome, makes my number more. below. Like all lusty young men, you’ll be delighted by the
* At my poor house look to behold this night young women who are as fresh as spring flowers. Look at
25 Earthtreading stars that make dark heaven light. them all, and choose whichever woman you like best.
* Such comfort as do lusty young men feel Amidst all these girls, you may no longer think that my
* When wellappareled April on the heel daughter’s the most beautiful. Come with me. (to PETER,
* Of limping winter treads. Even such delight handing him a paper) Go, sir, walk all around Verona. Find
* Among fresh fennel buds shall you this night the people whose names are on this list and tell them
30 Inherit at my house. Hear all, all see, they’re invited to my house tonight.
* And like her most whose merit most shall be—
* Which on more view of many, mine, being one,
* May stand in number, though in reckoning none,
* Come, go with me.
* (to PETER, giving him a paper)
35 Go, sirrah, trudge
about
Through fair Verona. Find those persons out
Whose names are written there, and to them say
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

Exeunt CAPULET and PARIS CAPULET and PARIS exit.

* PETER PETER
* Find them out whose names are written here? It is written, that Find the people whose names are on this list? It’s written
40 the shoemaker should meddle with his yard and the tailor with that shoemakers and tailors should use each others’
his last, the fisher with his pencil and the painter with his nets. tools, and that fisherman should play with paints while
But I am sent to find those persons whose names are here writ, painters should play with with fishing nets. But now I’ve
and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. been sent to find the people on this list, and I can’t read.
I must to the learned in good time! I’ll have to ask somebody educated to help me.
Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO BENVOLIO and ROMEO enter

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
45 Tut man, one fire burns out another’s burning. Come on, Romeo. Starting a new fire will put out the old
* One pain is lessened by another’s anguish. one. An old pain is lessened by the arrival of a new one. If
* Turn giddy, and be helped by backward turning. you make yourself dizzy, you can cure yourself by
* One desperate grief cures with another’s languish. spinning in the other direction. A new grief will cure an old
* Take thou some new infection to thy eye, one. Stare obsessively at some new girl, and your former
50 And the rank poison of the old will die. lovesickness will disappear.

ROMEO ROMEO
Your plantain leaf is excellent for that. The plantain leaf is excellent for that.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
For what, I pray thee? For what?
ROMEO ROMEO
For your broken shin. For treating your injured shin.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Why Romeo, art thou mad? Have you gone mad?
* ROMEO ROMEO
55 Not mad, but bound more than a madman is, No, though I’m bound more tightly than any mental patient
Shut up in prison, kept without my food, is. I’m locked in a prison without food. I’m whipped,
Whipped and tormented and—Good e’en, good fellow. tortured—(to PETER) Good evening, good fellow.

PETER PETER
God ‘i’ good e’en. I pray, sir, can you read? A blessed good evening to you. Excuse me, sir, but do
you know how to read?
ROMEO ROMEO
Ay, mine own fortune in my misery. Yes. I can read my fortune in my misery.
* PETER PETER
60 Perhaps you have learned it without book. But I pray, can you Perhaps you’ve learned to read from life rather than from
read anything you see? books. But, I beg your answer, can you read anything you
see?
ROMEO ROMEO
Ay, if I know the letters and the language. Yes, if I know the letters and the language.
PETER PETER
Ye say honestly. Rest you merry. You speak honestly. Have a nice day.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Stay, fellow. I can read. (he reads the letter) Stay, friend. I can read. (He reads the letter) “Signor
65 “Seigneur Martino and his wife and daughters; Martino and his wife and daughters, Count Anselme and
* County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; his gorgeous sisters; the lady, Vitravio’s widow; Signor
* The lady widow of Vitruvio; Placentio and his lovely nieces; Mercutio and his brother
* Seigneur Placentio and his lovely nieces; Valentine; My uncle Capulet and his wife and daughters;
* Mercutio and his brother Valentine; my fair niece Rosaline; Livia, Signor Valentio and his
70 Mine uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; cousin Tybalt; Lucio and the lively Helena.” That’s quite a
My fair niece Rosaline and Livia; fancy list of people. Where are they supposed to go?
Seigneur Valentio and his cousin Tybalt;
Lucio and the lively Helena.”
A fair assembly. Whither should they come?
* PETER PETER
75 Up. Up.

ROMEO ROMEO
Whither? Where?
PETER PETER
To supper; to our house. To supper. To our house.
ROMEO ROMEO
Whose house? Whose house?
PETER PETER
My master’s. My master’s house.
* ROMEO ROMEO
80 Indeed, I should have asked thee that before. Indeed, I should have asked you that earlier.

PETER PETER
Now I’ll tell you without asking. My master is the great rich I’ll tell you so that you don’t have to ask. My master is the
Capulet, and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray great, rich Capulet, and as long as you are not a
come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry! Montague, I invite you to come and drink a cup of wine at
our house. Have a nice day!
Exit PETER PETER exits.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s Rosaline whom you love so much is going to attend this
85 Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves traditional feast of Capulet’s, along with all the beautiful
With all the admired beauties of Verona. woman of Verona. Go there and, without bias, compare
Go thither, and with unattainted eye her to some of the girls I’ll point out to you. I’ll show you
Compare her face with some that I shall show, that the woman you think is as beautiful as a swan is in
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. fact as ugly as a crow.

* ROMEO ROMEO
90 When the devout religion of mine eye If my eyes ever show me such a lie about the woman
* Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires, they worship, then may my tears turn into flames so that
* And these, who, often drowned, could never die, my eyes, which never drowned in all my tears, be burned
* Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! for being such clear liars! A woman more beautiful my
* One fairer than my love? The allseeing sun love? The sun has never seen anyone as beautiful since
95 Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun. the world began.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by, Oh come on. You decided she was beautiful when no one
* Herself poised with herself in either eye. else was around and there was no one to compare her to
* But in that crystal scales let there be weighed except herself. But if instead you compare her to some
* Your lady’s love against some other maid other beautiful woman who I’ll point out to you at this
100 That I will show you shining at the feast, feast, you’ll see that she’s far from the best.
And she shall scant show well that now shows best.
ROMEO ROMEO
I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, I’ll go with you. Not because I think I’ll see such a sight
But to rejoice in splendor of mine own. as you suggest, but so I can rejoice in the beauty of the
woman I love.
Exeunt They exit.

Act 1, Scene 3
Get the Romeo and

Enter LADY CAPULET and NURSE LADY CAPULET and the NURSE enter.

Nurse, where’s my daughter? Call her forth to me. Nurse, where’s my daughter? Tell her to come here.
NURSE NURSE
Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old I swear by my virginity at age twelve, I told her to come.
I bade her come. What, lamb! What, ladybird! What is this?! Heaven forbid! Where is she? Juliet!
God forbid! Where’s this girl? What, Juliet!

Enter JULIET JULIET enters.

* JULIET JULIET
5 How now, who calls? What? Who’s calling me?

NURSE NURSE
Your mother. Your mother.
JULIET JULIET
Madam, I am here. What is your will? Madam, I’m here. What do you want?
* LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET
* This is the matter.—Nurse, give leave awhile, Here’s what I want—Nurse, leave us for a bit while we
* We must talk in secret.—Nurse, come back again. talk privately—wait, no, Nurse, come back. I just
10 I have remembered me. Thou’s hear our counsel. remembered, you can listen to our secrets. You know my
Thou know’st my daughter’s of a pretty age. daughter’s age.
NURSE NURSE
Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Yes, I know her age to the hour.
She’s not fourteen. She’s not yet fourteen.
NURSE NURSE
I’ll lay fourteen of my teeth—and yet, to my teen be it spoken, I I’d bet fourteen of my teeth—but, to be honest, I actually
have but four—she is not fourteen. How long is it now to only have four teeth—that she’s not fourteen. How long is
Lammastide? it until Lammastide?
A fortnight and odd days. Two weeks and a few odd days.
* NURSE NURSE
* Even or odd, of all days in the year, Even or odd, of all the days in the year, she’ll be fourteen
* Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. on the night of Lammas Eve. She and my daughter Susan
20 Susan and she—God rest all Christian souls!— —God rest all Christian souls—were born that same day.
* Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God. Well, Susan died and is now with God. She was too good
* She was too good for me. But, as I said, for me. But, as I said, on the night of Lammas Eve, Juliet
* On Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. will be fourteen. Yes, she will indeed. I remember it well.
* That shall she. Marry, I remember it well. It’s been eleven years since the earthquake, and it was on
25 ‘Tis since the earthquake now eleven years, that very day that she stopped nursing from my breast. I’ll
* And she was weaned—I never shall forget it— never forget it. I had put some bitter wormwood on my
* Of all the days of the year, upon that day. breast as I was sitting in the sun, under the wall of the
* For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, dovehouse. Your husband and you were in Mantua. Oh
* Sitting in the sun under the dovehouse wall. my, what a great memory I have! As I said, when Juliet
30 My lord and you were then at Mantua.— tasted the bitter wormwood on my nipple, the pretty little
* Nay, I do bear a brain.—But, as I said, thing got angry with my breast. That’s when the
* When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple earthquake hit and the dovehouse started to shake. You
* Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool, didn’t have to tell me to get out of there. It’s been eleven
* To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug! years since then. She could stand up by herself then. No,
35 “Shake!” quoth the dovehouse. ‘Twas no need, I trow, in fact, by then she could run and waddle all over the
* To bid me trudge. place. I remember because just the day before she had
* And since that time it is eleven years, cut her forehead. My husband—God rest his soul, he was
* For then she could stand alone. Nay, by the rood, a merry man—picked Juliet up. “Oh,” he said, “Did you fall
* She could have run and waddled all about, on your face? You’ll fall backward when you grow up,
40 For even the day before, she broke her brow. won’t you, Jule?” And, by God, the pretty little thing
* And then my husband—God be with his soul! stopped crying and said, “Yes.” To watch a joke come
* He was a merry man—took up the child. true! Even if I live a thousand years I’ll never forget it.
* “Yea,” quoth he, “Dost thou fall upon thy face? “Won’t you, Jule,” he said. And the pretty fool stopped
* Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit, crying and said, “Yes.”
45 Wilt thou not, Jule?” and, by my holy dame,
* The pretty wretch left crying and said “ay.”
* To see now, how a jest shall come about!
* I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,
* I never should forget it. “Wilt thou not, Jule?” quoth he.
50 And, pretty fool, it stinted and said “ay.”

Enough of this. I pray thee, hold thy peace. Enough. Please be quiet.
* NURSE NURSE
* Yes, madam. Yet I cannot choose but laugh Yes ,madam. But I have to laugh when I think that the
* To think it should leave crying and say “ay.” baby stopped crying and said, “Yes.” What’s more, I
* And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow swear she had a bump on her forehead as big as a
55 A bump as big as a young cockerel’s stone, rooster’s testicle. It was quite a knock she took, and she
A perilous knock, and it cried bitterly. was crying bitterly. “Yes,” said my husband, “Did you fall
“Yea,” quoth my husband, “Fall’st upon thy face? on your face? You’ll fall backward when you grow up,
Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age. won’t you, Jule?” And she stopped crying and said, “Yes.’
Wilt thou not, Jule?” It stinted and said “ay.”

* JULIET JULIET
60 And stint thou too, I pray thee, Nurse, say I. Stop now, Nurse, please.

NURSE NURSE
Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! Peace. I’m done. May you recieve God’s grace. You were
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed. the prettiest baby I ever nursed. If I live to see you get
An I might live to see thee married once, married someday, my wishes will be fulfilled.
I have my wish.

65 Marry, that “marry” is the very theme In fact, marriage is exactly what I came here to discuss.
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet, Tell me, Juliet my daughter, what do you think about
How stands your disposition to be married? getting married?

JULIET JULIET
It is an honor that I dream not of. It;s an honor that I don’t think about at all.
* NURSE NURSE
* An honor! Were not I thine only nurse, “An honor!” If I weren’t the only nurse you’ve had, I’d say
70 I would say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat. you’d sucked wisdom from the breast that fed you.

* Well, think of marriage now. Younger than you Well, you should start thinking about marriage. In Verona
* Here in Verona, ladies of esteem girls from noble families who are younger than you have
* Are made already mothers. By my count, already become mothers. By my count, I was already your
* I was your mother much upon these years mother at around your age, while you remain a virgin. So,
75 That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief: to be brief: the valiant Paris wants to marry you.
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.
NURSE NURSE
A man, young lady! Lady, such a man What a man, young lady! He’s a man as great as any
As all the world. Why, he’s a man of wax. other in the world. He’s so perfect it’s as if he were
sculpted from wax.
Verona’s summer hath not such a flower. Verona in the summertime has no flower as fine as him.
* NURSE NURSE
80 Nay, he’s a flower. In faith, a very flower. He’s a fine flower, absolutely, a flower.

* What say you? Can you love the gentleman? What do you say, Juliet? Can you love this gentleman?
* This night you shall behold him at our feast. Tonight he’ll be at our feast. Look at his face and delight in
* Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face his beauty. Examine how all the lines of his features
* And find delight writ there with beauty’s pen. combine to make him handsome. And what you can’t see
85 Examine every married lineament in his beauty, find by looking in his eyes. This wonderful,
* And see how one another lends content, loving man lacks only a bride to make him perfect. As fish
* And what obscured in this fair volume lies do not hide from the sea, neither should a beauty like you
* Find written in the margin of his eyes. hide from a handsome man like him. Everyone thinks he’s
* This precious book of love, this unbound lover, handsome, and whoever becomes his bride would be
90 To beautify him only lacks a cover. equally loved. You would share all that he possesses, and
* The fish lives in the sea, and ’tis much pride lose nothing by having him.
* For fair without the fair within to hide.
* That book in many’s eyes doth share the glory
* That in gold clasps locks in the golden story.
95 So shall you share all that he doth possess
By having him, making yourself no less.
NURSE NURSE
No less? Nay, bigger. Women grow by men. Lose nothing? No, you’d get bigger. Men make women
bigger (editor’s note: by making them pregnant).
Speak briefly. Can you like of Paris, love? Answer me now. Can you love Paris?
* JULIET JULIET
* I’ll look to like if looking liking move. I’ll look at him with the intent to like him, if looking at him
100 But no more deep will I endart mine eye moves me to like him. But I won’t let myself fall for him
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. any more than your permission allows.
Enter PETER PETER enters.

PETER PETER
Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my Madam, the guests are here and dinner is served. Your
young lady asked for, the Nurse cursed in the pantry, and every guests call for you and Juliet, while the servants in the
thing in extremity. I must hence to wait. I beseech you, follow pantry are cursing the Nurse. Things are getting out of
straight. control. I must rush off to serve the guests. Please, follow
right after me.
We follow thee.—Juliet, the county stays. We’ll follow you. Juliet, Paris is waiting for you.
NURSE NURSE
Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days. Go, Juliet, and find the man who’ll give you happy nights
that follow happy days.
Exeunt All exit.

Act 1, Scene 4
Get the Romeo and

Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six other ROMEO, MERCUTIO, and BENVOLIO enter wearing

MASKERS and TORCHBEARERS party masks. Five other men wearing party masks and
carrying torches enter with them.

ROMEO ROMEO
What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? What excuse will we make? Or should we enter without
Or shall we on without apology? apology?

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* The date is out of such prolixity. It’s no longer fashionable to talk that much. We’re not
* We’ll have no Cupid hoodwinked with a scarf, going to announce our entrance with some guy
5 Bearing a Tartar’s painted bow of lath, blindfolded, dressed up as Cupid, and carrying a toy bow
* Scaring the ladies like a crowkeeper, in order to scare the ladies like some scarecrow. Nor will
* Nor no withoutbook prologue, faintly spoke we introduce ourselves with a memorized speech. They
* After the prompter for our entrance. can judge us however they want. We’ll dance a dance and
* But let them measure us by what they will. then get out of there.
10 We’ll measure them a measure and be gone.

ROMEO ROMEO
Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling. Give me a torch. I don’t feel like dancing. Since I’m sad, I
Being but heavy, I will bear the light. might as well carry the light.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. No, sweet Romeo, you have to dance.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes Not me, believe me. You’ve got on dancing shoes with
15 With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead nimble soles. But my soul is made of lead that anchors
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. me to the ground so heavily that I can’t move.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings You’re a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings and use them to
And soar with them above a common bound. soar higher than the average man.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft I’ve been too strongly pierced by his arrow to soar. My
20 To soar with his light feathers, and so bound, wounded heart won’t let me escape my dull sadness. I am
I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe. sinking under love’s heavy burden.
Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
And to sink in it, should you burthen love— If you sink in love, then you’re burdening it. You’re putting
Too great oppression for a tender thing. too much weight on such a tender thing.

* ROMEO ROMEO
25 Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Is love really so tender? To me it seems too rough, too
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn. rude, too unruly, and it pricks like a thorn.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* If love be rough with you, be rough with love. If love is rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love
* Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.— when it pricks you, and you’ll beat love down. Give me a
* Give me a case to put my visage in! mask to put over my face. A mask to cover that mask I
30 A visor for a visor.—What care I call my face. What do I care if someone sees my flaws?
What curious eye doth cote deformities? Let the dark eyebrows of this mask blush for me.
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Come, knock and enter. And no sooner in Come on, let’s knock and go inside. And once inside, let’s
But every man betake him to his legs. all start dancing.

* ROMEO ROMEO
35 A torch for me. Let wantons light of heart Give me a torch to carry. Let those with light hearts
Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels. dance. There’s an old proverb that fits me perfectly. I’ll
For I am proverbed with a grandsire phrase, hold a torch and watch. The game looks like fun, but I’m
I’ll be a candle holder, and look on. done with it.
The game was ne’er so fair, and I am done.

* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
40 Tut, dun’s the mouse, the constable’s own word. Come on, “dun” is the color of a timid mouse. You’re being
If thou art dun, we’ll draw thee from the mire, as timid as a patrolman on night duty. If you’re a stick
Or—save your reverence—love, wherein thou stick’st stuck in the mud, we’ll pull you out—pardon me for being
Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho! rude— out of the love in which you’re stuck up to your
ears. Come on, we’re wasting daylight.
ROMEO ROMEO
Nay, that’s not so. Uh, that’s wrong—it’s night.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* I mean, sir, in delay. I mean, sir, that by delaying we’re wasting our torches,
45 We waste our lights in vain, like lights by day. which is like wasting the sunshine during the day. Show
Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits your good judgment by taking what I say the way I mean
Five times in that ere once in our five wits.
it, which is five times more important than literally trusting
your senses.
ROMEO ROMEO
And we mean well in going to this mask, We mean well by going to this party, but it’s not smart of
But ’tis no wit to go. us to go.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Why, may one ask? Why, may I ask?
* ROMEO ROMEO
50 I dreamt a dream tonight. I dreamed a dream last night.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
And so did I. So did I.
ROMEO ROMEO
Well, what was yours? What was your dream?
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
That dreamers often lie. I dreamed that dreamers often lie.
ROMEO ROMEO
In bed asleep while they do dream things true. They lie in bed while dreaming about true things.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Oh, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. Oh, then I see Queen Mab has visited you.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Queen Mab, what’s she Queen Mab? Who’s she?
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
55 She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes She’s the fairies’ midwife, and is no bigger than the stone
* In shape no bigger than an agate stone on the ring of a city councilman. She rides her carriage,
* On the forefinger of an alderman, which is pulled by tiny little creatures, over men’s noses
* Drawn with a team of little atomi as they lie sleeping. The wheel spokes of her carriage are
* Over men’s noses as they lie asleep. made of spiders’ legs, its cover is made of grasshopper
60 Her wagon spokes made of long spinners’ legs, wings, and its harnesses are made of the smallest
* The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, spiderwebs. The horse collars are made from
* Her traces of the smallest spider’s web, moonbeams, while her whip is a single cobweb attached
* Her collars of the moonshine’s watery beams, to a cricket bone. Her wagon driver is a tiny gnat wearing
* Her whip of cricket’s bone, the lash of film, a gray coat that is not even half as large as a little round
65 Her wagoner a small graycoated gnat, worm that comes from the finger of a lazy young girl.
* Not half so big as a round little worm (editor’s note: in folklore, unmarried girls who were lazy
* Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid. were thought to have worms in their blood.) Her carriage
* Her chariot is an empty hazelnut is an empty hazelnut, made by a squirrel and an old
* Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, worm, which have been the fairies’ carriagebuilders for
70 Time out o’ mind the fairies’ coachmakers. countless years. With this magnificent carriage she rides
* And in this state she gallops night by night each night through the brains of lovers, who then dream
* Through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love; about love. She rides across courtiers’ knees, who then
* On courtiers’ knees, that dream on curtsies straight; dream about bowing and curtsying. She rides over
* O’er lawyers’ fingers, who straight dream on fees; lawyers’ fingers, who then dream about their fees. She
75 O’er ladies’ lips, who straight on kisses dream, rides over ladies’ lips, and they immediately dream of
* Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, kisses. But Queen Mab often puts blisters on their lips
* Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. because their breath smells of candy, which angers her.
* Sometime she gallops o’er a courtier’s nose, Sometimes she rides over a courtier’s nose, and he
* And then dreams he of smelling out a suit. dreams of sniffing out a way to make some money.
80 And sometime comes she with a tithepig’s tail Sometimes she tickles a priest’s nose with the tail of pig
* Tickling a parson’s nose as he lies asleep, given as a tithe to the church, and he dreams of getting a
* Then he dreams of another benefice. highpaid church position. Sometimes she drives over a
* Sometime she driveth o’er a soldier’s neck, soldier’s neck, and he dreams of cutting the throats of
* And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, foreigners, of breaking through fortifications, of ambushes,
85 Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, of the finestquality Spanish swords, and of huge mugs of
* Of healths five fathom deep, and then anon alcohol before suddenly waking, frightened, by the sound
* Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, of drums in his ears. Then he says a prayer or two and
* And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two goes back to sleep. Mab is the one who tangles the hair
* And sleeps again. This is that very Mab of horses’ manes at night and then hardens the tangles in
90 That plaits the manes of horses in the night the foul, dirty hairs; tangles which, if you undo them, bring
* And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, bad luck. Mab is the hag who gives dreams of sex to
* Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes. virgins and teaches them how to bear the weight of a
* This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, lover and to bear a child. She’s the one—
* That presses them and learns them first to bear,
95 Making them women of good carriage.
This is she—
ROMEO ROMEO
Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Calm down, calm down! Mercutio, be calm. You’re talking
Thou talk’st of nothing. about nothing.

* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* True, I talk of dreams, True. I’m talking about dreams, which are produced by a
* Which are the children of an idle brain, brain that’s doing nothing. Dreams are born of no more
* Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, than empty fantasy, which is as substanceless as air, and
100 Which is as thin of substance as the air more unpredictable than the wind, which can blows on the
And more inconstant than the wind, who woos frozen north and then suddenly get angry and blow south.
Even now the frozen bosom of the north,
And, being angered, puffs away from thence,
Turning his face to the dewdropping south.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
105 This wind you talk of, blows us from ourselves. This wind you’re talking about is blowing us off course.
Supper is done, and we shall come too late. Dinner is already over. We’re going to get there too late.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* I fear too early, for my mind misgives I fear we’re going to arrive too early. I have a feeling this
* Some consequence yet hanging in the stars party tonight is fated to set in motion some awful destiny
* Shall bitterly begin his fearful date that will result in my own untimely death. But whoever’s
110 With this night’s revels, and expire the term in charge of my fate can steer me where they want. Let’s
Of a despisèd life closed in my breast go, my lusty friends!
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But he that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
115 Strike, drum. Strike the drum.

March about the stage and exeunt They march around the stage and exit.

Act 1, Scene 5
Get the Romeo and

PETER and other SERVINGMEN come forth with napkins PETER and other SERVINGMEN enter, carrying napkins.

PETER PETER
Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shift a Where’s Potpan, who’s not helping us clear the table?
trencher? He scrape a trencher! Has he even moved or scraped a plate?

FIRST SERVINGMAN FIRST SERVINGMAN
When good manners shall lie all in one or two men’s hands, and When all the good manners are owned by just one or two
they unwashed too, ’tis a foul thing. men, and even those two are dirty, it’s a bad thing.
* PETER PETER
5 Away with the jointstools, remove the courtcupboard, look to Clear away the stools, sideboards, and plates. My friend,
the plate. Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane, and, as save me a piece of marzipan, and if you love me, have
thou loves me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell.— the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell. Antony and
Antony and Potpan! Potpan!
SECOND SERVINGMAN SECOND SERVINGMAN
Ay, boy, ready. Yes, boy, I’m ready.
* PETER PETER
10 You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the You’re being called for, asked after, and looked for in the
great chamber. great chamber.
FIRST SERVINGMAN FIRST SERVINGMAN
We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys. Be brisk We can’t be both here and there at once! Be cheerful,
0awhile, and the longer liver take all. boys. Be quick for a while, and may the longest lived take
everything.
Exeunt PETER and SERVINGMEN PETER and the SERVINGMEN exit.

Enter CAPULET with CAPULET’S COUSIN, TYBALT, LADY CAPULET enters with his cousin, TYBALT, LADY

CAPULET, JULIET, and others of the house, meeting ROMEO, CAPULET, JULIET, and other Capulets. They meet
BENVOLIO, MERCUTIO, and other GUESTS and MASKERS ROMEO, BENVOLIO, MERCUTIO, and other guests and
MASKERS

* CAPULET CAPULET
* Welcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes Welcome, gentlemen. All the ladies who aren’t suffering
15 Unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you. from corns on their feet will dance with you. Ha ha! My
* Ah, my mistresses! Which of you all ladies, now which of you will refuse to dance now? If any
* Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty, of you acts shyly, I’ll swear she has corns. Have I hit the
* She, I’ll swear, hath corns. Am I come near ye now?— mark? Welcome, gentlemen. Once there was a time when
* Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day I could wear a mask and charm a girl by whispering a
20 That I have worn a visor and could tell story in her ear. No more, no more, no more. You are
* A whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear welcome gentlemen. Come, musicians, play. (music plays
* Such as would please. ‘Tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone.— and they dance) Make room in the hall! Make room!
* You are welcome, gentlemen.—Come, musicians, play. Dance, girls. (to SERVINGMEN) More light. Move the
* (music plays and they dance) tables out of the way. Put out the fire—it’s getting hot in
25 A hall, a hall, give room!—And foot it, girls.— here. (to his COUSIN) Ah, sir, these unexpected guests
* More light, you knaves! And turn the tables up, are welcome. No, sit, sit, my Capulet cousin. We’re too
* And quench the fire. The room is grown too hot.— old to dance. How long has it been since you and I last
* Ah, sirrah, this unlookedfor sport comes well.— wore masks?
* Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,
30 For you and I are past our dancing days.
How long is ’t now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?

CAPULETS’ COUSIN CAPULET’S COUSIN
By’r Lady, thirty years. I’d swear thirty years.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* What, man, ’tis not so much, ’tis not so much. What, man? It’s not been that long, not that long. It was
* ‘Tis since the nuptials of Lucentio, at Lucentio’s wedding. No matter how quickly the years
35 Come Pentecost as quickly as it will, fly by, it’s been just twentyfive years since we wore
Some five and twenty years, and then we masked. masks.
CAPULET’S COUSIN CAPULET’S COUSIN
‘Tis more, ’tis more. His son is elder, sir. Longer, longer. Lucentio’s son is older than that, sir. He’s
His son is thirty. thirty.

CAPULET CAPULET
Will you tell me that? How can you say that? His son was still a minor two
His son was but a ward two years ago. years ago.

* ROMEO ROMEO
40 (to a SERVINGMAN) What lady is that which doth enrich the (to a SERVINGMAN) Who is that girl decorating the arm
hand of that man over there?
Of yonder knight?
SERVINGMAN SERVINGMAN
I know not, sir. I don’t know, sir.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Oh, she teaches the torches to burn bright! She glows in
* It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night the darkness like a jewel in the ear of an African. Her
* Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear, beauty is too good to be used and worn, too precious for
45 Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. this world. Like a white dove in a flock of crows, she
* So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows surpasses all the other women. When this dance ends, I’ll
* As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows. note where she stands, and then I’ll touch her hand and
* The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand, thereby bless my ugly one. Did I ever love anyone before
* And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand. this moment? Renounce that love, my eyes! I never saw
50 Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! true beauty until this night.
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
* TYBALT TYBALT
* This, by his voice, should be a Montague.— By his voice I know that this man is a Montague. (to his
* (to his PAGE) Fetch me my rapier, boy.— PAGE) Get my sword, boy.—How dare this punk come
* What, dares the slave here with his face covered by a mask so he can mock
55 Come hither, covered with an antic face, and scorn our celebration? To defend the honor of my
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity? family, I don’t think it would be a sin to kill him.
Now, by the stock and honor of my kin,
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.

CAPULET CAPULET
Why, how now, kinsman? Wherefore storm you so? What’s all this, nephew? Why are so furious?
* TYBALT TYBALT
60 Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, Uncle, that is a Montague—our rival. He’s a rogue who’s
A villain that is hither come in spite come here out of spite to scorn our celebration.
To scorn at our solemnity this night.

CAPULET CAPULET
Young Romeo is it? It’s young Romeo, right?
TYBALT TYBALT
‘Tis he, that villain Romeo. That’s him, that villain Romeo.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Content thee, gentle coz. Let him alone. Calm yourself, gentle cousin. Leave him be. He holds
65 He bears him like a portly gentleman, himself like a gentleman of good manners, and, to be
* And, to say truth, Verona brags of him honest, everyone in Verona says that he is a virtuous and
* To be a virtuous and wellgoverned youth. wellbehaved youth. Not for all the wealth in this town
* I would not for the wealth of all the town would I insult him in my own house. Be calm. Pretend you
* Here in my house do him disparagement. never saw him. That is my command, and if you respect
70 Therefore be patient. Take no note of him. me you’ll stop with all these frowns, which is no way to
It is my will, the which if thou respect, behave at a party.
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An illbeseeming semblance for a feast.

* TYBALT TYBALT
* It fits when such a villain is a guest. It’s the way to behave when a jerk like him shows up. I
75 I’ll not endure him. won’t stand him coming here.

* CAPULET CAPULET
* He shall be endured. You will stand him. What, boy? I say you will. Get out of
* What, goodman boy! I say, he shall. Go to. here. Am I the master here, or you? Get out. You won’t
* Am I the master here, or you? Go to. stand him? God save my soul, you’ll start a riot among
* You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul,
* You’ll make a mutiny among my guests. my guests! And you’ll crow like a rooster, like you’re the
80 You will set cockahoop. You’ll be the man! man!

TYBALT TYBALT
Why, uncle, ’tis a shame. But, uncle, we’re being dishonered.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Go to, go to. Come on, come on. You’re an impertinent boy. Is that
* You are a saucy boy. Is ’t so, indeed? really how you think it is? This silliness is likely to come
* This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what. back to harm you. I know what I’m doing, but you feel the
* You must contrary me. Marry, ’tis time.— need to contradict me. Well, I’ll show you a thing or two.
85 Well said, my hearts!—You are a princox, go. (to the GUESTS) Well done, my dears! (to TYBALT)
Be quiet, or—More light, more light!—For shame! You’re an insolent boy, now shoo. Keep your mouth shut
I’ll make you quiet.—What, cheerly, my hearts! — (to SERVINGMEN) more light, more light! (to TYBALT)
— I’ll make you be quiet. (to the guests) Party on, my
friends!
Music plays again, and the guests dance The music plays again, and the guests dance

* TYBALT TYBALT
* Patience perforce with willful choler meeting The blend of enforced restraint with my burning rage is
* Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. making me tremble. I’ll leave, but I’ll make Romeo regret
90 I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall this prank, which at the moment seems to him like such
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall. great fun.
Exit TYBALT TYBALT exits.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* (taking JULIET’s hand) If I profane with my unworthiest hand (taking JULIET’s hand) If I offend you by touching your
* This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: holy hand with my own unworthy one, then my lips stand
* My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand ready, like two blushing pilgrims, to smooth my rough
95 To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. touch with a gentle kiss.

JULIET JULIET
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Good pilgrim, you are unfair to your hand. Your hand
Which mannerly devotion shows in this, shows proper devotion by touching mine, just as pilgrims
For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, reach out to touch the hands of saints. Holding palm to
And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss. palm is like a pilgrim’s kiss.

* ROMEO ROMEO
100 Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? Don’t saints, and pilgrims too, have lips?

JULIET JULIET
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. Yes, pilgrim—lips they’re supposed to use to pray.
ROMEO ROMEO
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. Oh, then, saint, let lips do what hands do: pray. Grant my
They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. prayer or my faith will turn to despair.

JULIET JULIET
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake. Saints don’t move, though they do grant prayers.
* ROMEO ROMEO
105 Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take. Then remain still while I pray.

Kisses her He kisses her

Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged. Now your lips have cleaned the sin from mine.
JULIET JULIET
Then have my lips the sin that they have took. Then my lips now have the sin they took from yours.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Sin from my lips? Oh how you urge me on to another
110 Give me my sin again. crime. Give me back my sin.

They kiss again They kiss again

JULIET JULIET
You kiss by th’ book. You kiss as if you’ve studied how. (Editor’s note: Juliet is
also teasing about how Romeo used religion, the Bible or
“the book,” to steal two kisses)
NURSE NURSE
Madam, your mother craves a word with you. Madam, your mother wants to speak with you.
JULIET moves away JULIET moves away

ROMEO ROMEO
What is her mother? Who is her mother?
* NURSE NURSE
* Marry, bachelor, Well, young man, her mother is the lady of the house. A
* Her mother is the lady of the house, good, wise, and virtuous lady. I nursed her daughter, who
* And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous. you were talking to just now. I tell you, the man who
115 I nursed her daughter that you talked withal. marries that girl will be rich.
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks.

ROMEO ROMEO
(aside) Is she a Capulet? (to himself) Is she a Capulet? Oh, what a price I’ve paid!
O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt. My life is now owned by my enemy.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
(to ROMEO) Away, begone. The sport is at the best. (to ROMEO) Let’s go, let’s go, now while everything is
still perfect.
* ROMEO ROMEO
120 Ay, so I fear. The more is my unrest. Yes, it is still perfect now. But I’m afraid it will never be
again.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone. No, gentlemen, don’t leave now. We have a bit of dessert
* We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.— arriving any moment — (they whisper something to him)
* Is it e’en so? Why, then, I thank you all. Is that so? Then, I thank you. I thank you, honest
* I thank you, honest gentlemen. Good night.— gentlemen. Good night. Bring more torches over here!
125 More torches here!—Come on then, let’s to bed. Come on, let’s all get to bed. (to his COUSIN) Ah, good
Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late. sir, by God, it’s late. I’m going sleep.
I’ll to my rest.

All but JULIET and NURSE move to exit Everyone except JULIET and NURSE begins to exit.

JULIET JULIET
Come hither, Nurse. What is yond gentleman? Come here, nurse. Who is that gentleman over there?
NURSE NURSE
The son and heir of old Tiberio. The son and heir of old Tiberio.
* JULIET JULIET
130 What’s he that now is going out of door? Who’s the one going out the door?

NURSE NURSE
Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio. That, I think, is young Petruchio.
JULIET JULIET
What’s he that follows here, that would not dance? What about the one over there, who wouldn’t dance?
NURSE NURSE
I know not. I don’t know him.
* JULIET JULIET
* Go ask his name.—If he be married. Go ask. (the nurse leaves; JULIET speaks to herself) If
135 My grave is like to be my wedding bed. he’s married, I’d rather die than marry someone else.

NURSE NURSE
His name is Romeo, and a Montague, (returning) His name is Romeo. He’s a Montague. He’s
The only son of your great enemy. the only son of your greatest enemy.

* JULIET JULIET
* (aside) My only love sprung from my only hate! (to herself) The one man I love is the son of the one man I
* Too early seen unknown, and known too late! hate! I saw him before I knewg who he was, and learned
140 Prodigious birth of love it is to me, who he was too late! What a monster love is to make me
That I must love a loathèd enemy. love my worst enemy.
NURSE NURSE
What’s this? What’s this? What’s this? What’s this?
JULIET JULIET
A rhyme I learned even now A rhyme I learned just now from somebody I danced with.
Of one I danced withal.

One calls within “Juliet!” Somebody calls “Juliet!” offstage.

NURSE NURSE
Anon, anon! On my way, on my way. Let’s go. The guests are all gone.
Come, let’s away. The strangers all are gone.

Exeunt They exit.

8/25/2016 Act 2, Prologue The Modern Shakespeare
Act 2, Prologue
Get the Romeo and

Enter CHORUS The CHORUS enters.

* CHORUS CHORUS
* Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie, Now Romeo’s old desire is on its deathbed, while a young
* And young affection gapes to be his heir. love pushes to take its place. The girl Romeo groaned
* That fair for which love groaned for and would die after and would have died for, when now compared to
* With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair. Juliet, is no longer beautiful to him. Now Romeo is loved
5 Now Romeo is beloved and loves again, and loves again—each bewitched by the others’ beauty.
* Alike bewitchèd by the charm of looks, But the girl he loves is supposed to be his enemy, and
* But to his foe supposed he must complain, she’s taken the sweet bait of love from a sharp hook.
* And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks. Because the Capulets think him an enemy, Romeo may
* Being held a foe, he may not have access not be able to get close enough to speak his words of love
10 To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear. to her. And Juliet, just as much in love, has even less
And she as much in love, her means much less power to meet her new lover anywhere. Yet passion gives
To meet her new beloved anywhere. them power and time the opportunity to meet, as they
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, blend extreme peril with extreme pleasure.
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
Exit The CHORUS exits.

http://www.themodernshakespeare.com/home/romeoandjuliettranslation/act2prologue 1/1
Act 2, Scene 1
Get the Romeo and

Enter ROMEO alone ROMEO enters alone.

ROMEO ROMEO
Can I go forward when my heart is here? Can I continue on while my heart stays here? I’ll be
Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out. nothing but an empty body unless I go back to find my
heart.
Moves away. Enter BENVOLIO with MERCUTIO ROMEO moves away. BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO enter.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Romeo, my cousin Romeo! Romeo! Romeo! Cousin Romeo! Romeo!
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
He is wise, He’s smart. I’d bet my life he’s snuck off home to go to
And, on my life, hath stol’n him home to bed. bed.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
5 He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. He ran this way and jumped this orchard wall. Call him,
Call, good Mercutio. Mercutio.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Nay, I’ll conjure too! No, I’ll summon him as I would a spirit. Romeo! Humors!
* Romeo! Humours, madman, passion, lover! Madman! Passion! Lover! Appear to me in the form of a
* Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh! sigh. Speak just a single rhyme, and I’ll be satisfied. Cry
* Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied. out, “Ah me!” Say “love” and “dove.” Say one pretty word
10 Cry but “Ay me!” Pronounce but “love” and “dove.” to my good gossiping friend Venus. Say the nickname of
* Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, her blind son and heir, Cupid, who shot arrows so
* One nickname for her purblind son and heir, accurately and made King Cophetua fall in love with a
* Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true beggar maid.—Romeo doesn’t hear me, stir, or move. The
* When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.— little monkey is dead, so I must conjure him to appear.—
15 He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not. By Rosaline’s bright eyes, by her high forehead and her
* The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.— red lips, by her fine feet, straight legs, and trembling
* I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, thighs, and by parts of her that lie next to her thighs, I
* By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, summon you to appear before us in your actual form.
* By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh,
20 And the demesnes that there adjacent lie,
That in thy likeness thou appear to us.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. You’ll make him angry if he hears you.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* This cannot anger him. ‘Twould anger him This won’t make him angry. It would anger him if I conjured
* To raise a spirit in his mistress’ circle a strange spirit into her room that she then slept with. That
25 Of some strange nature, letting it there stand would really anger him. But what I’m saying is fair and
Till she had laid it and conjured it down. honest. I’m just saying the name of his love in order to call
That were some spite. My invocation him out from the darkness.
Is fair and honest. In his mistress’ name
I conjure only but to raise up him.

* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
30 Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, Come on. He’s hidden within these trees to be alone with
To be consorted with the humorous night. the night. His love is blind, so its fitting he share it with the
Blind is his love and best befits the dark. dark.

* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. If love is blind, it can’t hit the target. He’ll sit under a
* Now will he sit under a medlar tree medlar tree and wish his love were one of those fruits that
35 And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit women, when they’rea alone, joke look like female. Oh
* As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.— Romeo, I wish she were! I wish she was an openarse,
* O Romeo, that she were! Oh, that she were and that you were a “pop her in” pear. Good night, Romeo.
* An open arse, and thou a poperin pear. I’m off to my little trundle bed. It’s too cold in this field for
* Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle bed. me to sleep here. Come on, Benvolio, shall we leave?
40 This fieldbed is too cold for me to sleep.—
Come, shall we go?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Go, then, for ’tis in vain Let’s go. It would be worthless to search for someone who
To seek him here that means not to be found. doesn’t want to be found.

Exeunt BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO exit.

Act 2, Scene 2
Get the Romeo and

ROMEO returns ROMEO returns.

ROMEO ROMEO
He jests at scars that never felt a wound. He jokes about scars from wounds he’s never felt.
JULIET appears in a window above JULIET enters on the balcony.

* But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? Wait! What light is that in the window over there? It is the
* It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. east, and Juliet is the sun. Rise beautiful sun and kill the
* Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, jealous moon, which is already sick and pale with grief
5 Who is already sick and pale with grief, because Juliet, her maid, is more beautiful than she. Don’t
* That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. be her maid, since she’s jealous. The moon’s virginity
* Be not her maid since she is envious. makes her look sick and green, and only fools hold on to
* Her vestal livery is but sick and green, their virginity. Throw it off. It is my lady. Oh, it is my love.
* And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off! Oh, I wish she knew I loved her. She’s talking, but isn’t
10 It is my lady. Oh, it is my love. saying anything. Why is that? Her eyes are speaking. I’ll
* Oh, that she knew she were! respond—no, I am too bold. It’s not to me she speaks.
* She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? Two of the most beautiful stars in the sky had to go off on
* Her eye discourses. I will answer it.— some business, and begged her eyes to twinkle in their
* I am too bold. ‘Tis not to me she speaks. place until they return. If her eyes were in the sky and the
15 Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, stars were in her head the brightness of her cheeks would
* Having some business, do entreat her eyes overwhelm the stars just as daylight outshines a lamp.
* To twinkle in their spheres till they return. And her eyes in the night sky would shine so brightly that
* What if her eyes were there, they in her head? birds would start singing, thinking it was day. Look how
* The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars she leans her cheek against her hand. I wish I was a
20 As daylight doth a lamp. Her eye in heaven glove on that hand so I could touch that cheek.
* Would through the airy region stream so bright
* That birds would sing and think it were not night.
* See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
* Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand
25 That I might touch that cheek!

JULIET JULIET
Ay me! Oh, my!
* ROMEO ROMEO
* (aside) She speaks. (to himself) She speaks. Speak again, bright angel. For
* O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art tonight you are as glorious as an angel, shining above my
* As glorious to this night, being o’er my head, head like a winged messenger from heaven who makes
* As is a wingèd messenger of heaven mortals fall onto their backs to gaze up in awe as the
* Unto the white, upturnèd, wondering eyes angel strides across the clouds and sails through the air.
30 Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazypuffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.

* JULIET JULIET
* O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why must you be Romeo? Deny
* Deny thy father and refuse thy name. your father and give up your name. Or, if you won’t
35 Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, change your name, just swear your love to me and I’ll give
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet. up being a Capulet.
ROMEO ROMEO
(aside) Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? (to himself) Should I listen longer, or respond now to these
words?
* JULIET JULIET
* ‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Only your name is my enemy. You’d be yourself even if
* Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. you ceased to be a Montague. What’s a Montague, after
40 What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, all? It’s not a hand, foot, arm, face, or any other body part.
* Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Oh, change your name! What’s the significance of a
* Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! name? The thing we call a rose would smell as sweet
* What’s in a name? That which we call a rose even if we called it by some other name. So even if
* By any other word would smell as sweet. Romeo had some other name, he would still be perfect.
45 So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, Romeo, take off your name—which really has no
Retain that dear perfection which he owes connection to who you are—and take all of me instead.
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name, which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* I take thee at thy word. (Out loud) I take you at your word. If you call me your
50 Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized. love, I’ll take a new name. From now on I’ll never again be
Henceforth I never will be Romeo. Romeo.
JULIET JULIET
What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night, Who are you, hiding in the darkness and eavesdropping
So stumblest on my counsel? on my private thoughts?

* ROMEO ROMEO
* By a name I don’t know how to tell you who I am by using a name. I
* I know not how to tell thee who I am. hate my name, dear saint, because it is your enemy. If I
55 My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself had it written down, I would tear up the word.
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word.

* JULIET JULIET
* My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words I’ve not yet even heard you say a hundred words, yet I
* Of that tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound. recognize the sound of your voice. Aren’t you Romeo, the
60 Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague? Montague?

ROMEO ROMEO
Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike. I’ll be neither of those things, my love, if you dislike them.
* JULIET JULIET
* How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? How and why did you come here? The orchard walls are
* The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, high and difficult to climb. And it will mean your death,
* And the place death, considering who thou art, because of who you are, if any of my family find you here.
65 If any of my kinsmen find thee here.

ROMEO ROMEO
With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, I flew over these walls on the wings of love. No stone
For stony limits cannot hold love out, wall can keep love out. Whatever a man in love can do,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt. love will make him attempt to do it. Therefore your
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me. relatives can’t stop me.

* JULIET JULIET
70 If they do see thee they will murder thee. If they see you they’ll murder you.

ROMEO ROMEO
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye I am more concerned about the look in your eye than I
Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet, would be with twenty of your relatives with swords. If you
And I am proof against their enmity. just look at me with love, their hatred would not be able to
touch me.
JULIET JULIET
I would not for the world they saw thee here. I’d give the world to make sure they do not see you here.
* ROMEO ROMEO
75 I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes, The darkness of night will hide me from their eyes. And if
And but thou love me, let them find me here. you don’t love me, then let them find me. I’d rather they
My life were better ended by their hate killed me in hatred than experience the prolonged death of
Than death proroguèd, wanting of thy love. life without your love.

JULIET JULIET
By whose direction found’st thou out this place? Who told you how to find my my bedroom?
* ROMEO ROMEO
80 By love, that first did prompt me to inquire. Love, which spurred me to come and find you. Love
He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. advised me, while I lent love my eyes. I’m no a sailor.
I am no pilot. Yet, wert thou as far Still, even if you were on the shore across the farthest
As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea, sea, I would set out to find you.
I would adventure for such merchandise.

* JULIET JULIET
85 Thou know’st the mask of night is on my face, The darkness of night masks my face, or else you’d see
* Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek me blushing about the things you heard me say tonight. I
* For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight. would gladly stick to the proper manners of courtship and
* Fain would I dwell on form. Fain, fain deny deny everything I said. But, instead: goodbye good
* What I have spoke. But farewell compliment! manners! Do you love me? I know you will answer “yes,”
90 Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say “ay,” and I will trust you. But your swears may turn out to be
* And I will take thy word. Yet if thou swear’st false. They say that Zeus laughs when lovers lie. Oh
* Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries, noble Romeo, if you really love me, say it in truth. Or if
* They say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo, you think I’m letting myself be won too easily, then I’ll
* If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. frown and act superior and unapproachable so that you’ll
95 Or if thou think’st I am too quickly won, woo me. But if that’s not necessary, then I would never
* I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, act that way. In truth, beautiful Montague, I like you too
* So thou wilt woo. But else, not for the world. much, which might make it seem as if I am overly silly
* In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, and flirtatious. But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove to be
* And therefore thou mayst think my ‘havior light. more faithful than girls who act coy and standoffish. I
100 But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true probably should have acted more standoffish, I confess,
* Than those that have more coying to be strange. but you overheard me talking about my passion for you
* I should have been more strange, I must confess, before I knew you were there. So please forgive me, and
* But that thou overheard’st, ere I was ‘ware, don’t condemn me for so quickly falling in love when it
* My true love’s passion. Therefore pardon me, was only revealed to you because the dark night let you
105 And not impute this yielding to light love, discover it.
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
ROMEO ROMEO
Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow, Lady, I swear by the sacred moon, which outlines in silver
That tips with silver all these fruittree tops— the tops of these fruit trees—

* JULIET JULIET
* O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, Please don’t swear by the moon, the unreliable moon,
110 That monthly changes in her circle orb, which changes its position in the sky each month. I do not
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. want your love to end up being similarly variable.
ROMEO ROMEO
What shall I swear by? What should I swear by?
* JULIET JULIET
* Do not swear at all. Don’t swear at all. Or, if you must swear, swear by your
* Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, magnificent self, which is the god I worship like an idol,
* Which is the god of my idolatry, and I’ll believe you.
115 And I’ll believe thee.

ROMEO ROMEO
If my heart’s dear love— If my heart’s dear love—
* JULIET JULIET
* Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee, Well, don’t swear. Although you bring me joy, I can’t take
* I have no joy of this contract tonight. joy in this exchange of promises tonight. It’s too wild,
* It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, thoughtless, sudden. It’s too much like lightning, which
* Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be disappears before you can even say, “it’s lightning.” My
120 Ere one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night. love, good night. Our love, which now is like a flower bud,
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, may blossom in the summer air into a beautiful flower by
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. the next time we meet. Good night! I hope you fell in your
Good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest heart the same sweet calm and rest that I feel in mine.
Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
* ROMEO ROMEO
125 O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Are you going to leave me so unsatisfied?

JULIET JULIET
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight? What satisfaction could you have tonight?
ROMEO ROMEO
Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine. If we exchanged vows of love.
JULIET JULIET
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it, I pledged my love before you even requested it. But now I
And yet I would it were to give again. wish I could take that promise back to give again.

* ROMEO ROMEO
130 Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love? You’d take back your vow? Why, my love?

* JULIET JULIET
* But to be frank, and give it thee again. In order to generously give it to you again. But I’m wishing
* And yet I wish but for the thing I have. for something I have already. My generosity to you is as
* My bounty is as boundless as the sea, endless as the sea, my love as deep as the sea. The
* My love as deep. The more I give to thee, more love I give you, the more I have. Both are infinite.
135 The more I have, for both are infinite.

NURSE calls from within The NURSE calls from offstage.

I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.— I hear a noise from inside. Dear love, goodbye—Just a
Anon, good Nurse!—Sweet Montague, be true. second, Nurse!—Sweet Montague, be true. Stay for a
Stay but a little. I will come again. moment. I’ll come right back.

Exit JULIET, above JULIET exits.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* O blessèd, blessèd night! I am afeard, Oh, blessed, blessed night! Because it’s night, I’m scared
140 Being in night, all this is but a dream, that all this is a dream. It is too wonderful to be real.
Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
Enter JULIET, above JULIET enters on her balcony.

* JULIET JULIET
* Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. Three words, dear Romeo, and then good night. If your
* If that thy bent of love be honorable, love is honorable and you want to marry me, send me
* Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow word tomorrow. I’ll find a messenger who will come to
145 By one that I’ll procure to come to thee you, and you can tell that messenger when and where we
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, will be married. All my fortunes I’ll lay at your feet and
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay follow you, my lord, all over the world.
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

NURSE NURSE
(from within) Madam! (offstage) Madam!
* JULIET JULIET
150 I come, anon.—But if thou mean’st not well, I’ll be right there! (to ROMEO) But if your intentions are
I do beseech thee— not honorable, I beg you—
NURSE NURSE
(from within) Madam! (offstage) Madam!
* JULIET JULIET
* By and by, I come.— In a second, I’m coming!— (to ROMEO) to give up your
* To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief. efforts to win me and leave me to grieve. I’ll send the
155 Tomorrow will I send. messenger tomorrow.

ROMEO ROMEO
So thrive my soul— My soul depends on it—
JULIET JULIET
A thousand times good night! A thousand times good night.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* A thousand times the worse to want thy light. It is a thousand times worse to leave you. A lover goes
* Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, toward his beloved as joyfully as a schoolboy leaving his
160 But love from love, toward school with heavy looks. books. But when a lover leaves his beloved, he is as
unhappy as a schoolboy on his way to school.
Moves to exit. Reenter JULIET, above ROMEO starts to leave. JULIET returns, on her balcony.

* JULIET JULIET
* Hist! Romeo, hist!—Oh, for a falconer’s voice, Psst! Romeo! Psst! Oh, I wish I could cry out like a
* To lure this tasselgentle back again! falconer, so I could call my little falcon to return to me.
* Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud, Stuck as I am in my family’s house, I have to be quiet.
* Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, Otherwise I would tear open the cave where Echo sleeps
165 And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine, and make her call out my love’s name until her voice grew
With repetition of “My Romeo!” more hoarse than mine by repeating, “My Romeo!”
ROMEO ROMEO
It is my soul that calls upon my name. It is my soul that calls out my name. Lovers voices at
How silversweet sound lovers’ tongues by night, night sound silversweet, the most lovely music to lovers’
Like softest music to attending ears! ears.

* JULIET JULIET
170 Romeo! Romeo!

ROMEO ROMEO
My nyas? My little hawk?
JULIET JULIET
What o’clock tomorrow At what time tomorrow should I send the messenger to
Shall I send to thee? you?

ROMEO ROMEO
By the hour of nine. Nine o’clock.
JULIET JULIET
I will not fail. ‘Tis twenty year till then. I won’t fail. It will feel like twenty years til then. I’ve
I have forgot why I did call thee back. forgotten why I called you back.

ROMEO ROMEO
Let me stand here till thou remember it. I’ll stand here until you remember.
* JULIET JULIET
175 I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, I’ll forget it, so you’ll have to stand there forever, because
Remembering how I love thy company. of how much I love your company.
ROMEO ROMEO
And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget, And I’ll remain here, even if you keep forgetting. I’ll forget
Forgetting any other home but this. that I have any other home but here.

* JULIET JULIET
* ‘Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone. It’s almost morning. I want to force you to go. Yet I would
180 And yet no further than a wanton’s bird, not let you move any further than a spoiled child would let
That lets it hop a little from his hand his pet bird go. The child so loves the bird that he will not
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, let the bird hop any more than a small distance from his
And with a silken thread plucks it back again, hand before pulling it back by a silk thread.
So lovingjealous of his liberty.

* ROMEO ROMEO
185 I would I were thy bird. I wish I was your bird.

JULIET JULIET
Sweet, so would I. My sweet, so do I. But I would pet you so much it would
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. kill you. Good night. Good night! Parting is such sweet
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow sorrow that I will say good night until it becomes
That I shall say good night till it be morrow. tomorrow.


* ROMEO ROMEO
* Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast. Sleep well and peacefully. I wish that I were sleep and
190 Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest. peace, so I could sleep with you. From here I’ll go see my
Hence will I to my ghostly friar’s close cell, priest, to tell him of my luck and ask for his help.
His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.

Exit He exits.

Act 2, Scene 3
Get the Romeo and

Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE, with a basket FRIAR LAWRENCE enters by himself, carrying a basket.

* FRIAR LAWRENCE FRIAR LAWRENCE
* The grayeyed morn smiles on the frowning night, The morning smiles as it replaces frowning night and
* Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light, streaks light across the clouds in the east. Darkness
* And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels staggers like a drunkard from the sun’s path. Now, before
* From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels. the sun rises, bringing on the day and drying the dew, I
5 Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye, must fill my basket with poisonous weeds and the
* The day to cheer and night’s dank dew to dry, precious nectar of flowers. The Earth is both nature’s
* I must upfill this osier cage of ours mother and its tomb. Plants arise from the Earth as from a
* With baleful weeds and preciousjuicèd flowers. womb, and when they die are buried in the Earth. Many
* The earth, that’s natu re’s mother, is her tomb. different plants and animals come from the Earth’s womb.
10 What is her burying, grave that is her womb. All of these children find nourishment from the Earth, and
* And from her womb children of divers kind all have some special, unique virtue. There is a power that
* We sucking on her natural bosom find, resides in herbs, plants, and stones. For there’s nothing on
* Many for many virtues excellent, Earth that’s so evil that it does not also provide the earth
* None but for some and yet all different. with some kind of good. Nor is there anything so good that
15 Oh, mickle is the powerful grace that lies it can’t be turned bad if it’s abused and used incorrectly.
* In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities. Virtue, when misused, turns to vice, while vice can
* For naught so vile that on the earth doth live sometimes become virtue through proper action.
* But to the earth some special good doth give.
* Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use
20 Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,
And vice sometime by action dignified.

* Within the infant rind of this small flower Within the small rind of this little flower there is both
* Poison hath residence and medicine power. poison and medicine. If you smell it, you feel good. If you
25 For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part; taste it, it stops your heart. Two opposing elements, good
* Being tasted, stays all senses with the heart. and evil, reside in both men and herbs.In the cases where
* Two such opposèd kings encamp them still, evil predominates, death like a cancer will soon kill the
* In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will.And where the plant or body.
* worser is predominant,
30 Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.
ROMEO ROMEO
Good morrow, Father. Good morning, father.
* Benedicite. God bless you. Whose voice greets me so sweetly this
* What early tongue so sweet saluteth me? early in the morning? My son, jumping so quickly out of
* Young son, it argues a distempered head bed this early indicates some trouble in your thoughts. All
* So soon to bid good morrow to thy bed. old men have concerns, and these worries never let them
35 Care keeps his watch in every old man’s eye, sleep. Young men, though, should be carefree and without
* And where care lodges, sleep will never lie. worry, and their sleep should be restful and long.
* But where unbruisèd youth with unstuffed brain Therefore, the fact that you’re awake so early makes it
* Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign. clear that some anxiety has you in its grip. Or, if that’s not
* Therefore thy earliness doth me assure true, then I’d guess that you actually never went to sleep
40 Thou art uproused by some distemperature. at all tonight.
Or if not so, then here I hit it right:
Our Romeo hath not been in bed tonight.
ROMEO ROMEO
That last is true. The sweeter rest was mine. That last is right. The rest I had was sweeter than sleep.
FRIAR LAWRENCE FRIAR LAWRENCE
God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline? God forgive all sin!—Did you sleep with Rosaline?
* ROMEO ROMEO
45 With Rosaline, my ghostly Father? No. With Rosaline, holy father? No, I have forgotten her and
I have forgot that name and that name’s woe. the sadness she gave me.
That’s my good son. But where hast thou been, then? That’s good, my son. But where were you, then?
* ROMEO ROMEO
* I’ll tell thee ere thou ask it me again. I’ll tell you before you ask me again. I’ve been at a party
* I have been feasting with mine enemy, with my enemy, where suddenly someone wounded me
50 Where on a sudden one hath wounded me, and was in turn wounded by me. But both of us can be
That’s by me wounded. Both our remedies cured by your holy power. I hold no hatred, blessed father,
Within thy help and holy physic lies. because my request will also help my enemy.
I bear no hatred, blessèd man, for, lo,
My intercession likewise steads my foe.
55 Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift. Speak plainly, my son. Be clear. A confusing confession
Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift. will result only in confused absolution.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set Here it is set plain: I love the beautiful daughter of rich
* On the fair daughter of rich Capulet. Capulet. I love her, and she loves me. We’re bound
* As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine, together, and need only for you to combine us completely
60 And all combined, save what thou must combine by marrying us. In good time I’ll tell you about when and
By holy marriage. When and where and how where and how we met, how we wooed each other and
We met, we wooed and made exchange of vow, vowed our love. But now I pray that you will agree to
I’ll tell thee as we pass, but this I pray: marry us today.
That thou consent to marry us today.
65 Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Holy Saint Francis, what an incredible change! Have you
* Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so quickly abandoned Rosaline, whom you loved so
* So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies much? If so, then young men love not with their hearts but
* Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. with their eyes. Jesus and Mary, you cried so many tears
* Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine for Rosaline! So many salty teardrops wasted seasoning
70 Hath washed thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline! a love you never even tasted! The sun has not yet burned
* How much salt water thrown away in waste away the fog from all your sighs. My old ears are still
* To season love that of it doth not taste! ringing from your groans. And look, here on your cheek
* The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears, there’s a stain from an old tear that has not yet been
* Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears. washed off. If you were ever yourself and this sorrow
75 Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit yours, you and your sorrow were all for Rosaline. And are
* Of an old tear that is not washed off yet. you now changed? Then say the following: women will
* If e’er thou wast thyself and these woes thine, never be faithful when men are so unreliable.
* Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline.
* And art thou changed? Pronounce this sentence then:
80 Women may fall when there’s no strength in men.

ROMEO ROMEO
Thou chid’st me oft for loving Rosaline. You often scolded me for loving Rosaline.
For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. I scolded you for obsessing, not for loving, my student.
ROMEO ROMEO
And badest me bury love. And urged me to bury my love.
Not in a grave, But not to bury it in a grave in order to start a new love.
To lay one in, another out to have.
* ROMEO ROMEO
85 I pray thee, chide not. Her I love now I beg you, don’t scold me. The one I love now returns my
Doth grace for grace and love for love allow. love. The other did not.
The other did not so.
* Oh, she knew well Oh, Rosaline knew that you were playacting at love but
* Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. did actually understand what love means. But come with
* But come, young waverer, come, go with me, me, my young unreliable friend. I’ll help you, because it’s
90 In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, possible that this marriage may transform your two
For this alliance may so happy prove families’ hatred into pure love.
To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.
ROMEO ROMEO
Oh, let us hence. I stand on sudden haste. Let’s go, then! Let’s do this quickly.
Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast. Wisely and slowly is best. Those who go too quickly
always stumble.
Exeunt They exit.

Act 2, Scene 4
Get the Romeo and

Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO enter.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Where the devil should this Romeo be? Where the devil is Romeo? Did he come home last night?
Came he not home tonight?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Not to his father’s. I spoke with his man. Not to his father’s house. I asked Romeo’s servant.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Why, that same pale hardhearted wench, that Rosaline, Rosaline, that paleskinned, hardhearted wench, torments
5 Torments him so, that he will sure run mad. him so much that he’s going to go insane.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Tybalt, the kinsman to old Capulet, Tybalt, old Capulet’s kinsman, has sent a letter to
Hath sent a letter to his father’s house. Romeo’s father’s house.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
A challenge, on my life. I bet it’s a challenge.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Romeo will answer it. Romeo will answer it.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
10 Any man that can write may answer a letter. Any man who can write is able to answer a letter.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Nay, he will answer the letter’s master, how he dares, being No, Romeo will respond to the letter writer and accept the
dared. challenge.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Alas, poor Romeo! He is already dead, stabbed with a white Poor Romeo! He is already dead: stabbed by the black
* wench’s black eye, shot through the ear with a love song, the eye of a fairskinned girl, cut through the ear by a love
15 very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bowboy’s butt shaft. song. The very core of his heart has been split by blind
And is he a man to encounter Tybalt? Cupid’s arrow. Is he really man enough to fight Tybalt?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Why, what is Tybalt? Why, what’s up with Tybalt?
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* More than Prince of Cats. Oh, he’s the courageous captain of He’s more than just the Prince of Cats. He does
* compliments. He fights as you sing pricksong, keeps time, everything according to convention. He fights like you sing
* distance, and proportion. He rests his minim rests—one, two, printed music, carefully keeping the correct time, distance,
20 and the third in your bosom. The very butcher of a silk button, a and rhythm. He rests when it is proper to rest: one, two,
duelist, a duelist, a gentleman of the very first house of the first and the third in your heart. He’s a master duelist who can
and second cause. Ah, the immortal passado, the punto reverso, hit any of his opponent’s buttons that he chooses. He’s a
the hai! gentleman who learned at the finest fencing school, and
he’s skilled at identifying insults and slights to his honor
so that he’s “forced” to fight. He knows the passado—the
forward thrust—the punto reverso—the backhand thrust—
and the hai—the thrust for the heart.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
25 The what? He knows what?

* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* The pox on such antic, lisping, affecting fantasmines, these new A curse on these wild, pompous fellows who are always
* tuners of accents! “By Jesu, a very good blade! A very tall man! spouting exotic foreign phrases. These fellows, who say
* A very good whore!” Why, is not this a lamentable thing, things like: “By Jesus, this is a very good blade! A very
* grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with these strange brave man! A very good whore.” Isn’t it a sad thing, good
30 flies, these fashionmongers, these “pardon me’s,” who stand so man, that we are forced to interact with these foreign flies,
much on the new form, that they cannot sit at ease on the old these fashionmongers, these fellows who say “pardon me”
bench? Oh, their bones, their bones! and care so deeply about good manners that they can’t
relax on a bench without groaning, “Oh, my aching bones!”

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo. Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
35 Without his roe, like a dried herring. O flesh, flesh, how art thou He looks skinny as a dried herring without its eggs. O
* fishified! Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in. flesh, flesh, you’ve turned pale as a fish. Now he’s just
* Laura to his lady was but a kitchenwench— marry, she had a like Petrarch’s hopeless love poetry. In Romeo’s opinion,
* better love to berhyme her—Dido a dowdy, Cleopatra a gypsy, compared to his own lady love: Petrarch’s Laura was like
* Helen and Hero hildings and harlots, Thisbe a grey eye or so, a kitchen slave (though Laura clearly had a lover who was
40 but not to the purpose.— Signior Romeo, bonjour! There’s a better at making rhymes); Dido was drab and dull;
French salutation to your French slop. You gave us the Cleopatra was a gypsy girl; Helen and Hero were foodfor
counterfeit fairly last night. nothing harlots; Thisbe might have had beautiful eyes, but
that doesn’t matter. (to ROMEO) Signor Romeo, bonjour.
There’s a French greeting to match the loose highfashion
French pants you’re wearing. You tricked us good last
night.
ROMEO ROMEO
Good morrow to you both. What counterfeit did I give you? Good morning to you both. What do you mean I tricked
you?
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
45 The slip, sir, the slip. Can you not conceive? You gave us the slip, sir, the slip. Do you understand me
now?
ROMEO ROMEO
Pardon, good Mercutio, my business was great, and in such a I’m sorry, good Mercutio. My business was so important
case as mine a man may strain courtesy. that I must be forgiven for stretching good manners and
courtesy.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
That’s as much as to say, such a case as yours constrains a So what you’re saying is that your “business” forced you
man to bow in the hams. to flex your legs.
* ROMEO ROMEO
50 Meaning “to curtsy”? Meaning make a curtsy?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Thou hast most kindly hit it. Now you’ve “hit it.”
ROMEO ROMEO
A most courteous exposition. What a courteous explanation.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy. Indeed, I am the very “pink” of courtesy.
ROMEO ROMEO
Pink for flower. As in pink flower
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
55 Right. Right.

ROMEO ROMEO
Why, then is my pump well flowered. Well, then my pump is covered in flowers.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Sure wit, follow me this jest now till thou hast worn out thy Ah, witty Romeo, now you’ve taken this joke so far that
pump, that when the single sole of it is worn, the jest may it’s worn out your pump. With the sole of your pump now
remain, after the wearing solely singular. worn away, the joke is all that remains.
* ROMEO ROMEO
60 O singlesoled jest, solely singular for the singleness. This jest has such a thin sole, and is unique only because
of its lameness.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Come between us, good Benvolio. My wits faints. Please break up this war of words, Benvolio. My wits
can’t keep up.
ROMEO ROMEO
Switch and spurs, switch and spurs, or I’ll cry a match. Continue, continue, or I’ll proclaim victory.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Nay, if our wits run the wildgoose chase, I am done, for thou No, if our witticisms go on a wildgoose chase, I’m done
* hast more of the wildgoose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I for. You have more wild goose in one of your jokes than I
65 have in my whole five. Was I with you there for the goose? have in five of mine. Was I even close to you in our
goose chase?
ROMEO ROMEO
Thou wast never with me for anything when thou wast not there You would not have been with me for anything if you
for the goose. weren’t there for the goose.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
I will bite thee by the ear for that jest. I’ll bite you on the ear for that joke.
ROMEO ROMEO
Nay, good goose, bite not. No, good goose, don’t bite me.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
70 Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting. It is a most sharp sauce. Your wit is a bitter apple, a spicy sauce.

ROMEO ROMEO
And is it not well served into a sweet goose? Isn’t that the perfect sauce for a sweet goose?
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Oh, here’s a wit of cheveril, that stretches from an inch narrow Oh, that joke is made of leather so thin it has been
to an ell broad! stretched from an inch wide to a full fat yard.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* I stretch it out for that word “broad,” which, added to the goose, I stretched it for that word “fat.” Add that to the goose, and
75 proves thee far and wide a broad goose. it makes you a fat goose.

* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? Now art thou Now, isn’t this jesting better than groaning about love?
* sociable. Now art thou Romeo. Now art thou what thou art—by Now you’re being sociable. Now you’re Romeo. Now you
* art as well as by nature, for this driveling love is like a great are what you truly are, both naturally and through
* natural that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole. education. In contrast, this love of yours made you like
80 some fool who runs all over the place looking for a hole in
which to hide his precious trinket.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Stop there, stop there. Stop there, stop there.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the hair. You’re asking me to stop my tale before it’s finished.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Thou wouldst else have made thy tale large. Continuing on would have made your tale too long.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Oh, thou art deceived. I would have made it short, for I was You’re wrong there. I would have made it short. I had
85 come to the whole depth of my tale, and meant, indeed, to come to the full depth of my tale, and intended to say
occupy the argument no longer. nothing more about it.
Enter NURSE and her man PETER The NURSE enters with her servant, PETER.

ROMEO ROMEO
Here’s goodly gear. Now here’s something.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
A sail, a sail! A sail, a sail!
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Two, two—a shirt and a smock. No, two sails—a man in a shirt and a woman in a dress.
* NURSE NURSE
90 Peter! Peter!

PETER PETER
Anon! In a moment.
NURSE NURSE
My fan, Peter. Give me my fan, Peter.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Good, Peter, to hide her face, for her fan’s the fairer face. Good Peter, to hide her face, please give her the fan. Her
fan is prettier than her face.
NURSE NURSE
God ye good morrow, gentlemen. Good morning, gentlemen.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
95 God ye good e’en, fair gentlewoman. Good afternoon, fair lady.

NURSE NURSE
Is it good e’en? Is it afternoon?
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
‘Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the dial is now It’s not any earlier, I tell you. The rough hand of the clock
upon the prick of noon. is now upon the prick of noon.
NURSE NURSE
Out upon you! What a man are you? Get out! What kind of man are you?
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
One, gentlewoman, that God hath made, himself to mar. A man, good lady, whom God has made for himself to
ruin.
* NURSE NURSE
100 By my troth, it is well said. “For himself to mar,” quoth he? I swear, that seems the truth. “For himself to ruin,” he
Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I may find the young says. Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I can find
Romeo? young Romeo?
* ROMEO ROMEO
* I can tell you, but young Romeo will be older when you have I can tell you, but young Romeo will be older when you
* found him than he was when you sought him. I am the youngest have found him than he was when you began to look for
105 of that name, for fault of a worse. him. I am the youngest man by that name, because there
is none younger or worse.
NURSE NURSE
You say well. You speak well.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Yea, is the worst well? Very well took, i’ faith, wisely, wisely. Is the worst well? Very well taken, in truth, very wise.
NURSE NURSE
If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you. If you’re Romeo, sir, I would like to have a private
conversation with you.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
She will indite him to some supper. She will invite him to dinner.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
110 A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho! A pimp! A pimp! A pimp! That’s it!

ROMEO ROMEO
What hast thou found? What have you discovered?
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
No hare, sir, unless a hare, sir, in a Lenten pie—that is, Well, she can’t be a prostitute unless she’s so stale and
something stale and hoar ere it be spent. old that she’s only tasted when nothing else is available.
* (sings) (sings)
* An old hare hoar, Old rabbit meat
115 And an old hare hoar, Old rabbit meat
Is very good meat in Lent. Is good meat if you can’t get anything else,
But a hare that is hoar But old moldy rabbit,
Is too much for a score Is a waste of your coin
When it hoars ere it be spent. If it goes moldy before you can eat it
(speaks) (speaking)
120 Romeo, will you come to your father’s? We’ll to dinner, thither. Romeo, are you going to your father’s? We’re having

lunch there. Let’s go.
ROMEO ROMEO
I will follow you. I’ll follow after you.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Farewell, ancient lady. Farewell, lady, lady, lady. Farewell, old lady. Farewell, lady, lady, lady.
Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO exit.

NURSE NURSE
I pray you, sir, what saucy merchant was this that was so full of Please tell me, sir, who was that foulmouthed fellow with
his ropery? all his dirty jokes?
* ROMEO ROMEO
125 A gentleman, Nurse, that loves to hear himself talk, and will Nurse, he’s a gentleman who loves to hear himself talk.
speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month. He says more in one minute than he will stand behind in a
month.
* NURSE NURSE
* An he speak any thing against me, I’ll take him down, an he If he says anything against me, I’ll teach him a lesson,
* were lustier than he is, and twenty such Jacks. And if I cannot, even if he were tougher than he is—and twenty wise
* I’ll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirtgills. asses like him. And if I couldn’t take him down myself, I’ll
130 I am none of his skainsmates. (to PETER) And thou must stand find someone who can. That rotten scoundrel! I’m not one
by, too, and suffer every knave to use me at his pleasure? of his flirty girls. I’m not one of his lowlife scheming
friends. (to PETER) And you just stand aside, letting
every punk make fun of me for pleasure?
* PETER PETER
* I saw no man use you at his pleasure. If I had, my weapon I didn’t see anybody use you for pleasure. If I had, I’d
* should quickly have been out, I warrant you. I dare draw as soon have quickly pulled out my weapon, I assure you. I draw
135 as another man if I see occasion in a good quarrel and the law my sword as quickly as any other man if I see a good
on my side. fight brewing and the law is on my side.
* NURSE NURSE
* Now, afore God, I am so vexed that every part about me Now, by God, I’m so pissed that I’m shaking. That jerk!
* quivers. Scurvy knave! (to ROMEO) Pray you, sir, a word. And (to ROMEO) Now, good sir, may I speak with you? My
* as I told you, my young lady bid me inquire you out. What she young mistress sent me to find you. What she told me to
140 bade me say, I will keep to myself. But first let me tell ye, if ye say, I will keep to myself. But first let me say: if you lead
* should lead her into a fool’s paradise, as they say, it were a very her into a fool’s paradise, as they say, it would be
* gross kind of behavior, as they say. For the gentlewoman is extremely indecent behavior, as they say. The girl is
* young, and therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it young. So if you should deceive her, it would be an awful
* were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very thing to do to any woman and very poor manners.
145 weak dealing.
ROMEO ROMEO
Nurse, commend me to thy lady and mistress. I protest unto Nurse, speak well of me to your mistress. I pledge to you
thee— —
NURSE NURSE
Good heart, and i’ faith, I will tell her as much. Lord, Lord, she Your heart is good, and I promise, I will tell her that. Lord,
will be a joyful woman. Lord, she will be a joyful woman.
* ROMEO ROMEO
150 What wilt thou tell her, Nurse? Thou dost not mark me. What are you going to tell her, Nurse? You’re not
understanding me.
NURSE NURSE
I will tell her, sir, that you do protest, which, as I take it, is a I will tell her, sir, that you protest to her, which I think is a
gentlemanlike offer. gentlemanly offer. (Editor’s note: The Nurse here is
mistaking the word “protest” for the word “propose.”)
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Bid her devise Tell her to devise a way to come to confession this
* Some means to come to shrift this afternoon. afternoon. And there, at Friar Lawrence’s cell, she can
155 And there she shall at Friar Lawrence’ cell make confession and we will be married. (Holds out some
Be shrived and married. (gives her coins) Here is for thy pains. money to the Nurse) Here is a reward for your efforts.
NURSE NURSE
No, truly, sir. Not a penny. No, truly, sir. I won’t take your money.
ROMEO ROMEO
Go to. I say you shall. Go on, I insist.
NURSE NURSE
(takes the money) This afternoon, sir? Well, she shall be there. (taking the money) This afternoon, sir? She will be there.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* And stay, good Nurse. Behind the abbey wall Just a moment, good Nurse. In an hour, behind the abbey
160 Within this hour my man shall be with thee wall, one of my servants will meet you and give you a
* And bring thee cords made like a tackled stair, rope ladder. I’ll then use the ladder to secretly climb up to
* Which to the high topgallant of my joy Juliet’s room tonight. Farewell. Be worthy of my trust, and
* Must be my convoy in the secret night. I’ll repay your help. Farewell. Speak well of me to your
* Farewell. Be trusty, and I’ll quit thy pains. mistress.
165 Farewell. Commend me to thy mistress.

NURSE NURSE
Now God in heaven bless thee! Hark you, sir. May God in heaven bless you. Now listen, sir.
ROMEO ROMEO
What sayst thou, my dear Nurse? What, my dear Nurse?
NURSE NURSE
Is your man secret? Did you ne’er hear say, Can your servant be trusted? Have you ever heard the
“Two may keep counsel, putting one away”? saying, “Two men may keep a secret, but only if one is far
away.”
* ROMEO ROMEO
170 Warrant thee, my man’s as true as steel. I guarantee, my man is as trustworthy.

* NURSE NURSE
* Well, sir, my mistress is the sweetest lady.—Lord, Lord! when Well, sir, my mistress is the sweetest lady. Lord, Lord,
* ’twas a little prating thing.—Oh, there is a nobleman in town, one when she was a little baby—Oh, there is one nobleman in
* Paris, that would fain lay knife aboard, but she, good soul, had the city, Paris, who would gladly lay claim to her. But
* as lief see a toad, a very toad, as see him. I anger her Juliet, good soul that she is, would rather be with a toad, a
175 sometimes and tell her that Paris is the properer man. But, I’ll toad, than him. Sometimes I make her angry by telling her
warrant you, when I say so, she looks as pale as any clout in that Paris is better looking than you. I swear to you, when
the versal world. Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with I say that she turns as white as any sheet in the entire
a letter? world. Don’t “rosemary” and “Romeo” begin with the same
letter?
* ROMEO ROMEO
180 Ay, Nurse, what of that? Both with an R. Yes, Nurse, what about that? Both begin with an “R.”

NURSE NURSE
Ah, mocker, that’s the dog’s name. R is for the—No, I know it Ah, you jokester—that’s the dog’s name. “R” is for the—
begins with some other letter, and she hath the prettiest no, I know that word begins with another letter. (Editor’s
sententious of it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you good note: the nurse is thinking of the word “arse.”) She says
to hear it. such pretty things about you and rosemary that it would
do you good to hear them.
* ROMEO ROMEO
185 Commend me to thy lady. Speak well of me to your lady.

NURSE NURSE
Ay, a thousand times —Peter! Yes, a thousand times — Peter!
PETER PETER
Anon! I’m ready.
NURSE NURSE
Before and apace. Go ahead of me, and quickly.
Exeunt All exit.

Act 2, Scene 5
Get the Romeo and

JULIET enters.
Enter JULIET

* JULIET JULIET
* The clock struck nine when I did send the Nurse. It was nine o’clock when I sent the Nurse. She promised
* In half an hour she promised to return. to be back in half an hour. Maybe she can’t find him. No,
* Perchance she cannot meet him. That’s not so. that makes no sense. Oh, she’s so slow! Love’s
* Oh, she is lame! Love’s heralds should be thoughts, messengers should be thoughts, which fly ten times faster
5 Which ten times faster glide than the sun’s beams, than sunbeams and drive the shadows back over the dark
* Driving back shadows over louring hills. and scowling hills. That’s how fast swiftwinged doves
* Therefore do nimblepinioned doves draw love carry the goddess of Love in her chariot, and why Cupid
* And therefore hath the windswift Cupid wings. has wings that propel him as quickly as the wind. Now the
* Now is the sun upon the highmost hill sun is at its highest point in the sky—it’s noon. Three
10 Of this day’s journey, and from nine till twelve hours have passed since nine o’clock, and yet she hasn’t
* Is three long hours, yet she is not come. returned. If she was young and in love, she’d move as fast
* Had she affections and warm youthful blood, as a struck tennis ball. My words would bounce her to my
* She would be as swift in motion as a ball. sweet love, and his words would bounce her back to me.
* My words would bandy her to my sweet love, But old folks act as though they’re dead—awkward, slow,
15 And his to me. heavy, and pale as lead.
But old folks, many feign as they were dead,
Unwieldy, slow, heavy, and pale as lead.

The NURSE and PETER enter.
Enter NURSE and PETER

O God, she comes.—O honey Nurse, what news? Oh God, she’s here! Sweet Nurse, what’s your news? Did
Hast thou met with him? Send thy man away. you meet with him? Send your servant away.
* NURSE NURSE
20 Peter, stay at the gate. Peter, go back and wait at the gate.

PETER exits.
Exit PETER

JULIET JULIET
Now, good sweet Nurse— O Lord, why look’st thou sad? Now, good sweet Nurse—Oh Lord, why do you look so
Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily. sad? If your news is sad, tell it to me as if it’s happy. If it’s
If good, thou shamest the music of sweet news good, you’re messing it up by telling it to me with such a
By playing it to me with so sour a face. sour face like that.
* NURSE NURSE
25 I am aweary. Give me leave awhile. I’m weary. Give me some time alone. Oh, my bones are
Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I! aching! What a journey this has been today.
JULIET JULIET
I would thou hadst my bones and I thy news. I wish you had my bones, and I had your news. I beg you,
Nay, come, I pray thee, speak. Good, good Nurse, speak. speak, good Nurse, speak.

* NURSE NURSE
* Jesu, what haste! Can you not stay awhile? Jesus, what a rush! Can’t you wait for awhile? Don’t you
30 Do you not see that I am out of breath? see that I’m out of breath?

* JULIET JULIET
* How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath How are you out of breath when you have the breath to tell
* To say to me that thou art out of breath? me that you’re out of breath? The excuse you’re making
* The excuse that thou dost make in this delay while delaying telling me what you know is taking longer
* Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse. than it would to tell me your tale. Is your news good or
35 Is thy news good, or bad? Answer to that. bad? Answer that. Tell me that, and I’ll wait for the details.
Say either, and I’ll stay the circumstance. Tell me at least that. Is it good or bad?
Let me be satisfied. Is ’t good or bad?

* NURSE NURSE
* Well, you have made a simple choice. You know not how to Well, you have made an unwise choice. You don’t know
* choose a man. Romeo! No, not he, though his face be better how to choose a man. Romeo? No, not him, even though
40 than any man’s, yet his leg excels all men’s, and for a hand and his face is more handsome than any other man’s, his legs
* a foot and a body, though they be not to be talked on, yet they are prettier. His hands and feet and body aren’t much to
* are past compare. He is not the flower of courtesy, but, I’ll speak of, and yet they’re beyond compare. He isn’t the
* warrant him, as gentle as a lamb. Go thy ways, wench. Serve most courteous man, but, I’d swear that he’s as gentle as
* God. What, have you dined at home? a lamb. So do what you want, girl. Be good. Hey, have you
45 already eaten lunch?

JULIET JULIET
No, no. But all this did I know before. No, no. I already knew everything you just said. What did
What says he of our marriage? What of that? he say about our marriage? What about that?
* NURSE NURSE
* Lord, how my head aches! What a head have I! Lord, I have such a headache! It’s pounding as if it’s about
* It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. to break into twenty pieces. And on my other side my back
50 My back a’ t’ other side. Ah, my back, my back! is aching—ah, my back! Curse your heart for sending me
Beshrew your heart for sending me about, out and about. I could get sick and die from all this
To catch my death with jaunting up and down! journeying around.
JULIET JULIET
I’ faith, I am sorry that thou art not well. I swear, I’m sorry you’re in pain. Sweet, sweet, sweet
Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love? Nurse, tell me, what says my love?
* NURSE NURSE
55 Your love says, like an honest gentleman, and a courteous, and a Your love says, like an honorable, courteous, kind,
kind, and a handsome, and, I warrant, a virtuous— Where is your handsome, and, I believe, virtuous gentleman — where is
mother? your mother?
* JULIET JULIET
* Where is my mother? Why, she is within. Where’s my mother? Why, she’s inside. Where else would
* Where should she be? How oddly thou repliest! she be? What a strange answer! “Your love says, like an
60 “Your love says, like an honest gentleman, honorable gentleman, ‘Where is your mother?’”
‘Where is your mother?’”
NURSE NURSE
O God’s lady dear, Mary, mother of God! Are you in such a hurry? Indeed, you
Are you so hot? Marry, come up, I trow. need to calm down. Is this the way to soothe my aching
Is this the poultice for my aching bones? bones? From here on out, carry your own messages.
Henceforward do your messages yourself.
* JULIET JULIET
65 Here’s such a coil. Come, what says Romeo? What a fuss you’re making. Please, what did Romeo say?

NURSE NURSE
Have you got leave to go to shrift today? Do you have permission to go to confession today?
JULIET JULIET
I have. I do.
* NURSE NURSE
* Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’s cell. Then hurry up and go to Friar Lawrence’s cell. There waits
* There stays a husband to make you a wife. a husband to make you his wife. Now the lustful blood is
70 Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks. rushing up to your cheeks. You blush scarlet whenever you
* They’ll be in scarlet straight at any news. get excited at some news. Get to church. I must go
* Hie you to church. I must another way elsewhere to get a rope ladder that your love will use to
* To fetch a ladder, by the which your love climb up to your window when it’s dark. I do the drudge
* Must climb a bird’s nest soon when it is dark. work for your pleasure. But soon, tonight, you’ll be doing
75 I am the drudge and toil in your delight, your “wifely work” with Romeo. Go. I’ll go to lunch. You go
But you shall bear the burden soon at night. to Friar Lawrence’s cell.
Go. I’ll to dinner. Hie you to the cell.
JULIET JULIET
Hie to high fortune! Honest Nurse, farewell. I go to claim my luck. Loyal Nurse, farewell.
They exit.
Exeunt

Act 2, Scene 6
Get the Romeo and

FRIAR LAWRENCE and ROMEO enter.
Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE and ROMEO

So smile the heavens upon this holy act May the heavens smile upon this holy act of marriage, so
That afterhours with sorrow chide us not. that afterwards nothing happens to make us feel sorrowful
about it.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Amen, amen. But come what sorrow can, Amen, amen. But whatever sorrow comes, it couldn’t
* It cannot countervail the exchange of joy overwhelm the joy I feel from a single look at her. If you
5 That one short minute gives me in her sight. join our hands with holy words, then lovedevouring death
Do thou but close our hands with holy words, can do whatever it wants. It’s enough for me if I can just
Then lovedevouring death do what he dare; call her mine.
It is enough I may but call her mine.

* These violent delights have violent ends Such passionate joys have violent endings. They die in
10 And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, their moment of triumph, just like a spark and gunpowder,
* Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey when they touch, destroy themselves in an explosion.
* Is loathsome in his own deliciousness Even the most delicious honey is loathsome when you’ve
* And in the taste confounds the appetite. had too much, and takes away your appetite. Loving in
* Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so. moderation is therefore the key to longlasting love. Going
15 Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. too fast is as bad as going too slow.

JULIET rushes in and embraces ROMEO.
Enter JULIET, somewhat fast, and embraceth ROMEO

* Here comes the lady. Oh, so light a foot Here comes the lady. Oh,a footstep as light as hers will
* Will ne’er wear out the everlasting flint. never endure the rocky road of life. Lovers are so light they
* A lover may bestride the gossamers can walk on a spiderweb floating on a summer breeze, and
* That idles in the wanton summer air, yet not fall. That’s how flimsy and unreal pleasure is.
20 And yet not fall. So light is vanity.

JULIET JULIET
Good even to my ghostly confessor. Good evening, my spiritual confessor.
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Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both. Romeo will thank you, my girl, for both of us.
JULIET JULIET
As much to him, else is his thanks too much. I’ll give him equal thanks, so we’re even.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy Ah, Juliet if you’re as happy as I am, and you’re better with
25 Be heaped like mine, and that thy skill be more words, tell me about the happiness you imagine we’ll have
To blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath in our marriage.
This neighbor air, and let rich music’s tongue
Unfold the imagined happiness that both
Receive in either by this dear encounter.

* JULIET JULIET
30 Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, I can imagine more than I can say—I have more on my
Brags of his substance, not of ornament. mind than words. Anyone who can count how much he
They are but beggars that can count their worth. has is poor. My true love has made me so rich that I can’t
But my true love is grown to such excess count even half of my wealth.
I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.

35 Come, come with me, and we will make short work. Come, come with me, and we’ll do the job quickly.
For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone Because if you don’t mind, I’m not leaving you two alone
Till holy church incorporate two in one. until you’re united in marriage.

They exit.
Exeunt

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Act 3, Scene 1
Get the Romeo and
MERCUTIO, his page, and BENVOLIO enter with other
Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Mercutio’s PAGE, and others
men.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire. I’m begging you, good Mercutio, let’s go home. It’s hot,
The day is hot; the Capulets, abroad; and the Capulets are all over the place. If we should meet
And if we meet we shall not ’scape a brawl, up with them, we’ll end up fighting them. Hot days like
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. today get people all worked up and angry.

* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
5 Thou art like one of those fellows that, when he enters the You’re the kind of guy who walks into a bar, slaps his
confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table and sword down on the table and says, “I hope I don’t have to
says “God send me no need of thee!” and, by the operation of use you.” By the time he’s having his second drink, he
the second cup, draws it on the drawer when indeed there is no draws his sword on the bartender for no reason.
need.
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
10 Am I like such a fellow? You think I’m like that?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, Come now. You can be as hotblooded as any man in
and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be Italy. You get angry at the smallest thing, and when you’re
moved. in the mood to get angry you always find something to get
angry about.
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
And what to? So what?
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Nay, an there were two such, we should have none shortly, for So, if there were two men such as you, it wouldn’t take
15 one would kill the other. Thou, why, thou wilt quarrel with a man long for there to be none because each of you would kill
* that hath a hair more or a hair less in his beard than thou hast. the other. You, why, you would fight with a man if he had
* Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other one more or one less hair in his beard than you have in
* reason but because thou hast hazel eyes. What eye but such an yours. You’ll fight a man who’s cracking nuts simply
* eye would spy out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels because your own eyes are the color of hazelnuts. Only
20 as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as someone like you would look for that kind of fight. Your
* addle as an egg for quarreling. Thou hast quarreled with a man head is as full of fights as an egg is full of food, but your
* for coughing in the street because he hath wakened thy dog that head has gotten scrambled like an egg from all your
* hath lain asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor for fighting. You once fought with a man who coughed in the
* wearing his new doublet before Easter? With another, for tying street because he woke up your dog that was sleeping in
25 his new shoes with old ribbon? And yet thou wilt tutor me from the sun. And can you deny that you had a falling out with
quarreling! a tailor because he was wearing a new jacket before
Easter? And with another for tying his new shoes with old
laces? And yet you’re trying to tell me how to avoid
fighting?
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the If I were as quick to get into fights as you are, my life
30 fee simple of my life for an hour and a quarter. insurance rates would be immense.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
The fee simple? O simple! Your life insurance? You’re a fool!
TYBALT, PETRUCHIO, and some other CAPULETS
Enter TYBALT, PETRUCHIO, and other CAPULETS
enter.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
By my head, here comes the Capulets. By God, Here come the Capulets.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
By my heel, I care not. By my foot, I couldn’t care less.
* TYBALT TYBALT
* Follow me close, for I will speak to them. (to his men) Follow me closely. I’ll speak to them. (to
35 Gentlemen, good e’en. A word with one of you. BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO) Good afternoon, gentlemen.
I’d like to have a word with one of you.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something. You want a single word with one of us? Combine it with
Make it a word and a blow. something else. Make it a word and a blow.
TYBALT TYBALT
You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me You’ll find me happy to do that, sir, if you give me a
occasion. reason.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Could you not take some occasion without giving? You can’t find a reason without my giving you one?
* TYBALT TYBALT
40 Mercutio, thou consort’st with Romeo. Mercutio, you hang with Romeo.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? An thou make “Hang?” What, are we musicians in a band? If we look
minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Here’s my like musicians to you, you can expect to hear nothing but
fiddlestick. Here’s that shall make you dance. Zounds, “consort”!
noise. (touching his sword) This is my fiddlestick. It will
make you dance. My God — “hang!”
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
45 We talk here in the public haunt of men. We’re talking here in public. Either let’s go somewhere
Either withdraw unto some private place, private and calmly discuss your grievance, or else just go
And reason coldly of your grievances, our separates ways. Here, everybody can see us.
Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Men’s eyes were made to look and let them gaze. Men’s eyes were made to see. Let them watch. I won’t
50 I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I. move for anyone.

ROMEO enters.
Enter ROMEO

TYBALT TYBALT
Well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man. Well, may peace be with you. Here comes the man I’m
after.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery. I’ll be hanged if he’s your servant. Walk out into a field
Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower. and he’ll chase you. That’s the only sense in which you
Your worship in that sense may call him “man.” can call him your “man.”
* TYBALT TYBALT
55 Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford Romeo, I have just one thing to say to you: you’re a
No better term than this: thou art a villain. villain.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Tybalt, I love you for a reason that allows me to ignore the
* Doth much excuse the appertaining rage rage I would normally feel in response to such a greeting.
* To such a greeting. Villain am I none. I’m not a villain. Therefore, goodbye. I can see that you
60 Therefore, farewell. I see thou know’st me not. don’t know me at all.

TYBALT TYBALT
Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries Boy, these words don’t excuse the injuries you’ve done to
That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw. me. Turn and draw your sword.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* I do protest I never injured thee, I’ve never done you harm. In fact, I love you more than
* But love thee better than thou canst devise, you’ll be able to understand until you know the reason
65 Till thou shalt know the reason of my love. behind my love. And so, good Capulet—which is a name I
And so, good Capulet—which name I tender love as dearly as my own—be satisfied.
As dearly as my own—be satisfied.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* O calm dishonourable, vile submission! Such a calm submission is both dishonorable and vile!
* Alla stoccata carries it away. (draws his sword) The thrust of a sword will sweep it away. (draws his
Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk? sword) Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you duel with me?
70

TYBALT TYBALT
What wouldst thou have with me? What do you want from me?
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives, that I Good King of Cats, I want nothing more than one of your
* mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, nine lives. I’ll boldly take that one, and, depending on how
* drybeat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of you behave after that, I just may also beat the rest of the
75 his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your eight out of you too. Will you draw your sword from its
ears ere it be out. sheath? Hurry, or mine will be at your ears before you
have yours out.
TYBALT TYBALT
I am for you. (draws his sword) I’ll duel with you. (draws his sword)
ROMEO ROMEO
Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. Noble Mercutio, put your sword away.
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Come, sir, your passado. (to TYBALT) Get on with it, sir, attack.
MERCUTIO and TYBALT fight
MERCUTIO and TYBALT fight

* ROMEO ROMEO
80 (draws his sword) Draw, Benvolio. Beat down their weapons. (draws his sword) Draw your sword, Benvolio, and help
Gentlemen, for shame! Forbear this outrage. me beat down their weapons. Gentlemen, this is shameful
Tybalt, Mercutio! The Prince expressly hath Tybalt! Mercutio! The Prince has explicitly forbidden
Forbidden bandying in Verona streets. fighting in the streets of Verona. Stop! Tybalt! Good
Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio! Mercutio!
ROMEO tries to break up the fight TYBALT stabs MERCUTIO ROMEO tries to break up the fight. TYBALT stabs
under ROMEO’s am Mercutio under ROMEO’s outstretched arm.
* PETRUCHIO PETRUCHIO
85 Away, Tybalt. Let’s get out of here, Tybalt.

TYBALT, PETRUCHIO, and the other CAPULETS exit.
Exeunt TYBALT, PETRUCHIO, and the other CAPULETS

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
I am hurt. I’m hurt. May a plague strike both your families. I’m done.
A plague o’ both your houses! I am sped. Did he get away without injury?
Is he gone and hath nothing?
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
What, art thou hurt? What, are you hurt?
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough. Yes, yes. A scratch, just a scratch. Yet it’s enough.
90 Where is my page?—Go, villain, fetch a surgeon. Where is my page? Go, villain. Get a doctor.

MERCUTIO’S PAGE exits.
Exit MERCUTIO’S PAGE

ROMEO ROMEO
Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much. Have courage, man. The injury can’t be so bad.
* MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
* No, ’tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a churchdoor, but It’s not as deep as a well or as wide as a church door, but
* ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find it’s enough. Ask for me tomorrow, and you’ll find me a
* me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A grave man. My time in this world is done, I believe. May a
95 plague o’ both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat plague strike both your families. God! That dog, that rat,
to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a villain that that mouse, that cat has scratched me to death! That
fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you braggart, that scoundrel, that villain who fights as if he
between us? I was hurt under your arm. learned it all from some manual! (To ROMEO) Why the
devil did you step between us? He wounded me by
reaching under your arm.
* ROMEO ROMEO
100 I thought all for the best. I was trying to do what was right.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO
Help me into some house, Benvolio, Carry me inside some house, Benvolio, or else I will faint.
Or I shall faint. A plague o’ both your houses! May a plague strike both your families! They’ve made me
They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it, into worm food. I’m finished. Curse your families!
And soundly too. Your houses!
MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO exit.
Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO

* ROMEO ROMEO
105 This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally, This gentleman, a kinsman of the Prince and my friend,
* My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt was killed while fighting on my behalf, to defend me
* In my behalf. My reputation stained against Tybalt’s insults. Tybalt, who has been my own
* With Tybalt’s slander.—Tybalt, that an hour kinsman for an hour! Oh, sweet Juliet, your beauty has
* Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet, made me effeminate and softened the steel of my valor.
110 Thy beauty hath made me effeminate
And in my temper softened valor’s steel!
BENVOLIO enters.
Enter BENVOLIO

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead! Oh Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead! His noble
That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds, spirit has gone to heaven, but it was too early for him to
Which too untimely here did scorn the earth. leave this life.
* ROMEO ROMEO
115 This day’s black fate on more days doth depend. Today’s dark fate will determine the future. These events
This but begins the woe others must end. only begin the sorrow that is to come.
TYBALT enters.
Enter TYBALT

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Here comes the furious Tybalt back again. The furious Tybalt jas returned.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Alive in triumph—and Mercutio slain! Alive and triumphant, while Mercutio is dead? Begone,
* Away to heaven, respective lenity, respect and compassion. Rage and fury will be my guide.
120 And fireeyed fury be my conduct now. Now, Tybalt, take back the “villain” that you called me
* Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again earlier. Mercutio’s soul is waiting just a bit above our
* That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul heads for you to join him. Either you, I, or both of us must
* Is but a little way above our heads, go with him.
* Staying for thine to keep him company.
125 Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.

TYBALT TYBALT
Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here Wretched boy, you hung out with him here on earth, and
Shalt with him hence. now you’re going to go with him to heaven.
ROMEO ROMEO
This shall determine that. Our fight will decide who goes to heaven.
They fight. TYBALT falls and dies.
They fight. TYBALT falls

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Romeo, away, be gone! Romeo, get away from here. The citizens are coming, and
* The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. Tybalt is dead. Don’t just stand there staring. If you’re
130 Stand not amazed. The Prince will doom thee death caught, the Prince will execute you. Get out of here!
If thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away!
ROMEO ROMEO
Oh, I am fortune’s fool! Oh, fate has played me for a fool!
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
Why dost thou stay? Why are you still here?
Exit ROMEO ROMEO exits.

The CITIZENS OF THE WATCH enter.
Enter CITIZENS OF THE WATCH

* CITIZEN OF THE WATCH CITIZEN OF THE WATCH
* Which way ran he that killed Mercutio? Where did the man who killed Mercutio run? Tybalt, that
135 Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he? murderer, which way did he go?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
There lies that Tybalt. Tybalt is lying right there.
CITIZEN OF THE WATCH CITIZEN OF THE WATCH
(to TYBALT) Up, sir, go with me. (to TYBALT) Get up, sir, and come with me. By the name
I charge thee in the Prince’s name, obey. of the Prince, I command you to obey.

The PRINCE enters with MONTAGUE, CAPULET, LADY
Enter PRINCE, MONTAGUE, CAPULET, LADY MONTAGUE,
MONTAGUE, LADY CAPULET, and OTHERS.
LADY CAPULET, and OTHERS

PRINCE PRINCE
Where are the vile beginners of this fray? Where are the evil instigators of this fight?
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
140 O noble prince, I can discover all Oh, noble prince, I can explain everything about the
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl. unfortunate events that led to this deadly fight. There lies
There lies the man, slain by young Romeo, Tybalt, the man who killed your relative, brave Mercutio.
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio. Tybalt was then killed by young Romeo.

* Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother’s child! Tybalt, my nephew! My brother’s son! Oh Prince, oh
145 O Prince! O cousin! Husband! Oh, the blood is spilled nephew, oh husband! Oh, my dear kinsman is dead!
Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true, Prince, you are a man of honor, and therefore must
For blood of ours shed blood of Montague. respond to this murder by killing a Montague. Oh cousin,
O cousin, cousin! cousin!

PRINCE PRINCE
Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? Benvolio, who began this deadly fight?
* BENVOLIO BENVOLIO
* Tybalt here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay. Tybalt did, who then was killed by Romeo. Romeo spoke
150 Romeo, that spoke him fair, bade him bethink politely to Tybalt and begged him to see how ridiculous the
* How nice the quarrel was and urged withal disagreement was and to remember how displeased you
* Your high displeasure. All this uttered would be if there was a fight. All this he said gently, calmly,
* With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed, kneeling down with humility. But he could not make peace.
* Could not take truce with the unruly spleen Tybalt’s anger was irrational, and he was deaf to any talk of
155 Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts peace. Soon Tybalt attacked Mercutio, who just as angry,
* With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast, fought back. They thrusted and parried. Romeo cried out,
* Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point, “Stop, my friends. Step apart,” jumped between, and forced
* And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats down their swords. Tybalt, though, thrust his sword under
* Cold death aside and with the other sends Romeo’s arm and hit brave Mercutio’s heart. Then Tybalt
160 It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity, ran. But, soon after, Tybalt returned to fight Romeo, who by
* Retorts it. Romeo, he cries aloud, now wanted revenge for Mercutio’s death. They began to
* “Hold, friends! Friends, part!” and, swifter than his tongue, fight as quick as lightning. Before I could separate them,
* His agile arm beats down their fatal points, Tybalt was killed. As Tybalt fell, Romeo turned and ran.
* And ’twixt them rushes—underneath whose arm This is the truth, I swear on my life.
165 An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
* Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled.
* But by and by comes back to Romeo,
* Who had but newly entertained revenge,
* And to ’t they go like lightning, for ere I
170 Could draw to part them was stout Tybalt slain.
And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

* He is a kinsman to the Montague. Benvolio is a Montague. His loyalty compels him to lie.
175 Affection makes him false. He speaks not true. He’s lying. There must have been twenty Montagues
Some twenty of them fought in this black strife, fighting, and together all twenty of them could only kill one
And all those twenty could but kill one life. man. I beg for justice that only you, Prince, can give.
I beg for justice, which thou, Prince, must give. Romeo killed Tybalt. Romeo must die.
Romeo slew Tybalt. Romeo must not live.
* PRINCE PRINCE
180 Romeo slew him; he slew Mercutio. Romeo killed Tybalt. Tybalt killed Mercutio. Who should
Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe? pay the price for Mercutio’s life?
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
Not Romeo, Prince, he was Mercutio’s friend. Not Romeo, Prince. He was Mercutio’s friend. His “crime”
His fault concludes but what the law should end, was justice, because it took the life of Tybalt.
The life of Tybalt.
* PRINCE PRINCE
* And for that offence And for that crime, Romeo is now exiled from Verona. I’m
185 Immediately we do exile him hence. now caught up in the strife between your families. My
* I have an interest in your hearts’ proceeding. kinsman is now dead because of your damned dispute. I’ll
* My blood for your rude brawls doth lie ableeding. punish you with a fine so large that you’ll regret the loss
* But I’ll amerce you with so strong a fine you’ve caused me. I refuse to listen to any of your pleas
* That you shall all repent the loss of mine. or excuses. Neither crying nor praying will help you to
190 I will be deaf to pleading and excuses. escape this punishment, so don’t even try. Romeo must
Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses, leave the city immediately, or else, if he’s found, he’ll be
Therefore use none. Let Romeo hence in haste, immediately killed. Carry away this body, and obey my
Else, when he’s found, that hour is his last. commands. Pardoning murderers just creates more
Bear hence this body and attend our will. murders by making every wouldbe murderer think that
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill. they’ll probably be pardoned too.
They exit.
Exeunt

Act 3, Scene 2
Get the Romeo and

JULIET enters alone.
Enter JULIET alone

* JULIET JULIET
* Gallop apace, you fieryfooted steeds, Move faster you fieryfooted horses, bearing the sun
* Toward Phoebus’ lodging. Such a wagoner toward its nighttime resting place. The mythological
* As Phaeton would whip you to the west Phaeton would whip you so hard that you would already
* And bring in cloudy night immediately. have brought the sun west and night would come
5 Spread thy close curtain, loveperforming night, immediately. Come night, with your darkness, so that
* That runaways’ eyes may wink, and Romeo Romeo can come to me without anyone knowing and leap
* Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen. into my arms. In the dark, lovers can still see enough, by
* Lovers can see to do their amorous rites the light of their own beauty, to make love. Or, if love is
* By their own beauties, or, if love be blind, blind, then it is best suited to the night. Come, night, you
10 It best agrees with night. Come, civil night, widow dressed in black, and teach me how to win my
* Thou sobersuited matron, all in black, love so that we both can lose our virginity. Hide the blood
* And learn me how to lose a winning match rushing to my cheeks in your darkness, until my shy love
* Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods. grows bold enough to think of lovemaking as simple and
* Hood my unmanned blood bating in my cheeks, true. Come, night. Come, Romeo. You’re like a day during
15 With thy black mantle, till strange love, grow bold, the night, lying on the wings of night even whiter than
* Think true love acted simple modesty. snow on the wings of a raven. Come, gentle night. Come,
* Come, night. Come, Romeo. Come, thou day in night, loving, dark night. Give me my Romeo. And when I die,
* For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night take him and cut him into stars that will make the night
* Whiter than new snow upon a raven’s back. sky so beautiful that the entire world will fall in love with
20 Come, gentle night, come, loving, blackbrowed night, the night and forget about the tasteless sun. Oh, I have
* Give me my Romeo. And when I shall die, bought the mansion of love, but not yet possessed it. I
* Take him and cut him out in little stars, belong to Romeo, but have not yet been enjoyed by him.
* And he will make the face of heaven so fine This day is so long and dull, just as the night before some
* That all the world will be in love with night festival is to an impatient child forced to wait to put on her
25 And pay no worship to the garish sun. fancy new clothes.
* Oh, I have bought the mansion of a love,
* But not possessed it, and though I am sold,
* Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day
* As is the night before some festival
30 To an impatient child that hath new robes
And may not wear them.
The NURSE enters carrying the rope ladder.
Enter NURSE with cords

* Oh, here comes my Nurse, Oh, here comes my Nurse, bringing news. Every voice
* And she brings news, and every tongue that speaks that speaks Romeo’s name speaks with heavenly beauty.
* But Romeo’s name speaks heavenly eloquence.—
* Now, Nurse, what news? What hast thou there? The cords Now, Nurse, what’s your news? What is that you have
* That Romeo bid thee fetch? there? The rope ladder Romeo told you to get?
35

NURSE NURSE
Ay, ay, the cords. Yes, yes, the ladder.
JULIET JULIET
Ay me, what news? Why dost thou wring thy hands? Oh no, what’s your news? Why are you wringing your
hands?
* NURSE NURSE
* Ah, weraday! He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead! Alas! He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead! We’re done for,
* We are undone, lady, we are undone! lady, done for! Curse the day! He’s gone. He’s killed. He’s
40 Alack the day! He’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead! dead!

JULIET JULIET
Can heaven be so envious? Can God be so cruel?
NURSE NURSE
Romeo can, Romeo can be, though God is not. Oh, Romeo, Romeo!
Though heaven cannot. O Romeo, Romeo! Who ever would have guessed? Romeo!
Who ever would have thought it? Romeo!

* JULIET JULIET
* What devil art thou that dost torment me thus? What kind of a devil are you to torment me in this way?
45 This torture should be roared in dismal hell. This sort of torture is fit only for hell. Has Romeo killed
* Hath Romeo slain himself? Say thou but “ay,” himself? Say “yes” and that single word will poison me
* And that bare vowel I shall poison more more terribly than could even the deadly gaze of the
* Than the deathdarting eye of cockatrice. mythological cockatrice. I will cease to be myself if you
* I am not I if there be such an I, say that Romeo killed himself. If he’s dead, say “Yes.” If
50 Or those eyes shut that makes thee answer “ay.” not, say “No.” Those little words will determine my joy or
If he be slain, say “ay,” or if not, “no.” pain.
Brief sounds determine of my weal or woe.

* NURSE NURSE
* I saw the wound, I saw it with mine eyes— I saw the wound. I saw it with my own eyes. God bless
* God save the mark!—here on his manly breast. that wound—here on his manly chest. A pitiful corpse, a
55 A piteous corse, a bloody piteous corse. bloody, pitiful corpse. Pale, pale as ashes and covered in
Pale, pale as ashes, all bedaubed in blood, blood. Gory with blood. I fainted at the sight of it.
All in gore blood. I swoonèd at the sight.

* JULIET JULIET
* O, break, my heart, poor bankrupt, break at once! Oh, my poor, bankrupt heart is breaking. Go to prison,
* To prison, eyes, ne’er look on liberty. eyes, so you will never again be free to look at the world.
60 Vile earth, to earth resign. End motion here, I’ll bury my body in the earth, where it will lie motionless
And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier. and share a single coffin with Romeo.
NURSE NURSE
O Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I had! Oh Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I ever had. Oh, well
O courteous Tybalt! Honest gentleman! mannered, honorable Tybalt. If only I had not lived long
That ever I should live to see thee dead. enough to see him die.

* JULIET JULIET
65 What storm is this that blows so contrary? What storm is this to cause so many different disasters?
Is Romeo slaughtered, and is Tybalt dead? Has Romeo been killed, and Tybalt too? Tybalt, my
My dearest cousin and my dearer lord? dearest cousin, and Romeo who as my husband was
Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the general doom! even more dear to me? May the last trumpet play to signal
For who is living if those two are gone? the onset of doomsday, because who could remain alive if
those two are gone?
* NURSE NURSE
70 Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banishèd. Tybalt is dead. Romeo has been banished. It was Romeo
Romeo that killed him—he is banishèd. who killed Tybalt, which is why he was banished.
JULIET JULIET
O God, did Romeo’s hand shed Tybalt’s blood? Oh God, did Romeo’s hand shed Tybalt’s blood?
NURSE NURSE
It did, it did. Alas the day, it did. It did, it did. Unfortunately it did.
* JULIET JULIET
* O serpent heart hid with a flowering face! Oh, he has a traitor’s heart hidden behind a pretty face!
75 Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Did any dragon ever nest in such a pretty cave? He’s a
* Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical! beautiful tyrant! A fiendish angel! A raven hiding under the
* Dovefeathered raven, wolvishravening lamb! feathers of a dove! A lamb that kills like a wolf! A hateful
* Despisèd substance of divinest show, reality hidden by a beautiful appearance. The exact
* Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st. opposite of what he seemed. He seemed a saint but
80 A damnèd saint, an honorable villain! should be damned! He’s a villain who seemed honorable!
* O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell Oh nature, what were you doing in hell when you placed
* When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend the soul of a devil in the paradise of such a perfect man?
* In moral paradise of such sweet flesh? Has any book with such awful contents ever had a more
* Was ever book containing such vile matter beautiful cover? Oh, how could such betrayal hide in such
85 So fairly bound? Oh, that deceit should dwell a gorgeous body!
In such a gorgeous palace!
* NURSE NURSE
* There’s no trust, There is no trust, faith, or honesty in men. They all break
* No faith, no honesty in men. All perjured, their oaths. They’re all wicked. They all lie. Where’s my
* All forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers. servant? — Get me some brandy — These griefs, these
* Ah, where’s my man?—Give me some aqua vitae.— miseries, these sorrows make me old. Shame on Romeo!
90 These griefs, these woes, these sorrows make me old.
Shame come to Romeo!
* JULIET JULIET
* Blistered be thy tongue May blisters cover your tongue for making a wish like
* For such a wish! He was not born to shame. that! Romeo was not born to have anything to do with
* Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit, shame. Shame could never be connected to him, because
* For ’tis a throne where honor may be crowned. he is destined only to experience great and total honor.
95 Sole monarch of the universal earth, Oh, I was such a beast to condemn him.
Oh, what a beast was I to chide at him!
NURSE NURSE
Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin? You’re going to speak well of the man who killed your
cousin?
* JULIET JULIET
* Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Should I speak badly of my own husband? Ah, my poor
* Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name, husband, who will speak well of you when I, your wife of
100 When I, thy three hours’ wife, have mangled it? three hours, have been calling you such dreadful names?
* But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? But why, you villain, did you kill my cousin? Because my
* That villain cousin would have killed my husband. villain of a cousin would have killed you, my husband. I
* Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring. refuse to cry. These tears which seem like sadness for
* Your tributary drops belong to woe, Tybalt’s death are actually tears of joy that Romeo is still
105 Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy. alive. My husband, whom Tybalt would have killed, is
* My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain, alive. And Tybalt, who wanted to kill my husband, is
* And Tybalt’s dead, that would have slain my husband. dead. This is good news. So why am I crying? Because
* All this is comfort. Wherefore weep I then? there was news that’s even worse than that of Tybalt’s
* Some word there was, worser than Tybalt’s death, death. Worse news that kills me inside. I wish I could
110 That murdered me. I would forget it fain, forget it, but it forces its way into my memory the way
* But oh, it presses to my memory, sins obsess guilty minds. “Tybalt is dead, and Romeo has
* Like damnèd guilty deeds to sinners’ minds. been banished.” That word “banished,” that single word
* “Tybalt is dead, and Romeo banishèd.” “banished,” is worse than the death of ten thousand
* That “banishèd,” that one word “banishèd” Tybalts. Tybalt’s death would been misery enough even if
115 Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt’s death nothing else had happened. Or, if misery loves company,
* Was woe enough, if it had ended there. and one grief must necessarily follow another, then it
* Or, if sour woe delights in fellowship would have been better had the Nurse, after telling me
* And needly will be ranked with other griefs, that Tybalt was dead, then told me that my mother or my
* Why followed not, when she said “Tybalt’s dead,” father, or even both, were gone. That would have pushed
120 “Thy father” or “thy mother,” nay, or both, me into normal feelings of grief. But to tell me that
* Which modern lamentations might have moved? Tybalt’s is dead and then say, “Romeo has been
* But with a rearward following Tybalt’s death, banished.” To say that is the same as saying that my
* “Romeo is banishèd.” To speak that word, father, my mother, Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet have all
* Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, been killed, are all dead. “Romeo has been banished.” The
125 All slain, all dead. “Romeo is banishèd.” death contained in those four words is infinite,
There is no end, no limit, measure, bound, unmeasurable. No words can express that misery. Where
In that word’s death. No words can that woe sound. Where is are my father and mother, Nurse?
my father and my mother, Nurse?

* NURSE NURSE
* Weeping and wailing over Tybalt’s corse. Crying over Tybalt’s corpse. Will you join them? I’ll bring
130 Will you go to them? I will bring you thither. you there.

* JULIET JULIET
* Wash they his wounds with tears? Mine shall be spent Do they wash Tybalt’s wounds with their tears? My tears
* When theirs are dry, for Romeo’s banishment. will still be flowing because of Romeo’s banishment when
* Take up those cords.—Poor ropes, you are beguiled, their tears for Tybalt have gone dry. Take this rope ladder,
* Both you and I, for Romeo is exiled. this poor rope ladder made useless because Romeo has
135 He made you for a highway to my bed, been exiled. He made this ladder to be his passageway to
But I, a maid, die maidenwidowèd. my bed, but I am a virgin and now will die a virgin and a
Come, cords.—Come, Nurse. I’ll to my wedding bed. widow. Come with me, rope ladder. Come with me,
And death, not Romeo, take my maidenhead! Nurse. I’m going to my wedding bed. Death, not Romeo,
will take my virginity!
* NURSE NURSE
* Hie to your chamber. I’ll find Romeo Go to your bedroom. I’ll go bring Romeo to comfort you. I
140 To comfort you. I wot well where he is. know where he is. Pay attention: your Romeo will be here
tonight. I’ll get him. He’s hiding in Friar Lawrence’s cell.
Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at night.
I’ll to him. He is hid at Lawrence’ cell.
JULIET JULIET
(gives the NURSE a ring)O, find him! Give this ring to my true (gives the NURSE a ring) Oh, find him! Give this ring to
knight, my true knight! Tell him to come here to give me his last
And bid him come to take his last farewell. goodbye.
They exit.
Exeunt

Act 3, Scene 3
Get the Romeo and

FRIAR LAWRENCE enters.
Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE

Romeo, come forth. Come forth, thou fearful man. Romeo, come here. Come here, you frightened man.
Affliction is enamoured of thy parts, Trouble follows you, and you’re married to catastrophe.
And thou art wedded to calamity.

ROMEO enters.
Enter ROMEO

* ROMEO ROMEO
* Father, what news? What is the Prince’s doom? Father, what’s the news? Did the Prince state how I am
5 What sorrow craves acquaintance at my hand to be punished? What unknown suffering is coming for
That I yet know not? me?
Too familiar My dear son, you’re too familiar with suffering. I do have
Is my dear son with such sour company. news for you about the Prince’s punishment for you.
I bring thee tidings of the Prince’s doom.

ROMEO ROMEO
What less than doomsday is the Prince’s doom? Is it anything less than my death?
10 A gentler judgment vanished from his lips: His judgment was gentler than that. You won’t be
Not body’s death, but body’s banishment. executed, but will be banished from Verona.
ROMEO ROMEO
Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say “death,” Banishment! Be merciful: say “death.” Exile is much
For exile hath more terror in his look, worse to me than death. Don’t say “banishment.”
Much more than death. Do not say “banishment.”

15 Hence from Verona art thou banishèd. You are banished from Verona. Be patient, the world is big
Be patient, for the world is broad and wide. and anything can happen.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* There is no world without Verona walls The world outside Verona’s walls is like purgatory, torture,
* But purgatory, torture, hell itself. hell itself. Being banished from Verona is the same as
* Hence “banishèd” is banished from the world, being banished from the world, and being banished from
20 And world’s exile is death. Then “banishèd,” the world is the same as death. Banishment is just a
Is death mistermed. Calling death “banishment,” different name for death. So telling me that I’m banished
Thou cutt’st my head off with a golden ax is like cutting off my head with a golden ax and smiling
And smilest upon the stroke that murders me. while murdering me.

* O deadly sin! O rude unthankfulness! Oh, deadly sin! Oh, you rude, unthankful child! Your crime
25 Thy fault our law calls death, but the kind Prince, is punishable by death, but the Prince in his kindness
Taking thy part, hath rushed aside the law, defended you and bypassed the law by replacing death
And turned that black word “death” to “banishment.” with banishment. This is mercy, but you can’t see it.
This is dear mercy, and thou seest it not.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* ‘Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here, It’s torture, not mercy. Heaven is in Verona because this
30 Where Juliet lives, and every cat and dog is where Juliet lives. Every cat and dog and little mouse,
* And little mouse, every unworthy thing, every unworthy creature, that lives in Verona lives in
* Live here in heaven and may look on her, heaven because it can see her. But I won’t be able to.
* But Romeo may not. More validity, Carrioneating flies will have more vitality, a more blessed
* More honorable state, more courtship lives existences, and more romance than I will. They can touch
35 In carrion flies than Romeo. They may seize Juliet’s white hand and can steal kisses from her sweet
* On the white wonder of dear Juliet’s hand lips, which, though she is a pure virgin, blush when they
* And steal immortal blessing from her lips, touch each other because they think it’s a sin. But Romeo
* Who even in pure and vestal modesty, can’t touch her hand or kiss her. Flies can kiss her, but I
* Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin. must fly from the city. Flies are free, but I’ve been
40 But Romeo may not. He is banishèd. banished. Do you still argue that exile isn’t death? You
* Flies may do this, but I from this must fly. didn’t have some poison, sharpened knife, or some other
* They are free men, but I am banishèd. weapon that you could have used to kill me quickly,
* And sayst thou yet that exile is not death? nothing so disgraceful, other than banishment? Oh Friar,
* Hadst thou no poison mixed, no sharpground knife, damned souls use the word “banishment” to describe hell.
45 No sudden mean of death, though ne’er so mean, They howl the word. How, as a priest, confessor, and my
* But “banishèd” to kill me?—“Banishèd”! friend, can you have the heart to say to me the word
* O Friar, the damnèd use that word in hell. “banished?”
* Howling attends it. How hast thou the heart,
* Being a divine, a ghostly confessor,
50 A sinabsolver, and my friend professed,
To mangle me with that word “banishèd”?
Thou fond mad man, hear me a little speak. You silly madman, listen to me for a second.
ROMEO ROMEO
Oh, thou wilt speak again of banishment. Now you’re just going to talk again about banishment.
* I’ll give thee armor to keep off that word— I’ll protect you from that word by using the cure for
55 Adversity’s sweet milk, philosophy— adversity—philosophy—which will comfort you even
To comfort thee though thou art banishèd. though you’ve been banished.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Yet “banishèd”? Hang up philosophy! In the face of banishment, screw philosophy! Unless
* Unless philosophy can make a Juliet, philosophy can create a Juliet, move an entire town to a
* Displant a town, reverse a prince’s doom, new place, or reverse a prince’s punishment, it can’t help
60 It helps not, it prevails not. Talk no more. me. Stop talking.

Oh, then I see that madmen have no ears. Ah, I’ve discovered that madmen are deaf.
ROMEO ROMEO
How should they, when that wise men have no eyes? Why should madmen hear, when wise men can’t see?
Let me dispute with thee of thy estate. Let me argue with you about your situation.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel. You can’t talk about something you don’t feel. If you were
65 Wert thou as young as I, Juliet thy love, as young as I am, in love with Juliet, married to her for
* An hour but married, Tybalt murderèd, just an hour, and had murdered Tybalt… If you loved her
* Doting like me, and like me banishèd, as I do and were banished as I am, then you could talk
* Then mightst thou speak, then mightst thou tear thy hair about it. Though instead you might tear out your hair and
* And fall upon the ground, as I do now, fall to the ground the way I do right now (ROMEO falls on
70 Taking the measure of an unmade grave. the ground) in order to measure out your grave.

Knocking sounds from offstage.
Knocking from within

Arise. One knocks. Good Romeo, hide thyself. Get up. Someone’s knocking. Hide, good Romeo.
ROMEO ROMEO
Not I, unless the breath of heartsick groans, The only way I’ll hide is if my heartsick groans produce a
Mistlike, infold me from the search of eyes. mist that covers me from people’s searching eyes.

Knocking
Knocking

* Hark, how they knock!—Who’s there?—Romeo, arise. They knock again!— Who’s there?— Romeo, stand up.
75 Thou wilt be taken.—Stay awhile.—Stand up. They’ll catch you.— Hold on a moment.—Romeo, stand
up.
Knocking
Knocking

Run to my study.—By and by!—God’s will, Hide in my study.—Just a minute—For the love of God,
What simpleness is this!—I come, I come. don’t be so stupid! I’m coming. I’m coming.
Knocking
Knocking

Who knocks so hard? Whence come you? What’s your will? Who is it that is knocking so hard? Where do you come
from? What do you want?
NURSE NURSE
* (from within) Let me come in, and you shall know my errand. (from offstage) Let me in, and I’ll tell you why I’m here. I
* I come from Lady Juliet. come from Lady Juliet.
80

(opens the door) Welcome then. (opening the door) Welcome, then.
The NURSE enters
Enter NURSE

NURSE NURSE
O holy Friar, O, tell me, holy Friar, Oh, holy Friar, Oh, tell me, holy Friar, where is my lady’s
Where is my lady’s lord? Where’s Romeo? husband? Where’s Romeo?

There on the ground, with his own tears made drunk. There, on the ground, drunk on his own tears.
* NURSE NURSE
* Oh, he is even in my mistress’ case, He’s acting like Juliet, exactly like her. Oh awful
85 Just in her case. O woeful sympathy, sympathy! What a dreadful predicament! She’s lying on
* Piteous predicament! Even so lies she, the ground just like him, blubbering and weeping, weeping
* Blubbering and weeping, weeping and blubbering. and blubbering. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up if you’re a
* Stand up, stand up. Stand, an you be a man. man. For Juliet’s sake, for her sake, rise and stand. Why
* For Juliet’s sake, for her sake, rise and stand. do you moan so terribly?
90 Why should you fall into so deep an O?

ROMEO ROMEO
Nurse! Nurse!
NURSE NURSE
Ah sir, ah sir. Death’s the end of all. Well, sir, well... death comes for everybody.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Spakest thou of Juliet? How is it with her? What of Juliet? How is she? Does she think that I’m a
* Doth she not think me an old murderer, coldblooded murderer because I corrupted our newfound
95 Now I have stained the childhood of our joy love by killing her relative? Where is she? How is she?
With blood removed but little from her own? What does my wife say about our love?
Where is she? And how doth she? And what says
My concealed lady to our canceled love?

* NURSE NURSE
* Oh, she says nothing, sir, but weeps and weeps, Oh, she says nothing, sir. Instead she weeps and weeps.
100 And now falls on her bed, and then starts up, She falls on her bed, then starts to get up, then calls out
And “Tybalt” calls, and then on Romeo cries, Tybalt’s name and then your name and then she falls
And then down falls again. back down on the bed.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* As if that name, She calls out my name as if it were a bullet that had shot
* Shot from the deadly level of a gun, from a gun and murdered her, just as I murdered her
* Did murder her, as that name’s cursed hand cousin. Tell me, Friar, in what vile part of my body does
105 Murdered her kinsman. O, tell me, Friar, tell me, my name rest? Tell me, so I can cut it out of myself. (He
In what vile part of this anatomy draws his dagger)
Doth my name lodge? Tell me, that I may sack
The hateful mansion. (draws his dagger)

* Hold thy desperate hand. Stop! Don’t do anything out of desperation. Are you a
* Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art. man? You look like a man. But your tears are womanly.
110 Thy tears are womanish. Thy wild acts denote Your wildness is like the irrational fury of a beast. You’re
* The unreasonable fury of a beast. like an inappropriate woman hiding within a man, or, even
* Unseemly woman in a seeming man, worse, a shameful beast hiding within a halfman, half
* And illbeseeming beast in seeming both! woman! You amaze me. By my holy order, I swear I
* Thou hast amazed me. By my holy order, thought you were stronger and more stable than this.
115 I thought thy disposition better tempered. Have you killed Tybalt? Will you kill yourself, and in
* Hast thou slain Tybalt? Wilt thou slay thyself, performing such a sin also kill your wife, who shares your
* And slay thy lady that in thy life lives life? Why are you ranting about your birth, the heavens,
* By doing damnèd hate upon thyself? and the earth? You are made of the joining of all three, and
* Why rail’st thou on thy birth, the heaven, and earth? now want nothing to do with them? You bring shame to
120 Since birth and heaven and earth, all three do meet your body, your love, and your mind. You are blessed with
* In thee at once, which thou at once wouldst lose? all three, but like a moneylender you do not use your body,
* Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit, love, or mind for their true purpose. Without honor or
* Which, like a usurer, abound’st in all nobility, your body is just a wax figure. The love that you
* And usest none in that true use indeed swore is just a hollow lie, since you now threaten to kill
125 Which should bedeck thy shape, thy love, thy wit. the love that you vowed to cherish. Your mind, that key to
* Thy noble shape is but a form of wax, both your body and your love, has failed to handle both of
* Digressing from the valor of a man; them. You’re like an unskilled soldier who accidentally
* Thy dear love sworn but hollow perjury, explodes his own gunpowder because he does not know
* Killing that love which thou hast vowed to cherish; how to use it: you end up killing yourself with the very
130 Thy wit, that ornament to shape and love, thing meant to protect you. Now get a hold of yourself,
* Misshapen in the conduct of them both, man! Your Juliet is alive (for whose sake you were just
* Like powder in a skillless soldier’s flask, threatening to kill yourself). That is something to be happy
* Is set afire by thine own ignorance; about. Tybalt tried to kill you, but you killed Tybalt. That is
* And thou dismembered with thine own defence. something to be happy about. The law that promised
135 What, rouse thee, man! Thy Juliet is alive, death for you was mercifully changed into exile—another
* For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead— thing to be happy about. You have been blessed multiple
* There art thou happy. Tybalt would kill thee, times, and are surrounded by brightest happiness. But like
* But thou slew’st Tybalt—there art thou happy. a misbehaved and sullen girl, you’re pouting about your
* The law that threatened death becomes thy friend bad luck and thwarted love. Now listen to me: those who
140 And turns it to exile—there art thou happy. act the way you are now die miserable. Go, be with your
* A pack of blessings light upon thy back, love, as we planned. Climb up to her bedroom and
* Happiness courts thee in her best array, comfort her. But make sure to leave before the watchmen
* But, like a misbehaved and sullen wench, take their positions, because they will stop you before you
* Thou pout’st upon thy fortune and thy love. can escape to Mantua. You’ll live in Mantua until we can
145 Take heed, take heed, for such die miserable. announce your marriage publicly, make peace between
* Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed. your families, and beg the Prince to pardon you. Then
* Ascend her chamber, hence, and comfort her. we’ll welcome you back with twenty hundred thousand
* But look thou stay not till the watch be set, times more joy than you’ll feel when leaving. Nurse, go to
* For then thou canst not pass to Mantua, Juliet before Romeo follows. Give my regards to your
150 Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time lady, and tell her to hurry everybody in her house to bed.
* To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, They’re sorrow is likely to make them want to go to sleep,
* Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back anyway. Romeo is coming.
* With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
* Than thou went’st forth in lamentation.—
155 Go before, Nurse. Commend me to thy lady,
And bid her hasten all the house to bed,
Which heavy sorrow makes them apt unto.
Romeo is coming.
* NURSE NURSE
* O Lord, I could have stayed here all the night O Lord, I could stay here all night listening to good advice
160 To hear good counsel. Oh, what learning is! like yours. Education is amazing! (speaking to ROMEO)
My lord, I’ll tell my lady you will come. My lord, I’ll tell my lady you will come.
ROMEO ROMEO
Do so, and bid my sweet prepare to chide. Do that, and tell my beloved to be ready to scold me.
* NURSE NURSE
* Here, sir, a ring she bid me give you, sir. Here, sir, take this ring she asked me to give you. (she
* (gives ROMEO JULIET’s ring) gives ROMEO JULIET’s ring) Hurry, it’s getting late.
165 Hie you, make haste, for it grows very late.

Exit NURSE The NURSE exits.
ROMEO ROMEO
How well my comfort is revived by this! This ring lifts my spirits!
* Go hence. Good night. And here stands all your state: Now go. Good night. And remember that everything
* Either be gone before the watch be set, depends on you being out of Verona before the night
* Or by the break of day disguised from hence. watch takes its position, or that you disguise yourself and
170 Sojourn in Mantua. I’ll find out your man, leave after daybreak. Stay awhile in Mantua. I’ll find your
And he shall signify from time to time servant, and every once in a while through him I’ll send
Every good hap to you that chances here. you news about every good thing that occurs for you here.
Give me thy hand. ‘Tis late. Farewell, good night. Give me your hand. It’s late. Farewell. Good night.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* But that a joy past joy calls out on me, Here I go to experience a joy greater than any other, but
175 It were a grief so brief to part with thee. even so I’m sad to have to leave you so quickly. Farewell.
Farewell.
They exit.
Exeunt

Act 3, Scene 4
Get the Romeo and

Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and PARIS Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and PARIS
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Things have fall’n out, sir, so unluckily, Everything has gone so badly, sir, that we haven’t had any
* That we have had no time to move our daughter. time to speak with Juliet about marrying you. She loved
* Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly, her cousin Tybalt dearly, as did I. Well, we were all born to
* And so did I. Well, we were born to die. die. It’s very late, she won’t be coming downstairs tonight.
5 ‘Tis very late. She’ll not come down tonight. In fact, if I wasn’t meeting with you I’d have gone to bed
I promise you, but for your company, an hour ago.
I would have been abed an hour ago.

PARIS PARIS
These times of woe afford no time to woo. Painful times provide no chance for love. Lady Capulet,
Madam, good night. Commend me to your daughter. good night. Speak well of me to your daughter.

10 I will, and know her mind early tomorrow. I will. And I’ll find out how she feels about marrying you
Tonight she is mewed up to her heaviness. early tomorrow. Tonight she is locked in her room with her
sadness.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender Sir Paris, I’ll make a desperate present of my child’s love.
* Of my child’s love. I think she will be ruled I think she’ll do whatever I tell her to I say. No, I’m sure
* In all respects by me. Nay, more, I doubt it not.— she will. Wife, go to see her before you go to bed. Explain
15 Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed. to her how my son Paris loves her. And tell her, listen to
Acquaint her here of my son Paris’ love, me, on Wednesday—Wait—What day is today?
And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next—
But, soft! What day is this?

PARIS PARIS
Monday, my lord. Monday, my lord.
* CAPULET CAPULET
20 Monday! Ha, ha. Well, Wednesday is too soon, Monday! Ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon. Make it
* O’ Thursday let it be.—O’ Thursday, tell her, Thursday. On Thursday, tell her, she’ll be married to this
* She shall be married to this noble earl.— noble earl. Will you be ready, Paris? Are you opposed to
* Will you be ready? Do you like this haste? rushing in this way? We won’t have a big party, inviting
* We’ll keep no great ado, a friend or two. just a friend or two. Because Tybalt was just killed, people
25 For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late, might think that we didn’t care enough about our cousin if
It may be thought we held him carelessly, celebrate too much. Therefore we’ll invite just a half dozen
Being our kinsman, if we revel much. friends to the wedding, and no more. So, what do you say
Therefore we’ll have some half a dozen friends, to Thursday?
And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?
* PARIS PARIS
30 My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow. My lord, I wish Thursday were tomorrow.

* CAPULET CAPULET
* Well get you gone. O’ Thursday be it, then.— Well, get on home. Thursday it will be, then. (to LADY
* Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed. CAPULET) Go see Juliet before you go to bed. Get her
* Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day.— ready, my wife, for her wedding day. (to PARIS) Farewell,
* Farewell, my lord.—Light to my chamber, ho! my lord. I’m going to my bedroom. My gosh! It’s so late
35 Afore me! It is so very late, that in moments we will be saying that it’s early. Good
That we may call it early by and by.— night.
Good night.

Exeunt They all exit.
Act 3, Scene 5
Get the Romeo and

Enter ROMEO and JULIET aloft ROMEO and JULIET enter above the stage.
* JULIET JULIET
* Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day. You’re leaving? It’s not yet close to daytime. The sound
* It was the nightingale, and not the lark, you just heard was a nightingale, not a lark. Each night
* That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear. the nightingale sings on that pomegranate tree. Believe
* Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree. me, love, it was the nightingale.
5 Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* It was the lark, the herald of the morn, It was the lark, who sings to greet the dawn, not the
* No nightingale. Look, love, what envious streaks nightingale. Look, love, at the streaks illuminating the
* Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. clouds parting in the east? Night is over. Day is creeping
* Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day over the mountain tops. I must leave in order to live. If I
10 Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. stay, I’ll die.
I must be gone and live, or stay and die.
* JULIET JULIET
* Yon light is not daylight, I know it, I. That light isn’t daylight, I know it. It’s some meteor sent
* It is some meteor that the sun exhales from the sun to be a torchbearer in order to light your way
* To be to thee this night a torchbearer, to Mantua. So stay for a bit longer. You don’t have leave.
15 And light thee on thy way to Mantua.
Therefore stay yet. Thou need’st not to be gone.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Let me be ta’en. Let me be put to death. Let me be caught. Let me be put to death. I’ll be happy, if
* I am content, so thou wilt have it so. that’s how you want it. I’ll say the greyness over there is
* I’ll say yon grey is not the morning’s eye. not the coming morning. Rather, it’s a pale reflection of
20 ‘Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia’s brow. the moon. And that isn’t the lark singing in the sky above
* Nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat our heads. I’d rather stay than go. Come, death, and
* The vaulty heaven so high above our heads. welcome! Juliet wills it. How are you, my love? Let’s talk.
* I have more care to stay than will to go. It is not day.
* Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so.—
25 How is ’t, my soul? Let’s talk. It is not day.

* JULIET JULIET
* It is, it is. Hie hence! Be gone, away! It’s day. It is. Get going, be gone, go away! It’s the lark
* It is the lark that sings so out of tune, that’s singing so harshly and out of tune. Some say the
* Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps. lark’s singing makes a sweet transition between day and
* Some say the lark makes sweet division. night. That’s not true, because the song divides the two of
30 This doth not so, for she divideth us. us. Some say the lark and the disgusting toad traded
* Some say the lark and loathèd toad change eyes. eyes. Now I wish they had also traded voices because
* Oh, now I would they had changed voices too, the lark’s voice pulls us from each other’s arms and sets
* Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray, men hunting after you. Oh, get going. It’s getting more and
* Hunting thee hence with hunt’sup to the day. more light.
35 O, now be gone. More light and light it grows.

ROMEO ROMEO
More light and light, more dark and dark our woes! The lighter it gets, the darker is our misery.
Enter NURSE The NURSE enters
NURSE NURSE
Madam. Madam.
JULIET JULIET
Nurse? Nurse?
* NURSE NURSE
* Your lady mother is coming to your chamber. Your mother is on her way to your bedroom. Day has
40 The day is broke. Be wary, look about. arrived. Be careful. Watch out.

Exit NURSE The NURSE exits
JULIET JULIET
Then, window, let day in and let life out. The window lets day in, and now my life goes out the
window.
ROMEO ROMEO
Farewell, farewell. One kiss, and I’ll descend. Farewell, farewell! One more kiss, and I’ll go down.
Kiss. ROMEO goes down They kiss. ROMEO climbs out the window and down the
wall.
* JULIET JULIET
* Art thou gone so, love, lord? Ay, husband, friend, Are you gone just like that, my love, my lord? Husband,
* I must hear from thee every day in the hour, lover, I must hear from you every day. There are many
45 For in a minute there are many days. days in each minute. Oh, by this count I’ll be so much
Oh, by this count I shall be much in years older before I see you again, my Romeo.
Ere I again behold my Romeo.

ROMEO ROMEO
Farewell! Farewell! I’ll take every opportunity to send my love to
I will omit no opportunity you.
That may convey my greetings, love, to thee.

* JULIET JULIET
50 Oh, think’st thou we shall ever meet again? Oh, do you think we’ll ever meet again?

ROMEO ROMEO
I doubt it not, and all these woes shall serve I don’t doubt it. When we’re older these difficulties will just
For sweet discourses in our time to come. be stories that we tell each other.

* JULIET JULIET
* O God, I have an illdivining soul. Oh God, my soul senses some coming evil! It seems to
* Methinks I see thee now, thou art so low me that, standing down there as you are, you look as if
55 As one dead in the bottom of a tomb. you are lying dead in the bottom of a tomb. Either my
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look’st pale. eyesight is failing me, or you look pale.
ROMEO ROMEO
And trust me, love, in my eye so do you. Trust me, love, in my eyes you look pale as well.
Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu! Sadness steals our color. Goodbye, goodbye!

Exit ROMEO ROMEO exits
* JULIET JULIET
* O Fortune, Fortune! All men call thee fickle. Oh, Fortune. People say that you are fickle, always
60 If thou art fickle, what dost thou with him changing your mind. If you are so fickle, what will you do
That is renowned for faith? Be fickle, fortune, to Romeo, who’s so renowned for being faithful? Be
For then, I hope, thou wilt not keep him long, fickle, fortune, and do not keep him away long. Instead
But send him back. send him back to Verona soon.

(from within) Ho, daughter, are you up? (offstage) Hello, my daughter! Are you up?
* JULIET JULIET
65 Who is ’t that calls? Is it my lady mother? Who’s calling? My mother? Why is she up so late, or so
Is she not down so late or up so early? early? What could possibly be her reason for coming to
What unaccustomed cause procures her hither? see me?

Enter LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET enters.
Why, how now, Juliet? What’s the matter, Juliet?
JULIET JULIET
Madam, I am not well. Madam, I’m not feeling well.
* Evermore weeping for your cousin’s death? Are you going to weep forever about your cousin’s death?
70 What, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears? Do you think you can wash him out of his grave with
An if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live. tears? Even if you could, you couldn’t bring him back to
Therefore, have done. Some grief shows much of love, life. So stop crying. Some grief shows a lot of love. But
But much of grief shows still some want of wit. too much grief makes you look silly.

JULIET JULIET
Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss. Let me weep for such a terrible loss.
75 So shall you feel the loss, but not the friend Weeping like this will make you feel the loss, but won’t
Which you weep for. help you feel the friend you’ve lost.
JULIET JULIET
Feeling so the loss, Feeling the loss so strongly, I can’t help but weep for him
Cannot choose but ever weep the friend. forever.

Well, girl, thou weep’st not so much for his death, Well, girl, you’re weeping not for his death, but rather
As that the villain lives which slaughtered him. because the villain who murdered him still lives.

* JULIET JULIET
80 What villain, madam? What villain, madam?

That same villain, Romeo. That same villain, Romeo.
JULIET JULIET
(aside) Villain and he be many miles asunder. (to herself) He’s far from a villain. (to LADY CAPULET)
(to LADY CAPULET) God pardon him! I do, with all my heart, May God pardon him! I do, with all my heart. And yet he
And yet no man like he doth grieve my heart. makes my heart grieve more than any other man.

That is because the traitor murderer lives. That’s because the traitorous murderer still lives.
* JULIET JULIET
85 Ay, madam, from the reach of these my hands. Yes, madam, because he lives outside the reach of my
Would none but I might venge my cousin’s death! hands. I wish that I was the only one who could avenge
my cousin’s death!
* We will have vengeance for it, fear thou not. We’ll get revenge for it, don’t you worry. Stop your
* Then weep no more. I’ll send to one in Mantua, weeping. I’ll send a note to a certain man we know in
* Where that same banished runagate doth live, Mantua, which is where that banished renegade Romeo is
90 Shall give him such an unaccustomed dram living. The man will poison Romeo so that Romeo will
That he shall soon keep Tybalt company. soon be keeping Tybalt company in death. And then, I
And then, I hope, thou wilt be satisfied. hope, you’ll be satisfied.
* JULIET JULIET
* Indeed, I never shall be satisfied In fact, I’ll never be satisfied with Romeo until I see him. .
* With Romeo, till I behold him—dead— . dead is the way my poor heart feels when I think of my
95 Is my poor heart for a kinsman vexed. poor cousin. Madam, if you could only find a man with
* Madam, if you could find out but a man poison, I’d mix it myself so that Romeo would, once
* To bear a poison, I would temper it, dosed with it, sleep quietly. Oh, I hate to hear his name
* That Romeo should, upon receipt thereof, and not be able to go after him! How I’d like to take my
* Soon sleep in quiet. Oh, how my heart abhors love for my cousin and take it out on the body of the man
100 To hear him named, and cannot come to him. who killed him!
To wreak the love I bore my cousin
Upon his body that slaughtered him!

Find thou the means, and I’ll find such a man. Find a way to do it, and I’ll find the man we need to help
But now I’ll tell thee joyful tidings, girl. you. But now I’ll tell you some joyful news, girl.

* JULIET JULIET
105 And joy comes well in such a needy time. It’s good when there is joy during such sad times. What’s
What are they, beseech your ladyship? the news, please?
* Well, well, thou hast a careful father, child. Well, you have a father who cares for you, child. To help
* One who, to put thee from thy heaviness, you escape your sadness, he has arranged a soonto
* Hath sorted out a sudden day of joy come day of joy that you didn’t expect and that I had not
110 That thou expect’st not, nor I looked not for. considered.

JULIET JULIET
Madam, in happy time, what day is that? Madam, quickly, what day is that?
* Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn, Well, my child, early Thursday morning, at Saint Peter’s
* The gallant, young, and noble gentleman, Church, the gallant, young, and noble gentleman Count
* The County Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church, Paris will make you a joyful bride.
115 Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.

* JULIET JULIET
* Now, by Saint Peter’s Church and Peter too, Right now I swear by Saint Peter’s Church and Peter too
* He shall not make me there a joyful bride. that he will not make me a joyful bride. I’m confused by
* I wonder at this haste, that I must wed this sudden hurry. Why I would I marry this wouldbe
* Ere he, that should be husband, comes to woo. husband before he’s even come to court me? I beg you,
120 I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam, tell my father, madam, I won’t marry yet. And when I do
I will not marry yet. And when I do, I swear marry, I swear, I’d marry Romeo, whom you know I hate,
It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, before I’d marry Paris. Now that is news!
Rather than Paris. These are news indeed!

* Here comes your father. Tell him so yourself, Here comes your father. Tell him so yourself, and see how
125 And see how he will take it at your hands. he takes it from you.

Enter CAPULET and NURSE CAPULET and the NURSE enter.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* When the sun sets the air doth drizzle dew, When the sun sets the air drizzles dew. But when the son
* But for the sunset of my brother’s son of my brother died, the rain came in a downpour. (to
* It rains downright. JULIET) What’s with you? Are you a fountain? Still
* How now? A conduit, girl? What, still in tears, crying? Will you cry forever? You’re like a ship, the sea,
130 Evermore showering? In one little body and the winds. Like the sea, your eyes ebb and flow with
* Thou counterfeit’st a bark, a sea, a wind, tears. Your body is like the ship, sailing in the salt water
* For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea, of your tears. The winds are your sighs, which rage with
* Do ebb and flow with tears. The bark thy body is, tears and, unless you immediately calm down, will toss
* Sailing in this salt flood. The winds thy sighs, your body as if it’s in a storm and sink you. So what’s the
135 Who, raging with thy tears, and they with them, story, wife? Have you told her about our announcement?
Without a sudden calm will overset
Thy tempesttossèd body.—How now, wife?
Have you delivered to her our decree?

* Ay, sir, but she will none, she gives you thanks. Yes. And in reply she says thank you but no thanks. May
140 I would the fool were married to her grave! the fool be married to her grave!

* CAPULET CAPULET
* Soft, take me with you, take me with you, wife. What? Explain this to me again, wife. She refuses? She
* How, will she none? Doth she not give us thanks? doesn’t just say thank you? Is she not proud of the
* Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blessed, match? Is she not counting her blessings that we have
* Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought found for her, unworthy as she is, such a noble gentleman
145 So worthy a gentleman to be her bride? to be her bridegroom?

JULIET JULIET
Not proud you have, but thankful that you have. I’m not proud of what you found, but thankful for your
Proud can I never be of what I hate, efforts. I can’t be proud of what I hate. But I can be
But thankful even for hate that is meant love. thankful for what I hate, if it was meant with love.

* CAPULET CAPULET
* How, how, how, how? Chopped logic! What is this? What, what, what, what? Insane logic! What is this? How
150 “Proud,” and “I thank you,” and “I thank you not,” can you say “proud” and “I thank you” and “no thank you”
* And yet “not proud”? Mistress minion you, and “not proud?” You spoiled brat, don’t give me these
* Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds, “thank you no thank yous” and “proud not prouds.” Just
* But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next get yourself together for Thursday when you’ll be going
* To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church, with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church. And if you refuse to
155 Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. go, I’ll drag you there. My god, you sick corpse! You
Out, you green sickness, carrion! Out, you baggage! worthless bit of baggage! You pale face!
You tallow face!

Fie, fie! What, are you mad? (to CAPULET) Shame on you! What, are you crazy?
JULIET JULIET
Good Father, I beseech you on my knees, Good father, I’m on my knees, begging you, please be
Hear me with patience but to speak a word. patient and le me say just one thing.

* CAPULET CAPULET
160 Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! You disobedient wretch of a worthless girl! I’ll tell you
* I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, what: get yourself to church on Thursday or never again
* Or never after look me in the face. look me in the face. Don’t speak. Don’t reply. Don’t
* Speak not. Reply not. Do not answer me. answer me. (JULIET rises) My fingers itch to slap you.
* My fingers itch.—Wife, we scarce thought us blest Wife, we never thought we had been blessed that God
165 That God had lent us but this only child, gave us just this one child, but now I see that this one is
But now I see this one is one too much one too many. We were cursed when we had her. She
And that we have a curse in having her. sickens me, the goodfornothing.
Out on her, hilding!

NURSE NURSE
God in heaven bless her! God in heaven bless her! You’re wrong, my lord, to shout
You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so. at her that way.

* CAPULET CAPULET
170 And why, my Lady Wisdom? Hold your tongue, And why is that, my lady of such wisdom? Now shut up.
Good prudence. Smatter with your gossips, go. Go chatter with your gossiping cronies.
NURSE NURSE
I speak no treason. I’ve not said anything wrong.
CAPULET CAPULET
Oh, God ‘i’ good e’en. Oh, God.
NURSE NURSE
May not one speak? Can’t I speak?
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Peace, you mumbling fool! Quiet, you mumbling fool! Save your wisdom for your
* Utter your gravity o’er a gossip’s bowl, gossiping buddies. We don’t need it.
175 For here we need it not.

You are too hot. You’re too angry.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* God’s bread! It makes me mad. By God! It makes me angry! Day and night, hour after
* Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play, hour, through tide and time, working or playing, alone or
* Alone, in company, still my care hath been with company, I’ve worked to get her a fine match. Now,
* To have her matched. And having now provided I’ve gotten her a noble gentleman, who’s goodlooking,
180 A gentleman of noble parentage, young, welleducated, and honorable, who’s the man of
* Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly trained, any girl’s dreams. And this wretched, crying fool, like a
* Stuffed, as they say, with honorable parts, whining puppet, responds to this good fortune by
* Proportioned as one’s thought would wish a man— answering, “I won’t marry. I can’t love. I’m too young.
* And then to have a wretched puling fool, Forgive me.” Well, if you won’t get married, here’s how I’ll
185 A whining mammet, in her fortune’s tender, forgive you. Eat wherever you want, except in my house.
* To answer “I’ll not wed,” “I cannot love,” Think about that. I’m not joking. Thursday is soon. Cover
* “I am too young,” “I pray you, pardon me.”— your heart with your hand and listen to my advice. Act like
* But, an you will not wed, I’ll pardon you. my daughter, and I’ll marry you to my friend. Don’t, and
* Graze where you will, you shall not house with me. you can beg, starve, and die in the streets. By my soul,
190 Look to ’t, think on ’t, I do not use to jest. I’ll never again acknowledge or help you. Count on it.
* Thursday is near. Lay hand on heart, advise. Think about it. I won’t break this oath.
* An you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend.
* An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,
* For, by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee,
195 Nor what is mine shall never do thee good.
Trust to ’t, bethink you. I’ll not be forsworn.
Exit CAPULET CAPULET exits.
* JULIET JULIET
* Is there no pity sitting in the clouds Is there no god above that pities my grief? Oh, sweet
* That sees into the bottom of my grief?— mother, don’t throw me out! Delay this marriage for a
* O sweet my mother, cast me not away! month, or just a week. Or, else, make my wedding bed in
200 Delay this marriage for a month, a week. the family crypt where Tybalt lies.
Or, if you do not, make the bridal bed
In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.

Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word. Don’t talk to me. I won’t say a word. Do as you please,
Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee. because I’m done with you.

Exit LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET exits.
* JULIET JULIET
205 O God!—O Nurse, how shall this be prevented? Oh God!—Oh Nurse, how can we stop this? My husband
* My husband is on earth, my faith in heaven. is alive on earth, our vows are up in heaven. How can
* How shall that faith return again to earth, those vows come back down to earth, unless my husband
* Unless that husband send it me from heaven dies and goes to heaven and sends them back down by
* By leaving earth? Comfort me. Counsel me.— doing so? Comfort me. Tell me what to do. Oh, oh, why
210 Alack, alack, that heaven should practice stratagems does God play like this with someone as small as me?
Upon so soft a subject as myself.— What do you say? Don’t you have even one happy word?
What sayst thou? Hast thou not a word of joy? Comfort me, Nurse.
Some comfort, Nurse.

* NURSE NURSE
* Faith, here it is. Here’s what I think. Romeo’s banished. There’s no
* Romeo is banishèd, and all the world to nothing chance that he would ever come back to challenge you if
215 That he dares ne’er come back to challenge you. you get married. And if he does come back, he can only
* Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth. do so by sneaking in. Since that’s the way things are, I
* Then, since the case so stands as now it doth, think the best thing for you to do is to marry the count.
* I think it best you married with the county. He’s a lovely gentleman! Romeo’s a dishcloth compared
* Oh, he’s a lovely gentleman. to him. An eagle does not have eyes as green, quick, or
220 Romeo’s a dishclout to him. An eagle, madam, beautiful as Paris does. Curse my heart, but I think you’re
* Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye lucky to have this second husband, because he
* As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart, surpasses your first. And even if he didn’t, your first
* I think you are happy in this second match, husband is dead, or as good as dead, since Romeo
* For it excels your first. Or if it did not, doesn’t live here and you don’t get to enjoy him.
225 Your first is dead, or ’twere as good he were,
As living here and you no use of him.
JULIET JULIET
Speakest thou from thy heart? Do you speak from your heart?
NURSE NURSE
And from my soul too, else beshrew them both. From my heart and my soul too. If not, curse them both.
JULIET JULIET
Amen! Amen!
* NURSE NURSE
230 What? What?

JULIET JULIET
Well, thou hast comforted me marvelous much. Well, you have comforted me greatly. Go inside and tell
Go in, and tell my lady I am gone, my mother that, because I made my father angry, I’ve
Having displeased my father, to Lawrence’s cell gone to Friar Lawrence’s cell to confess and be absolved.
To make confession and to be absolved.

* NURSE NURSE
235 Marry, I will, and this is wisely done. Indeed, I will. This is the wisest course.

Exit NURSE The NURSE exits.
* JULIET JULIET
* Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend! Damned old lady! Oh, most wicked fiend! Is it a worse sin
* Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn, for her to tell me to break my vows or to criticize my
* Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue husband with the same tongue she used to praise him so
* Which she hath praised him with above compare many times before? Be gone, Nurse, with your advice. I’ll
240 So many thousand times? Go, counselor. never again tell you the true feelings of my heart. I’ll go to
Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain. the Friar to see if he has a solution. And if all else fails, at
I’ll to the friar to know his remedy. least I have the power to kill myself.
If all else fail, myself have power to die.

Exit JULIET exits.
Act 4, Scene 1
Get the Romeo and

Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS enter.
On Thursday, sir? The time is very short. On Thursday, sir? That’s extremely soon.
PARIS PARIS
My father Capulet will have it so, My fatherinlaw Capulet wants it that way, and I’m not at
And I am nothing slow to slack his haste. all interested in slowing him down.

* You say you do not know the lady’s mind. You say you don’t know what Juliet wants. That’s a
5 Uneven is the course. I like it not. treacherous road. I don’t like it.

* PARIS PARIS
* Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt’s death, She’s grieving too much over Tybalt’s death, so I haven’t
* And therefore have I little talked of love, talked to her about love. Romantic love can’t flourish
* For Venus smiles not in a house of tears. during times of mourning. Now, sir, her father thinks it’s
* Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous dangerous that she has given herself so fully to sorrow. In
10 That she do give her sorrow so much sway, his wisdom, he’s rushing our marriage in order to stop her
* And in his wisdom hastes our marriage tears. She is alone all the time and thinking too much of
* To stop the inundation of her tears— her grief. Some company might help her to stop crying.
* Which, too much minded by herself alone, Now you know the reason for this hurry to the wedding.
* May be put from her by society.
15 Now do you know the reason of this haste.

(aside) I would I knew not why it should be slowed.— (to himself) I wish I didn’t know the reason why it should
Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell. be slowed down. Look, sir, here comes the lady toward
my cell.
PARIS PARIS
Happily met, my lady and my wife. I’m happy to see you, my lady and my wife.
JULIET JULIET
That may be, sir, when I may be a wife. That might be, sir, when I’m married.
* PARIS PARIS
20 That “may be” must be, love, on Thursday next. That “may be” must be, love, on Thursday.

JULIET JULIET
What must be shall be. What must be will be.
That’s a certain text. That’s a certain truth.
PARIS PARIS
Come you to make confession to this Father? Have you come to make confession to Father Lawrence?
JULIET JULIET
To answer that, I should confess to you. If I answered that, I’d be confessing to you.
* PARIS PARIS
25 Do not deny to him that you love me. Don’t deny to him that you love me.

JULIET JULIET
I will confess to you that I love him. I’ll confess to you that I love him.
PARIS PARIS
So will ye, I am sure, that you love me. You will also confess, I’m sure, that you love me.
JULIET JULIET
If I do so, it will be of more price If I do so, it will be worth more if I say it behind your back
Being spoke behind your back than to your face. than if I say it to your face.

* PARIS PARIS
30 Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears. Poor dear, your face has been abused by so many tears.

JULIET JULIET
The tears have got small victory by that, The tears haven’t won much, since my face wasn’t all that
For it was bad enough before their spite. nice before I started to cry.

PARIS PARIS
Thou wrong’st it more than tears with that report. Now you’re abusing your face to say something untrue
like that about it.
JULIET JULIET
* That is no slander, sir, which is a truth, It is no lie, sir. It’s the truth. And what I said, I said to my
35 And what I spake, I spake it to my face. face.

PARIS PARIS
Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it. Your face is mine, and you have slandered it.
JULIET JULIET
It may be so, for it is not mine own.— That may be true, since my face is not my own.—(to
Are you at leisure, holy Father, now, FRIAR LAWRENCE) Are you free, Father, or should I
Or shall I come to you at evening mass? come to you at evening mass?

40 My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now.— I have time, my sad daughter. (to PARIS) My lord, we
My lord, we must entreat the time alone. must ask you for some time alone.
PARIS PARIS
God shield I should disturb devotion!— God forbid that I should intrude on confession! Juliet, I will
Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye. wake you early on Thursday. (kissing her) Until then,
(kisses her) Till then, adieu, and keep this holy kiss. goodbye, and keep this holy kiss.

Exit PARIS PARIS exits.
* JULIET JULIET
45 O, shut the door! And when thou hast done so, Oh, shut the door! And when you’ve done that, come
Come weep with me, past hope, past cure, past help. weep with me. My situation is beyond hope, beyond cure,
beyond help!
* O Juliet, I already know thy grief. Oh, Juliet, I already know why you’re so sad. It’s too
* It strains me past the compass of my wits. difficult a problem for me to know how to solve. I’ve heard
* I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it, that on the coming Thursday you must marry this count,
50 On Thursday next be married to this county. and nothing can delay it.

* JULIET JULIET
* Tell me not, Friar, that thou hear’st of this, Don’t tell me, Friar, that you’ve heard all this unless you
* Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it. can tell me how I can prevent it. If with all your wisdom
* If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, even you can’t help, then you must agree that my solution
* Do thou but call my resolution wise, is wise, and that this knife is the key to the solution
55 And with this knife I’ll help it presently. (JULIET reveals a knife). God joined my heart to
* (shows him a knife) Romeo’s, and you joined our hands. Before my hand or
* God joined my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands. heart—which are bound to Romeo—are given to another
* And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo sealed, man, I’ll use this knife to kill myself. So either use your
* Shall be the label to another deed, long experience and education to give me some advice
60 Or my true heart with treacherous revolt about what to do, or watch as I use this knife like a judge
* Turn to another, this shall slay them both. to honorably resolve the extreme situation in which I’m
* Therefore out of thy longexperienced time, caught. Don’t wait long to speak. I want to die if what you
* Give me some present counsel, or, behold, say isn’t a solution.
* ‘Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife
65 Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that
Which the commission of thy years and art
Could to no issue of true honor bring.
Be not so long to speak. I long to die
If what thou speak’st speak not of remedy.

70 Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, Wait, daughter, I see a ray of hope. But it will require an
* Which craves as desperate an execution act as desperate as the situation we want to avoid. If you
* As that is desperate which we would prevent. have the willpower to kill yourself rather than marry Count
* If, rather than to marry County Paris, Paris, then you’ll likely agree to experience something like
* Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, death to escape this problem. You can wrestle with death
75 Then is it likely thou wilt undertake itself in order to escape from death. If you dare to do it, I’ll
A thing like death to chide away this shame, give you the solution.
That copest with death himself to ’scape from it.
An if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy.

* JULIET JULIET
* O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, To avoid marrying Paris I’d jump from the top of a tower;
80 From off the battlements of yonder tower; or walk down thiefinfested alleys; or sit among a nest of
* Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk serpents; or be chained up up with wild bears; or be shut
* Where serpents are; chain me with roaring bears; up every night in a crypt full of rattling bones, stinking
* Or shut me nightly in a charnel house, flesh, and skulls without jawbones; or climb into a freshly
* O’ercovered quite with dead men’s rattling bones, dug grave and hide beneath the shroud of a dead man. All
85 With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls; those things make me tremble when I hear them said, but
* Or bid me go into a newmade grave I’ll do them without fear or dread in order to be a pure wife
* And hide me with a dead man in his shroud— to my sweet love.
* Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble—
* And I will do it without fear or doubt,
90 To live an unstained wife to my sweet love.

* Hold, then. Go home, be merry. Give consent Be strong, then. Go home, be cheerful, and agree to marry
* To marry Paris. Wednesday is tomorrow. Paris. Tomorrow is Wednesday. Tomorrow night make
* Tomorrow night look that thou lie alone. sure that you go to sleep alone. Don’t let the Nurse sleep
* Let not the Nurse lie with thee in thy chamber. in your bedroom. (shows JULIET a vial) Drink this liquor
95 (shows her a vial) when you’re in bed. A cold, sleepy feeling will then run
* Take thou this vial, being then in bed, through your veins, and your pulse will cease to beat. Your
* And this distillèd liquor drink thou off, body will go cold, and you’ll stop breathing. The red of
* When presently through all thy veins shall run your lips and cheeks will fade to a pale ashy color, and
* A cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse your eyelids will close just as if you were dead. Your body
100 Shall keep his native progress, but surcease. will lose control over its own movement, and will become
* No warmth, no breath shall testify thou livest. stiff as that of a corpse. You’ll remain in this simulation of
* The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade death for fortytwo hours, and then you’ll wake as if from a
* To wanny ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall pleasant sleep. So when the bridegroom comes to wake
* Like death when he shuts up the day of life. you from your bed in the morning, he will think that you
105 Each part, deprived of supple government, are dead. Then, as is the tradition of our city, you’ll be
* Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death. dressed in your best clothes and placed on an uncovered
* And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death funeral platform and carried to the Capulet tomb that holds
* Thou shalt continue two and forty hours, all of your dead relatives. Meanwhile, before you wake up,
* And then awake as from a pleasant sleep. I’ll send word to Romeo of our plan. He’ll come here, and
110 Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes we’ll keep a watch over you as you wake. That night,
* To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead. Romeo will take you with him to Mantua. So, as long as
* Then, as the manner of our country is, you don’t change your mind or let your womanly fear
* In thy best robes uncovered on the bier interfere with your courage, you’ll be free from the current
* Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault situation which threatens to force you into sin.
115 Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.
* In the meantime, against thou shalt awake,
* Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,
* And hither shall he come, and he and I
* Will watch thy waking, and that very night
120 Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua.
And this shall free thee from this present shame,
If no inconstant toy, nor womanish fear,
Abate thy valor in the acting it.
JULIET JULIET
Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear! Give it to me! Don’t talk to me about fear.
125 (gives her a vial) (giving her the vial) Now go. Be strong and good luck. I’ll
Hold. Get you gone. Be strong and prosperous send a friar speeding to Mantua with my letter to Romeo.
In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed
To Mantua with my letters to thy lord.

* JULIET JULIET
* Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford. Love gives me strength, and strength the will, help me
* Farewell, dear Father. follow through on this plan. Goodbye, dear Father.
130

Exeunt, separately They exit in opposite directions.
Act 4, Scene 2
Get the Romeo and

Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, NURSE, and two or three CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and the NURSE enter, along
SERVINGMEN with two or three SERVINGMEN
CAPULET CAPULET
(gives paper to FIRST SERVINGMAN) So many guests invite as (giving a paper to the FIRST SERVINGMAN) Invite all the
here are writ. guests written on this list.
Exit FIRST SERVINGMAN The FIRST SERVINGMAN exits.
(to SECOND SERVINGMAN) Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning (to SECOND SERVINGMAN) Go hire twenty skilled
cooks. cooks.
SECOND SERVINGMAN SECOND SERVINGMAN
You shall have none ill, sir, for I’ll try if they can lick their fingers. I won’t hire any bad cooks. I’ll test them by making them
lick their fingers.
CAPULET CAPULET
How canst thou try them so? How does that work?
* SECOND SERVINGMAN SECOND SERVINGMAN
5 Marry, sir, ’tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers. Well, sir, it’s a bad cook who refuses to lick his own
Therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not with me. fingers. So I won’t hire any cooks who won’t lick their own
fingers.
CAPULET CAPULET
Go, be gone. Get going.
Exit SECOND SERVINGMAN The SECOND SERVINGMAN exits.
We shall be much unfurnished for this time. We’re not going to be prepared for this wedding
What, is my daughter gone to Friar Lawrence? celebration. (to the NURSE) Has my daughter gone to see
Friar Lawrence?
NURSE NURSE
Ay, forsooth. Yes, that’s the truth.
* CAPULET CAPULET
10 Well, he may chance to do some good on her. Well, there’s a chance he may do her some good. She’s a
A peevish selfwilled harlotry it is. stubborn goodfornothing little wench.
NURSE NURSE
See where she comes from shrift with merry look. Look, she’s back from confession looking happier.
CAPULET CAPULET
How now, my headstrong? Where have you been gadding? How are you, my headstrong daughter? Where have you
been?
* JULIET JULIET
* Where I have learned me to repent the sin Where I learned to repent for the sin of being disobedient
15 Of disobedient opposition to my father and his commands. I am instructed by holy
* To you and your behests, and am enjoined Father Lawrence to kneel down and beg your forgiveness.
* By holy Lawrence to fall prostrate here (she kneels) Forgive me, I beg you. From now on I’ll do
* To beg your pardon. (falls to her knees) what you tell me to.
* Pardon, I beseech you!
20 Henceforward I am ever ruled by you.

CAPULET CAPULET
Send for the county. Go tell him of this. Send for the Count. Tell him about this. We’ll move the
I’ll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning. wedding to tomorrow morning.

* JULIET JULIET
* I met the youthful lord at Lawrence’ cell, I met the youthful lord at Lawrence’s cell. I treated him
* And gave him what becomèd love I might, with the proper love, without breaking the proper rules of
25 Not stepping o’er the bounds of modesty. modesty.

CAPULET CAPULET
Why, I am glad on ’t. This is well. Stand up. I’m glad! This is good. Stand up.
JULIET stands up JULIET stands up.
* This is as ’t should be.—Let me see the county. This is how it should be. I want to see the count. Yes,
* Ay, marry, go, I say, and fetch him hither.— okay, go, I say, and bring him here. Now, I swear before
* Now, afore God, this reverend holy friar! God, our whole city owes a great deal to this friar.
30 Our whole city is much bound to him.

JULIET JULIET
Nurse, will you go with me into my closet Nurse, will you come with me to my room and help me
To help me sort such needful ornaments pick out the clothes and jewelry that I should wear
As you think fit to furnish me tomorrow? tomorrow?

No, not till Thursday. There is time enough. No, not until Thursday. There’s enough time.
* CAPULET CAPULET
35 Go, Nurse. Go with her. We’ll to church tomorrow. Go, Nurse. Go with her. We’ll go to the church and have
the wedding tomorrow.
Exeunt JULIET and NURSE JULIET and the NURSE exit.
We shall be short in our provision. We won’t have enough food or drink for the party. It’s
‘Tis now near night. almost night already.

* CAPULET CAPULET
* Tush, I will stir about, Nonsense, I’ll get to work and everything will work out
* And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife. well, I promise, wife. Go to Juliet and help to dress her.
* Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her. I’m not going to go to bed tonight. Leave me alone. I’ll act
40 I’ll not to bed tonight. Let me alone. as the housewife for once.
I’ll play the housewife for this once.
LADY CAPULET exits. LADY CAPULET exits
* —What, ho? What? They’re all gone? Well, I’ll walk by myself to Count
* They are all forth?—Well, I will walk myself Paris to prepare him for tomorrow. My heart is wonderfully
* To County Paris, to prepare him up glad that this rebellious girl has now returned to her proper
* Against tomorrow. My heart is wondrous light place.
45 Since this same wayward girl is so reclaimed.

Exit CAPULET exits
Act 4, Scene 3
Get the Romeo and

Enter JULIET and NURSE JULIET and the NURSE enter.
* JULIET JULIET
* Ay, those attires are best. But, gentle Nurse, Yes, those clothes are the best. But, gentle Nurse, I beg
* I pray thee, leave me to myself tonight, you, please let me be by myself tonight. I need to say
* For I have need of many orisons many prayers in order to convince the heavens to bless
* To move the heavens to smile upon my state, me despite my situation. You know very well that my life is
5 Which, well thou know’st, is cross and full of sin. difficult and full of sin.

What, are you busy, ho? Need you my help? Are you busy? Do you need my help?
* JULIET JULIET
* No, madam. We have culled such necessaries No, madam. We’ve selected the things that would be best
* As are behooveful for our state tomorrow. for me to wear at the ceremony tomorrow. So, if it’s all
* So please you, let me now be left alone, right with you, please leave me alone now. Let the Nurse
10 And let the Nurse this night sit up with you. stay up tonight with you. I’m sure your hands are full
For, I am sure, you have your hands full all getting ready for this sudden marriage celebration.
In this so sudden business.

Good night. Good night. Go to bed and get your rest, it’s no surprise
Get thee to bed and rest, for thou hast need. that you should need it.

Exeunt LADY CAPULET and NURSE LADY CAPULET and the NURSE exit.
* JULIET JULIET
* Farewell!—God knows when we shall meet again. Goodbye! God alone knows when we will meet again. A
15 I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins small cold fear pierces my veins and almost freezes the
* That almost freezes up the heat of life. heat of life out of me. I’ll call them back to comfort me.
* I’ll call them back again to comfort me.— Nurse!—No, what would she do here? My terrible situation
* Nurse!—What should she do here? requires that I act alone. This is the vial. (holds out the
* My dismal scene I needs must act alone. vial) What if this mixture doesn’t work at all? Will I end up
20 Come, vial. (holds out the vial) being married tomorrow morning? No, no. This knife will
* What if this mixture do not work at all? stop it. Lie down right there, knife. (she lays down her
* Shall I be married then tomorrow morning? knife) What if the Friar secretly made this potion to kill me
* No, no. This shall forbid it. Lie thou there. because he feared he would be disgraced if he marries me
* (lays her knife down) to Paris after already marrying me to Romeo? I fear it is
25 What if it be a poison, which the friar poison. And yet, I think, it can’t be poison because he is a
* Subtly hath ministered to have me dead, trusted holy man. What if, when I am put in the tomb, I
* Lest in this marriage he should be dishonored wake up before Romeo comes to release me? That’s a
* Because he married me before to Romeo? terrifying thought. Won’t I be stifled in that tomb, where
* I fear it is. And yet, methinks, it should not, there’s no fresh air to breathe, and die of suffocation before
30 For he hath still been tried a holy man. my Romeo comes? Or if I live, isn’t it very likely that the
* How if, when I am laid into the tomb, death and darkness surrounding me and the terrifying
* I wake before the time that Romeo nature of the place—packed as it is with centuries of my
* Come to redeem me? There’s a fearful point. ancestors’ bones, and Tybalt’s own bloody body freshly
* Shall I not, then, be stifled in the vault entombed and rotting, and with the spirits of the dead
35 To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, wandering around—isn’t it likely that when I wake up and
* And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? smell the terrible odors, and hear the awful shrieks of the
* Or, if I live, is it not very like dead that could drive people crazy, that I myself will go
* The horrible conceit of death and night, insane and begin to play with my ancestors’ bones and pull
* Together with the terror of the place— Tybalt’s mangled corpse from its death shroud? In raging
40 As in a vault, an ancient receptacle, insanity, will I take some bone of one of my ancestors and
* Where for these many hundred years the bones bash out my brains? Oh, look! I think I see my cousin
* Of all my buried ancestors are packed; Tybalt’s ghost looking for Romeo, who killed him. Wait,
* Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth, Tybalt, wait! Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s a drink. I
* Lies festering in his shroud; where, as they say, drink to you.
45 At some hours in the night spirits resort—?
* Alack, alack, is it not like that I,
* So early waking, what with loathsome smells,
* And shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth,
* That living mortals, hearing them, run mad—?
50 Oh, if I wake, shall I not be distraught,
* Environèd with all these hideous fears,
* And madly play with my forefather’s joints,
* And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud,
* And, in this rage, with some great kinsman’s bone,
55 As with a club, dash out my desperate brains?
Oh, look! Methinks I see my cousin’s ghost
Seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body
Upon a rapier’s point. Stay, Tybalt, stay!
Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink. I drink to thee.
She drinks and falls down on the bed, hidden by the bed curtains JULIET drinks from the vial and falls down on her bed,
hidden by her bed curtains.
Act 4, Scene 4
Get the Romeo and

Enter LADY CAPULET and NURSE LADY CAPULET and the NURSE enter.
Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, Nurse. Wait. Take these keys and go get more spices, Nurse.
NURSE NURSE
They call for dates and quinces in the pastry. They’re calling for dates and quinces in the kitchen.
Enter CAPULET CAPULET enters.
* CAPULET CAPULET
* Come, stir, stir, stir! The second cock hath crowed. Come on, get moving, get moving, get moving! The
* The curfew bell hath rung. ‘Tis three o’clock.— second cock has crowed. The curfewbell has rung. It’s
5 Look to the baked meats, good Angelica. three o’clock. Go get the baked meats, good Angelica.
Spare not for the cost. Don’t worry about the cost.
NURSE NURSE
Go, you cotquean, go. Oh, you cottage housewife, you. Go to bed, my God. You’ll
Get you to bed, faith. You’ll be sick tomorrow be sick tomorrow from staying up all night.
For this night’s watching.

* CAPULET CAPULET
* No, not a whit, what. I have watched ere now No, no, not at all. I’ve stayed up all night before for less
10 All night for lesser cause, and ne’er been sick. important reasons, and never gotten sick from it.

Ay, you have been a mousehunt in your time, Yes, you were a womanchaser in your time. But I’ll keep
But I will watch you from such watching now. an eye on you to make sure you don’t stay up for those
reasons any more.
Exeunt LADY CAPULET and NURSE LADY CAPULET and the NURSE exit.
CAPULET CAPULET
A jealous hood, a jealous hood! She has become a jealous woman, a jealous woman!
Enter three or four SERVINGMEN with spits and logs and Three or four SERVINGMEN enter carrying spits, logs,
baskets and baskets.
Now, fellow, Now, fellow, what are you carrying?
What is there?
* FIRST SERVINGMAN FIRST SERVINGMAN
15 Things for the cook, sir, but I know not what. Things for the cook, sir. But I don’t know exactly.

CAPULET CAPULET
Make haste, make haste, sirrah. Hurry up, hurry up.
Exit FIRST SERVINGMAN The FIRST SERVINGMAN exits.
(to SECOND SERVINGMAN) Fetch drier logs. (to SECOND SERVINGMAN) Fetch logs that are drier.
Call Peter. He will show thee where they are. Call Peter. He’ll show you where they are.
* SECOND SERVINGMAN SECOND SERVINGMAN
* I have a head, sir, that will find out logs, I can find the logs without bothering Peter.
20 And never trouble Peter for the matter.

Exit SECOND SERVINGMAN The SECOND SERVINGMAN exits.
CAPULET CAPULET
Mass, and well said. A merry whoreson, ha! Right, and well said. What a funny son of a whore that guy
Thou shalt be loggerhead.—Good faith, ’tis day. is, ha! His head is full of logs. My God, it’s day time. The
The county will be here with music straight, count will be here soon with music, as he said he would. I
For so he said he would. I hear him near.— hear him coming.

Music plays within Music plays offstage.
25 Nurse! Wife! What, ho? What, Nurse, I say! Nurse! Wife! What? Nurse!

Enter NURSE The NURSE returns.
Go waken Juliet. Go and trim her up. Go wake Juliet and get her dressed. I’ll go and chat with
I’ll go and chat with Paris. Hie, make haste, Paris. Go, hurry up, hurry up! The bridegroom is here
Make haste. The bridegroom he is come already. already. Hurry up, I say.
Make haste, I say.

Exeunt All exit.
Act 4, Scene 5
Get the Romeo and

Enter NURSE The NURSE enters.
* NURSE NURSE
* Mistress! What, mistress! Juliet!—Fast, I warrant her, she.— Mistress! Hey, mistress! Juliet! Fast asleep, I bet. Hey,
* Why, lamb! Why, lady! Fie, you slugabed. lamb! Hey, lady! Hey, you sleepyhead! Hey, love, I say!
* Why, love, I say. Madam! Sweetheart! Why, bride! Madam! Sweetheart! Hey, bride! What, not a single word
* What, not a word? You take your pennyworths now. to say? Enjoy this last bit of sleep now. Get a week’s
5 Sleep for a week, for the next night, I warrant, worth of sleep, because tonight, I bet, Count Paris will
* The County Paris hath set up his rest make sure that you don’t get much rest. God forgive me.
* That you shall rest but little.—God forgive me, Indeed, and amen. How sound asleep she is! I have to
* Marry, and amen. How sound is she asleep! wake her. Madam, madam, madam! Yeah, let the count
* I must needs wake her.—Madam, madam, madam! take you in your bed. He’ll wake you up, no doubt. Won’t
10 Ay, let the county take you in your bed. he? (opens the bed curtains) What? Still dressed in your
* He’ll fright you up, i’ faith. Will it not be? clothes but asleep. I must wake you. Lady, lady, lady! No,
* (opens the bed curtains) no! Help, help! My lady’s dead! Oh curse the day I was
* What, dressed and in your clothes, and down again? born! Hey! Get me some liquor! My lord! My lady!
* I must needs wake you. Lady, lady, lady!—
15 Alas, alas! Help, help! My lady’s dead!—
Oh, welladay, that ever I was born!—
Some aqua vitae, ho!—My lord! My lady!
What noise is here? What’s with all the noise?
NURSE NURSE
O lamentable day! Oh, terrible day!
What is the matter? What’s the matter?
NURSE NURSE
Look, look. O heavy day! Look, look! Oh, what an awful day!
20 O me, O me! My child, my only life, Oh no, oh no! My child, my reason for being, come back,
Revive, look up, or I will die with thee!— look up, or I’ll die with you! Help, help! Call for help.
Help, help! Call help.
Enter CAPULET CAPULET enters.
CAPULET CAPULET
For shame, bring Juliet forth. Her lord is come. For shame, get Juliet out here. Her bridegroom has
arrived.
NURSE NURSE
She’s dead, deceased, she’s dead. Alack the day! She’s dead, deceased, dead. Curse the day!
25 Alack the day. She’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead! Curse the day. She’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead!

* CAPULET CAPULET
* Ha? Let me see her. Out, alas! She’s cold. What? Let me see her. No! She’s cold. Her blood has
* Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff. stopped, and her joints are stiff. Life left her body a long
* Life and these lips have long been separated. while ago. Death rests on her like an unexpected frost that
* Death lies on her like an untimely frost killed the most beautiful flower.
30 Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.

NURSE NURSE
O lamentable day! Oh terrible day!
O woeful time. Oh awful time!
CAPULET CAPULET
Death, that hath ta’en her hence to make me wail, Death, which has taken her away to make me cry, ties up
Ties up my tongue and will not let me speak. my tongue and will not let me speak.

Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE, County PARIS, and MUSICIANS FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS enter with MUSICIANS.

Come, is the bride ready to go to church? Come, is the bride ready to go to church?
* CAPULET CAPULET
35 Ready to go, but never to return. She’s ready to go, but not to return. (to PARIS) Oh son!
* O son! The night before thy wedding day On the night before your wedding day, death has slept
* Hath death lain with thy wife. There she lies, with your wife. There she lies, a flower who was
* Flower as she was, deflowered by him. deflowered by death. Death is my soninlaw. Death is my
* Death is my soninlaw. Death is my heir. heir. Death has married my daughter. I will die and leave
40 My daughter he hath wedded. I will die, everything to Death. Life, living, it all is now Death’s.
And leave him all. Life, living, all is Death’s.
PARIS PARIS
Have I thought long to see this morning’s face, Have I waited to see this morning for so long, only for it to
And doth it give me such a sight as this? look like this?

* Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day! Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day! The most
45 Most miserable hour that e’er time saw miserable hour that ever existed in all of time. I had just
In lasting labor of his pilgrimage. one child, one poor child, one poor and loving child. Just
But one, poor one, one poor and loving child, one thing to rejoice and find comfort in. Now cruel Death
But one thing to rejoice and solace in, has stolen it from my sight!
And cruel death hath catched it from my sight!

* NURSE NURSE
50 O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day! Oh misery! Oh miserable, miserable, miserable day! The
* Most lamentable day, most woeful day saddest day, most miserable day that I ever, ever saw!
* That ever, ever, I did yet behold! Oh day! Oh day! Oh day! Oh hateful day! There has never
* O day, O day, O day, O hateful day! been a day as black as this one. Oh miserable day, Oh
* Never was seen so black a day as this. miserable day!
55 O woeful day, O woeful day!

PARIS PARIS
Beguiled, divorcèd, wrongèd, spited, slain! She was tricked, divorced, wronged, spited, killed!
Most detestable Death, by thee beguiled, Detestable Death tricked her. Cruel, cruel Death murdered
By cruel, cruel thee quite overthrown! her. Oh love! Oh life! There is no life because my love is
O love! O life! Not life, but love in death. dead.

* CAPULET CAPULET
60 Despised, distressèd, hated, martyred, killed! Despised, distressed, hated, martyred, killed! Why did
* Uncomfortable time, why camest thou now you come now, Death, to murder, murder our joy? Oh
* To murder, murder our solemnity? child! Oh child! My soul and not my child! You are dead!
* O child, O child! My soul, and not my child! No! My child is dead. My child will be buried together with
* Dead art thou! Alack, my child is dead, my joy.
65 And with my child my joys are buried.

* Peace, ho, for shame! Confusion’s cure lives not Quiet, for shame! Your outcries are no cure for confusion.
* In these confusions. Heaven and yourself Both you and heaven played a part in giving you your
70 Had part in this fair maid. Now heaven hath all, child. Now heaven has her, and she is better off. The part
* And all the better is it for the maid. of her that came from you could not stop her from dying,
* Your part in her you could not keep from death, but the part she got from heaven gives her eternal life. The
* But heaven keeps his part in eternal life. most you could hope for her was that she marry well. Your
* The most you sought was her promotion, idea of heaven for her was that she move up the social
75 For ’twas your heaven she should be advanced. ladder. Yet now you weep, even though she has risen up
* And weep ye now, seeing she is advanced above the clouds, all the way to heaven itself? Oh, by
* Above the clouds, as high as heaven itself? mourning her death you love your child so poorly, going
* Oh, in this love, you love your child so ill mad even though she is well and in heaven. It is better for
* That you run mad, seeing that she is well. a girl to die young while her marriage is still fresh and
80 She’s not well married that lives married long, loving than to be married for a long time. Dry your tears,
But she’s best married that dies married young. and place your rosemary (editor’s note: rosemary signifies
Dry up your tears and stick your rosemary enduring love) on this beautiful corpse. And, as is the
On this fair corse, and, as the custom is, custom, put her in her finest clothes and carry her to
And in her best array, bear her to church. church. It’s human nature to shed tears, but reason says
For though some nature bids us all lament, that we should be joyful.
Yet nature’s tears are reason’s merriment.
* CAPULET CAPULET
85 All things that we ordained festival The things that we prepared for the wedding now will be
* Turn from their office to black funeral. used instead for the funeral. Our music instruments will be
* Our instruments to melancholy bells, exchanged for mourning bells. Our wedding banquet will
* Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast. be instead a sad burial feast. Our celebratory hymns will
* Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change, change to sad funeral dirges. Our bridal flowers will cover
90 Our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse, a buried corpse. Everything will be used for the purpose
And all things change them to the contrary. opposite that which we expected.
* Sir, go you in, and, madam, go with him; Sir, you go in. Madam, go with him. And you too, Sir
* And go, Sir Paris. Every one prepare Paris. Everyone prepare to follow this beautiful corpse to
* To follow this fair corse unto her grave. her grave. The heavens hang over you for some unknown
95 The heavens do lour upon you for some ill. reason. Stop fighting heaven’s will and it will no longer
Move them no more by crossing their high will. move against you.
Exeunt CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, PARIS, and FRIAR CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, PARIS, and FRIAR
LAWRENCE LAWRENCE exit.
FIRST MUSICIAN FIRST MUSICIAN
Faith, we may put up our pipes and be gone. I guess we can put our pipes away and leave.
NURSE NURSE
Honest good fellows, ah, put up, put up, Honest good men, yes, put them away, away. As you
For, well you know, this is a pitiful case. know, this is a sad case.

Exit The NURSE exits.
* FIRST MUSICIAN FIRST MUSICIAN
100 Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended. Yes, but this case at least can be mended. (editor’s note:
the musician is referring to the case for his flute, which is
broken)
Enter PETER PETER enters.
PETER PETER
Musicians, O musicians, “Heart’s Ease,” “Heart’s Ease.” O, an Musicians, oh, musicians, play “Heart’s Ease,” “Heart’s
you will have me live, play “Heart’s Ease.” Ease.” Oh, if you want me to live, play “Heart’s Ease.”
Why “Heart’s ease?” Why “Heart’s Ease”?
PETER PETER
O musicians, because my heart itself plays “My Heart is Full.” Oh, musicians, because my heart itself is playing “My
O, play me some merry dump to comfort me. Heart is Full of Woe.” Oh, play me some happy mournful
tune to comfort me.
Not a dump, we. ‘Tis no time to play now. No, we won’t play a sad song. Now is not the time for it.
* PETER PETER
105 You will not then? You won’t, then?

No. No.
PETER PETER
I will then give it you soundly. Then I’ll give you something you won’t forget.
What will you give us? What will you give us?
PETER PETER
No money, on my faith, but the gleek. I will give you the Not money, I swear. But I’ll insult you, and call you
minstrel. rogues.
110 Then I will give you the serving creature. Then I’ll call you a lowly servant.

PETER PETER
Then will I lay the serving creature’s dagger on your pate. I will Then I’ll take my serving knife to smack you upside the
carry no crotchets. I’ll re you, I’ll fa you. Do you note me? head. I won’t need to sing. I’ll make you sing. Do you hear
me?
An you re us and fa us, you note us. If you make us sing, you’ll hear us.
SECOND MUSICIAN SECOND MUSICIAN
Pray you, put up your dagger and put out your wit. Please, put away your knife and show some wits.
* PETER PETER
115 Then have at you with my wit. I will drybeat you with an iron wit I’ll attack you with my wit! I’ll put away my iron dagger
and put up my iron dagger. Answer me like men. and thrash you with my wicked wit. Answer me like men.
(sings) (sings)
When griping grief the heart doth wound When grief wounds your heart,
And doleful dumps the mind oppress, And sadness presses on your mind,
Then music with her silver sound— Then music with her silver sound—
(speaks) Why “silver sound”? Why “music with her silver (speaks) Why “silver sound”? What does “music with her
sound”? What say you, Simon Catling? silver sound” mean? What do you say, Simon Catling?
120 Marry, sir, because silver hath a sweet sound. Well, sir, because silver has a sweet sound.

PETER PETER
Pretty.—What say you, Hugh Rebeck? A witty reply! What do you say, Hugh Rebeck?
I say, “silver sound” because musicians sound for silver. I say “silver sound,” because musicians play music to
earn silver.
PETER PETER
Pretty too.—What say you, James Soundpost? More wit! What do you say, James Soundpost?
THIRD MUSICIAN THIRD MUSICIAN
Faith, I know not what to say. Well, I don’t know what to say.
* PETER PETER
125 Oh, I cry you mercy, you are the singer. I will say for you. It is Oh, I beg your pardon. You’re the singer (editor’s note:
“music with her silver sound” because musicians have no gold singers were considered unintelligent). I’ll answer for you.
for sounding. It is “music with her silver sound,” because musicians will
never get rich.
(sings) (sings)
Then music with her silver sound Then music with her silver sound
With speedy help doth lend redress. quickly makes you feel all right.

Exit PETER PETER exits.
130 What a pestilent knave is this same! What an annoying jerk!

Hang him, Jack! Come, we’ll in here, tarry for the mourners and Screw him, Jack! Come on, we’ll go in there, wait for the
stay dinner. mourners to return, and stay for dinner.
Exeunt MUSICIANS exit.
Act 5, Scene 1
Get the Romeo and

* ROMEO ROMEO
* If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep, If I can trust the favorable truth of sleep, then my dreams
* My dreams presage some joyful news at hand. foretell some joyful news is on its way. Love sits lightly in
* My bosom’s lord sits lightly in his throne, my heart, and all day an odd feeling has seemed to lift me
* And all this day an unaccustomed spirit up with cheerful thoughts. I had a dream that my lady
5 Lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts. came and found me dead—what a strange dream to allow
* I dreamt my lady came and found me dead— a dead man to think—and breathed life back into me by
* Strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think— kissing my lips. I revived and became an emperor. Oh!
* And breathed such life with kisses in my lips How sweet it would be to be with my love, when just my
* That I revived and was an emperor. dreams of love fill me with so much joy.
10 Ah me! How sweet is love itself possessed
When but love’s shadows are so rich in joy!
Enter ROMEO’s man BALTHASAR ROMEO’s servant BALTHASAR enters.
* News from Verona!—How now, Balthasar? News from Verona!—What is it, Balthasar? Have you
* Dost thou not bring me letters from the friar? brought me a letter from the friar? How is my wife? Is my
* How doth my lady? Is my father well? father well? How is my Juliet? I ask that again because
15 How fares my Juliet? That I ask again, nothing can be bad if she is well.
For nothing can be ill if she be well.
* BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
* Then she is well, and nothing can be ill. Then she is well, and nothing is bad. Her body sleeps in
* Her body sleeps in Capels’ monument, the Capulet crypt, and her immortal soul lives with the
* And her immortal part with angels lives. angels. I saw her buried in her family’s tomb, and rushed
20 I saw her laid low in her kindred’s vault here to tell you the news. Oh, pardon me for bringing this
And presently took post to tell it you. bad news, but you told me it was my duty to do so, sir.
O, pardon me for bringing these ill news,
Since you did leave it for my office, sir.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars! Is it true? Then I defy you, fate! (to BALTHASAR) You
25 Thou know’st my lodging. Get me ink and paper, know where I’m staying. Go there and get me some ink
And hire post horses. I will hence tonight. and paper, and hire some horses. I will leave here tonight.
BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
I do beseech you, sir, have patience. I beg you, sir, have patience. You look pale and wild, as if
Your looks are pale and wild, and do import you’re about to do something reckless.
Some misadventure.

* ROMEO ROMEO
30 Tush, thou art deceived. Come now, you’re being silly. Leave me and do what I told
Leave me and do the thing I bid thee do. you to do. Do you really not have a letter for me from the
Hast thou no letters to me from the friar? friar?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
No, my good lord. No, my good lord.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* No matter. Get thee gone, No matter. Get going and hire those horses. I’ll be with you
35 And hire those horses. I’ll be with thee straight. soon.

Exit BALTHASAR BALTHASAR exits
* Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight. Well, Juliet, I’ll lie with you tonight. Let me think how. Evil
* Let’s see for means. O mischief, thou art swift acts are quick to enter the thoughts of desperate men! I
* To enter in the thoughts of desperate men! remember a pharmacist who lives around here and who I
* I do remember an apothecary— recently noted wears tattered clothes and has jutting
40 And hereabouts he dwells—which late I noted brows, and who knows his medicinal herbs. He looks poor,
* In tattered weeds, with overwhelming brows, as if misery had worn him to the bone. A tortoise shell
* Culling of simples. Meager were his looks, hung in his shabby shop, along with a stuffed alligator and
* Sharp misery had worn him to the bones, the skins of oddshaped fish. A few empty boxes sat on
* And in his needy shop a tortoise hung, his shelves, as well as green clay pots, empty water
45 An alligator stuffed, and other skins skins, and some musty seeds. Old strands of string and
* Of illshaped fishes; and about his shelves rose petals pressed into cakes were scattered about on
* A beggarly account of empty boxes, display. Seeing his poverty, I said to myself, “If a man
* Green earthen pots, bladders and musty seeds, needed some poison”—which to sell in Mantua is
* Remnants of packthread and old cakes of roses, punishable by immediate death—“here is a miserable
50 Were thinly scattered to make up a show. wretch who’d sell it to him.” Oh, this idea came before I
* Noting this penury, to myself I said, even knew I needed the poison. But this is the poor man
* “An if a man did need a poison now”— who will sell it to me. As I remember, this is the house.
* Whose sale is present death in Mantua— Since today’s a holiday, the beggar’s shop is shut. Hey!
* “Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him.” Pharmacist!
55 Oh, this same thought did but forerun my need,
And this same needy man must sell it me.
As I remember, this should be the house.
Being holiday, the beggar’s shop is shut.
What, ho! Apothecary!
Enter APOTHECARY The APOTHECARY enters.
APOTHECARY APOTHECARY
Who calls so loud? Who’s that calling so loudly?
* ROMEO ROMEO
60 Come hither, man. I see that thou art poor. Come here, man. I see that you are poor. Here’s forty
* Hold, there is forty ducats. Let me have ducats. Let me have a bit of poison, something that
* A dram of poison, such soonspeeding gear spreads so fast through the veins that the tiredout person
* As will disperse itself through all the veins who takes it will lose the breath of life as quickly as
* That the lifeweary taker may fall dead, gunpowder explodes from the inside of canon.
65 And that the trunk may be discharged of breath
As violently as hasty powder fired
Doth hurry from the fatal cannon’s womb.
Such mortal drugs I have, but Mantua’s law I have such deadly poisons. But it’s the deathpenalty to
Is death to any he that utters them. sell them in Mantua.

* ROMEO ROMEO
70 Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness, How can you be so poor and wretched and still be afraid to
* And fear’st to die? Famine is in thy cheeks. die? Your cheeks are thin from hunger. Starvation and
* Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes. oppression are visible in your eyes. Your poverty, and the
* Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy back. contempt of others for your situation, is like a monkey on
* The world is not thy friend nor the world’s law. your back. The world is not your friend, and neither are the
75 The world affords no law to make thee rich. world’s laws. The world doesn’t provide a law that will
Then be not poor, but break it, and take this. make you rich. So don’t be poor. Break the law, and take
(holds out money) this money. (he holds out money)
My poverty, but not my will, consents. It is my poverty, not my morals, that forces me to agree.
ROMEO ROMEO
I pay thy poverty and not thy will. I pay your poverty, not your morals.
* APOTHECARY APOTHECARY
80 (gives ROMEO poison) Put this in any liquid thing you will (gives ROMEO poison) Put this in any kind of liquid you
And drink it off; and, if you had the strength want and drink it. Even if you had the strength of twenty
Of twenty men, it would dispatch you straight. men, it would kill you quickly.

* ROMEO ROMEO
* (gives APOTHECARY money) (gives APOTHECARY money) There is your gold, which is
* There is thy gold, worse poison to men’s souls, a worse poison to men’s souls, and commits more
85 Doing more murder in this loathsome world, murders in this terrible world, than these poor mixtures that
* Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. you’re forbidden to sell. I’ve sold you poison; you haven’t
* I sell thee poison. Thou hast sold me none. sold me any. Goodbye. Get some food, and put some flesh
* Farewell. Buy food, and get thyself in flesh.— on your bones. Come with me, medicine, which is no
* Come, cordial and not poison, go with me poison. We go to Juliet’s grave, where I will use you.
90 To Juliet’s grave, for there must I use thee.

Exeunt They exit.
Act 5, Scene 2
Get the Romeo and

Enter FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN enters.
FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN
Holy Franciscan Friar! Brother, ho! Holy Franciscan Friar! Brother, hey!
Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE FRIAR LAWRENCE enters.
This same should be the voice of Friar John. That voice sounds like Friar John. Welcome back from
Welcome from Mantua. What says Romeo? Mantua. What does Romeo say? Or, if he wrote down his
Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter. thoughts, give me his letter.

* FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN
5 Going to find a barefoot brother out, I went to find another poor friar from our order to
* One of our order, to associate me, accompany me. He was in this city visiting the sick. I
* Here in this city visiting the sick, found him, but the town health officials suspected that we
* And finding him, the searchers of the town, had both been in a house where people were infected with
* Suspecting that we both were in a house the plague. They sealed up the house and refused to let us
10 Where the infectious pestilence did reign, out. So I was stuck, and couldn’t go to Mantua.
Sealed up the doors and would not let us forth.
So that my speed to Mantua there was stayed.
Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo? Then who took my letter to Romeo?
* FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN
* I could not send it—here it is again— I couldn’t send it—Here it is (he gives FRIAR
15 (gives FRIAR LAWRENCE a letter) LAWRENCE a letter)—nor could I get a messenger to
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, bring it to you because they were scared of getting
So fearful were they of infection. infected.

* Unhappy fortune! By my brotherhood, Terrible fate! By my brotherhood, the letter was not just a
* The letter was not nice but full of charge, friendly greeting. It was full of important news. That it was
Of dear import, and the neglecting it
20 May do much danger. Friar John, go hence. never sent may result in great ruin. Friar John, go and get
Get me an iron crow and bring it straight me an iron crowbar and bring it straight back to my cell.
Unto my cell.
FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN
Brother, I’ll go and bring it thee. Brother, I’ll go and bring it to you.
Exit FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN exits.
* Now must I to the monument alone. Now I must go to the crypt alone. Within three hours
25 Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake. beautiful Juliet will wake. She’ll yell at me because Romeo
* She will beshrew me much that ROMEOHath had no notice of doesn’t know what’s happening. I’ll write again to Mantua,
* these accidents. and hide her in my cell until Romeo comes. That poor
* But I will write again to Mantua, living corpse, locked inside a dead man’s tomb!
* And keep her at my cell till Romeo come.
30 Poor living corse, closed in a dead man’s tomb!

Exit FRIAR LAWRENCE exits.
Act 5, Scene 3
Get the Romeo and

Enter PARIS and his PAGE PARIS enters with his PAGE.
PARIS PARIS
* Give me thy torch, boy. Hence, and stand aloof. Give me your torch, boy. Now go and stand far away from
* Yet put it out, for I would not be seen. me. Actually, put out the torch out so no one can see me.
* Under yon yew trees lay thee all along, Hide under the yewtrees over there and put your ear
* Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground— against the ground so that you’ll hear anyone walking
5 So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread, through the graveyard. If you hear someone approach,
Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves, signal me with a whistle Give me those flowers. Do as I
But thou shalt hear it. Whistle then to me, tell you. Go.
As signal that thou hear’st something approach.
Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.
PAGE extinguishes torch, gives PARIS flowers The PAGE puts out the torch and gives the flowers to
PARIS.
* PAGE PAGE
10 (aside) I am almost afraid to stand alone (to himself) I am almost afraid to stand here alone in the
Here in the churchyard. Yet I will adventure. graveyard, but I’ll do it.
PAGE moves aside The PAGE moves away
* PARIS PARIS
* (scatters flowers at JULIET’S closed tomb) (scattering flowers at the door of JULIET’s closed tomb)
* Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew— Sweet flower, I’m covering your bridal bed with flowers—
* O woe! Thy canopy is dust and stones— Oh, misery! The canopy of your bed is dust and stones.
15 Which with sweet water nightly I will dew. Each night I’ll water these flowers. Or, if I don’t do that,
Or, wanting that, with tears distilled by moans, the ritual I will keep for you each night will be to put
The obsequies that I for thee will keep flowers on your grave and weep.
Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.
PAGE whistles The PAGE whistles
* The boy gives warning something doth approach. The boy warns that someone is approaching. What cursed
20 What cursèd foot wanders this way tonight person would be wandering out here tonight, interfering
To cross my obsequies and true love’s rite? with my rituals of true love? Whoever it is is carrying a
What with a torch! Muffle me, night, awhile. torch! I’ll hide in the darkness for awhile.
PARIS moves away from the tomb Enter ROMEO and PARIS hides. ROMEO and BALTHASAR enter carrying a
BALTHASAR torch, pickax, and crowbar.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron. Give me the pickaxe and the crowbar. (he takes them
* (takes them from BALTHASAR) from BALTHASAR) Now, take this letter. Deliver it to my
25 Hold, take this letter. Early in the morning father early in the morning. (he gives the letter to
* See thou deliver it to my lord and father. BALTHASAR) Give me the torch. (he takes the torch from
* (gives letter to BALTHASAR) BALTHASAR) By your life, I command that whatever you
* Give me the light. hear or see you stay away and do not interrupt me in my
* (takes torch from BALTHASAR) actions. I’m going to go down into this tomb in part to look
* Upon thy life I charge thee, upon my wife’s face, but more importantly to take a
30 Whate’er thou hear’st or seest, stand all aloof, precious ring from her dead finger. I must use the ring for
* And do not interrupt me in my course. urgent business. So go, get out of here. And if you get
* Why I descend into this bed of death suspicious and return to spy on what I’m doing, I swear I’ll
* Is partly to behold my lady’s face, tear you limb from limb and throw your body parts around
* But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger this graveyard, which is so hungry for death. The times,
35 A precious ring, a ring that I must use and my plan, are wild and savage, and I am more fierce
* In dear employment. Therefore hence, be gone. and unstoppable than a hungry tiger or the raging sea.
* But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry
* In what I farther shall intend to do,
* By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint
40 And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.
The time and my intents are savage, wild,
More fierce and more inexorable far
Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
45 I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you. I’ll go, sir, and not interfere.

ROMEO ROMEO
So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that. That’s how you will show me friendship. Take this. (he
(gives BALTHASAR money) gives BALTHASAR money) Live and be prosperous.
Live and be prosperous, and farewell, good fellow. Farewell, good fellow.

* (aside) For all this same, I’ll hide me hereabout. (to himself) Despite everything I just said, I’ll hide nearby.
50 His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt. The look on his face makes me nervous, and I have
doubts about his story of what he plans to do.
BALTHASAR moves aside, falls asleep BALTHASAR moves away and falls asleep.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, (speaking to the door of the tomb) You hateful mouth, you
* Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, womb of death. You’ve feasted on the most precious girl
* Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open, on Earth, so now I’m going to force open your rotten jaws
* And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food! and cram more food into you. (ROMEO begins to open the
55 (begins to opens the tomb with his tools) tomb with his tools)

* PARIS PARIS
* (aside) This is that banished haughty Montague, (to himself) It’s that arrogant Montague who was
* That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief, banished. He’s the one who murdered my love’s cousin
* It is supposed the fair creature died. Tybalt, which caused Juliet the grief that they think killed
* And here is come to do some villainous shame her. And here he’s come to do something terrible and
60 To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him. shameful to the dead bodies. I’ll arrest him. (to ROMEO)
(to ROMEO) Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague! Stop your sinful work, vile Montague! Would you pursue
Can vengeance be pursued further than death? vengeance even beyond death? Condemned villain, I
Condemnèd villain, I do apprehend thee. arrest you. Obey and come with me, for you must die.
Obey and go with me, for thou must die.
* ROMEO ROMEO
65 I must indeed, and therefore came I hither. I must indeed, which is why I came. Good and noble
* Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man. young man, don’t tempt a desperate man. Run from here
* Fly hence and leave me. Think upon these gone. and leave me. Think about the dead who rest here. Let
* Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth, them terrify you. I beg you, young man, don’t make me so
* Put not another sin upon my head angry that I have to add another sin to those I already
70 By urging me to fury. O, be gone! have committed. Oh, get out of here! I swear by God, I
By heaven, I love thee better than myself, love you more than I love myself. For I’ve come here with
For I come hither armed against myself. weapons to use against myself. Don’t stay here, go away.
Stay not, be gone. Live, and hereafter say Live, and afterwards say that a merciful madman told you
A madman’s mercy bid thee run away. to run away.
* PARIS PARIS
75 I do defy thy commination I defy your threats. I’m arresting you as a criminal.
And apprehend thee for a felon here.
ROMEO ROMEO
Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy! Your really provoking me? Then let’s fight, boy!
ROMEO and PARIS fight ROMEO and PARIS fight.
PAGE PAGE
O Lord, they fight! I will go call the watch. Oh Lord, they’re fighting! I’ll go call the watch.
Exit PAGE The PAGE exits.
* PARIS PARIS
* (falls) Oh, I am slain! If thou be merciful, (he falls) Oh, I’ve been killed! If you are merciful, open the
80 Open the tomb. Lay me with Juliet. tomb and lay me next to Juliet.

PARIS dies PARIS dies.
* ROMEO ROMEO
* In faith, I will.—Let me peruse this face. I promise, I will. Let me look at this face. It’s Mercutio’s
* Mercutio’s kinsman, noble County Paris. relative, noble Count Paris. What did my servant tell me
* What said my man, when my betossèd soul while we were riding here? I was so upset I wasn’t paying
* Did not attend him as we rode? I think attention to him. I think he told me Paris was supposed to
85 He told me Paris should have married Juliet. marry Juliet. Isn’t that what he said? Or was I dreaming?
* Said he not so? Or did I dream it so? Or am I crazy and, hearing him say something about
* Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, Juliet, I jumped to the wrong conclusion? (speaking to
* To think it was so?—O, give me thy hand, Paris’s body) Oh, give me your hand. You and I both had
* One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book. equal measures of bad fortune! I’ll bury you in a
90 I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave. magnificent grave. (ROMEO opens the tomb to reveal
* (ROMEO opens the tomb to reveal JULIET inside) JULIET inside.) A grave? No! It is a cupola atop a tower,
* A grave? Oh, no. A lantern, slaughtered youth, my dead young man. Juliet lies here, and her beauty fills
* For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this tomb like a festival chamber full of light. Dead man,
* This vault a feasting presence full of light. lie down right there—another dead man is burying you.
* Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred. (ROMEO lays PARIS in the tomb) Men are often happy
* (lays PARIS in the tomb) just before their death. Their nurses call it the lightness
95 How oft when men are at the point of death before death. Oh, how can I call this lightness? Oh, my
* Have they been merry, which their keepers call love, my wife! Though death has sucked the honey from
* A lightning before death! Oh, how may I your breath, it has not yet had the power to ruin your
* Call this a lightning?—O my love, my wife! beauty. You are not conquered. A beautiful banner of red
* Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, still lingers on your lips and cheeks. The paleness of
* Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. death has not yet reached them. Tybalt, are you lying
100 Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet there in your bloody shroud? Oh, what better favor can I
* Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, do for you than to use the hand that cut short your youth
* And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there.— you to kill your murderer. Forgive me, cousin! Ah, dear
* Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet? Juliet, why are you still so beautiful? Should I believe that
* O, what more favor can I do to thee, death itself loves you, and that the hungry, hated monster
105 Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain keeps you here in the dark to be his lover? To make sure
* To sunder his that was thine enemy? that doesn’t happen, I’ll stay with you forever and never
* Forgive me, cousin.—Ah, dear Juliet, again leave this dark tomb. Here, here I’ll remain with
* Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe worms that are your chambermaids. Oh, I’ll rest here
* That unsubstantial death is amorous, forever and escape the control of the bad fortune that has
110 And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps plagued my body. Eyes, see for the last time! Arms, make
* Thee here in dark to be his paramour? your last embrace! And lips, you doors of breath, seal with
* For fear of that, I still will stay with thee, a righteous kiss the infinite deal I have made with death.
* And never from this palace of dim night (ROMEO kisses JULIET and takes out the poison) Come,
* Depart again. Here, here will I remain bitter transport, come, unpleasant guide! You desperate
115 With worms that are thy chamber maids. Oh, here pilot, crash this seasick and weary ship into the rocks.
* Will I set up my everlasting rest, Here’s to my love! (he drinks the poison) Oh, honest
* And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars pharmacist, your drugs work quickly. With this kiss, I die.
* From this worldwearied flesh. Eyes, look your last.
* Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O you
120 The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
* A dateless bargain to engrossing death.
* (kisses JULIET, takes out the poison)
* Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide.
* Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
125 The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark.
Here’s to my love! (drinks the poison) O true apothecary,
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
ROMEO dies ROMEO dies.
Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE with lantern, crow, and spade FRIAR LAWRENCE enters carrying a lantern, crowbar,
and shovel.
Saint Francis be my speed! How oft tonight Saint Francis, speed my steps! How often tonight have
Have my old feet stumbled at graves!—Who’s there? my old feet stumbled on gravestones! Who’s there?

130 Here’s one, a friend, and one that knows you well. I am, a friend, who knows you well.

Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend, God bless you! Tell me, good friend, what’s that torch
What torch is yond that vainly lends his light lying over there for seemingly no reason that’s offering its
To grubs and eyeless skulls? As I discern, light to no one but worms and eyeless skulls? As far as I
It burneth in the Capels’ monument. can tell, it seems to be burning in the Capulet tomb.
BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
It doth so, holy sir, and there’s my master, It is there, holy father, as is my master, whom you love.
One that you love.
Who is it? Who is it?
BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
Romeo. Romeo.
135 How long hath he been there? How long has he been there?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
Full half an hour. For a full half hour.
Go with me to the vault. Go with me to the tomb.
BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
I dare not, sir. I don’t dare, sir. My master thinks I’ve gone from here. He
My master knows not but I am gone hence, threatened to kill me if I stayed to watch his actions.
And fearfully did menace me with death
If I did stay to look on his intents.

140 Stay, then. I’ll go alone. Fear comes upon me. Stay, then. I’ll go alone. Now I’m frightened. Oh, I’m very
Oh, much I fear some ill unthrifty thing. worried something terrible and unfortunate has happened.
BALTHASAR BALTHASAR
As I did sleep under this yew tree here, As I slept under this yewtree, I dreamed that my master
I dreamt my master and another fought, fought someone else, and that my master killed him.
And that my master slew him.
* (approaches the tomb) (approaching the tomb) Romeo! Oh no! What’s this blood
* Romeo!— staining the stony entrance of this tomb? Why are these
145 Alack, alack, what blood is this, which stains swords, discolored by gore and blood, lying here,
The stony entrance of the sepulcher? abandoned, in this place of peace? (he looks inside the
What mean these masterless and gory swords tomb) Romeo! Oh, he’s pale! Who else? What, Paris too?
To lie discolored by this place of peace? And covered in blood? Ah, during what cruel hour did this
(looks inside the tomb) sad turn of fortune occur? The lady moves.
* Romeo! O, pale!—Who else? What, Paris too?
And steeped in blood?—Ah, what an unkind hour
150 Is guilty of this lamentable chance!
The lady stirs.
JULIET wakes JULIET wakes up.
JULIET JULIET
O comfortable Friar! Where is my lord? Oh comforting friar! Where is my husband? I remember
I do remember well where I should be, well where I should be, and here I am. Where is my
And there I am. Where is my Romeo? Romeo?

A noise sounds from outside the tomb A noise sounds from outside the tomb.
155 I hear some noise. Lady, come from that nest I hear a noise. Lady, come with me from this tomb of
* Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep. death, sickness, and unnatural sleep. A power greater
* A greater power than we can contradict than us has ruined our plans. Come, come away. Your
* Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away. husband lies dead, resting against your chest. Paris too,
* Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead, is dead. Come, I’ll bring you to join a sisterhood of holy
160 And Paris too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee nuns. Don’t wait here asking questions. The watch is
Among a sisterhood of holy nuns. coming. Come, come with me, good Juliet, I dare not stay
Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. any longer.
Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay.
JULIET JULIET
Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.— Go, go away. I’m not leaving.
Exit FRIAR LAWRENCE FRIAR LAWRENCE exits.
165 What’s here? A cup, closed in my true love’s hand? What’s this? A cup, held in my true love’s hand? Poison, I

* Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.— see, has caused his death. How selfish, drinking it all,
* O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop leaving not a drop to help me follow after you. I’ll kiss your
* To help me after? I will kiss thy lips. lips. Maybe I’ll be lucky and there’s still some poison on
* Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, your lips, a bit of medicine that will return me to my
170 To make me die with a restorative. Romeo with a kiss. (she kisses ROMEO) Your lips are
(kisses ROMEO) warm.
Thy lips are warm.

Enter WATCHMEN and PARIS’s PAGE WATCHMEN and PARIS’s PAGE enter.
CHIEF WATCHMAN CHIEF WATCHMAN
(to PAGE) Lead, boy. Which way? (to the PAGE) Lead, boy. Which way?
JULIET JULIET
Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger, A noise! I’ll act fast. Oh, what luck: here’s a dagger! I’ll be
This is thy sheath. There rust and let me die. your sheath. Rust inside my body and let me die. (she
(stabs herself with ROMEO’s dagger and dies) stabs herself with ROMEO’s dagger and dies)

PAGE PAGE
This is the place. There, where the torch doth burn. This is the place. There, where that torch is burning.
* CHIEF WATCHMAN CHIEF WATCHMAN
175 The ground is bloody.—Search about the churchyard. The ground is bloody. Search the graveyard. Go, a few of
Go, some of you. Whoe’er you find, attach. you, and arrest anyone you find.
Exeunt some WATCHMEN Some WATCHMEN exit.
Pitiful sight! Here lies the county slain, What a pitiful sight! The count lies here dead. And Juliet
And Juliet bleeding, warm and newly dead, is bleeding. Her body is still warm even though she has
* Who here hath lain these two days buried.— been dead and buried for the last two days. Go, tell the
180 Go, tell the Prince. Run to the Capulets. Prince. Run to the Capulets. Wake up the Montagues.
Raise up the Montagues. Have some others search.
Some others search.

Exeunt more WATCHMEN A few more WATCHMEN exit, in different directions.
* We see the ground whereon these woes do lie, We see the ground on which these bodies lie, but we
* But the true ground of all these piteous woes won’t be able to figure out the true cause of all these
185 We cannot without circumstance descry. awful events without an investigation.

Reenter SECOND WATCHMAN with ROMEO’s man The SECOND WATCHMAN reenters with BALTHASAR.
BALTHASAR
SECOND WATCHMAN SECOND WATCHMAN
Here’s Romeo’s man. We found him in the churchyard. Here’s Romeo’s servant. We found him in the churchyard.
Hold him in safety till the Prince come hither. Hold him securely until the Prince arrives.
Reenter THIRD WATCHMAN with FRIAR LAWRENCE The THIRD WATCHMAN reenters with FRIAR
LAWRENCE.
* THIRD WATCHMAN THIRD WATCHMAN
* Here is a friar that trembles, sighs and weeps. Here’s a friar who’s trembling, sighing, and weeping. We
* We took this mattock and this spade from him took this pickaxe and this shovel from him, as he was
190 As he was coming from this churchyard’s side. leaving the graveyard.

A great suspicion. Stay the friar too. Very suspicious. Hold the friar too.
Enter the PRINCE with ATTENDANTS The PRINCE enters with his ATTENDANTS.
PRINCE PRINCE
What misadventure is so early up What disaster has occurred so early in the morning that it
That calls our person from our morning rest? forces me from my bed?

Enter CAPULET and LADY CAPULET CAPULET and LADY CAPULET enter.
CAPULET CAPULET
What should it be, that they shriek so abroad? What has happened to cause everyone to start shrieking?
195 Oh, the people in the street cry “Romeo,” Some people in the street are crying “Romeo.” Others cry
Some “Juliet,” and some “Paris,” and all run “Juliet,” and still others “Paris.” They’re all running and
With open outcry toward our monument. screaming toward our tomb.
PRINCE PRINCE
What fear is this which startles in our ears? What terror has occurred to result in all this startling
noise?
* Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain, Prince, here lies Count Paris killed. And Romeo dead.
200 And Romeo dead, and Juliet, dead before, And Juliet, who was dead before, but is warm like
Warm and new killed. someone newly killed.
PRINCE PRINCE
Search, seek, and know how this foul murder comes. Find out how this foul murder came to happen.
* Here is a friar, and slaughtered Romeo’s man, Here is a friar, and dead Romeo’s servant. They’re
* With instruments upon them fit to open carrying tools for opening a tomb.
205 These dead men’s tombs.

CAPULET CAPULET
O heavens! O wife, look how our daughter bleeds! Oh heavens! Oh wife, look at how our daughter bleeds!
This dagger hath mista’en—for, lo, his house That dagger is in the wrong place. It should be in the
Is empty on the back of Montague, empty sheath on the back of that Montague, but instead is
And it missheathèd in my daughter’s bosom. missheathed in my daughter’s chest.
210 O me! This sight of death is as a bell, Woe is me! Seeing my daughter dead is like a warning
That warns my old age to a sepulcher. bell of my own imminent death.
Enter MONTAGUE MONTAGUE enters.
PRINCE PRINCE
Come, Montague, for thou art early up Come, Montague. You’re up early to see your son and heir
To see thy son and heir now early down. killed at too young an age.

* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight. My liege, my wife died tonight. Her sadness about my
215 Grief of my son’s exile hath stopped her breath. son’s exile stopped her breath. What further misery must I
What further woe conspires against mine age? endure in my old age?
PRINCE PRINCE
Look, and thou shalt see. Look, and you’ll see.
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
(to ROMEO) O thou untaught! What manners is in this, (seeing ROMEO’s body) Oh, you rude boy! What terrible
To press before thy father to a grave? manners to die before your father.
* PRINCE PRINCE
220 Seal up the mouth of outrage for a while, Quiet your outrage for a time, until we can clear up the
* Till we can clear these ambiguities remaining uncertanties about the cause of all this. Once
* And know their spring, their head, their true descent, we do know what happened, I will lead you in expressing
* And then will I be general of your woes, our pain, and lead you all the way to our death. In the
* And lead you even to death. Meantime forbear, meantime, hold on, and let your patience control your
* And let mischance be slave to patience.— desire to act. Bring forth the men under suspicion.
225 Bring forth the parties of suspicion.

* I am the greatest, able to do least, I am the most suspected, and least able to defend myself,
* Yet most suspected, as the time and place because I was here at the time of this terrible murder.
* Doth make against me, of this direful murder. Here I stand, to be questioned and punished. I have
* And here I stand, both to impeach and purge, already condemned myself.
230 Myself condemnèd and myself excused.

PRINCE PRINCE
Then say at once what thou dost know in this. Then tell us immediately what you know about all this.
* I will be brief, for my short date of breath I’ll be brief, because the time I have left to live is not long
* Is not so long as is a tedious tale. enough to tell a long story. Romeo, who lies there dead,
* Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet, was Juliet’s husband. And she, who lies there dead, was
235 And she, there dead, that Romeo’s faithful wife. Romeo’s faithful wife. I married them. Their secret
* I married them, and their stol’n marriage day wedding day was the same day Tybalt died. His untimely
* Was Tybalt’s doomsday, whose untimely death death led to the banishment of the bridegroom. Juliet was
* Banished the newmade bridegroom from the city— distraught not over Tybalt’s death but rather Romeo’s
* For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pined. banishment. To end her grief, you arranged for her to
* You, to remove that siege of grief from her, marry Count Paris. At that point she came to me, and,
240 Betrothed and would have married her perforce looking wild, threatened to kill herself unless I came up
* To County Paris. Then comes she to me, with a plan to help her escape this second marriage. Then
* And with wild looks bid me devise some mean I gave her a special sleeping potion that, as I had planned,
* To rid her from this second marriage, made it seem as if she had died. Meanwhile, I wrote to
* Or in my cell there would she kill herself. Romeo to tell him to come here tonight, this awful night,
245 Then gave I her, so tutored by my art, to help get her out of her temporary grave when the
* A sleeping potion, which so took effect sleeping potion wore off. But the man who carried my
* As I intended, for it wrought on her letter, Friar John, was stopped by an accident, and
* The form of death. returned my letter to me last night. So at the time when
* Meantime I writ to Romeo, Juliet was schedule to wake, I came here alone to take
250 That he should hither come as this dire night, her out of her family’s tomb. My plan was to hide her in
* To help to take her from her borrowed grave, my cell until I could get word to Romeo. But when I
* Being the time the potion’s force should cease. arrived, just a few minutes before Juliet awoke, Paris and
* But he which bore my letter, Friar John, Romeo were already here, lying dead. She woke up, and I
* Was stayed by accident, and yesternight begged her to come out of the tomb with me and bear this
255 Returned my letter back. Then all alone work of God with patience. But then a noise frightened
* At the prefixèd hour of her waking me, and I ran from the tomb. She was too desperate to
* Came I to take her from her kindred’s vault, leave with me, and, it seems, she killed herself. I know all
* Meaning to keep her closely at my cell of this. And her Nurse knows about the marriage. If any of
* Till I conveniently could send to Romeo, this misfortune is my fault, let me be sacrificed and
260 But when I came, some minute ere the time punished under the strictest law.
* Of her awakening, here untimely lay
* The noble Paris and true Romeo dead.
* She wakes, and I entreated her come forth,
* And bear this work of heaven with patience.
265 But then a noise did scare me from the tomb,
* And she, too desperate, would not go with me,
* But, as it seems, did violence on herself.
* All this I know, and to the marriage
* Her Nurse is privy. And if aught in this
270 Miscarried by my fault, let my old life
Be sacrificed some hour before his time
Unto the rigor of severest law.
* PRINCE PRINCE
* We still have known thee for a holy man.— We have always known you to be a holy man. Where is
275 Where’s Romeo’s man? What can he say in this? Romeo’s servant? What does he say about all this?

* I brought my master news of Juliet’s death, I brought my master news of Juliet’s death. And then with
* And then in post he came from Mantua great haste he rode from Mantua to this tomb. (he shows
* To this same place, to this same monument. a letter) Early this morning he told me to give this letter to
* (shows a letter) This letter he early bid me give his father, his father. Then he threatened to kill me if I did not leave
* And threatened me with death, going in the vault, when he went into the tomb.
280 If I departed not and left him there.

PRINCE PRINCE
Give me the letter. I will look on it. Give me the letter. I’ll read it. (he takes the letter from
(takes letter from BALTHASAR) BALTHASAR) Where is the count’s page, who called the
Where is the county’s page, that raised the watch?— watch? Boy, what was your master doing here?
Sirrah, what made your master in this place?
* PAGE PAGE
285 He came with flowers to strew his lady’s grave, He came with flowers to put on his lady’s grave. He
And bid me stand aloof, and so I did. asked me to stand apart from him, and so I did. Soon
Anon comes one with light to ope the tomb, after someone with a torch came to open the tomb. One
And by and by my master drew on him, thing led to another and my master drew his sword to fight
And then I ran away to call the watch. him. That’s when I ran away to call the watch.
* PRINCE PRINCE
290 (skims the letter) This letter doth make good the friar’s words, (he skims the letter) This letter corroborates the friar’s
* Their course of love, the tidings of her death. story. It describes the course of their love and how he
* And here he writes that he did buy a poison heard of her death. Then he writes that he bought poison
* Of a poor ‘pothecary, and therewithal from a poor pharmacist and came to this tomb to die and
* Came to this vault to die and lie with Juliet. lie with Juliet. Where are these enemies? Capulet!
295 Where be these enemies?—Capulet! Montague! Montague! Do you see how your hate has cursed you?
* See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, Heaven has in response conspired to kill your joys with
* That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love! love. And because I did not take a firm hand against your
* And I, for winking at your discords, too feud, I’ve lost two of my family as well. Everyone is
* Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punished. punished.
CAPULET CAPULET
300 O brother Montague, give me thy hand. Oh, brother Montague, give me your hand. This
This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more handshake is my daughter’s dowry. I can ask you for
Can I demand. nothing more.

* MONTAGUE MONTAGUE
* But I can give thee more, But I can give you more. I’ll raise a golden statue of her.
* For I will raise her statue in pure gold, So long as this city is called Verona, there will be no
305 That whiles Verona by that name is known, figure praised more than that of true and faithful Juliet.
There shall no figure at such rate be set
As that of true and faithful Juliet.

CAPULET CAPULET
As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie, The statue of Romeo I’ll make to lie beside Juliet will be
Poor sacrifices of our enmity. just as rich. Our hate was not worth their sacrifice.
* PRINCE PRINCE
310 A glooming peace this morning with it brings. This morning we have come to a gloomy peace. The sun,
* The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. out of sorrow, will not show itself. Let’s go, to talk more
* Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things. about these sad things. Some will be pardoned, and some
* Some shall be pardoned, and some punishèd. punished.There was never a story more full of misery than
* For never was a story of more woe this tale of Juliet and Romeo.
315 Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Exeunt All exit.
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UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA "BENITO JUÁREZ" DE OAXACA

SEMESTER 3 - English Literature Group

ROMEO & JULIET

ANALYSIS OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

The Forcefulness of Love

Love as a Cause of Violence

The Individual Versus Society

The Inevitability of Fate

Opposite Points of View

Juliet - The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-year-old

Tybalt - A Capulet, Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side. Vain, fashionable,

Benvolio - Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and thoughtful friend, he

Prince Escalus - The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As

The Apothecary - An apothecary in Mantua. Had he been wealthier, he might

The Chorus - The Chorus is a single character who, as developed in Greek

Analysis of Major Characters

Juliet gives glimpses of her determination, strength, and sober-mindedness, in

Friar Lawrence occupies a strange position in Romeo and Juliet. He is a

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120 Romeo, will you come to your father’s? We’ll to dinner, thither. Romeo, are you going to your father’s? We’re having

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165 What’s here? A cup, closed in my true love’s hand? What’s this? A cup, held in my true love’s hand? Poison, I

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