Romeo and Juliet

by Shakespeare, William

Juliet. If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

  Romeo. Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye

  Than twenty of their swords! Look thou but sweet,

  And I am proof° against their enmity.

  Juliet. I would not for the world they saw thee here.

  Romeo. I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes;

  And but° thou love me, let them find me here.

  My life were better ended by their hate

  Than death proroguèd,° wanting of thy love.

  Juliet. By whose direction found’st thou out this place?

  Romeo. By love, that first did prompt me to inquire.

  He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.

  I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far

  As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea,

  I should adventure° for such merchandise.

  Juliet. Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face;61 dislike displeases 66 o’erperch fly over 73 proof protected 76 but if only 78 proroguèd deferred 84 adventure risk the journey

  Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek

  For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.

  Fain would I dwell on form—fain, fain deny

  What I have spoke; but farewell compliment!°

  Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say “Ay”;

  And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear’st,

  Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,

  They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,

  If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.

  Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,

  I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay,

  So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.

  In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,°

  And therefore thou mayst think my havior° light;

  But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true

  Than those that have more cunning to be strange.°

  I should have been more strange, I must confess,

  But that thou overheard’st, ere I was ware,

  My truelove passion. Therefore pardon me,

  And not impute this yielding to light love,

  Which the dark night hath so discoverèd.°

  Romeo. Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow,

  That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—

  Juliet. O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon,

  That monthly changes in her circle orb,

  Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

  Romeo. What shall I swear by?

  Juliet. Do not swear at all;

  Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,

  Which is the god of my idolatry,

  And I’ll believe thee.

  Romeo. If my heart’s dear love—

  Juliet. Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,

  I have no joy of this contract tonight.

  89 compliment formal courtesy 98 fond (1) affectionate (2) foolishly tender 99 havior behavior 101 strange aloof 106 discoverèd revealed

  It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;

  Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be

  Ere one can say it lightens. Sweet, good night!

  This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,

  May prove a beauteous flow’r when next we meet.

  Good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest

  Come to thy heart as that within my breast!

  Romeo. O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

  Juliet. What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?

  Romeo. Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for

  mine.

  Juliet. I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;

  And yet I would it were to give again.

  Romeo. Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose,

  love?

  Juliet. But to be frank° and give it thee again.

  And yet I wish but for the thing I have.

  My bounty° is as boundless as the sea,

  My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

  The more I have, for both are infinite.

  I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu!

  [Nurse calls within.]

  Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.

  Stay but a little, I will come again. [Exit.]

  Romeo. O blessèd, blessèd night! I am afeard,

  Being in night, all this is but a dream,

  Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.

  [Enter Juliet again.]

  Juliet. Three words, dear Romeo, and good night

  indeed.

  If that thy bent° of love be honorable,

  Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

  By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

  Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;131 frank generous 133 bounty capacity for giving 143 bent aim

  And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay

  And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

  [Nurse. Within] Madam!

  Juliet. I come anon.—But if thou meanest not well,

  I do beseech thee—

  [Nurse. Within] Madam!

  Juliet. By and by° I come.—

  To cease thy strife° and leave me to my grief.

  Tomorrow will I send.

  Romeo. So thrive my soul—

  Juliet. A thousand times good night! [Exit.]

  Romeo. A thousand times the worse, to want thy light!

  Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their

  books;

  But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.

  Enter Juliet again.

  Juliet. Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falc’ner’s voice

  To lure this tassel gentle° back again!

  Bondage is hoarse° and may not speak aloud,

  Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies

  And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine

  With repetition of “My Romeo!”

  Romeo. It is my soul that calls upon my name.

  How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,

  Like softest music to attending° ears!

  Juliet. Romeo!

  Romeo. My sweet?

  Juliet. What o’clock tomorrow

  Shall I send to thee?

  151 By and by at once 152 strife efforts 159 tassel gentle tercel gentle, male falcon 160 Bondage is hoarse i.e., being surrounded by “protectors,” I cannot cry loudly 166 attending attentive

  Romeo. By the hour of nine.

  Juliet. I will not fail. ’Tis twenty year till then.

  I have forgot why I did call thee back.

  Romeo. Let me stand here till thou remember it.

  Juliet. I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,

  Rememb’ring how I love thy company.

  Romeo. And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,

  Forgetting any other home but this.

  Juliet. ’Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone—

  And yet no farther than a wanton’s° bird,

  That lets it hop a little from his hand,

  Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,°

  And with a silken thread plucks it back again,

  So loving-jealous of his liberty.

  Romeo. I would I were thy bird.

  Juliet. Sweet, so would I.

  Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.

  Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet

  sorrow

  That I shall say good night till it be morrow.°

  [Exit.]

  Romeo. Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy

  breast!

  Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!°

  Hence will I to my ghostly friar’s° close cell,

  His help to crave and my dear hap° to tell. Exit.

  177 wanton’s capricious child’s
179 gyves fetters 185 morrow morning 187 rest (the four lines that follow in the quarto are here deleted because they are virtually identical with the first four lines of the next scene. See Textual Note. Apparently Shakespeare wrote them and then decided to use them at the start of the next scene, but forgot to delete their first occurrence) 188 ghostly friar spiritual father (i.e., confessor) 189 dear hap good fortune

  [Scene 3. Friar Lawrence’s cell.]

  Enter Friar [Lawrence] alone, with a basket.

  Friar. The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning

  night,

  Check’ring the eastern clouds with streaks of light;

  And fleckèd° darkness like a drunkard reels

  From forth day’s path and Titan’s burning wheels.°

  Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye

  The day to cheer and night’s dank dew to dry,

  I must upfill this osier cage° of ours

  With baleful° weeds and precious-juicèd flowers.

  The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb.

  What is her burying grave, that is her womb;

  And from her womb children of divers kind

  We sucking on her natural bosom find,

  Many for many virtues excellent,

  None but for some, and yet all different.

  O, mickle° is the powerful grace that lies

  In plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities;

  For naught so vile that on the earth doth live

  But to the earth some special good doth give;

  Nor aught so good but, strained° from that fair use,

  Revolts from true birth,° stumbling on abuse.

  Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,

  And vice sometime by action dignified.°

  Enter Romeo.°

  2.3.3 fleckèd spotted 4 Titan’s burning wheels wheels of the sun’s chariot 7 osier cage willow basket 8 baleful (1) evil (2) poisonous 15 mickle much 19 strained diverted 20 Revolts from true birth falls away from its real purpose 22 dignified made worthy 22 s.d. Enter Romeo (the entry of Romeo at this point, unseen by the Friar, emphasizes the appropriateness of the remaining eight lines of the Friar’s speech, not only to the flower but to Romeo)

  Within the infant rind° of this weak flower

  Poison hath residence and medicine° power;

  For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each

  part;°

  Being tasted, stays all senses with the heart.

  Two such opposèd kings encamp them still°

  In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will;

  And where the worser is predominant,

  Full soon the canker° death eats up that plant.

  Romeo. Good morrow, father.

  Friar. Benedicite!°

  What early tongue so sweet saluteth me?

  Young son, it argues a distemperèd head°

  So soon to bid good morrow to thy bed.

  Care keeps his watch in every old man’s eye,

  And where care lodges, sleep will never lie;

  But where unbruisèd youth with unstuffed° brain

  Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign.

  Therefore thy earliness doth me assure

  Thou art uproused with some distemp’rature;

  Or if not so, then here I hit it right—

  Our Romeo hath not been in bed tonight.

  Romeo. That last is true. The sweeter rest was mine.

  Friar. God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline?

  Romeo. With Rosaline, my ghostly father? No.

  I have forgot that name and that name’s woe.

  Friar. That’s my good son! But where hast thou been

  then?

  Romeo. I’ll tell thee ere thou ask it me again.

  I have been feasting with mine enemy,

  Where on a sudden one hath wounded me

  That’s by me wounded. Both our remedies23 infant rind tender bark, skin 24 medicine medicinal 25 For . . . part i.e., being smelled, this flower stimulates every part of the body 27 still always 30 canker cankerworm, larva that feeds on leaves 31 Benedicite bless you 33 distemperèd head troubled mind 37 unstuffed untroubled

  Within thy help and holy physic° lies.

  I bear no hatred, blessèd man, for, lo,

  My intercession° likewise steads° my foe.

  Friar. Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift.°

  Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift.°

  Romeo. Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set

  On the fair daughter of rich Capulet;

  As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine,

  And all combined,° save what thou must combine

  By holy marriage. When and where and how

  We met, we wooed, and made exchange of vow,

  I’ll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray,

  That thou consent to marry us today.

  Friar. Holy Saint Francis! What a change is here!

  Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear,

  So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies

  Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.

  Jesu Maria! What a deal of brine

  Hath washed thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline!

  How much salt water thrown away in waste

  To season° love, that of it doth not taste!

  The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears,

  Thy old groans ring yet in mine ancient ears.

  Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit

  Of an old tear that is not washed off yet.

  If e’er thou wast thyself, and these woes thine,

  Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline.

  And art thou changed? Pronounce this sentence

  then:

  Women may fall° when there’s no strength° in men.

  Romeo. Thou chidst me oft for loving Rosaline.

  Friar. For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.

  52 physic medicine 54 intercession entreaty 54 steads helps 55 homely in thy drift plain in your talk 56 shrift absolution 60 combined (1) brought into unity (2) settled 72 season (1) preserve (2) flavor 80 may fall i.e., may be expected to be fickle 80 strength constancy

  Romeo. And badst me bury love.

  Friar. Not in a grave

  To lay one in, another out to have.

  Romeo. I pray thee chide me not. Her I love now

  Doth grace° for grace and love for love allow.

  The other did not so.

  Friar. O, she knew well

  Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell.°

  But come, young waverer, come go with me.

  In one respect° I’ll thy assistant be;

  For this alliance may so happy prove

  To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.

  Romeo. O, let us hence! I stand on° sudden haste.

  Friar. Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.

  Exeunt.

  [Scene 4. A street.]

  Enter Benvolio and Mercutio.

  Mercutio. Where the devil should this Romeo be?

  Came he not home tonight?

  Benvolio. Not to his father’s. I spoke with his man.

  Mercutio. Why, that same pale hardhearted wench,

  that Rosaline,

  Torments him so that he will sure run mad.

  Benvolio. Tybalt, the kinsman to old Capulet,

  Hath sent a letter to his father’s house.

  Mercutio. A challenge, on my life.

  86 grace favor 88 did read . . . spell i.e., said words without understanding them 90 In one respect with respect to one particular 93 stand on insist on

  Benvolio. Romeo will answer it.

  Mercutio. Any man that can write may answer a letter.

  Benvolio. Nay, he will answer the letter’s master, how

  he dares, being dared.

  Mercutio. Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead:

  sta
bbed with a white wench’s black eye; run through

  the ear with a love song; the very pin° of his heart

  cleft with the blind bow-boy’s butt-shaft;° and is he

  a man to encounter Tybalt?

  Benvolio. Why, what is Tybalt?

  Mercutio. More than Prince of Cats.° O, he’s the

  courageous captain of compliments.° He fights as

  you sing pricksong°—keeps time, distance, and pro-

  portion; he rests his minim rests,° one, two, and

  the third in your bosom! The very butcher of a silk

  button,° a duelist, a duelist! A gentleman of the

  very first house,° of the first and second cause.°

  Ah, the immortal passado!° The punto reverso!°

  The hay!°

  Benvolio. The what?

  Mercutio. The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting

  fantasticoes°—these new tuners of accent! “By

  Jesu, a very good blade! A very tall° man! A very

  good whore!” Why, is not this a lamentable thing,

  grandsir, that we should be thus afflicted with these2.4.15 pin center (of a target) 16 blind bow-boy’s butt-shaft Cupid’s blunt arrow 19 Prince of Cats (Tybalt’s name, or some variant of it, was given to the cat in medieval stories of Reynard the Fox) 20 com- pliments formal courtesies 21 sing pricksong (1) sing from a text (2) sing with attention to accuracy 22 he rests his minim rests i.e., he scrupulously observes every formality (literally, he observes even the shortest rests in the notation) 24 button (on his opponent’s shirt) 25 first house first rank 25 first and second cause (dueling terms, meaning formal grounds for taking offense and giving a challenge) 26 passado lunge 26 punto reverso backhanded stroke 27 hay home thrust (Italian hai) 30 fantasticoes fops 31 tall brave

  strange flies, these fashionmongers, these pardon-

  me’s,° who stand so much on the new form° that

  they cannot sit at ease on the old bench? O, their

  bones,° their bones!

  Enter Romeo.

  Benvolio. Here comes Romeo! Here comes Romeo!

  Mercutio. Without his roe,° like a dried herring. O

  flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for

  the numbers° that Petrarch flowed in. Laura,° to

  his lady, was a kitchen wench (marry, she had a

  better love to berhyme her), Dido° a dowdy,°

  Cleopatra a gypsy,° Helen and Hero° hildings° and

  harlots, Thisbe° a gray eye° or so, but not to the