The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

  JULIET

  Conceit, more rich in matter than in words,

  Brags of his substance, not of ornament.

  They are but beggars that can count their worth,

  But my true love is grown to such excess

  I cannot sum up some of half my wealth.

  FRIAR LAURENCE

  Come, come with me, and we will make short work,

  For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone

  Till Holy Church incorporate two in one. Exeunt

  3.1 Enter Mercutio with his page, Benvolio, and men

  BENVOLIO

  I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire.

  The day is hot, the Capels are abroad,

  And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl,

  For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

  MERCUTIO Thou art like one of these fellows that, when he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table and says ‘God send me no need of thee’, and by the operation of the second cup, draws him on the drawer when indeed there is no need.

  BENVOLIO Am I like such a fellow?

  MERCUTIO Come, come, thou art as hot a jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.

  BENVOLIO And what to?

  MERCUTIO Nay, an there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou—why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more or a hair less in his beard than thou hast. Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes. What eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarrelling. Thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in the street because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before Easter; with another for tying his new shoes with old ribbon? And yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling!

  BENVOLIO An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.

  MERCUTIO The fee simple? O, simple!

  Enter Tybalt, Petruccio, and others

  BENVOLIO By my head, here comes the Capulets.

  MERCUTIO By my heel, I care not.

  TYBALT (to Petruccio and the others)

  Follow me close, for I will speak to them.

  (To the Montagues) Gentlemen, good e’en. A word with

  one of you.

  MERCUTIO And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something: make it a word and a blow.

  TYBALT You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me occasion.

  MERCUTIO Could you not take some occasion without giving ?

  TYBALT

  Mercutio, thou consort’st with Romeo.

  MERCUTIO ‘Consort’ ? What, dost thou make us minstrels? An thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. ⌈touching his rapier⌉ Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall make you dance. Zounds—‘Consort’!

  BENVOLIO

  We talk here in the public haunt of men.

  Either withdraw unto some private place,

  Or reason coldly of your grievances,

  Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us.

  MERCUTIO

  Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze.

  I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I.

  Enter Romeo

  TYBALT

  Well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.

  MERCUTIO

  But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery.

  Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower.

  Your worship in that sense may call him ‘man’.

  TYBALT

  Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford

  No better term than this: thou art a villain.

  ROMEO

  Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee

  Doth much excuse the appertaining rage

  To such a greeting. Villain am I none.

  Therefore, farewell. I see thou knowest me not.

  TYBALT

  Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries

  That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.

  ROMEO

  I do protest I never injured thee,

  But love thee better than thou canst devise

  Till thou shalt know the reason of my love.

  And so, good Capulet—which name I tender

  As dearly as mine own—be satisfied.

  MERCUTIO ⌈drawing⌉

  O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! 1

  Alla stoccado carries it away.

  Tybalt, you ratcatcher, come, will you walk?

  TYBALT What wouldst thou have with me?

  MERCUTIO Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives. That I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.

  TYBALT (drawing) I am for you.

  ROMEO

  Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.

  MERCUTIO (to Tybalt) Come, sir, your passado.

  They fight

  ROMEO ⌈drawing⌉

  Draw, Benvolio. Beat down their weapons.

  Gentlemen, for shame forbear this outrage.

  Tybalt, Mercutio, the Prince expressly hath

  Forbid this bandying in Verona streets.

  Hold, Tybalt, good Mercutio.

  ⌈Romeo beats down their points and rushes between them. Tybalt under Romeo’s arm thrusts Mercutio in⌉

  ⌈PETRUCCIO⌉ Away, Tybalt!

  Exeunt Tybalt, Petruccio, and their followers

  MERCUTIO I am hurt.

  A plague o’ both your houses. I am sped.

  Is he gone, and hath nothing?

  BENVOLIO What, art thou hurt?

  MERCUTIO

  Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, ’tis enough.

  Where is my page? Go, villain. Fetch a surgeon.

  Exit page

  ROMEO

  Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much.

  MERCUTIO No, ‘tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough. ’Twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o’ both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us ? I was hurt under your arm.

  ROMEO I thought all for the best.

  MERCUTIO

  Help me into some house, Benvolio,

  Or I shall faint. A plague o’ both your houses.

  They have made worms’ meat of me.

  I have it, and soundly, too. Your houses!

  Exeunt all but Romeo

  ROMEO

  This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally,

  My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt

  In my behalf, my reputation stained

  With Tybalt’s slander—Tybalt, that an hour

  Hath been my cousin! O sweet Juliet,

  Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,

  And in my temper softened valour’s steel.

  Enter Benvolio

  BENVOLIO

  O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead!

  That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,

  Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.

  ROMEO

  This day’s black fate on more days doth depend.

  This but begins the woe others must end.

  Enter Tybalt

  BENVOLIO

  Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.

  ROMEO

  He gad in triumph, and Mercutio slain ?

  Away to heaven, respective lenity,

  And fire-eyed fury be my conduct
now.

  Now, Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back again

  That late thou gav’st me, for Mercutio’s soul

  Is but a little way above our heads,

  Staying for thine to keep him company.

  Either thou, or I, or both must go with him.

  TYBALT

  Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,

  Shalt with him hence.

  ROMEO This shall determine that.

  They fight. Tybalt is wounded. He falls and dies

  BENVOLIO Romeo, away, be gone.

  The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.

  Stand not amazed. The Prince will doom thee death

  If thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away.

  ROMEO

  O, I am fortune’s fool!

  BENVOLIO Why dost thou stay?

  Exit Romeo

  Enter Citizens ⌈of the watchi⌉

  CITIZEN ⌈0F THE WATCH⌉

  Which way ran he that killed Mercutio?

  Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?

  BENVOLIO

  There lies that Tybalt.

  CITIZEN ⌈OF THE WATCH⌉ (to Tybalt) Up, sir, go with me.

  I charge thee in the Prince’s name, obey.

  Enter the Prince, old Montague, Capulet, their Wives, and all

  PRINCE

  Where are the vile beginners of this fray?

  BENVOLIO

  O noble Prince, I can discover all

  The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl.

  There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,

  That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.

  CAPULET’S WIFE

  Tybalt, my cousin, O, my brother’s child!

  O Prince, O cousin, husband! O, the blood is spilled

  Of my dear kinsman ! Prince, as thou art true,

  For blood of ours shed blood of Montague!

  O cousin, cousin!

  PRINCE Benvolio, who began this fray?

  BENVOLIO

  Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay.

  Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink

  How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal

  Your high displeasure. All this-utterèd

  With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed—

  Could not take truce with the unruly spleen

  Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts

  With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,

  Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point,

  And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats

  Cold death aside, and with the other sends

  It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity

  Retorts it. Romeo, he cries aloud,

  ‘Hold, friends, friends, part!’ and swifter than his

  tongue

  His agent arm beats down their fatal points,

  And ’twixt them rushes, underneath whose arm

  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

  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.

  CAPULET’S WIFE

  He is a kinsman to the Montague.

  Affection makes him false; he speaks not true.

  Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,

  And all those twenty could but kill one life.

  I beg for justice, which thou, Prince, must give.

  Romeo slew Tybalt; Romeo must not live.

  PRINCE

  Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio.

  Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?

  ⌈MONTAGUE⌉

  Not Romeo, Prince. He was Mercutio’s friend.

  His fault concludes but what the law should end,

  The life of Tybalt.

  PRINCE And for that offence

  Immediately we do exile him hence.

  I have an interest in your hate’s proceeding;

  My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding.

  But I’ll amerce you with so strong a fine

  That you shall all repent the loss of mine.

  I will be deaf to pleading and excuses.

  Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses.

  Therefore use none. Let Romeo hence in haste,

  Else, when he is found, that hour is his last.

  Bear hence this body, and attend our will.

  Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.

  Exeunt with the body

  3.2 Enter Juliet

  JULIET

  Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,

  Towards Phoebus’ lodging. Such a waggoner

  As Phaeton would whip you to the west

  And bring in cloudy night immediately.

  Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,

  That runaways’ eyes may wink, and Romeo

  Leap to these arms untalked of and unseen.

  Lovers can see to do their amorous rites

  By their own beauties; or, if love be blind,

  It best agrees with night. Come, civil night,

  Thou sober-suited matron all in black,

  And learn me how to lose a winning match

  Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.

  Hood my unmanned blood, bating in my cheeks,

  With thy black mantle till strange love grown bold

  Think true love acted simple modesty.

  Come night, come Romeo; come, thou day in night,

  For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night

  Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back.

  Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night,

  Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die

  Take him and cut him out in little stars,

  And he will make the face of heaven so fine

  That all the world will be in love with night

  And pay no worship to the garish sun.

  O, 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

  To an impatient child that hath new robes

  And may not wear them.

  Enter the Nurse, ⌈wringing her hands,⌉ with the ladder of cords ⌈in her lap⌉

  O, here comes my Nurse,

  And she brings news, and every tongue that speaks

  But Romeo’s name speaks heavenly eloquence.

  Now, Nurse, what news ? What, hast thou there

  The cords that Romeo bid thee fetch?

  NURSE ⌈putting down the cords⌉ Ay, ay, the cords.

  JULIET

  Ay me, what news? Why dost thou wring thy hands?

  NURSE

  Ah, welladay! He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!

  We are undone, lady, we are undone.

  Alack the day, he’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead!

  JULIET

  Can heaven be so envious?

  NURSE Romeo can,

  Though heaven cannot. O Romeo, Romeo,

  Who ever would have thought it Romeo?

  JULIET

  What devil art thou that dost torment me thus?

  This torture should be roared in dismal hell.

  Hath Romeo slain himself? Say thou but ‘Ay’,

  And that bare vowel ‘I’ shall poison more

  Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice.

  I am not I if there be such an ‘Ay’,

  Or those eyes shut that makes thee answer ‘Ay’.

  If he be slain, say ‘Ay’; or if not, ‘No’.

  Brief sounds determine of my weal or woe.

  NURSE

  I saw the wound, I saw it with mine eyes,<
br />
  God save the mark, here on his manly breast—

  A piteous corpse, a bloody, piteous corpse—

  Pale, pale as ashes, all bedaubed in blood,

  All in gore blood; I swooned at the sight.

  JULIET

  O, break, my heart, poor bankrupt, break at once!

  To prison, eyes; ne’er look on liberty.

  Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here,

  And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier!

  NURSE

  O Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I had!

  O courteous Tybalt, honest gentleman,

  That ever I should live to see thee dead!

  JULIET

  What storm is this that blows so contrary?

  Is Romeo slaughtered, and is Tybalt dead?

  My dearest cousin and my dearer lord?

  Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the general doom,

  For who is living if those two are gone?

  NURSE

  Tybalt is gone and Romeo banished.

  Romeo that killed him—he is banished.

  JULIET

  O God, did Romeo’s hand shed Tybalt’s blood?

  ⌈NURSE⌉

  It did, it did, alas the day, it did.

  ⌈JULIET⌉

  O serpent heart hid with a flow‘ring face!

  Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?

  Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical!

  Dove-feathered raven, wolvish-ravening lamb!

  Despisèd substance of divinest show!

  Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st—

  A damnèd saint, an honourable villain.

  O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell

  When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend

  In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh?

  Was ever book containing such vile matter

  So fairly bound? O, that deceit should dwell

  In such a gorgeous palace!

  NURSE

  There’s no trust, no faith, no honesty in men;

  All perjured, all forsworn, all naught, dissemblers all.

  Ah, where’s my man? Give me some aqua vitae.

  These griefs, these woes, these sorrows make me old.

  Shame come to Romeo!

  JULIET Blistered be thy tongue

  For such a wish! He was not born to shame.

  Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit,

  For ’tis a throne where honour may be crowned

  Sole monarch of the universal earth.