Prologue Friar Laurence?: Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene From ancient grudge break to new mutiny Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents strife The fearful passage of their death marked love And the continuance of their parents? rage Which but their childrens? end, nought could remove Is now the two hour?s traffic of our stage The which if you with patient ears attend What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. Act One Scene One Friar Laurence?: Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?? Speak nephew, were you by when it begun?? Romeo?: Here were the servants of your adversary And yours, close fighting ere I did approach I drew to part them?: in the instant came The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears, He swung about his head, and cut the winds Who, nothing hurt withall, hiss?d him in scorn While we were interchanging thrusts and blows, Come more and more, and fought on part and part ?Till the Prince came, who parted either part Friar Laurence?: Three brawls, bred of an airy word By Capulet and Montague Have thrice disturb?d the quiet of our streets And made Verona?s ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker?d with peace, to part your canker?d hate. (en italien) Quel beau morceau de bois, mon fils?! What sadness lengthens Romeo?s hours?? Romeo?: Not having that which, having, makes them short. Friar?: In love?? Romeo?: Out ? Friar?: Of love?? Romeo?: Out of her favour, where I am in love. Friar?: Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof?! Romeo?: Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should without eyes see pathways to his will?! Why then, o brawling love, O loving hate?! O heavy lightness?! Serious vanity?! Mis-shapen chaos of well seeming forms?! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health?! Still-waking sleep,that is not what it is?! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh?? Friar?: No, coz I rather weep. Romeo?: Good heart, at what?? Friar?: At thy good heart?s oppression. Romeo?: Why, such is love?s transgression. Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast?; Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest With more of thine?: this love that thou hast shown Doth add more grief to too?much of mine own. Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs?; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers? eyes Being vex?d, a sea nourished with lovers? tears?: What is it else?? a madness most discreet, A choking gall and a preserving sweet. Friar Laurence?: Tell me in sadness, who is that you love?? Romeo?: What, shall I groan and tell thee?? Friar?: Groan?! Why , no?; but sadly tell me who. Romeo?: Bid a sick man in sadness make his will?: Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill?! In sadness, friar, I do love a woman. Friar?: I aimed so near when I supposd you loved. Romeo?: A right good markman?! And she?s fair I love. Friar?: A right fair mark, Romeo, is soonest hit Romeo?: Well in that hit you miss?: she?ll not be hit With Cupid?s arrow?; she hath Dian?s wit, And in strong proof of chastity well armed From love?s weak childish bow she lives unharm?d. She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold?: O , she is rich in beauty, only poor That, when she dies, with beauty dies ger store. Friar?: Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?? Romeo?: She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste?; For beauty, staved with her severity, Cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, To merit bliss by making me despair?: She hath forsworn to love?: and in that vow Do I live dead, that live to tell it now. Friar?: Be ruled by me, forget to think of her. Romeo?: O, teach me how I should forget to think. Friar?: By giving liberty unto thine eyes?; Examine other beauties. Romeo?: ?Tis the way To call her hers, exquistite, in question more?: These happy masks that kiss fair ladies brows, Being black, puts us in mind they hide the fair?; He that is strucken blind cannot forget The precious treasure of his eyesight lost. Farewell, thou canst not teach me to forget. He picks up a piece of paper and reads?: ??The noble men of Verona, their wives and daughters, be they not of of the house of Montague, are couteously invited to attend a masked supper this very night. Capulet.?? Friar?: At this same ancient feast of Capulet?s Sups the fair Roseline whom thou so lovest, With all the admired beauties of Verona?: Go thither, and, with unattainted eye Compare her face with some that I shall show And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. Romeo?: When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires?; And, these, who, often drown?d, could never die, Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars?! One fairer than my love?! the all-seeing sun Ne?er saw her match since first the world begun. Friar?: Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by, Herself poised with herself in either eye?: But in that crystal scales let there be weighed Your lady?s love against some other maid, That I will show you shining at this feast, And she shall scant show well that now seems best. Romeo?: I?ll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own. Scene Two Nurse?: Juliet?! Juliet?? What lamb?! What ladybird?! God forbid?! ? Where?s this girl?? What Juliet?! Juliet?: Nurse, I am here. What is your will?? Nurse?: Faith, I can tell your age unto an hour. Juliet?: I?m not fourteen Nurse?: I?ll lay fourteen of my teeth, - And yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four, - You are not fourteen. How long is it now to Lammas-Tide?? Juliet?: A fortnight and odd days. Nurse?: Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she ? Gott rett? alle christliche Seelen ! ? Were of an age?: well, Susan is with God?; She was too good for me?: but, Juliet, On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen?; That she shall, marry?; I remember it well. ?Tis since the earthquake now eleven years?; And she was weaned, I never shall forget it ? For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, Sitting in the sun under the dovehouse wall?; My lord and you were then at Mantua?:- Nein, ich trage doch ein Gehirn - but, as I said, When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool, To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug?! For even the day before she broke her brow?: And then my husband, - Gott sei mit ihm ! Der war ein lustiger Kerl - took up the child?: ??Ja??, quoth he ??F?llst du auf die Nase? Du wirst lieber nach hinten fallen, wenn du kluger wirst Nicht wahr, Jule??? and, by my holidame, The pretty wench left crying, and said ??Ja?? To see now how a jest shall come about?! I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it?: ??Nicht wahr, Jule ??? quoth he?; And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said ??Ja?? Juliet?: Enough of this?; I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurse?: Yes, miss, yet I cannot choose but laugh To think it should leave crying, and say ??Ja???: And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow A bump as big as a young cockerel?s stone?; A perilous knock?; and it cried bitterly?: ??Ja?? quoth my husband, ??f?llst du auf die Nase? Du wirst lieber nach hinten fallen, wenn du vollj?hrig wirst. Nicht wahr, Jule???? it stinted and said ?Ay? Juliet?: And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurse?: Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace?! Thou wast the prettiest babe that e?er I nursed?: And I might live too see thee married once, I have my wish. Juliet?: It is an honour that I dream not of. Nurse?: An honour?! were I not thine only nurse, I would say thou hast suck?d wisdom from thy teat. Well, think of marriage now?; younger than you Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers. Thus then in brief?: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. Juliet?; Paris?? Nurse?: A man, young lady?! Verona?s summer hath not such a flower. Nay he?s a flower?; in faith, a very flower Juliet?: Paris?? Nurse?: What say you?? can you love the gentleman?? This night you shall behold him at the feast?: Read o?er the volume of young Paris? face, And find delight writ there with beauty?s pen?; You share all that he doth possess, By having him making yourself no less. No less?! nay, bigger?; women grow by men. But, the guests are come, supper served up, Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days. Scene Three Mercutio?: Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Romeo?: Not I, believe me, you have dancing shoes, With nimble soles?: I have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground, I cannot move. Mercutio?: You are a lover?; borrow cupid?s wings, And soar with them above a common bound. Romeo?: I am too sore empierced with his shaft To soar with his light feathers, and so bound, I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe?: Under love?s heavy burthen do I sink. Mercutio?: and, to sink in it, should you burthen love?; Too great oppression for a tender thing Romeo?: Is love a tender thing?? it is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous, and its pricks like a thorn. Mercutio?: If love be rough with you, be rough with love?; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. Romeo?: What lady?s that, which does enrich the hand Of yonder knight?? Mercutio?: I know not. Romeo?: O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright?! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop?s ear?: Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear?! So shows a snowy dove trooping with the crows, As yonder lady o?er her fellows shows. The measure done, I?ll watch her place of stand, And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now?? Forswear it, sight?! For I ne?er saw true beauty till this night. (To Juliet) If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentler sin is this, My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, To smoooth that rough touch with a kiss. Juliet?: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this?; For saints have hands that pilgrims? hands do touch And palm to palm is holy palmers? kiss. Romeo?: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?? Juliet?: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. Romeo?; O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do?; They pray?; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. Juliet?: Saints do not move, though grant for prayers? sake. Romeo?: Then move not, while my prayer?s effect I take. Thus from my lips by thine my sin is purged. (kisses her) Juliet?: Then have my lips the sin that they have took, Romeo?: Sin from my lips?? O trespass sweetly urged?! Give me my sin again. Juliet?: You kiss by the book. Nurse?: Madam, your mother craves a word with you. Romeo?: What is her mother?? Nurse?: Marry, bachelor, Her mother is the good lady of the house, And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous?: I nursed her daughter, that you talked withall?; I tell you, he that can lay hold of her Shall have the chinks. Romeo?: Is she a Capulet?? O dear account?! my life is my foe?s debt. (exit) Juliet?: Come hither, nurse. What is yond gentleman?? Nurse?: The son and heir of old Tiberio. Juliet?: What?s he that now is going out of door?? Nurse?: Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio. Juliet?: What?s he that follows there, that would not dance?? Nurse?: I know not. Juliet?: Go ask his name. If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding bed. Nurse?: His name is Romeo, and a Montague, The only son of your great enemy. Juliet?: My only love sprung from my only hate?! Too early seen unknown, and known too late?! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy. Nurse?: What?s this?? What?s this?? Juliet?: A rhyme I learned even now Of one I danced withal. Acte II ©Daniel Soulier