The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

1 Enter Sampson and Gregory armed with swords and bucklers.
2 SAMPSON.
3 Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals.
4 GREGORY.
5 No, for then we should be colliers.
6 SAMPSON.
7 I mean, if we be in choler, we’ll draw.
8 GREGORY.
9 Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o’ the collar.
10 SAMPSON.
11 I strike quickly, being moved.
12 GREGORY.
13 But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
14 SAMPSON.
15 A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
16 GREGORY.
17 To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand: therefore, if thou
18 art moved, thou runn’st away.
19 SAMPSON.
20 A dog of that house shall move me to stand.
21 I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague’s.
22 GREGORY.
23 That shows thee a weak slave, for the weakest goes to the wall.
24 SAMPSON.
25 True, and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to
26 the wall: therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall, and
27 thrust his maids to the wall.
28 GREGORY.
29 The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.
30 SAMPSON.
31 ’Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the
32 men I will be civil with the maids, I will cut off their heads.
33 GREGORY.
34 The heads of the maids?
35 SAMPSON.
36 Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense
37 thou wilt.
38 GREGORY.
39 They must take it in sense that feel it.
40 SAMPSON.
41 Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and ’tis known I am a
42 pretty piece of flesh.
43 GREGORY.
44 ’Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John.
45 Draw thy tool; here comes of the house of Montagues.
46 Enter Abram and Balthasar.
47 SAMPSON.
48 My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.
49 GREGORY.
50 How? Turn thy back and run?
51 SAMPSON.
52 Fear me not.
53 GREGORY.
54 No, marry; I fear thee!
55 SAMPSON.
56 Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.
57 GREGORY.
58 I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list.
59 SAMPSON.
60 Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is disgrace to
61 them if they bear it.
62 ABRAM.
63 Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
64 SAMPSON.
65 I do bite my thumb, sir.
66 ABRAM.
67 Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
68 SAMPSON.
69 Is the law of our side if I say ay?
70 GREGORY.
71 No.
72 SAMPSON.
73 No sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.
74 GREGORY.
75 Do you quarrel, sir?
76 ABRAM.
77 Quarrel, sir? No, sir.
78 SAMPSON.
79 But if you do, sir, I am for you. I serve as good a man as you.
80 ABRAM.
81 No better.
82 SAMPSON.
83 Well, sir.
84 Enter Benvolio.
85 GREGORY.
86 Say better; here comes one of my master’s kinsmen.
87 SAMPSON.
88 Yes, better, sir.
89 ABRAM.
90 You lie.
91 SAMPSON.
92 Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy washing blow.
93 [_They fight._]
94 BENVOLIO.
95 Part, fools! put up your swords, you know not what you do.
96 [_Beats down their swords._]
97 Enter Tybalt.
98 TYBALT.
99 What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
100 Turn thee Benvolio, look upon thy death.
101 BENVOLIO.
102 I do but keep the peace, put up thy sword,
103 Or manage it to part these men with me.
104 TYBALT.
105 What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word
106 As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
107 Have at thee, coward.
108 [_They fight._]
109 Enter three or four Citizens with clubs.
110 FIRST CITIZEN.
111 Clubs, bills and partisans! Strike! Beat them down!
112 Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!
113 Enter Capulet in his gown, and Lady Capulet.
114 CAPULET.
115 What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
116 LADY CAPULET.
117 A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
118 CAPULET.
119 My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
120 And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
121 Enter Montague and his Lady Montague.
122 MONTAGUE.
123 Thou villain Capulet! Hold me not, let me go.
124 LADY MONTAGUE.
125 Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
126 Enter Prince Escalus, with Attendants.
127 PRINCE.
128 Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
129 Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,—
130 Will they not hear? What, ho! You men, you beasts,
131 That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
132 With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
133 On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
134 Throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground
135 And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
136 Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
137 By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
138 Have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets,
139 And made Verona’s ancient citizens
140 Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
141 To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
142 Canker’d with peace, to part your canker’d hate.
143 If ever you disturb our streets again,
144 Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
145 For this time all the rest depart away:
146 You, Capulet, shall go along with me,
147 And Montague, come you this afternoon,
148 To know our farther pleasure in this case,
149 To old Free-town, our common judgement-place.
150 Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
151 [_Exeunt Prince and Attendants; Capulet, Lady Capulet, Tybalt,
152 Citizens and Servants._]
153 MONTAGUE.
154 Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?
155 Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
156 BENVOLIO.
157 Here were the servants of your adversary
158 And yours, close fighting ere I did approach.
159 I drew to part them, in the instant came
160 The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar’d,
161 Which, as he breath’d defiance to my ears,
162 He swung about his head, and cut the winds,
163 Who nothing hurt withal, hiss’d him in scorn.
164 While we were interchanging thrusts and blows
165 Came more and more, and fought on part and part,
166 Till the Prince came, who parted either part.
167 LADY MONTAGUE.
168 O where is Romeo, saw you him today?
169 Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
170 BENVOLIO.
171 Madam, an hour before the worshipp’d sun
172 Peer’d forth the golden window of the east,
173 A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad,
174 Where underneath the grove of sycamore
175 That westward rooteth from this city side,
176 So early walking did I see your son.
177 Towards him I made, but he was ware of me,
178 And stole into the covert of the wood.
179 I, measuring his affections by my own,
180 Which then most sought where most might not be found,
181 Being one too many by my weary self,
182 Pursu’d my humour, not pursuing his,
183 And gladly shunn’d who gladly fled from me.
184 MONTAGUE.
185 Many a morning hath he there been seen,
186 With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew,
187 Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;
188 But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
189 Should in the farthest east begin to draw
190 The shady curtains from Aurora’s bed,
191 Away from light steals home my heavy son,
192 And private in his chamber pens himself,
193 Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out
194 And makes himself an artificial night.
195 Black and portentous must this humour prove,
196 Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
197 BENVOLIO.
198 My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
199 MONTAGUE.
200 I neither know it nor can learn of him.
201 BENVOLIO.
202 Have you importun’d him by any means?
203 MONTAGUE.
204 Both by myself and many other friends;
205 But he, his own affections’ counsellor,
206 Is to himself—I will not say how true—
207 But to himself so secret and so close,
208 So far from sounding and discovery,
209 As is the bud bit with an envious worm
210 Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,
211 Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.
212 Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow,
213 We would as willingly give cure as know.
214 Enter Romeo.
215 BENVOLIO.
216 See, where he comes. So please you step aside;
217 I’ll know his grievance or be much denied.
218 MONTAGUE.
219 I would thou wert so happy by thy stay
220 To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let’s away,
221 [_Exeunt Montague and Lady Montague._]
222 BENVOLIO.
223 Good morrow, cousin.
224 ROMEO.
225 Is the day so young?
226 BENVOLIO.
227 But new struck nine.
228 ROMEO.
229 Ay me, sad hours seem long.
230 Was that my father that went hence so fast?
231 BENVOLIO.
232 It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?
233 ROMEO.
234 Not having that which, having, makes them short.
235 BENVOLIO.
236 In love?
237 ROMEO.
238 Out.
239 BENVOLIO.
240 Of love?
241 ROMEO.
242 Out of her favour where I am in love.
243 BENVOLIO.
244 Alas that love so gentle in his view,
245 Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof.
246 ROMEO.
247 Alas that love, whose view is muffled still,
248 Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
249 Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?
250 Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
251 Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love:
252 Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
253 O anything, of nothing first create!
254 O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
255 Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
256 Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!
257 Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!
258 This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
259 Dost thou not laugh?
260 BENVOLIO.
261 No coz, I rather weep.
262 ROMEO.
263 Good heart, at what?
264 BENVOLIO.
265 At thy good heart’s oppression.
266 ROMEO.
267 Why such is love’s transgression.
268 Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
269 Which thou wilt propagate to have it prest
270 With more of thine. This love that thou hast shown
271 Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
272 Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs;
273 Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes;
274 Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears:
275 What is it else? A madness most discreet,
276 A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
277 Farewell, my coz.
278 [_Going._]
279 BENVOLIO.
280 Soft! I will go along:
281 And if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
282 ROMEO.
283 Tut! I have lost myself; I am not here.
284 This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.
285 BENVOLIO.
286 Tell me in sadness who is that you love?
287 ROMEO.
288 What, shall I groan and tell thee?
289 BENVOLIO.
290 Groan! Why, no; but sadly tell me who.
291 ROMEO.
292 Bid a sick man in sadness make his will,
293 A word ill urg’d to one that is so ill.
294 In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.
295 BENVOLIO.
296 I aim’d so near when I suppos’d you lov’d.
297 ROMEO.
298 A right good markman, and she’s fair I love.
299 BENVOLIO.
300 A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.
301 ROMEO.
302 Well, in that hit you miss: she’ll not be hit
303 With Cupid’s arrow, she hath Dian’s wit;
304 And in strong proof of chastity well arm’d,
305 From love’s weak childish bow she lives uncharm’d.
306 She will not stay the siege of loving terms
307 Nor bide th’encounter of assailing eyes,
308 Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:
309 O she’s rich in beauty, only poor
310 That when she dies, with beauty dies her store.
311 BENVOLIO.
312 Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?
313 ROMEO.
314 She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste;
315 For beauty starv’d with her severity,
316 Cuts beauty off from all posterity.
317 She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair,
318 To merit bliss by making me despair.
319 She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow
320 Do I live dead, that live to tell it now.
321 BENVOLIO.
322 Be rul’d by me, forget to think of her.
323 ROMEO.
324 O teach me how I should forget to think.
325 BENVOLIO.
326 By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
327 Examine other beauties.
328 ROMEO.
329 ’Tis the way
330 To call hers, exquisite, in question more.
331 These happy masks that kiss fair ladies’ brows,
332 Being black, puts us in mind they hide the fair;
333 He that is strucken blind cannot forget
334 The precious treasure of his eyesight lost.
335 Show me a mistress that is passing fair,
336 What doth her beauty serve but as a note
337 Where I may read who pass’d that passing fair?
338 Farewell, thou canst not teach me to forget.
339 BENVOLIO.
340 I’ll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
341 [_Exeunt._]