The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

1 Enter Romeo.
2 ROMEO.
3 He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
4 Juliet appears above at a window.
5 But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
6 It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
7 Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon,
8 Who is already sick and pale with grief,
9 That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
10 Be not her maid since she is envious;
11 Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
12 And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
13 It is my lady, O it is my love!
14 O, that she knew she were!
15 She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
16 Her eye discourses, I will answer it.
17 I am too bold, ’tis not to me she speaks.
18 Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
19 Having some business, do entreat her eyes
20 To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
21 What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
22 The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
23 As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
24 Would through the airy region stream so bright
25 That birds would sing and think it were not night.
26 See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
27 O that I were a glove upon that hand,
28 That I might touch that cheek.
29 JULIET.
30 Ay me.
31 ROMEO.
32 She speaks.
33 O speak again bright angel, for thou art
34 As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
35 As is a winged messenger of heaven
36 Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
37 Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
38 When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds
39 And sails upon the bosom of the air.
40 JULIET.
41 O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
42 Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
43 Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
44 And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
45 ROMEO.
46 [_Aside._] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
47 JULIET.
48 ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
49 Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
50 What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
51 Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
52 Belonging to a man. O be some other name.
53 What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
54 By any other name would smell as sweet;
55 So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
56 Retain that dear perfection which he owes
57 Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
58 And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
59 Take all myself.
60 ROMEO.
61 I take thee at thy word.
62 Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d;
63 Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
64 JULIET.
65 What man art thou that, thus bescreen’d in night
66 So stumblest on my counsel?
67 ROMEO.
68 By a name
69 I know not how to tell thee who I am:
70 My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
71 Because it is an enemy to thee.
72 Had I it written, I would tear the word.
73 JULIET.
74 My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
75 Of thy tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound.
76 Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
77 ROMEO.
78 Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.
79 JULIET.
80 How cam’st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
81 The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
82 And the place death, considering who thou art,
83 If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
84 ROMEO.
85 With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
86 For stony limits cannot hold love out,
87 And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
88 Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
89 JULIET.
90 If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
91 ROMEO.
92 Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
93 Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet,
94 And I am proof against their enmity.
95 JULIET.
96 I would not for the world they saw thee here.
97 ROMEO.
98 I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
99 And but thou love me, let them find me here.
100 My life were better ended by their hate
101 Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
102 JULIET.
103 By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
104 ROMEO.
105 By love, that first did prompt me to enquire;
106 He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
107 I am no pilot; yet wert thou as far
108 As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,
109 I should adventure for such merchandise.
110 JULIET.
111 Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
112 Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
113 For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
114 Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
115 What I have spoke; but farewell compliment.
116 Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say Ay,
117 And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear’st,
118 Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,
119 They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
120 If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
121 Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
122 I’ll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,
123 So thou wilt woo. But else, not for the world.
124 In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond;
125 And therefore thou mayst think my ’haviour light:
126 But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
127 Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
128 I should have been more strange, I must confess,
129 But that thou overheard’st, ere I was ’ware,
130 My true-love passion; therefore pardon me,
131 And not impute this yielding to light love,
132 Which the dark night hath so discovered.
133 ROMEO.
134 Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
135 That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops,—
136 JULIET.
137 O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon,
138 That monthly changes in her circled orb,
139 Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
140 ROMEO.
141 What shall I swear by?
142 JULIET.
143 Do not swear at all.
144 Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
145 Which is the god of my idolatry,
146 And I’ll believe thee.
147 ROMEO.
148 If my heart’s dear love,—
149 JULIET.
150 Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
151 I have no joy of this contract tonight;
152 It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden,
153 Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
154 Ere one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night.
155 This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
156 May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
157 Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest
158 Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
159 ROMEO.
160 O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
161 JULIET.
162 What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
163 ROMEO.
164 Th’exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.
165 JULIET.
166 I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;
167 And yet I would it were to give again.
168 ROMEO.
169 Would’st thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
170 JULIET.
171 But to be frank and give it thee again.
172 And yet I wish but for the thing I have;
173 My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
174 My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
175 The more I have, for both are infinite.
176 I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.
177 [_Nurse calls within._]
178 Anon, good Nurse!—Sweet Montague be true.
179 Stay but a little, I will come again.
180 [_Exit._]
181 ROMEO.
182 O blessed, blessed night. I am afeard,
183 Being in night, all this is but a dream,
184 Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
185 Enter Juliet above.
186 JULIET.
187 Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
188 If that thy bent of love be honourable,
189 Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
190 By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
191 Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
192 And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
193 And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
194 NURSE.
195 [_Within._] Madam.
196 JULIET.
197 I come, anon.— But if thou meanest not well,
198 I do beseech thee,—
199 NURSE.
200 [_Within._] Madam.
201 JULIET.
202 By and by I come—
203 To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief.
204 Tomorrow will I send.
205 ROMEO.
206 So thrive my soul,—
207 JULIET.
208 A thousand times good night.
209 [_Exit._]
210 ROMEO.
211 A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
212 Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
213 But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
214 [_Retiring slowly._]
215 Re-enter Juliet, above.
216 JULIET.
217 Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falconer’s voice
218 To lure this tassel-gentle back again.
219 Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
220 Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
221 And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine
222 With repetition of my Romeo’s name.
223 ROMEO.
224 It is my soul that calls upon my name.
225 How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
226 Like softest music to attending ears.
227 JULIET.
228 Romeo.
229 ROMEO.
230 My nyas?
231 JULIET.
232 What o’clock tomorrow
233 Shall I send to thee?
234 ROMEO.
235 By the hour of nine.
236 JULIET.
237 I will not fail. ’Tis twenty years till then.
238 I have forgot why I did call thee back.
239 ROMEO.
240 Let me stand here till thou remember it.
241 JULIET.
242 I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
243 Remembering how I love thy company.
244 ROMEO.
245 And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
246 Forgetting any other home but this.
247 JULIET.
248 ’Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone,
249 And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird,
250 That lets it hop a little from her hand,
251 Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
252 And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
253 So loving-jealous of his liberty.
254 ROMEO.
255 I would I were thy bird.
256 JULIET.
257 Sweet, so would I:
258 Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
259 Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
260 That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
261 [_Exit._]
262 ROMEO.
263 Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
264 Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest.
265 Hence will I to my ghostly Sire’s cell,
266 His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.
267 [_Exit._]