THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
CHORUS.
Twohouseholds,bothalikeindignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayourscene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.
FromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoesApairofstar-cross’dloverstaketheirlife;
Whosemisadventur’dpiteousoverthrowsDothwiththeirdeathburytheirparents’strife.
Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’dlove,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rage,Which,buttheirchildren’send,noughtcouldremove,Isnowthetwohours’trafficofourstage;
ACTI
SCENEI.Apublicplace.
EnterSampsonandGregoryarmedwithswordsandbucklers.
SAMPSON.
Gregory,onmyword,we’llnotcarrycoals.
GREGORY.
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON.
Imean,ifwebeincholer,we’lldraw.
GREGORY.
Ay,whileyoulive,drawyourneckouto’thecollar.
SAMPSON.
Istrikequickly,beingmoved.
GREGORY.
Butthouartnotquicklymovedtostrike.
SAMPSON.
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesme.
GREGORY.
Tomoveistostir;
andtobevaliantistostand:
therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.
IwilltakethewallofanymanormaidofMontague’s.
GREGORY.
Thatshowstheeaweakslave,fortheweakestgoestothewall.
SAMPSON.
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothewall:
thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfromthewall,andthrusthismaidstothewall.
GREGORY.
Thequarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.
SAMPSON.
’Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfatyrant:
whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbecivilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.
GREGORY.
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON.
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads;
takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY.
Theymusttakeitinsensethatfeelit.
SAMPSON.
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:
and’tisknownIamaprettypieceofflesh.
GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnotfish;
ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpoorJohn.
Drawthy
alat
tool;herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.
EnterAbramandBalthasar.
SAMPSON.
Mynakedweaponisout:
quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
How?
Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Fearmenot.
GREGORY.
No,marry;
Ifearthee!
SAMPSON.
Letustakethelawofoursides;
letthembegin.
GREGORY.
IwillfrownasIpassby,andletthemtakeitastheylist.
SAMPSON.
Nay,astheydare.
Iwillbitemythumbatthem,whichisdisgracetothemiftheybearit.
ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,sir?
SAMPSON.
Idobitemythumb,sir.
ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,sir?
SAMPSON.
IsthelawofoursideifIsayay?
GREGORY.
No.
SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemythumbatyou,sir;
butIbitemythumb,sir.
GREGORY.
Doyouquarrel,sir?
ABRAM.
Quarrel,sir?
No,sir.
SAMPSON.
Butifyoudo,sir,Iamforyou.
Iserveasgoodamanasyou.
ABRAM.
Nobetter.
SAMPSON.
Well,sir.
EnterBenvolio.
GREGORY.
Saybetter;
herecomesoneofmymaster’skinsmen.
SAMPSON.
Yes,better,sir.
ABRAM.
Youlie.
SAMPSON.
Draw,ifyoubemen.
Gregory,rememberthywashingblow.
BENVOLIO.
Part,fools!
putupyourswords,youknownotwhatyoudo.
EnterTybalt.
TYBALT.
What,artthoudrawnamongtheseheartlesshinds?
TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthydeath.
BENVOLIO.
Idobutkeepthepeace,putupthysword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.
TYBALT.
What,drawn,andtalkofpeace?
IhatethewordAsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,coward.
EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
FIRST
Građanin
CITIZEN.Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!
DownwiththeMontagues!
EnterCapuletinhisgown,andLadyCapulet.
CAPULET.
Whatnoiseisthis?
Givememylongsword,ho!
LADYCAPULET.
Acrutch,acrutch!
Whycallyouforasword?
CAPULET.
Mysword,Isay!
OldMontagueiscome,Andflourisheshisbladein
unatoč
spiteofme.EnterMontagueandhisLadyMontague.
MONTAGUE.
ThouvillainCapulet!
Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstironefoottoseekafoe.
EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
PRINCE.
Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,Profanersofthisneighbour-stainedsteel,—
Willtheynothear?
What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainoftorture,fromthosebloodyhandsThrowyourmistemper’dweaponstothegroundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.
Threecivilbrawls,bredofanairyword,Bythee,oldCapulet,andMontague,Havethricedisturb’dthequietofourstreets,AndmadeVerona’sancientcitizensCastbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,Towieldoldpartisans,inhandsasold,Canker’dwithpeace,topartyourcanker’dhate.
Ifeveryoudisturbourstreetsagain,Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthepeace.
Forthistimealltherestdepartaway:
You,Capulet,shallgoalongwithme,AndMontague,comeyouthisafternoon,Toknowourfartherpleasureinthiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcommonjudgement-place.
Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
[ExeuntPrinceandAttendants;
MONTAGUE.
Whosetthisancientquarrelnewabroach?
Speak,nephew,wereyoubywhenitbegan?
BENVOLIO.
HereweretheservantsofyouradversaryAndyours,closefightingereIdidapproach.
Idrewtopartthem,intheinstantcameThefieryTybalt,withhisswordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heswungabouthishead,andcutthewinds,Whonothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminscorn.
WhilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblowsCamemoreandmore,andfoughtonpartandpart,TillthePrincecame,whopartedeitherpart.
LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,sawyouhimtoday?
RightgladIamhewasnotatthisfray.
BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp’dsunPeer’dforththegoldenwindowoftheeast,Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad,WhereunderneaththegroveofsycamoreThatwestwardrootethfromthiscityside,SoearlywalkingdidIseeyourson.
TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.
I,measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostsoughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beingonetoomanybymywearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,Andgladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme.
MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’sdew,Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;
Butallsosoonastheall-cheeringsunShouldinthefarthesteastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sbed,Awayfromlightstealshomemyheavyson,Andprivateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdaylightoutAndmakeshimselfanartificialnight.
Blackandportentousmustthishumourprove,Unlessgoodcounselmaythecauseremove.
BENVOLIO.
Mynobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?
MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcanlearnofhim.
BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends;
Buthe,hisownaffections’counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotsayhowtrue—
Buttohimselfsosecretandsoclose,Sofarfromsoundinganddiscovery,AsisthebudbitwithanenviouswormErehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,Ordedicatehisbeautytothesun.Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.
EnterRomeo.
BENVOLIO.
See,wherehecomes.
Sopleaseyoustepaside;
I’llknowhisgrievanceorbemuchdenied.
MONTAGUE.
IwouldthouwertsohappybythystayToheartrueshrift.
Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,cousin.
ROMEO.
Isthedaysoyoung?