THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
CHORUS.
Twohouseholds,bothalikeindignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayour
toneel
scene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.FromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoesApairofstar-cross’dloverstaketheirlife;
Whosemisadventur’dpiteousoverthrowsDothwiththeirdeathburytheirparents’strife.
Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’dlove,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rage,Which,buttheirchildren’send,noughtcouldremove,Isnowthetwohours’trafficofour
podium
stage;ACTI
SCENEI.A
openbare
publicplace.EnterSampsonandGregoryarmedwithswordsandbucklers.
SAMPSON.
Gregory,onmyword,we’llnot
dragen
carrycoals.GREGORY.
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON.
Imean,ifwebeincholer,we’lldraw.
GREGORY.
Ay,whileyoulive,drawyour
nek
neckouto’thecollar.SAMPSON.
Istrike
snel
quickly,beingmoved.GREGORY.
Butthouartnot
snel
quicklymovedtostrike.SAMPSON.
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesme.
GREGORY.
Tomoveistostir;
andtobevaliantistostand:
therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.
Iwilltakethe
muur
wallofanymanormaidofMontague’s.GREGORY.
Thatshowstheeaweakslave,fortheweakestgoestothe
muur
wall.SAMPSON.
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothe
muur
wall:thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfromthe
muur
wall,andthrusthismaidstothemuur
wall.GREGORY.
Thequarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.
SAMPSON.
’Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfatyrant:
whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbecivilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.
GREGORY.
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON.
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads;
takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY.
Theymusttakeitin
voelen
sensethatfeelit.SAMPSON.
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:
and’tisknownIamapretty
stuk
pieceofflesh.GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnot
vis
fish;ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpoorJohn.
Drawthytool;
herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.
EnterAbramandBalthasar.
SAMPSON.
Mynakedweaponisout:
quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
How?
Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Bang
Fearmenot.GREGORY.
No,marry;
I
bang
fearthee!SAMPSON.
Letustakethelawofoursides;
letthem
beginnen
begin.GREGORY.
IwillfrownasIpassby,andletthemtakeitastheylist.
SAMPSON.
Nay,asthey
durven
dare.Iwillbitemythumbatthem,whichisdisgracetothemifthey
dragen
bearit.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.
Idobutkeepthe
vrede
peace,putupthysword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.TYBALT.
What,drawn,andtalkof
vrede
peace?IhatethewordAsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,coward.
EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
FIRSTCITIZEN.
Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!
DownwiththeMontagues!
EnterCapuletinhisgown,andLadyCapulet.
CAPULET.
Whatnoiseisthis?
Givememylongsword,ho!
LADYCAPULET.
Acrutch,acrutch!
Whycallyouforasword?
CAPULET.
Mysword,Isay!
OldMontagueiscome,Andflourisheshisbladeinspiteofme.
EnterMontagueandhisLadyMontague.
MONTAGUE.
ThouvillainCapulet!
Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstirone
voet
foottoseekafoe.EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
PRINCE.
Rebellioussubjects,enemiesto
vrede
peace,Profanersofthisneighbour-stainedsteel,—Willtheynothear?
What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,On
pijn
painoftorture,fromthosebloedige
bloodyhandsThrowyourmistemper’dweaponstothegroundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.Threecivilbrawls,bredofanairyword,Bythee,oldCapulet,andMontague,Havethricedisturb’dthequietofourstreets,AndmadeVerona’sancientcitizensCastbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,Towieldoldpartisans,inhandsasold,Canker’dwith
vrede
peace,topartyourcanker’dhate.Ifeveryoudisturbourstreetsagain,Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthe
vrede
peace.Forthistimealltherestdepartaway:
You,Capulet,shallgoalongwithme,AndMontague,comeyouthis
vanmiddag
afternoon,Toknowourfarthergenoegen
pleasureinthiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcommonjudgement-place.Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
[ExeuntPrinceandAttendants;
MONTAGUE.
Whosetthisancientquarrelnewabroach?
Speak,nephew,wereyoubywhenit
begon
began?BENVOLIO.
HereweretheservantsofyouradversaryAndyours,closefightingereIdidapproach.
Idrewtopartthem,intheinstantcameThefieryTybalt,withhisswordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heswungabouthishead,andcutthewinds,Whonothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminscorn.
WhilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblowsCamemoreandmore,andfoughtonpartandpart,TillthePrincecame,whopartedeitherpart.
LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,sawyouhimtoday?
Right
blij
gladIamhewasnotatthisfray.BENVOLIO.
Mevrouw
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp’dzon
sunPeer’dforththegoldenraam
windowoftheeast,Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad,WhereunderneaththegroveofsycamoreThatwestwardrootethfromthiscityside,Sovroeg
earlywalkingdidIseeyourson.TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme,And
stal
stoleintothecovertofthewood.I,measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostsoughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beingonetoomanybymywearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,Andgladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme.
MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,Withtearsaugmentingthe
frisse
freshmorning’sdew,Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;Butallsosoonastheall-cheering
zon
sunShouldinthefarthestoosten
eastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sbed,Awayfromlightsteelt
stealshomemyheavyson,Andprivé
privateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdaylightoutAndmakeshimselfanartificialnight.Blackandportentousmustthishumour
bewijzen
prove,Unlessgoodcounselmaythecauseremove.BENVOLIO.
Mynobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?
MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcan
leren
learnofhim.BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends;
Buthe,hisownaffections’counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotsayhowtrue—
Buttohimselfso
geheim
secretandsoclose,Sofarfromsoundinganddiscovery,AsisthebudbitwithanenviouswormErehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,Ordedicatehisschoonheid
beautytothesun.Couldwebutleren
learnfromwhencehissorrowsgroeit
grow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.EnterRomeo.
BENVOLIO.
See,wherehecomes.
Sopleaseyoustepaside;
I’llknowhisgrievanceorbemuchdenied.
MONTAGUE.
IwouldthouwertsohappybythystayToheartrueshrift.
Come,
mevrouw
madam,let’saway,.BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,
neef
cousin.ROMEO.
Isthedaysoyoung?