THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
CHORUS.
Due
Twohouseholds,bothalikeindignity,InfairVerona,dove
wherewelayourscene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,Dove
Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.Fromforth
la
thefatalloinsofthesedue
twofoesApairofstar-cross’dloversprendono
taketheirlife;Whosemisadventur’dpiteousoverthrowsDothwiththeir
morte
deathburytheirparents’strife.Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’d
amore
love,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rage,Che
Which,buttheirchildren’send,noughtcouldremove,Isora
nowthetwohours’trafficofourstage;ACTI
SCENEI.
Un
Apublicplace.EnterSampson
e
andGregoryarmedwithswordse
andbucklers.SAMPSON.
Gregory,onmy
parola
word,we’llnotcarrycoals.GREGORY.
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON.
Imean,
se
ifwebeincholer,we’lldraw.GREGORY.
Ay,whileyou
vivo
live,drawyourneckouto’il
thecollar.SAMPSON.
Istrikequickly,beingmoved.
GREGORY.
Ma
Butthouartnotquicklymovedtostrike.SAMPSON.
Un
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesmi
me.GREGORY.
Tomoveistostir;
e
andtobevaliantistostare
stand:therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Un
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.Iwill
prenderò
takethewallofanyuomo
manormaidofMontague’s.GREGORY.
That
mostra
showstheeaweakslave,foril
theweakestgoestothewall.SAMPSON.
Vero
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothewall:thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfrom
le
thewall,andthrusthismaidstole
thewall.GREGORY.
Thequarrelis
tra
betweenourmastersandustheirmen.SAMPSON.
’Tis
tutti
allone,Iwillshowmyselfatyrant:quando
whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbecivilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.GREGORY.
Le
Theheadsofthemaids?SAMPSON.
Ay,
le
theheadsofthemaids,o
ortheirmaidenheads;takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY.
They
devono
musttakeitinsensethatsentono
feelit.SAMPSON.
Metheyshall
sentiranno
feelwhileIamabletostare
stand:and’tisknownIam
un
aprettypieceofflesh.GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnotfish;
se
ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpovero
poorJohn.Drawthytool;
qui
herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.EnterAbram
e
andBalthasar.SAMPSON.
Mynakedweaponis
fuori
out:quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
Come
How?Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Fearmenot.
GREGORY.
No,marry;
Ifearthee!
SAMPSON.
Letus
prendiamo
takethelawofoursides;letthembegin.
GREGORY.
I
vogliono
willfrownasIpassby,e
andletthemtakeitastheylist.SAMPSON.
Nay,astheydare.
Iwillbitemythumbatthem,
che
whichisdisgracetothemse
iftheybearit.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,
signore
sir?SAMPSON.
Idobitemythumb,
signore
sir.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,
signore
sir?SAMPSON.
Isthelawofourside
se
ifIsayay?GREGORY.
Non
No.SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemythumbatyou,
signore
sir;butIbitemythumb,
signore
sir.GREGORY.
Doyouquarrel,
signore
sir?ABRAM.
Quarrel,sir?
No,
signore
sir.SAMPSON.
Butifyou
fa
do,sir,Iamforyou.Iserveasgood
un
amanasyou.ABRAM.
Non
Nobetter.SAMPSON.
Well,sir.
EnterBenvolio.
GREGORY.
Di
Sa'better;herecomesoneofmymaster’skinsmen.
SAMPSON.
Yes,
meglio
better,sir.ABRAM.
Youlie.
SAMPSON.
Draw,
se
ifyoubemen.Gregory,
ricorda
rememberthywashingblow.BENVOLIO.
Part,fools!
putupyourswords,you
sapete
knownotwhatyoudo.EnterTybalt.
TYBALT.
What,artthoudrawnamongtheseheartlesshinds?
Girati
TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthymorte
death.BENVOLIO.
Idobut
mantenere
keepthepeace,putupthysword,O
Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme
me.TYBALT.
What,drawn,and
parlare
talkofpeace?Ihatethe
parola
wordAsIhatehell,tutti
allMontagues,andthee:Haveatthee,coward.
Enter
tre
threeorfourCitizenswithclubs.Primo
FIRSTCITIZEN.Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthem
giù
down!DownwiththeCapulets!
Downwith
i
theMontagues!EnterCapuletinhisgown,
e
andLadyCapulet.CAPULET.
Whatnoiseis
questo
this?Givememylongsword,ho!
Signora
LADYCAPULET.Acrutch,acrutch!
Why
chiamato
callyouforasword?CAPULET.
Mysword,I
dico
say!OldMontagueiscome,
E
Andflourisheshisbladeinspiteofme
me.EnterMontagueandhis
Signora
LadyMontague.MONTAGUE.
ThouvillainCapulet!
Holdmenot,letme
andare
go.LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstironefoottoseekafoe.
EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
PRINCE.
Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,Profanersof
questo
thisneighbour-stainedsteel,—Willtheynot
ascolteranno
hear?What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,
Che
ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainoftorture,fromthosebloodyhandsThrowyourmistemper’dweaponstothegroundE
Andhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.Tre
Threecivilbrawls,bredofuna
anairyword,Bythee,vecchio
oldCapulet,andMontague,Havethricedisturb’dthequietofourstreets,E
AndmadeVerona’sancientcitizensCastbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,Towieldvecchio
oldpartisans,inhandsasvecchio
old,Canker’dwithpeace,topartyourcanker’dodio
hate.Ifeveryoudisturbourstreets
di nuovo
again,Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthepeace.For
questo
thistimealltherestdepartaway:You,Capulet,shall
andrai
goalongwithme,AndMontague,vieni
comeyouthisafternoon,Toknowourfartherpleasureinquesto
thiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcommonjudgement-place.Volta
Oncemore,onpainofmorte
death,allmendepart.[ExeuntPrince
e
andAttendants;MONTAGUE.
Whoset
questa
thisancientquarrelnewabroach?Parla
Speak,nephew,wereyoubyquando
whenitbegan?BENVOLIO.
Herewere
i
theservantsofyouradversaryE
Andyours,closefightingereIdidapproach.Idrewtopartthem,intheinstant
venuto
cameThefieryTybalt,withhisswordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heswungabouthistesta
head,andcutthewinds,Whonulla
nothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminscorn.Mentre
Whilewewereinterchangingthrustse
andblowsCamemoreandpiù
more,andfoughtonparte
andpart,TillthePrincevenivano
came,whopartedeitherpart.LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,
visto
sawyouhimtoday?RightgladIamhewasnotat
questa
thisfray.BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhour
prima
beforetheworshipp’dsunPeer’dforthil
thegoldenwindowoftheeast,Atroubledmente
minddravemetowalkabroad,Dove
WhereunderneaththegroveofsycamoreChe
Thatwestwardrootethfromthiscittà
cityside,SoearlywalkingdidIvisto
seeyourson.TowardshimI
fatto
made,buthewaswareofme
me,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.I,measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostsought
dove
wheremostmightnotbefound,Beinguno
onetoomanybymywearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,E
Andgladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme
me.MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeen
visto
seen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’sdew,Addingtocloudspiù
morecloudswithhisdeepsighs;Ma
Butallsosoonastheall-cheeringsunDovrebbe
ShouldinthefarthesteastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sletto
bed,Awayfromlightstealscasa
homemyheavyson,Andprivateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdaylightoutE
Andmakeshimselfanartificialnotte
night.Blackandportentousmust
questo
thishumourprove,Unlessgoodcounselmayla
thecauseremove.BENVOLIO.
Mynoble
zio
uncle,doyouknowthecausa
cause?MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcanlearnofhim.
BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfand
molti
manyotherfriends;Buthe,hisownaffections’counsellor,Istohimself—I
è
willnotsayhowtrue—Ma
Buttohimselfsosecrete
andsoclose,Sofarfromsuono
soundinganddiscovery,Asisthebudbitwithun
anenviouswormErehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,O
Ordedicatehisbeautytothesun.Couldwema
butlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.EnterRomeo.
BENVOLIO.
Vedi
See,wherehecomes.So
per favore
pleaseyoustepaside;I’llknowhisgrievance
o
orbemuchdenied.MONTAGUE.
Iwouldthouwertso
felice
happybythystayToascoltare
heartrueshrift.Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,cousin.
ROMEO.
Is
il
thedaysoyoung?