THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
Coro
CHORUS.Twohouseholds,bothalikein
dignità
dignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayourscena
scene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,Dove
Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.Fromforth
la
thefatalloinsofthesedue
twofoesApairofstar-cross’dloversprendono
taketheirlife;Whosemisadventur’dpiteous
rovesciato
overthrowsDothwiththeirdeathseppellisce
burytheirparents’strife.Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’d
amore
love,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rabbia
rage,Which,buttheirchildren’sfine
end,noughtcouldremove,Isora
nowthetwohours’trafficofourpalco
stage;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.
Istrike
velocemente
quickly,beingmoved.GREGORY.
Butthouartnotquicklymovedto
colpire
strike.SAMPSON.
Adogofthe
casa
houseofMontaguemovesme.GREGORY.
To
muoversi
moveistostir;andtobevaliantisto
stare
stand:therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Un
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.Iwill
prenderò
takethewallofanyuomo
manormaidofMontague’s.GREGORY.
That
mostra
showstheeaweakslave,foril
theweakestgoestothemuro
wall.SAMPSON.
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothe
muro
wall:thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfrom
le
thewall,andthrusthismaidstole
thewall.GREGORY.
Thequarrelis
tra
betweenourmastersandustheirmen.SAMPSON.
’Tis
tutti
allone,Iwillshowmyselfatiranno
tyrant:whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbe
civile
civilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.GREGORY.
Le
Theheadsofthemaids?SAMPSON.
Ay,
le
theheadsofthemaids,o
ortheirmaidenheads;takeitinwhat
senso
sensethouwilt.GREGORY.
They
devono
musttakeitinsensethatsentono
feelit.SAMPSON.
Metheyshall
sentiranno
feelwhileIamabletostare
stand:and’tisknownIam
un
aprettypieceofflesh.GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnot
pesce
fish;ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeen
povero
poorJohn.Drawthytool;
qui
herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.Entrano
EnterAbramandBalthasar.SAMPSON.
My
nuda
nakedweaponisout:quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
Come
How?Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Fearmenot.
GREGORY.
No,
sposarsi
marry;Ifearthee!
SAMPSON.
Letus
prendiamo
takethelawofoursides;letthem
iniziare
begin.GREGORY.
IwillfrownasI
passo
passby,andletthemprendano
takeitastheylist.SAMPSON.
No
Nay,astheydare.Iwillbitemy
pollice
thumbatthem,whichisvergogna
disgracetothemiftheysopportano
bearit.ABRAM.
Doyou
morde
biteyourthumbatus,signore
sir?SAMPSON.
Idobitemy
pollice
thumb,sir.ABRAM.
Doyou
morde
biteyourthumbatus,signore
sir?SAMPSON.
Isthelawofourside
se
ifIsayay?GREGORY.
Non
No.SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemy
pollice
thumbatyou,sir;butI
morso
bitemythumb,sir.GREGORY.
Doyou
litigano
quarrel,sir?ABRAM.
Quarrel,sir?
No,
signore
sir.SAMPSON.
Butifyou
fa
do,sir,Iamforyou.I
servo
serveasgoodamanasyou.ABRAM.
Non
Nobetter.SAMPSON.
Well,sir.
Entra
EnterBenvolio.GREGORY.
Saybetter;
herecomes
uno
oneofmymaster’skinsmen.SAMPSON.
Yes,
meglio
better,sir.ABRAM.
Youlie.
SAMPSON.
Disegnate
Draw,ifyoubemen.Gregory,
ricorda
rememberthywashingblow.BENVOLIO.
Part,fools!
putupyourswords,you
sapete
knownotwhatyoudo.Entra
EnterTybalt.TYBALT.
What,artthou
attirato
drawnamongtheseheartlesshinds?Girati
TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthymorte
death.BENVOLIO.
Idobut
mantenere
keepthepeace,putupthyspada
sword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme
me.TYBALT.
What,drawn,and
parlare
talkofpeace?Ihatethe
parola
wordAsIhatehell,tutti
allMontagues,andthee:Haveatthee,
codardo
coward.EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
Primo
FIRSTCITIZEN.Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthem
giù
down!DownwiththeCapulets!
Downwith
i
theMontagues!EnterCapuletinhisgown,
e
andLadyCapulet.CAPULET.
What
rumore
noiseisthis?Givememylong
spada
sword,ho!LADYCAPULET.
A
stampella
crutch,acrutch!Whycallyoufor
una
asword?CAPULET.
Mysword,I
dico
say!OldMontagueiscome,
E
Andflourisheshisbladeinspiteofme
me.EnterMontagueandhis
Signora
LadyMontague.MONTAGUE.
ThouvillainCapulet!
Holdmenot,letme
andare
go.LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstirone
piede
foottoseekafoe.Entra
EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.Principe
PRINCE.Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,Profanersof
questo
thisneighbour-stainedsteel,—Willtheynot
ascolteranno
hear?What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,
Che
ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithviola
purplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainoftortura
torture,fromthosebloodyhandsGettate
Throwyourmistemper’dweaponstotheterra
groundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprincipe
prince.Threecivilbrawls,bredof
una
anairyword,Bythee,vecchio
oldCapulet,andMontague,Havetre volte
thricedisturb’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,Toknowourfartherpiacere
pleasureinthiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcomune
commonjudgement-place.Oncemore,onpainof
morte
death,allmendepart.[ExeuntPrince
e
andAttendants;MONTAGUE.
Whoset
questa
thisancientquarrelnewabroach?Parla
Speak,nephew,wereyoubyquando
whenitbegan?BENVOLIO.
Herewere
i
theservantsofyouradversaryE
Andyours,closefightingereIdidavvicinassi
approach.Idrewtopartthem,intheinstant
venuto
cameThefieryTybalt,withhisspada
swordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heoscillato
swungabouthishead,andtagliato
cutthewinds,Whonothingmale
hurtwithal,hiss’dhimindisprezzo
scorn.Whilewewereinterchangingthrusts
e
andblowsCamemoreandpiù
more,andfoughtonparte
andpart,TillthePrincevenivano
came,whopartedeitherpart.LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,
visto
sawyouhimtoday?Right
contento
gladIamhewasnotatquesta
thisfray.BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhour
prima
beforetheworshipp’dsunPeer’dforthil
thegoldenwindowoftheeast,Atroubledmente
minddravemetowalkall'estero
abroad,WhereunderneaththegroveofsycamoreChe
Thatwestwardrootethfromthiscittà
cityside,SoearlywalkingdidIvisto
seeyourson.TowardshimI
fatto
made,buthewaswareofme
me,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.I,
misurando
measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostcercavo
soughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beinguno
onetoomanybymystanco
wearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,E
Andgladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme
me.MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeen
visto
seen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’srugiada
dew,Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;Ma
Butallsosoonastheall-cheeringsole
sunShouldinthefarthesteastiniziare
begintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sletto
bed,Awayfromlightstealscasa
homemyheavyson,Andprivato
privateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdaylightoutE
Andmakeshimselfanartificialnotte
night.Blackandportentousmust
questo
thishumourprove,Unlessgoodconsiglio
counselmaythecauseremove.BENVOLIO.
My
nobile
nobleuncle,doyouknowla
thecause?MONTAGUE.
Ineither
so
knowitnorcanlearnofhim.BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfand
molti
manyotherfriends;Buthe,hisownaffections’
consigliere
counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotdirò
sayhowtrue—Buttohimselfso
segreto
secretandsoclose,Solontano
farfromsoundinganddiscovery,Asisthebudbitwithun
anenviouswormErehecandiffondere
spreadhissweetleavestotheair,O
Ordedicatehisbeautytothesole
sun.Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.Entra
EnterRomeo.BENVOLIO.
See,wherehe
viene
comes.Sopleaseyoustep
da parte
aside;I’llknowhisgrievance
o
orbemuchdenied.MONTAGUE.
Iwouldthouwertso
felice
happybythystayToascoltare
heartrueshrift.Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,
cugino
cousin.ROMEO.
Isthedayso
giovane
young?