THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
CHORUS.
Twohouseholds,bothalikeindignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayourscene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,Where
civile
civilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.FromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoesA
coppia
pairofstar-cross’dloverstaketheirlife;Whosemisadventur’dpiteousoverthrowsDothwiththeirdeath
seppellisce
burytheirparents’strife.Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’dlove,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’rage,Which,buttheirchildren’send,noughtcould
rimuovere
remove,Isnowthetwohours’traffico
trafficofourstage;ACTI
SCENEI.Apublicplace.
Entrano
EnterSampsonandGregoryarmedwithswordsandbucklers.SAMPSON.
Gregory,onmyword,we’llnotcarrycoals.
GREGORY.
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON.
Imean,ifwebeincholer,we’lldraw.
GREGORY.
Ay,whileyoulive,drawyourneckouto’thecollar.
SAMPSON.
Istrikequickly,beingmoved.
GREGORY.
Butthouartnotquicklymovedto
colpire
strike.SAMPSON.
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesme.
GREGORY.
Tomoveistostir;
andtobevaliantistostand:
perciò
therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.SAMPSON.
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.
Iwilltakethewallofanymanor
cameriera
maidofMontague’s.GREGORY.
Thatshowstheea
debole
weakslave,fortheweakestgoestothewall.SAMPSON.
True,and
quindi
thereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothewall:perciò
thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfromthewall,andthrusthismaidstothewall.GREGORY.
Thequarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.
SAMPSON.
’Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfatyrant:
whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbe
civile
civilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.GREGORY.
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON.
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads;
takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY.
Theymusttakeitinsensethatfeelit.
SAMPSON.
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:
and’tisknownIamaprettypieceof
carne
flesh.GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnotfish;
ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpoorJohn.
Drawthytool;
herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.
Entrano
EnterAbramandBalthasar.SAMPSON.
My
nuda
nakedweaponisout:quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
How?
Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Fearmenot.
GREGORY.
No,marry;
Ifearthee!
SAMPSON.
Letustakethelawofoursides;
letthembegin.
GREGORY.
IwillfrownasIpassby,andletthemtakeitastheylist.
SAMPSON.
Nay,astheydare.
Iwillbitemythumbatthem,whichisdisgracetothemiftheybearit.
ABRAM.
Doyou
morde
biteyourthumbatus,sir?SAMPSON.
Ido
mordo
bitemythumb,sir.ABRAM.
Doyou
morde
biteyourthumbatus,sir?SAMPSON.
IsthelawofoursideifIsayay?
GREGORY.
No.
SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemythumbatyou,sir;
butI
morso
bitemythumb,sir.GREGORY.
Doyouquarrel,sir?
ABRAM.
Quarrel,sir?
No,sir.
SAMPSON.
Butifyoudo,sir,Iamforyou.
I
servo
serveasgoodamanasyou.ABRAM.
Nobetter.
SAMPSON.
Well,sir.
Entra
EnterBenvolio.GREGORY.
Saybetter;
herecomesoneofmymaster’skinsmen.
SAMPSON.
Yes,better,sir.
ABRAM.
Youlie.
SAMPSON.
Disegnate
Draw,ifyoubemen.Gregory,rememberthywashingblow.
BENVOLIO.
Part,fools!
putupyourswords,youknownotwhatyoudo.
Entra
EnterTybalt.TYBALT.
What,artthou
attirato
drawnamongtheseheartlesshinds?TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthydeath.
BENVOLIO.
Idobutkeepthepeace,putupthy
spada
sword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.TYBALT.
What,
disegnato
drawn,andtalkofpeace?IhatethewordAsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,
codardo
coward.EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
FIRSTCITIZEN.
Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!
DownwiththeMontagues!
Entra
EnterCapuletinhisgown,andLadyCapulet.CAPULET.
What
rumore
noiseisthis?Givememylong
spada
sword,ho!LADYCAPULET.
Acrutch,acrutch!
Whycallyoufora
spada
sword?CAPULET.
Mysword,Isay!
OldMontagueiscome,Andflourisheshisbladeinspiteofme.
Entrano
EnterMontagueandhisLadyMontague.MONTAGUE.
ThouvillainCapulet!
Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnotstironefootto
cercare
seekafoe.EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
Principe
PRINCE.Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,Profanersofthisneighbour-stained
acciaio
steel,—Willtheynothear?
What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,ThatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainof
tortura
torture,fromthosebloodyhandsThrowyourmistemper’dweaponstothegroundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprincipe
prince.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,our
comune
commonjudgement-place.Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
[ExeuntPrinceandAttendants;
MONTAGUE.
Whosetthisancientquarrelnewabroach?
Speak,
nipote
nephew,wereyoubywhenitbegan?BENVOLIO.
HereweretheservantsofyouradversaryAndyours,closefightingereIdid
avvicinassi
approach.Idrewtopartthem,intheinstantcameThefieryTybalt,withhis
spada
swordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heoscillato
swungabouthishead,andcutthewinds,Whonothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminscorn.WhilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblowsCamemoreandmore,andfoughtonpartandpart,Tillthe
Principe
Princecame,whopartedeitherpart.LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,sawyouhimtoday?
RightgladIamhewasnotatthisfray.
BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp’dsunPeer’dforththegoldenwindowoftheeast,Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad,WhereunderneaththegroveofsycamoreThatwestwardrootethfromthiscityside,SoearlywalkingdidIseeyourson.
Verso
TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.I,measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmost
cercavo
soughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beingonetoomanybymywearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,Andgladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme.MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’sdew,
Aggiungendo
Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;Butallsosoonastheall-cheeringsunShouldinthefarthesteastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sbed,Awayfromlightstealshomemyheavyson,Andprivateinhischamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdaylightoutAndmakeshimselfanartificialnight.
Blackandportentousmustthishumourprove,Unlessgoodcounselmaythecause
rimuovere
remove.BENVOLIO.
Mynobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?
MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcanlearnofhim.
BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends;
Buthe,hisownaffections’counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotsayhowtrue—
Buttohimselfsosecretandsoclose,Sofarfromsoundinganddiscovery,AsisthebudbitwithanenviouswormErehecan
diffondere
spreadhissweetleavestotheair,Ordedicatehisbeautytothesun.Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.Entra
EnterRomeo.BENVOLIO.
See,wherehecomes.
Sopleaseyoustep
da parte
aside;I’llknowhisgrievanceorbemuch
negato
denied.MONTAGUE.
IwouldthouwertsohappybythystayToheartrueshrift.
Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,cousin.
ROMEO.
Isthedaysoyoung?