THEPROLOGUE
EnterChorus.
CHORUS.
Twohouseholds,bothalikein
värdighet
dignity,InfairVerona,wherewelayourscene,Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmyteri
mutiny,Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.FromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoesApairofstar-cross’dloverstaketheirlife;
Whosemisadventur’dpiteous
störtar
overthrowsDothwiththeirdeathburytheirparents’strife.Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeath-mark’dlove,Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents’
raseri
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.
Tomoveisto
röra
stir;andtobevaliantistostand:
therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn’staway.
SAMPSON.
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand.
IwilltakethewallofanymanormaidofMontague’s.
GREGORY.
Thatshowstheeaweakslave,fortheweakestgoestothewall.
SAMPSON.
True,andthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,areeverthrusttothewall:
thereforeIwillpushMontague’smenfromthewall,andthrusthismaidstothewall.
GREGORY.
Thequarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.
SAMPSON.
’Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfa
tyrann
tyrant:whenIhavefoughtwiththemenIwillbecivilwiththemaids,Iwillcutofftheirheads.
GREGORY.
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON.
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads;
takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY.
Theymusttakeitinsensethatfeelit.
SAMPSON.
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:
and’tisknownIamaprettypieceofflesh.
GREGORY.
’Tiswellthouartnotfish;
ifthouhadst,thouhadstbeenpoorJohn.
Drawthy
redskap
tool;herecomesofthehouseofMontagues.
EnterAbramandBalthasar.
SAMPSON.
Mynakedweaponisout:
quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY.
How?
Turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON.
Fearmenot.
GREGORY.
No,marry;
Ifearthee!
SAMPSON.
Letustakethelawofoursides;
letthembegin.
GREGORY.
IwillfrownasIpassby,andletthemtakeitastheylist.
SAMPSON.
Nej
Nay,astheydare.Iwillbitemy
tumme
thumbatthem,whichisskam
disgracetothemiftheybearit.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyour
tummen
thumbatus,sir?SAMPSON.
Idobitemy
tummen
thumb,sir.ABRAM.
Doyoubiteyour
tummen
thumbatus,sir?SAMPSON.
IsthelawofoursideifIsayay?
GREGORY.
No.
SAMPSON.
Nosir,Idonotbitemy
tumme
thumbatyou,sir;butIbitemy
tummen
thumb,sir.GREGORY.
Doyouquarrel,sir?
ABRAM.
Gräl
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,artthoudrawnamongthese
hjärtlösa
heartlesshinds?TurntheeBenvolio,lookuponthydeath.
BENVOLIO.
Idobutkeepthepeace,putupthysword,Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.
TYBALT.
What,drawn,andtalkofpeace?
IhatethewordAsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,coward.
EnterthreeorfourCitizenswithclubs.
FIRSTCITIZEN.
Clubs,billsandpartisans!
Strike!
Beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!
DownwiththeMontagues!
EnterCapuletinhis
klänning
gown,andLadyCapulet.CAPULET.
Whatnoiseisthis?
Givememylongsword,ho!
LADYCAPULET.
A
krycka
crutch,acrutch!Whycallyouforasword?
CAPULET.
Mysword,Isay!
OldMontagueiscome,And
blomstrar
flourisheshisbladeinspiteofme.EnterMontagueandhisLadyMontague.
MONTAGUE.
Thou
skurk
villainCapulet!Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE.
Thoushaltnot
röra
stironefoottoseekafiende
foe.EnterPrinceEscalus,withAttendants.
PRINCE.
Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,Profanersofthisneighbour-stainedsteel,—
Willtheynothear?
What,ho!
Youmen,youbeasts,Thatquenchthefireofyourpernicious
raseri
rageWithpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,Onpainoftorture,fromthosebloodyhandsThrowyourmistemper’dweaponstothegroundAndhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.Threecivilbrawls,bredofanairyword,Bythee,oldCapulet,andMontague,Havethricedisturb’dthequietofourstreets,AndmadeVerona’sancientcitizensCastbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,Towieldoldpartisans,inhandsasold,Canker’dwithpeace,topartyourcanker’dhate.
Ifeveryou
stör
disturbourstreetsagain,Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthepeace.Forthistimealltherestdepartaway:
You,Capulet,shallgoalongwithme,AndMontague,comeyouthisafternoon,Toknowour
längre
fartherpleasureinthiscase,TooldFree-town,ourcommonjudgement-place.Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
[ExeuntPrinceandAttendants;
MONTAGUE.
Whosetthisancient
gräl
quarrelnewabroach?Speak,nephew,wereyoubywhenitbegan?
BENVOLIO.
Hereweretheservantsofyour
motståndare
adversaryAndyours,closefightingereIdidapproach.Idrewtopartthem,intheinstantcameThe
brinnande
fieryTybalt,withhisswordprepar’d,Which,ashebreath’ddefiancetomyears,Heswungabouthishead,andcutthewinds,Whonothinghurtwithal,hiss’dhiminförakt
scorn.WhilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblowsCamemoreandmore,andfoughtonpartandpart,TillthePrincecame,whopartedeitherpart.
LADYMONTAGUE.
OwhereisRomeo,sawyouhimtoday?
RightgladIamhewasnotatthisfray.
BENVOLIO.
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp’dsunPeer’dforththegoldenwindowoftheeast,Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad,Where
under
underneaththegroveofsycamoreThatwestwardrootethfromthiscityside,SoearlywalkingdidIseeyourson.TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme,Andstoleintothecovertofthewood.
I,
mäter
measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,Whichthenmostsoughtwheremostmightnotbefound,Beingonetoomanybymytrötta
wearyself,Pursu’dmyhumour,notpursuinghis,Andgärna
gladlyshunn’dwhogladlyfledfromme.MONTAGUE.
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorning’sdew,Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs;
Butallsosoonastheall-cheeringsunShouldinthefarthesteastbegintodrawTheshadycurtainsfromAurora’sbed,Awayfromlightstealshomemyheavyson,Andprivateinhis
kammare
chamberpenshimself,Shutsuphiswindows,locksfairdagsljus
daylightoutAndmakeshimselfanartificialnight.Blackandportentousmustthishumourprove,Unlessgood
råd
counselmaythecauseremove.BENVOLIO.
My
ädla
nobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?MONTAGUE.
Ineitherknowitnorcanlearnofhim.
BENVOLIO.
Haveyouimportun’dhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE.
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends;
Buthe,hisownaffections’
rådgivare
counsellor,Istohimself—Iwillnotsayhowtrue—Buttohimselfsosecretandsoclose,Sofarfromsoundingand
upptäckt
discovery,Asisthebudbitwithanavundsjuk
enviouswormErehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,Orägna
dedicatehisbeautytothesun.Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow,Wewouldasgärna
willinglygivecureasknow.EnterRomeo.
BENVOLIO.
See,wherehecomes.
Sopleaseyoustepaside;
I’llknowhisgrievanceorbemuchdenied.
MONTAGUE.
IwouldthouwertsohappybythystayToheartrueshrift.
Come,madam,let’saway,.
BENVOLIO.
Goodmorrow,cousin.
ROMEO.
Isthedaysoyoung?