TPTT The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet: ACT I
Introduction
ACT I
PROLOGUE
SCENE I. Verona. A public place.
SCENE II. A street.
SCENE III. A room in Capulet's house.
SCENE IV. A street.
SCENE V. A hall in Capulet's house.
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
About the Play
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SCENE I. Verona. A public place.
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords and bucklers
SAMPSON
      Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.
GREGORY
      No, for then we should be colliers.
SAMPSON
      I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.
GREGORY
      Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.
SAMPSON
5     I strike quickly, being moved.
GREGORY
      But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
SAMPSON
      A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
GREGORY
      To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:
      therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.
SAMPSON
10    A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will
      take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.
GREGORY
      That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes
      to the wall.
SAMPSON
      True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,
15    are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push
      Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids
      to the wall.
GREGORY
      The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.
SAMPSON
      'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I
20    have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the
      maids, and cut off their heads.
GREGORY
      The heads of the maids?
SAMPSON
      Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;
      take it in what sense thou wilt.
GREGORY
25    They must take it in sense that feel it.
SAMPSON
      Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and
      'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.
GREGORY
      'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou
      hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! here comes
30    two of the house of the Montagues.
SAMPSON
      My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.
GREGORY
      How! turn thy back and run?
SAMPSON
      Fear me not.
GREGORY
      No, marry; I fear thee!
SAMPSON
35    Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.
GREGORY
      I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as
      they list.
SAMPSON
      Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them;
      which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR
ABRAHAM
40    Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON
      I do bite my thumb, sir.
ABRAHAM
      Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON
      (Aside to GREGORY) Is the law of our side, if I say
      ay?
GREGORY
45    No.
SAMPSON
      No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I
      bite my thumb, sir.
GREGORY
      Do you quarrel, sir?
ABRAHAM
      Quarrel sir! no, sir.
SAMPSON
50    If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.
ABRAHAM
      No better.
SAMPSON
      Well, sir.
GREGORY
      Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinsmen.
SAMPSON
      Yes, better, sir.
ABRAHAM
55    You lie.
SAMPSON
      Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.
They fight
Enter BENVOLIO
BENVOLIO
      Part, fools!
      Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
Beats down their swords
Enter TYBALT
TYBALT
      What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
60    Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
BENVOLIO
      I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
      Or manage it to part these men with me.
TYBALT
      What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
      As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
65    Have at thee, coward!
They fight
Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs
First Citizen
      Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
      Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!
Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY CAPULET
CAPULET
      What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
LADY CAPULET
      A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword?
CAPULET
70    My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
      And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
MONTAGUE
      Thou villain Capulet,--Hold me not, let me go.
LADY MONTAGUE
      Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.
Enter PRINCE, with Attendants
PRINCE
      Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
75    Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--
      Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
      That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
      With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
      On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
80    Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
      And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
      Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
      By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
      Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
85    And made Verona's ancient citizens
      Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
      To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
      Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
      If ever you disturb our streets again,
90    Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
      For this time, all the rest depart away:
      You Capulet; shall go along with me:
      And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
      To know our further pleasure in this case,
95    To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
      Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, and BENVOLIO
MONTAGUE
      Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?
      Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
BENVOLIO
      Here were the servants of your adversary,
100   And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:
      I drew to part them: in the instant came
      The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared,
      Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
      He swung about his head and cut the winds,
105   Who nothing hurt withal hiss'd him in scorn:
      While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
      Came more and more and fought on part and part,
      Till the prince came, who parted either part.
LADY MONTAGUE
      O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day?
110   Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
BENVOLIO
      Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun
      Peer'd forth the golden window of the east,
      A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;
      Where, underneath the grove of sycamore
115   That westward rooteth from the city's side,
      So early walking did I see your son:
      Towards him I made, but he was ware of me
      And stole into the covert of the wood:
      I, measuring his affections by my own,
120   That most are busied when they're most alone,
      Pursued my humour not pursuing his,
      And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me.
MONTAGUE
      Many a morning hath he there been seen,
      With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.
125   Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;
      But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
      Should in the furthest east begin to draw
      The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
      Away from the light steals home my heavy son,
130   And private in his chamber pens himself,
      Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out
      And makes himself an artificial night:
      Black and portentous must this humour prove,
      Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
BENVOLIO
135   My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
MONTAGUE
      I neither know it nor can learn of him.
BENVOLIO
      Have you importuned him by any means?
MONTAGUE
      Both by myself and many other friends:
      But he, his own affections' counsellor,
140   Is to himself--I will not say how true--
      But to himself so secret and so close,
      So far from sounding and discovery,
      As is the bud bit with an envious worm,
      Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,
145   Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.
      Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow.
      We would as willingly give cure as know.
Enter ROMEO
BENVOLIO
      See, where he comes: so please you, step aside;
      I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.
MONTAGUE
150   I would thou wert so happy by thy stay,
      To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let's away.
Exeunt MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
BENVOLIO
      Good-morrow, cousin.
ROMEO
      Is the day so young?
BENVOLIO
      But new struck nine.
ROMEO
155   Ay me! sad hours seem long.
      Was that my father that went hence so fast?
BENVOLIO
      It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?
ROMEO
      Not having that, which, having, makes them short.
BENVOLIO
      In love?
ROMEO
160   Out--
BENVOLIO
      Of love?
ROMEO
      Out of her favour, where I am in love.
BENVOLIO
      Alas, that love, so gentle in his view,
      Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
ROMEO
165   Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,
      Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
      Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?
      Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
      Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.
170   Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
      O any thing, of nothing first create!
      O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
      Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
      Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire,
175   sick health!
      Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!
      This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
      Dost thou not laugh?
BENVOLIO
      No, coz, I rather weep.
ROMEO
180   Good heart, at what?
BENVOLIO
      At thy good heart's oppression.
ROMEO
      Why, such is love's transgression.
      Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
      Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest
185   With more of thine: this love that thou hast shown
      Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
      Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs;
      Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes;
      Being vex'd a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears:
190   What is it else? a madness most discreet,
      A choking gall and a preserving sweet.
      Farewell, my coz.
BENVOLIO
      Soft! I will go along;
      An if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
ROMEO
195   Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here;
      This is not Romeo, he's some other where.
BENVOLIO
      Tell me in sadness, who is that you love.
ROMEO
      What, shall I groan and tell thee?
BENVOLIO
      Groan! why, no.
200   But sadly tell me who.
ROMEO
      Bid a sick man in sadness make his will:
      Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill!
      In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.
BENVOLIO
      I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved.
ROMEO
205   A right good mark-man! And she's fair I love.
BENVOLIO
      A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.
ROMEO
      Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit
      With Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian's wit;
      And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd,
210   From love's weak childish bow she lives unharm'd.
      She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
      Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,
      Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:
      O, she is rich in beauty, only poor,
215   That when she dies with beauty dies her store.
BENVOLIO
      Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?
ROMEO
      She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste,
      For beauty starved with her severity
      Cuts beauty off from all posterity.
220   She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair,
      To merit bliss by making me despair:
      She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow
      Do I live dead that live to tell it now.
BENVOLIO
      Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
ROMEO
225   O, teach me how I should forget to think.
BENVOLIO
      By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
      Examine other beauties.
ROMEO
      'Tis the way
      To call hers exquisite, in question more:
230   These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows
      Being black put us in mind they hide the fair;
      He that is strucken blind cannot forget
      The precious treasure of his eyesight lost:
      Show me a mistress that is passing fair,
235   What doth her beauty serve, but as a note
      Where I may read who pass'd that passing fair?
      Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget.
BENVOLIO
      I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
Exeunt
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