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 II. A street.
Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and Servant
CAPULET
      But Montague is bound as well as I,
      In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think,
      For men so old as we to keep the peace.
PARIS
      Of honourable reckoning are you both;
5     And pity 'tis you lived at odds so long.
      But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?
CAPULET
      But saying o'er what I have said before:
      My child is yet a stranger in the world;
      She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
10    Let two more summers wither in their pride,
      Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
PARIS
      Younger than she are happy mothers made.
CAPULET
      And too soon marr'd are those so early made.
      The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
15    She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
      But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
      My will to her consent is but a part;
      An she agree, within her scope of choice
      Lies my consent and fair according voice.
20    This night I hold an old accustom'd feast,
      Whereto I have invited many a guest,
      Such as I love; and you, among the store,
      One more, most welcome, makes my number more.
      At my poor house look to behold this night
25    Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light:
      Such comfort as do lusty young men feel
      When well-apparell'd April on the heel
      Of limping winter treads, even such delight
      Among fresh female buds shall you this night
30    Inherit at my house; hear all, all see,
      And like her most whose merit most shall be:
      Which on more view, of many mine being one
      May stand in number, though in reckoning none,
      Come, go with me.

To Servant, giving a paper

35    Go, sirrah, trudge about
      Through fair Verona; find those persons out
      Whose names are written there, and to them say,
      My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
Exeunt CAPULET and PARIS
Servant
      Find them out whose names are written here! It is
40    written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his
      yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher with
      his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am
      sent to find those persons whose names are here
      writ, and can never find what names the writing
45    person hath here writ. I must to the learned.--In good time.
Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO
BENVOLIO
      Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning,
      One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish;
      Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;
      One desperate grief cures with another's languish:
50    Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
      And the rank poison of the old will die.
ROMEO
      Your plaintain-leaf is excellent for that.
BENVOLIO
      For what, I pray thee?
ROMEO
      For your broken shin.
BENVOLIO
55    Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
ROMEO
      Not mad, but bound more than a mad-man is;
      Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
      Whipp'd and tormented and--God-den, good fellow.
Servant
      God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read?
ROMEO
60    Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Servant
      Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I
      pray, can you read any thing you see?
ROMEO
      Ay, if I know the letters and the language.
Servant
      Ye say honestly: rest you merry!
ROMEO
65    Stay, fellow; I can read.

Reads

      'Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;
      County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady
      widow of Vitravio; Signior Placentio and his lovely
      nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine
70    uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair niece
      Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin
      Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena.' A fair
      assembly: whither should they come?
Servant
      Up.
ROMEO
75    Whither?
Servant
      To supper; to our house.
ROMEO
      Whose house?
Servant
      My master's.
ROMEO
      Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before.
Servant
80    Now I'll tell you without asking: my master is the
      great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house
      of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine.
      Rest you merry!
Exit
BENVOLIO
      At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
85    Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest,
      With all the admired beauties of Verona:
      Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
      Compare her face with some that I shall show,
      And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
ROMEO
90    When the devout religion of mine eye
      Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
      And these, who often drown'd could never die,
      Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
      One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun
95    Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.
BENVOLIO
      Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
      Herself poised with herself in either eye:
      But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
      Your lady's love against some other maid
100   That I will show you shining at this feast,
      And she shall scant show well that now shows best.
ROMEO
      I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,
      But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.
Exeunt
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