http://www.arcamax.com/plays/b-1461-1
Romeo and Juliet
ROMEO AND JULIET
by William Shakespeare
PERSONS REPRESENTED
Escalus, Prince of Verona. Paris, a young Nobleman, kinsman to the
Prince. Montague,}Heads of two Houses at variance with each other.
Capulet, } An Old Man, Uncle to Capulet. Romeo, Son to Montague.
Mercutio, Kinsman to the Prince, and Friend to Romeo. Benvolio, Nephew
to Montague, and Friend to Romeo. Tybalt, Nephew to Lady Capulet.
Friar Lawrence, a Franciscan. Friar John, of the same Order.
Balthasar, Servant to Romeo. Sampson, Servant to Capulet. Gregory,
Servant to Capulet. Peter, Servant to Juliet's Nurse. Abraham, Servant
to Montague. An Apothecary. Three Musicians. Chorus. Page to Paris;
another Page. An Officer.
Lady Montague, Wife to Montague. Lady Capulet, Wife to Capulet.
Juliet, Daughter to Capulet. Nurse to Juliet.
Citizens of Verona; several Men and Women, relations to both houses;
Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants.
SCENE.--During the greater part of the Play in Verona; once, in the
Fifth Act, at Mantua.
THE PROLOGUE
[Enter Chorus.]
Chor. Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we
lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil
blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these
two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose
misadventur'd piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their
parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And
the continuance of their parents' rage, Which but their children's end
naught could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The
which, if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil
shall strive to mend.
ACT I.
Scene I. A public place.
[Enter Sampson and Gregory 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. 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. 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, 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 have fought
with the men I will be cruel with the maids, I will 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. 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 two of the house of 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. 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
disgrace to them if they bear it.
[Enter Abraham and Balthasar.]
Abraham. 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. Is the law of our side if I say ay?
Gregory. 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. But if you do, sir, 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. 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? 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: Have at thee, coward!
[They fight.]
[Enter several of both Houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens
with clubs.]
1 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. My sword, I say!--Old Montague is come, And flourishes his
blade in spite of me.
[Enter Montague and his Lady Montague.]
Montague. Thou villain Capulet!-- Hold me not, let me go.
Lady Montague. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
[Enter Prince, with Attendants.]
Prince. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, 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 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; 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, 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 farther
pleasure in this case, To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.--
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
[Exeunt Prince and Attendants; Capulet, Lady Capulet, Tybalt,
Citizens, and Servants.]
Montague. Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?-- Speak, nephew,
were you by when it began?
Benvolio. Here were the servants of your adversary And yours, close
fighting ere I did approach: I drew to part them: in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar'd; Which, as he breath'd
defiance to my ears, He swung about his head, and cut the winds, 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?-- 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 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,-- That most are busied when
they're most alone,-- Pursu'd 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's dew, Adding to clouds more clouds with
his deep sighs: But all so soon as the all-cheering sun Should in the
farthest east begin to draw The shady curtains from Aurora's bed, Away
from light steals home my heavy son, And private in his chamber pens
himself; Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out And makes
himself an artificial night: Black and portentous must this humour
prove, Unless good counsel may the cause remove.