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1595 `
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THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET `
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by William Shakespeare `
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Dramatis Personae `
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Chorus. `
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Escalus, Prince of Verona. `
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Paris, a young Count, kinsman to the Prince. `
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Montague, heads of two houses at variance with each other. `
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Capulet, heads of two houses at variance with each other. `
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An old Man, of the Capulet family. `
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Romeo, son to Montague. `
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Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet. `
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Mercutio, kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo. `
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Benvolio, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo `
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Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet. `
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Friar Laurence, Franciscan. `
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Friar John, Franciscan. `
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Balthasar, servant to Romeo. `
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Abram, servant to Montague. `
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Sampson, servant to Capulet. `
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Gregory, servant to Capulet. `
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Peter, servant to Juliet's nurse. `
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An Apothecary. `
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Three Musicians. `
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An Officer. `
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Lady Montague, wife to Montague. `
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Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet. `
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Juliet, daughter to Capulet. `
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Nurse to Juliet. `
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Citizens of Verona; Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of both houses; `
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Maskers, Torchbearers, Pages, Guards, Watchmen, Servants, and `
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Attendants. `
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SCENE.--Verona; Mantua. `
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THE PROLOGUE `
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Enter Chorus. `
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Chor. Two households, both alike in dignity, `
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In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, `
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From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, `
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Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. `
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From forth the fatal loins of these two foes `
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A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; `
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Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows `
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Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. `
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The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, `
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And the continuance of their parents' rage, `
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Which, but their children's end, naught could remove, `
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Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; `
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The which if you with patient ears attend, `
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What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. `
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[Exit.] `
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ACT I. Scene I. `
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Verona. A public place. `
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Enter Sampson and Gregory (with swords and bucklers) of the house `
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of Capulet. `
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Samp. Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals. `
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Greg. No, for then we should be colliers. `
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Samp. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. `
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Greg. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar. `
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Samp. I strike quickly, being moved. `
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Greg. But thou art not quickly moved to strike. `
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Samp. A dog of the house of Montague moves me. `
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Greg. To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. `
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Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away. `
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Samp. A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take `
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the `
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wall of any man or maid of Montague's. `
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Greg. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the `
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wall. `
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Samp. 'Tis true; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, `
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are `
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ever thrust to the wall. Therefore I will push Montague's men `
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from the wall and thrust his maids to the wall. `
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Greg. The quarrel is between our masters and us their men. `
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Samp. 'Tis all one. I will show myself a tyrant. When I have `
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fought `
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with the men, I will be cruel with the maids- I will cut off `
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their heads. `
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Greg. The heads of the maids? `
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Samp. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads. `
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Take it in what sense thou wilt. `
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Greg. They must take it in sense that feel it. `
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Samp. Me they shall feel while I am able to stand; and 'tis `
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known I `
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am a pretty piece of flesh. `
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Greg. 'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst `
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been `
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poor-John. Draw thy tool! Here comes two of the house of `
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Montagues. `
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Enter two other Servingmen [Abram and Balthasar]. `
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Samp. My naked weapon is out. Quarrel! I will back thee. `
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Greg. How? turn thy back and run? `
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Samp. Fear me not. `
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Greg. No, marry. I fear thee! `
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Samp. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin. `
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Greg. I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they `
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list. `
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Samp. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is `
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disgrace to them, if they bear it. `
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Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? `
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Samp. I do bite my thumb, sir. `
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Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? `
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Samp. [aside to Gregory] Is the law of our side if I say ay? `
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Greg. [aside to Sampson] No. `
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Samp. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite `
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my `
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thumb, sir. `
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Greg. Do you quarrel, sir? `
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Abr. Quarrel, sir? No, sir. `
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Samp. But if you do, sir, am for you. I serve as good a man as `
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you. `
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Abr. No better. `
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Samp. Well, sir. `
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Enter Benvolio. `
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Greg. [aside to Sampson] Say 'better.' Here comes one of my `
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master's kinsmen. `
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Samp. Yes, better, sir. `
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Abr. You lie. `
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Samp. Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow. `
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They fight. `
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Ben. Part, fools! [Beats down their swords.] `
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Put up your swords. You know not what you do. `
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Enter Tybalt. `
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Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? `
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Turn thee Benvolio! look upon thy death. `
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Ben. I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, `
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Or manage it to part these men with me. `
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Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word `
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As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. `
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Have at thee, coward! They fight. `
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Enter an officer, and three or four Citizens with clubs or `
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partisans. `
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Officer. Clubs, bills, and partisans! Strike! beat them down! `
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Citizens. Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues! `
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Enter Old Capulet in his gown, and his Wife. `
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Cap. What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho! `
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Wife. A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword? `
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Cap. My sword, I say! Old Montague is come `
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And flourishes his blade in spite of me. `
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Enter Old Montague and his Wife. `
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Mon. Thou villain Capulet!- Hold me not, let me go. `
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M. Wife. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe. `
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Enter Prince Escalus, with his Train. `
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Prince. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, `
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Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel- `
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Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts, `
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That quench the fire of your pernicious rage `
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With purple fountains issuing from your veins! `
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On pain of torture, from those bloody hands `
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Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground `
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And hear the sentence of your moved prince. `
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Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word `
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By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, `
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Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets `
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And made Verona's ancient citizens `
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Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments `
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To wield old partisans, in hands as old, `
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Cank'red with peace, to part your cank'red hate. `
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If ever you disturb our streets again, `
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Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. `
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For this time all the rest depart away. `
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You, Capulet, shall go along with me; `
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And, Montague, come you this afternoon, `
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To know our farther pleasure in this case, `
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To old Freetown, our common judgment place. `
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