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Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
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Romeo and Juliet (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed

[1.5]

Servingmen come forth with napkins.
Tybalt Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? 570He shift a trencher? He scrape a trencher?
1 Servingman When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's hands, and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing.
Tybalt Away with the joint stools, remove the court cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save me a piece 575of marchpane, and as thou loves me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone, and Nell. Anthony and Potpan
2 Servingman Ay boy, ready.
Tybalt You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great chamber.
5803 Servingman We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly boys, be brisk awhile, and the longest liver take all.
Exeunt.
Enter [Capulet, Lady Capulet, Juliet, Tybalt, Nurse, and] all the guests and gentlewomen to the Masquers.
585Capulet Welcome, gentlemen. Ladies that have their toes
Unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you.
Ah, my mistresses, which of you all
Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
590She I'll swear hath corns. Am I come near ye now?
Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear
Such as would please. 'Tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone.
595You are welcome, gentlemen. Come, musicians, play. Music plays and they dance.
A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it girls.
More light, you knaves, and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
600Ah sirrah, this unlooked-for sport comes well.
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days.
How long is't now since last yourself and I
Were in a masque?
605Capulet's Cousin
By'r Lady, thirty years.
Capulet What man, 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much,
'Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio,
Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five-and-twenty years, and then we masked.
610Capulet's Cousin 'Tis more, 'tis more, his son is elder, sir.
His son is thirty.
Capulet
Will you tell me that?
His son was but a ward two years ago.
Romeo What lady's that which doth enrich the hand
615Of yonder knight?
Tybalt I know not sir.
Romeo Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear,
620Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows:
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand
And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.
625Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. [Exit Page]
What, dares the slave
Come hither covered with an antic face
630To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now by the stock and honor of my kin,
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.
Capulet Why, how now, kinsman, wherefore storm you so?
635 Uncle, this is a Montague our foe;
A villain that is hither come in spite
To scorn at our solemnity this night.
Capulet
Young Romeo is it?
'Tis he, that villain Romeo.
640Capulet Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone.
A bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town
645Here in my house do him disparagement.
Therefore be patient, take no note of him.
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
650 It fits when such a villain is a guest.
I'll not endure him.
Capulet
He shall be endured.
What, goodman boy, I say he shall. Go to.
Am I the master here or you? Go to.
655You'll not endure him? God shall mend my soul,
You'll make a mutiny among my guests!
You will set cock-a-hoop, you'll be the man!
Why Uncle, 'tis a shame.
Capulet
Go to, go to,
660You are a saucy boy. Is't so indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you. I know what,
You must contrary me -- marry 'tis time --
Well said my hearts --you are a princox, go,
Be quiet, or -- more light, more light --for shame,
665I'll make you quiet, What! -- Cheerly my hearts!
Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting:
I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt'rest gall.
Exit.
670Romeo If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentler sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
Juliet Good 675pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this,
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
Romeo Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
680Juliet Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
Romeo O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Juliet Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
685Romeo Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Kissing her
Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.
Juliet Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
Romeo Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.
Kissing her
690Juliet
You kiss by th' book.
Nurse Madam your mother craves a word with you.
Juliet moves towards her mother.
Romeo
What is her mother?
Nurse
Marry, bachelor,
Her mother is the lady of the house,
695And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous.
I nursed her daughter that you talked withal.
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks.
Romeo
Is she a Capulet?
700O dear account! My life is my foe's debt.
Benvolio Away, be gone, the sport is at the best.
Romeo Ay, so I fear, the more is my unrest.
Capulet Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone.
We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.
705Is it e'en so? Why then, I thank you all.
I thank you, honest gentlemen, good night.
More torches here, come on then, let's to bed.
Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late.
I'll to my rest.
[All but Juliet and the Nurse begin to exit.]
710Juliet Come hither, Nurse. What is yon gentleman?
Nurse The son and heir of old Tiberio.
Juliet What's he that now is going out of door?
Nurse Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio.
715Juliet What's he that follows here that would not dance?
Nurse I know not.
Juliet Go ask his name. If he be marrièd,
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.
Nurse His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
720The only son of your great enemy.
Juliet My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me
That I must love a loathèd enemy.
725Nurse
What's tis? What's tis
Of one I danced withal.
One calls within "Juliet."
Nurse
Anon, anon!
730Come let's away, the strangers all are gone.
Exeunt.