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Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
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Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 2, 1599)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed
Enter Romeo.
Ser. Wheres Potpan that he helpes not to take away?
570He shift a trencher, he scrape a trencher?
1. When good manners shall lie all in one or two mens hands
And they vnwasht too, tis a foule thing.
Ser. Away with the ioynstooles, remoue the Courtcubbert,
looke to the plate, good thou, saue me a peece of March-pane,
575and as thou loues me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone, and
Nell, Anthonie and Potpan.
2. I boy readie.
Ser. You are lookt for, and cald for, askt for, and sought for in
the great chamber.
5803. We cannot be here and there too, chearely boyes,
Be brisk a while, and the longer liuer take all.
Exeunt.
Enter all the guests and gentlewomen to the
Maskers.
585 1. Capu. Welcome gentlemen, Ladies that haue their toes
Vnplagued with Cornes, will walke about with you:
Ah my mistesses, which of you all
Will now denie to daunce, she that makes daintie,
590She Ile swear hath Corns: am I come neare ye now?
Welcome gentlemen, I haue seene the day
That I haue worne a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a faire Ladies eare:
Such as would please: tis gone, tis gone, tis gone,
595You are welcome, gentlemen come, Musitions play.
Musick playes and they dance.
A hall, a hall, giue roome, and foote it gyrles,
More light you knaues, and turne the tables vp:
And quench the fire, the roome is growne too hot.
600Ah sirrah, this vnlookt for sport comes well:
Nay sit, nay sit, good Cozin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dauncing dayes:
How long ist now since last your selfe and I
Were in a maske?
6052. Capu. Berlady thirtie yeares.
1. Capu. What man tis not so much, tis not so much,
Tis since the nuptiall of Lucientio:
Come Pentycost as quickly as it will,
Some fiue and twentie yeares, and then we maskt.
6102. Capu. Tis more, tis more, his sonne is elder sir:
His sonne is thirtie.
1. Capu. Will you tell me that?
His sonne was but a ward 2. yeares ago.
Ro. What Ladies that which doth enrich the hand
615Of yonder Knight?
Ser. I know not sir.
Ro. O she doth teach the torches to burn bright:
It seemes she hangs vpon the cheeke of night:
As a rich Iewel in an Ethiops eare,
620Bewtie too rich for vse, for earth too deare:
So showes a snowie Doue trooping with Crowes,
As yonder Lady ore her fellowes showes:
The measure done, Ile watch her place of stand,
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
625Did my hart loue till now, forsweare it sight,
For I nere saw true bewtie till this night.
Tibal. This by his voyce, should be a Mountague.
Fetch me my Rapier boy, what dares the slaue
Come hither couerd with an anticque face,
630To fleere and scorne at our solemnitie?
Now by the stocke and honor of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.
Capu. Why how now kinsman, wherefore storme
635Tib. Vncle, this is a Mountague our foe:
A villaine that is hither come in spight,
To scorne at our solemnitie this night.
Cap. Young Romeo is it.
Tib. Tis he, that villaine Romeo.
640Capu. Content thee gentle Coze, let him alone,
A beares him like a portly Gentleman:
And to say truth, Verona brags of him,
To be a vertuous and welgouernd youth,
I would not for the wealth of all this Towne,
645Here in my house do him disparagement:
Therefore be patient, take no note of him,
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Shew a faire presence, and put off these frownes,
An illbeseeming semblance for a feast.
650Tib. It fits when such a villaine is a guest,
Ile not endure him.
Capu. He shall be endured.
What goodman boy, I say he shall, go too,
Am I the master here or you? go too,
655Youle not endure him, god shall mend my soule,
Youle make a mutinie among my guests:
You wil set cock a hoope, youle be the man.
Ti. Why Vncle, tis a shame.
Capu. Go too, go too,
660You are a sawcie boy, ist so indeed?
This trick may chance to scath you I know what,
You must contrarie me, marrie tis time,
Well said my hearts, you are a princox, go,
Be quiet, or more light, more light for shame,
665Ile make you quiet (what) chearely my hearts.
Ti. Patience perforce, with wilfull choller meeting,
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting:
I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet, conuert to bittrest gall.
Exit.
670Ro. If I prophane with my vnworthiest hand,
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,
My lips two blushing Pylgrims did readie stand,
To smoothe that rough touch with a tender kis.
Iu. Good Pilgrim you do wrōg your hād too much
Which mannerly deuocion showes in this,
For saints haue hands, that Pilgrims hands do tuch,
And palme to palme is holy Palmers kis.
Ro. Haue not Saints lips and holy Palmers too?
680Iuli. I Pilgrim, lips that they must vse in praire.
Rom. O then deare Saint, let lips do what hands do,
They pray (grant thou) least faith turne to dispaire.
Iu. Saints do not moue, thogh grant for praiers sake.
685Ro. Then moue not while my praiers effect I take,
Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purgd.
Iu. Thē haue my lips the sin that they haue tooke.
Ro. Sin from my lips, ô trespas sweetly vrgd:
Giue me my sin againe.
690Iuli. Youe kisse bith booke.
Nur. Madam your mother craues a word with you.
Ro. What is her mother?
Nurs. Marrie Batcheler,
Her mother is the Lady of the house,
695And a good Ladie, and a wise and vertuous,
I Nurst her daughter that you talkt withall:
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall haue the chincks.
Ro. Is she a Capulet?
700O deare account! my life is my foes debt.
Ben. Away begon, the sport is at the best.
Ro. I so I feare, the more is my vnrest.
Capu. Nay gentlemen prepare not to be gone,
We haue a trifling foolish banquet towards:
705Is it ene so? why then I thanke you all.
I thanke you honest gentlemen, good night:
More torches here, come on, then lets to bed.
Ah sirrah, by my faie it waxes late,
Ile to my rest.
710 Iuli. Come hither Nurse, what is yond gentleman?
Nurs. The sonne and heire of old Tyberio.
Iuli. Whats he that now is going out of doore?
Nur. Marrie that I thinke be young Petruchio.
715 Iu. Whats he that follows here that wold not dāce?
Nur. I know not.
Iuli. Go aske his name, if he be married,
My graue is like to be my wedding bed.
Nurs. His name is Romeo, and a Mountague,
720The onely sonne of your great enemie.
Iuli. My onely loue sprung from my onely hate,
Too earlie seene, vnknowne, and knowne too late,
Prodigious birth of loue it is to mee,
That I must loue a loathed enemie.
725Nurs. Whats tis? whats tis
Iu. A rime I learnt euen now
Of one I danct withall.
One cals within Iuliet.
Nurs. Anon, anon:
730Come lets away, the strangers all are gone.
Exeunt.