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

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Peer Reviewed
Nur. Mistris, what mistris, Iuliet, fast I warrant her she,
Why Lambe, why Lady, fie you sluggabed,
Why Loue I say, Madam, sweete heart, why Bride:
What not a word, you take your penniworths now,
2580Sleepe for a weeke, for the next night I warrant
The Countie Paris hath set vp his rest,
That you shall rest but little, God forgiue me.
Marrie and Amen: how sound is she a sleepe:
I needs must wake her: Madam, Madam, Madam,
2585I, let the Countie take you in your bed,
Heele fright you vp yfaith, will it not be?
What drest, and in your clothes, and downe againe?
I must needs wake you, Lady, Lady, Lady.
Alas, alas, helpe, helpe, my Ladyes dead.
2590Oh wereaday that euer I was borne,
Some Aqua-vitæ ho, my Lord my Lady.
Mo. What noise is here?
Nur. O lamentable day.
Mo. What is the matter?
2595Nur. Looke, looke, oh heauie day!
Mo. O me, O me, my child, my onely life.
Reuiue, looke vp, or I will die with thee:
Helpe, helpe, call helpe.
Enter Father.
2600 Fa. For shame bring Iuliet forth, her Lord is come.
Nur. Shees dead: deceast, shees dead, alack the day.
M. Alack the day, shees dead, shees dead, shees dead.
Fa. Hah let me see her, out alas shees cold,
Her bloud is setled, and her ioynts are stiffe:
2605Life and these lips haue long bene separated,
Death lies on her like an vntimely frost,
Vpon the sweetest flower of all thefield.
Nur. O lamentable day!
Mo. O wofull time!
2610 Fa. Death that hath tane her hēce to make me waile
Ties vp my tongue and will not let me speake.
Enter Frier and the Countie.
Fri. Come, is the Bride ready to go to Church?
Fa. Ready to go but neuer to returne.
2615O sonne, the night before thy wedding day
Hath death laine with thy wife, there she lies,
Flower as she was, deflowred by him,
Death is my sonne in law, death is my heire,
My daughter he hath wedded. I will die,
2620And leaue him all life liuing, all is deaths.
Par. Haue I thought loue to see this mornings face,
And doth it giue me such a sight as this?
Mo. Accurst, vnhappie, wretched hatefull day,
Most miserable houre that ere time saw,
2625In lasting labour of his Pilgrimage,
But one poore one, one poore and louing child,
But one thing to reioyce and solace in,
And cruell death hath catcht it from my sight.
Nur. O wo, O wofull, wofull, wofull day,
2630Most lamentable day, most wofull day
That euer, euer, I did yet bedold.
O day, O day, O day, O hatefull day,
Neuer was seene so blacke a day as this,
O wofull day, O wofull day.
2635 Par. Beguild, diuorced, wronged, spighted, slaine,
Most detestable death, by thee beguild,
By cruell, cruell, thee quite ouerthrowne,
O loue, O life, not life, but loue in death.
Fat. Despisde, distressed, hated, martird, kild,
2640Vncomfortable time, why camst thou now,
To murther, murther, our solemnitie?
O childe, O childe, my soule and not my childe,
Dead art thou, alacke my child is dead,
And with my child my ioyes are buried.
2645 Fri. Peace ho for shame, confusions care liues not,
In these confusions heauen and your selfe
Had part in this faire maide, now heauen hath all,
And all the better is it for the maid:
Your part in her, you could not keepe from death.
2650But heauen keepes his part in eternall life,
The most you sought was her promotion,
For twas your heauen she should be aduanst,
And weepe ye now, seeing she is aduanst
Aboue the Cloudes, as high as heauen it selfe.
2655O in this loue, you loue your child so ill,
That you run mad, seeing that she is well:
Shees not well married, that liues married long,
But shees best married, that dies married young.
Drie vp your teares, and stick your Rosemarie
2660On this faire Coarse, and as the custome is,
And in her best array beare her to Church:
For though some nature bids vs all lament,
Yet natures teares are reasons merriment.
Fa. All things that we ordained festiuall,
2665Turne from their office to black Funerall:
Our instruments to melancholy bells,
Our wedding cheare to a sad buriall feast:
Our solemne himnes to sullen dyrges change:
Our Bridall flowers serue for a buried Coarse:
2670And all things change them to the contrarie.
Fri. Sir go you in, and Madam go with him,
And go sir Paris, euery one prepare
To follow this faire Coarse vnto her graue:
The heauens do lowre vpon you for some ill:
2675Moue them no more, by crossing their high wil.
2675.1
Fxeunt manet.
Musi. Faith we may put vp our pipes and be gone.
Nur. Honest good fellowes, ah put vp, put vp,
For well you know, this is a pitifull case.
Fid. I my my troath, the case may be amended.
2679.1
Exit omnes.
2680
Enter Will Kemp.
Peter. Musitions, oh Musitions, harts ease, harts ease,
O, and you will haue me liue, play harts ease.
Fidler. Why harts ease?
2685 Peter. O Musitions, because my hart it selfe plaies my hart is
2686.1O play me some merie dump to comfort me.
Minstrels. Not a dump we, tis no time to play now.
Peter. You will not then?
Minst. No.
2690Peter. I will then giue it you soundly.
Minst. What will you giue vs?
Peter. No money on my faith, but the gleeke.
I will giue you the Minstrell.
Minstrel. Then will I giue you the Seruing-creature.
2695 Peter. Then will I lay the seruing-creatures dagger on your
I will cary no Crochets, ile re you, Ile fa
You, do you note me?
Minst. And you re vs, and fa vs, you note vs.
2. M. Pray you put vp your dagger, and put out your wit.
Then haue at you with my wit.
Peter. I will dry-beate you with an yron wit, and put vp my
Answere me like men.
2705When griping griefes the hart doth wound, then musique with
her siluer sound.
Why siluer sound, why musique, with her siluer sound, what say
you Simon Catling?
Minst. Mary sir, because siluer hath a sweet sound.
2710Peter. Prates, what say you Hugh Rebick?
2. M. I say siluer sound, because Musitions sound for siluer.
Peter. Prates to, what say you Iames sound post?
3. M. Faith I know not what to say.
Peter. O I cry you mercy, you are the singer.
2715I will say for you, it is musique with her siluer sound,
Because Musitions haue no gold for sounding:
Then Musique with her siluer sound with speedy help doth
lend redresse.
2718.1
Exit.
Min. What a pestilent knaue is this same?
2720 M. 2. Hang him Iack, come weele in here, tarrie for the mour-
ners, and stay dinner.
2721.1
Exit.