Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Roger Apfelbaum
Not Peer Reviewed

Romeo and Juliet (Quarto 1, 1597)

The excellent Tragedie

1830And turnd that blacke word death to banishment:
This is meere mercie, and thou seest it not.
Rom:Tis torture and not mercie, heauen is heere
Where Iuliet liues: and euerie cat and dog,
And little mouse, euerie vnworthie thing
1835Liue here in heauen, and may looke on her,
But Romeo may not. More validitie,
More honourable state, more courtship liues
In carrion flyes, than Romeo: they may seaze
On the white wonder of faire Iuliets skinne,
1840And steale immortall kisses from her lips;
1845But Romeo may not, he is banished.
Flies may doo this, but I from this must flye.
Oh Father hadst thou no strong poyson mixt,
No sharpe ground knife, no present meane of death,
Though nere so meane, but banishment
1848.1To torture me withall: ah, banished.
O Frier, the damned vse that word in hell:
1850Howling attends it. How hadst thou the heart,
Being a Diuine, a ghostly Confessor,
A sinne absoluer, and my frend profest,
To mangle me with that word, Banishment?
Fr:Thou fond mad man, heare me but speake a word.
1855Rom:O, thou wilt talke againe of Banishment.
Fr:Ile giue thee armour to beare off this word,
Aduersities sweete milke, philosophie,
To comfort thee though thou be banished.
Rom:Yet Banished? hang vp philosophie,
1860Vnlesse philosophie can make a Iuliet,
Displant a Towne, reuerse a Princes doome,
It helpes not, it preuailes not, talke no more.
Fr:O, now I see that madmen haue no eares.
Rom:How should they, when that wise men haue no
1865eyes.
Fr:Let me dispute with thee of thy estate.
Rom:Thou canst not speak of what thou dost not feele.
Wert