Romeo and Juliet

Act 1, Scene 5

Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.

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FIRST SERVANT

Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away?
He shift a trencher! He scrape a trencher!

SECOND SERVANT

When good manners shall lie all in one or two men’s hands, and they unwash’d too, a foul thing.

FIRST SERVANT

Away with the join-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good , save me a piece of marchpane; and as loves me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell. Antony and Potpan!

SECOND SERVANT

Ay, boy, ready.

FIRST SERVANT

You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great chamber.

SECOND SERVANT

We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys. Be brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.

CAPULET

Welcome, gentlemen, ladies that have their toes
Unplagu’d with corns will have a bout with you.
Ah my mistresses, which of you all
Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
She I’ll swear corns. Am I come near 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; gone, gone, gone,
You are welcome, gentlemen! Come, musicians, play.
A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it, girls.

CAPULET

More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah , this unlook’d-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 mask?

CAPULET’S COUSIN

By’r Lady, thirty years.

CAPULET

What, man, not so much, not so much:
since the nuptial of Lucentio,
Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five and twenty years; and then we mask’d.

CAPULET’S COUSIN

more, 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 is that, which enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?

SERVANT

I know not, sir.

ROMEO

O, she teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I saw true beauty till this night.

TYBALT

This by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What, dares the slave
Come , cover’d with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.

CAPULET

Why how now, kinsman!
storm you so?

TYBALT

Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe;
A villain that is come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.

CAPULET

Young Romeo, is it?

TYBALT

he, that villain Romeo.

CAPULET

Content , 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-govern’d youth.
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement.
Therefore be patient, take no note of him,
It is my will; the which if respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.

TYBALT

It fits when such a villain is a guest:
I’ll not endure him.

CAPULET

He shall be endur’d.
What, goodman boy! I say he shall, go to;
Am I the master here, or you? Go to.
You’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!

TYBALT

Why, uncle, a shame.

CAPULET

Go to, go to!
You are a saucy boy. Is’t so, indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what.
You must contrary me! Marry, time.
Well said, my hearts!—You are a princox; go:
Be quiet, or—More light, more light!—For shame!
I’ll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my hearts.

TYBALT

Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitter gall.

ROMEO

If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET

Good pilgrim, 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?

JULIET

Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROMEO

O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do:
They pray, grant , lest faith turn to despair.

JULIET

Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.

ROMEO

Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by my sin is purg’d.

JULIET

Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

ROMEO

Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg’d!
Give me my sin again.

JULIET

You kiss by the book.

NURSE

Madam, your mother craves a word with you.

ROMEO

What is her mother?

NURSE

Marry, bachelor,
Her mother is the lady of the house,
And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous.
I nurs’d her daughter that you talk’d .
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks.

ROMEO

Is she a Capulet?
O 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.
Is it 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, , by my fay, it waxes late,
I’ll to my rest.

JULIET

Come , Nurse. What is yond 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.

JULIET

What’s he that follows here, that would not dance?

NURSE

I know not.

JULIET

Go ask his name. If he be married,
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.

NURSE

His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
The 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 loathed enemy.

NURSE

What’s this? What’s this?

JULIET

A rhyme I learn’d even now
Of one I danc’d .

NURSE

, !
Come let’s away, the strangers all are gone.

All of Romeo and Juliet

Opening and close

Prologue,

Act 1

Act 1, Scene 1Act 1, Scene 2Act 1, Scene 3Act 1, Scene 4Act 1, Scene 5,

Act 2

Act 2Act 2, Scene 1Act 2, Scene 2Act 2, Scene 3Act 2, Scene 4Act 2, Scene 5Act 2, Scene 6,

Act 3

Act 3, Scene 1Act 3, Scene 2Act 3, Scene 3Act 3, Scene 4Act 3, Scene 5,

Act 4

Act 4, Scene 1Act 4, Scene 2Act 4, Scene 3Act 4, Scene 4Act 4, Scene 5,

Act 5

Act 5, Scene 1Act 5, Scene 2Act 5, Scene 3

Open Romeo and Juliet in the 1623 First Folio. See its words in the cloud.

Compare a quarto passage.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.