Romeo and Juliet

Act 3, Scene 4

Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.

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CAPULET

Things have fallen out, sir, so unluckily
That we have had no time to move our daughter.
Look you, she lov’d her kinsman Tybalt dearly,
And so did I. Well, we were born to die.
very late; she’ll not come down tonight.
I promise you, but for your company,
I would have been abed an hour ago.

PARIS

These times of woe afford no tune to woo.
Madam, good night. Commend me to your daughter.

LADY CAPULET

I will, and know her mind early tomorrow;
Tonight she’s mew’d up to her heaviness.

CAPULET

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender
Of my child’s love. I think she will be rul’d
In all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not.
Wife, go you to her you go to bed,
Acquaint her here of my son Paris’ love,
And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next,
But, soft, what day is this?

PARIS

Monday, my lord.

CAPULET

Monday! Ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon,
A Thursday let it be; a Thursday, tell her,
She shall be married to this noble earl.
Will you be ready? Do you like this haste?
We’ll keep no great ado,—a friend or two,
For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late,
It may be thought we held him carelessly,
Being our kinsman, if we revel much.
Therefore we’ll have some half a dozen friends,
And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?

PARIS

My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.

CAPULET

Well, get you gone. A Thursday be it then.
Go you to Juliet you go to bed,
Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day.
Farewell, my lord.—Light to my chamber, ho!
Afore me, it is so very very late that we
May call it early by and by. Good night.

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.