ACTI

PROLOGUE
Twohouseholds,bothalikeindignity,
InfairVerona,wherewelayourscene,
Fromancientgrudgebreaktonewmutiny,
Wherecivilbloodmakescivilhandsunclean.
Fromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoes
Apairofstarcross'dloverstaketheirlife
Whosemisadventuredpiteousoverthrows
Dowiththeirdeathburytheirparents'strife.
Thefearfulpassageoftheirdeathmark'dlove,
Andthecontinuanceoftheirparents'rage,
Which,buttheirchildren'send,noughtcouldremove,
Isnowthetwohours'trafficofourstage
Thewhichifyouwithpatientearsattend,
Whathereshallmiss,ourtoilshallstrivetomend.

SCENEI.Verona.Apublicplace.
EnterSAMPSONandGREGORY,ofthehouseofCapulet,armedwithswordsandbucklers
SAMPSON
Gregory,o'myword,we'llnotcarrycoals.
GREGORY
No,forthenweshouldbecolliers.
SAMPSON
Imean,anwebeincholer,we'lldraw.
GREGORY
Ay,whileyoulive,drawyourneckouto'thecollar.
SAMPSON
Istrikequickly,beingmoved.
GREGORY
Butthouartnotquicklymovedtostrike.
SAMPSON
AdogofthehouseofMontaguemovesme.
GREGORY
Tomoveistostirandtobevaliantistostand:
therefore,ifthouartmoved,thourunn'staway.
SAMPSON
Adogofthathouseshallmovemetostand:Iwill
takethewallofanymanormaidofMontague's.
GREGORY

Thatshowstheeaweakslavefortheweakestgoes
tothewall.
SAMPSON
Trueandthereforewomen,beingtheweakervessels,
areeverthrusttothewall:thereforeIwillpush
Montague'smenfromthewall,andthrusthismaids
tothewall.
GREGORY
Thequarrelisbetweenourmastersandustheirmen.
SAMPSON
'Tisallone,Iwillshowmyselfatyrant:whenI
havefoughtwiththemen,Iwillbecruelwiththe
maids,andcutofftheirheads.
GREGORY
Theheadsofthemaids?
SAMPSON
Ay,theheadsofthemaids,ortheirmaidenheads
takeitinwhatsensethouwilt.
GREGORY
Theymusttakeitinsensethatfeelit.
SAMPSON
MetheyshallfeelwhileIamabletostand:and
'tisknownIamaprettypieceofflesh.
GREGORY
'Tiswellthouartnotfishifthouhadst,thou
hadstbeenpoorJohn.Drawthytool!herecomes
twoofthehouseoftheMontagues.
SAMPSON
Mynakedweaponisout:quarrel,Iwillbackthee.
GREGORY
How!turnthybackandrun?
SAMPSON
Fearmenot.
GREGORY
No,marryIfearthee!
SAMPSON
Letustakethelawofoursidesletthembegin.
GREGORY
IwillfrownasIpassby,andletthemtakeitas
theylist.
SAMPSON
Nay,astheydare.Iwillbitemythumbatthem
whichisadisgracetothem,iftheybearit.

EnterABRAHAMandBALTHASAR
ABRAHAM
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,sir?
SAMPSON
Idobitemythumb,sir.
ABRAHAM
Doyoubiteyourthumbatus,sir?
SAMPSON
[AsidetoGREGORY]Isthelawofourside,ifIsay
ay?
GREGORY
No.
SAMPSON
No,sir,Idonotbitemythumbatyou,sir,butI
bitemythumb,sir.
GREGORY
Doyouquarrel,sir?
ABRAHAM
Quarrelsir!no,sir.
SAMPSON
Ifyoudo,sir,Iamforyou:Iserveasgoodamanasyou.
ABRAHAM
Nobetter.
SAMPSON
Well,sir.
GREGORY
Say'better:'herecomesoneofmymaster'skinsmen.
SAMPSON
Yes,better,sir.
ABRAHAM
Youlie.
SAMPSON
Draw,ifyoubemen.Gregory,rememberthyswashingblow.
Theyfight
EnterBENVOLIO
BENVOLIO
Part,fools!
Putupyourswordsyouknownotwhatyoudo.
Beatsdowntheirswords
EnterTYBALT
TYBALT
What,artthoudrawnamongtheseheartlesshinds?
Turnthee,Benvolio,lookuponthydeath.

BENVOLIO
Idobutkeepthepeace:putupthysword,
Ormanageittopartthesemenwithme.
TYBALT
What,drawn,andtalkofpeace!Ihatetheword,
AsIhatehell,allMontagues,andthee:
Haveatthee,coward!
Theyfight
Enter,severalofbothhouses,whojointhefraythenenterCitizens,withclubs
FirstCitizen
Clubs,bills,andpartisans!strike!beatthemdown!
DownwiththeCapulets!downwiththeMontagues!
EnterCAPULETinhisgown,andLADYCAPULET
CAPULET
Whatnoiseisthis?Givememylongsword,ho!
LADYCAPULET
Acrutch,acrutch!whycallyouforasword?
CAPULET
Mysword,Isay!OldMontagueiscome,
Andflourisheshisbladeinspiteofme.
EnterMONTAGUEandLADYMONTAGUE
MONTAGUE
ThouvillainCapulet,Holdmenot,letmego.
LADYMONTAGUE
Thoushaltnotstirafoottoseekafoe.
EnterPRINCE,withAttendants
PRINCE
Rebellioussubjects,enemiestopeace,
Profanersofthisneighbourstainedsteel,
Willtheynothear?What,ho!youmen,youbeasts,
Thatquenchthefireofyourperniciousrage
Withpurplefountainsissuingfromyourveins,
Onpainoftorture,fromthosebloodyhands
Throwyourmistemper'dweaponstotheground,
Andhearthesentenceofyourmovedprince.
Threecivilbrawls,bredofanairyword,
Bythee,oldCapulet,andMontague,
Havethricedisturb'dthequietofourstreets,
AndmadeVerona'sancientcitizens
Castbytheirgravebeseemingornaments,
Towieldoldpartisans,inhandsasold,
Canker'dwithpeace,topartyourcanker'dhate:
Ifeveryoudisturbourstreetsagain,

Yourlivesshallpaytheforfeitofthepeace.
Forthistime,alltherestdepartaway:
YouCapuletshallgoalongwithme:
And,Montague,comeyouthisafternoon,
Toknowourfurtherpleasureinthiscase,
TooldFreetown,ourcommonjudgmentplace.
Oncemore,onpainofdeath,allmendepart.
ExeuntallbutMONTAGUE,LADYMONTAGUE,andBENVOLIO
MONTAGUE
Whosetthisancientquarrelnewabroach?
Speak,nephew,wereyoubywhenitbegan?
BENVOLIO
Hereweretheservantsofyouradversary,
Andyours,closefightingereIdidapproach:
Idrewtopartthem:intheinstantcame
ThefieryTybalt,withhisswordprepared,
Which,ashebreatheddefiancetomyears,
Heswungabouthisheadandcutthewinds,
Whonothinghurtwithalhiss'dhiminscorn:
Whilewewereinterchangingthrustsandblows,
Camemoreandmoreandfoughtonpartandpart,
Tilltheprincecame,whopartedeitherpart.
LADYMONTAGUE
O,whereisRomeo?sawyouhimtoday?
RightgladIamhewasnotatthisfray.
BENVOLIO
Madam,anhourbeforetheworshipp'dsun
Peer'dforththegoldenwindowoftheeast,
Atroubledminddravemetowalkabroad
Where,underneaththegroveofsycamore
Thatwestwardrootethfromthecity'sside,
SoearlywalkingdidIseeyourson:
TowardshimImade,buthewaswareofme
Andstoleintothecovertofthewood:
I,measuringhisaffectionsbymyown,
Thatmostarebusiedwhenthey'remostalone,
Pursuedmyhumournotpursuinghis,
Andgladlyshunn'dwhogladlyfledfromme.
MONTAGUE
Manyamorninghathhetherebeenseen,
Withtearsaugmentingthefreshmorningdew.
Addingtocloudsmorecloudswithhisdeepsighs
Butallsosoonastheallcheeringsun

Shouldinthefurthesteastbegintodraw
TheshadycurtainsfromAurora'sbed,
Awayfromthelightstealshomemyheavyson,
Andprivateinhischamberpenshimself,
Shutsuphiswindows,locksfardaylightout
Andmakeshimselfanartificialnight:
Blackandportentousmustthishumourprove,
Unlessgoodcounselmaythecauseremove.
BENVOLIO
Mynobleuncle,doyouknowthecause?
MONTAGUE
Ineitherknowitnorcanlearnofhim.
BENVOLIO
Haveyouimportunedhimbyanymeans?
MONTAGUE
Bothbymyselfandmanyotherfriends:
Buthe,hisownaffections'counsellor,
IstohimselfIwillnotsayhowtrue
Buttohimselfsosecretandsoclose,
Sofarfromsoundinganddiscovery,
Asisthebudbitwithanenviousworm,
Erehecanspreadhissweetleavestotheair,
Ordedicatehisbeautytothesun.
Couldwebutlearnfromwhencehissorrowsgrow.
Wewouldaswillinglygivecureasknow.
EnterROMEO
BENVOLIO
See,wherehecomes:sopleaseyou,stepaside
I'llknowhisgrievance,orbemuchdenied.
MONTAGUE
Iwouldthouwertsohappybythystay,
Toheartrueshrift.Come,madam,let'saway.
ExeuntMONTAGUEandLADYMONTAGUE
BENVOLIO
Goodmorrow,cousin.
ROMEO
Isthedaysoyoung?
BENVOLIO
Butnewstrucknine.
ROMEO
Ayme!sadhoursseemlong.
Wasthatmyfatherthatwenthencesofast?
BENVOLIO

Itwas.WhatsadnesslengthensRomeo'shours?
ROMEO
Nothavingthat,which,having,makesthemshort.
BENVOLIO
Inlove?
ROMEO
Out
BENVOLIO
Oflove?