ROMEO AND JULIET 3.1

a word from our sponsors

The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works

ROMEO AND JULIET 3.1

A public place.

[Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants]

BENVOLIO I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:

The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,

And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

MERCUTIO Thou art like one of those fellows that when he 5

enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword

upon the table and says 'God send me no need of

thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws

it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.

BENVOLIO Am I like such a fellow? 10

MERCUTIO Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as

any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as

soon moody to be moved.

BENVOLIO And what to?

MERCUTIO Nay, an there were two such, we should have none 15

shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,

thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more,

or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou

wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no

other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what 20

eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?

Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of

meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as

an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a

man for coughing in the street, because he hath 25

wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun:

didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing

his new doublet before Easter? with another, for

tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou

wilt tutor me from quarrelling! 30

BENVOLIO An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man

should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.

MERCUTIO The fee-simple! O simple!

BENVOLIO By my head, here come the Capulets.

MERCUTIO By my heel, I care not. 35

[Enter TYBALT and others]

TYBALT Follow me close, for I will speak to them.

Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.

MERCUTIO And but one word with one of us? couple it with

something; make it a word and a blow.

TYBALT You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you 40

will give me occasion.

MERCUTIO Could you not take some occasion without giving?

TYBALT Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,--

MERCUTIO Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an

thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but 45

discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall

make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!

BENVOLIO We talk here in the public haunt of men:

Either withdraw unto some private place,

And reason coldly of your grievances, 50

Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.

MERCUTIO Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;

I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.

[Enter ROMEO]

TYBALT Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.

MERCUTIO But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery: 55

Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;

Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.'

TYBALT Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford

No better term than this,--thou art a villain.

ROMEO Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee 60

Doth much excuse the appertaining rage

To such a greeting: villain am I none;

Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st me not.

TYBALT Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries

That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw. 65

ROMEO I do protest, I never injured thee,

But love thee better than thou canst devise,

Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:

And so, good Capulet,--which name I tender

As dearly as my own,--be satisfied. 70

MERCUTIO O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!

Alla stoccata carries it away.

[Draws]

Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

TYBALT What wouldst thou have with me?

MERCUTIO Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine 75

lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you

shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the

eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher

by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your

ears ere it be out. 80

TYBALT I am for you.

[Drawing]

ROMEO Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.

MERCUTIO Come, sir, your passado.

[They fight]

ROMEO Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.

Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage! 85

Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath

Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:

Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!

[TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs MERCUTIO, and flies

with his followers]

MERCUTIO I am hurt.

A plague o' both your houses! I am sped. 90

Is he gone, and hath nothing?

BENVOLIO What, art thou hurt?

MERCUTIO Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.

Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.

[Exit Page]

ROMEO Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. 95

MERCUTIO No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a

church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for

me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I

am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o'

both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a 100

cat, to scratch a man to death! a braggart, a

rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of

arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I

was hurt under your arm.

ROMEO I thought all for the best. 105

MERCUTIO Help me into some house, Benvolio,

Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!

They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,

And soundly too: your houses!

[Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO]

ROMEO This gentleman, the prince's near ally, 110

My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt

In my behalf; my reputation stain'd

With Tybalt's slander,--Tybalt, that an hour

Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet,

Thy beauty hath made me effeminate 115

And in my temper soften'd valour's steel!

[Re-enter BENVOLIO]

BENVOLIO O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead!

That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,

Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.

ROMEO This day's black fate on more days doth depend; 120

This but begins the woe, others must end.

BENVOLIO Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.

ROMEO Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain!

Away to heaven, respective lenity,

And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now! 125

[Re-enter TYBALT]

Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,

That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul

Is but a little way above our heads,

Staying for thine to keep him company:

Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him. 130

TYBALT Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,

Shalt with him hence.

ROMEO This shall determine that.

[They fight; TYBALT falls]

BENVOLIO Romeo, away, be gone!

The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. 135

Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death,

If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!

ROMEO O, I am fortune's fool!

BENVOLIO Why dost thou stay?

[Exit ROMEO]

[Enter Citizens, &c]

First Citizen Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? 140

Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?

BENVOLIO There lies that Tybalt.

First Citizen Up, sir, go with me;

I charge thee in the princes name, obey.

[Enter Prince, attended; MONTAGUE, CAPULET, their

Wives, and others]

PRINCE Where are the vile beginners of this fray? 145

BENVOLIO O noble prince, I can discover all

The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:

There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,

That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.

LADY CAPULET Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child! 150

O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt

O my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,

For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.

O cousin, cousin!

PRINCE Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? 155

BENVOLIO Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay;

Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink

How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal

Your high displeasure: all this uttered

With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd, 160

Could not take truce with the unruly spleen

Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts

With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast,

Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,

And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats 165

Cold death aside, and with the other sends

It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity,

Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud,

'Hold, friends! friends, part!' and, swifter than

his tongue, 170

His agile arm beats down their fatal points,

And 'twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm

An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life

Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;

But by and by comes back to Romeo, 175

Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,

And to 't they go like lightning, for, ere I

Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain.

And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.

This is the truth, or let Benvolio die. 180

LADY CAPULET He is a kinsman to the Montague;

Affection makes him false; he speaks not true:

Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,

And all those twenty could but kill one life.

I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give; 185

Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.

PRINCE Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;

Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?

MONTAGUE Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's friend;

His fault concludes but what the law should end, 190

The life of Tybalt.

PRINCE And for that offence

Immediately we do exile him hence:

I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,

My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding; 195

But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine

That you shall all repent the loss of mine:

I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;

Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:

Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste, 200

Else, when he's found, that hour is his last.

Bear hence this body and attend our will:

Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.

[Exeunt]

This edition copyright © 2000 Dana Spradley, Publisher, shakespeare.com. Originally derived from the Complete Moby Shakespeare(tm), which is now in the public domain.
'The First Web Folio Edition' is a trademark of Dana Spradley, Publisher, shakespeare.com. All rights reserved.

If you're not reading this on shakespeare.com, you're in the wrong place.

BENVOLIO		I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
		The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
		And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
		For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

MERCUTIO	Thou art like one of those fellows that when he	5
	enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword
	upon the table and says 'God send me no need of
	thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws
	it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.

MERCUTIO		Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as
		any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as
		soon moody to be moved.

MERCUTIO	Nay, an there were two such, we should have none	15
	shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,
	thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more,
	or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou
	wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no
	other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what	20
	eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?
	Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of
	meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as
	an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a
	man for coughing in the street, because he hath	25
	wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun:
	didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing
	his new doublet before Easter? with another, for
	tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou
	wilt tutor me from quarrelling!	30

BENVOLIO		An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man
		should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.

TYBALT		Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
		Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.

MERCUTIO		And but one word with one of us? couple it with
		something; make it a word and a blow.

TYBALT		You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you	40
		will give me occasion.

MERCUTIO	Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an
	thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but	45
	discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall
	make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!

BENVOLIO	We talk here in the public haunt of men:
	Either withdraw unto some private place,
	And reason coldly of your grievances,	50
	Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.

MERCUTIO		Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
		I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.
		[Enter ROMEO]

MERCUTIO	But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery:	55
	Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
	Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.'

TYBALT		Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford
		No better term than this,--thou art a villain.

ROMEO	Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee	60
	Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
	To such a greeting: villain am I none;
	Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st me not.

TYBALT		Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
		That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.	65

ROMEO	I do protest, I never injured thee,
	But love thee better than thou canst devise,
	Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
	And so, good Capulet,--which name I tender
	As dearly as my own,--be satisfied.	70

MERCUTIO		O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
		Alla stoccata carries it away.
		[Draws]
		Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

MERCUTIO	Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine	75
	lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you
	shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the
	eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher
	by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your
	ears ere it be out.	80

ROMEO	Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.
	Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!	85
	Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath
	Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:
	Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!
	[TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs MERCUTIO, and flies
	with his followers]

MERCUTIO	I am hurt.
	A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.	90
	Is he gone, and hath nothing?

MERCUTIO		Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.
		Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
		[Exit Page]

MERCUTIO	No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
	church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
	me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I
	am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o'
	both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a	100
	cat, to scratch a man to death! a braggart, a
	rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of
	arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I
	was hurt under your arm.

MERCUTIO		Help me into some house, Benvolio,
		Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!
		They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,
		And soundly too: your houses!
		[Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO]

ROMEO	This gentleman, the prince's near ally,	110
	My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
	In my behalf; my reputation stain'd
	With Tybalt's slander,--Tybalt, that an hour
	Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet,
	Thy beauty hath made me effeminate	115
	And in my temper soften'd valour's steel!
	[Re-enter BENVOLIO]

BENVOLIO		O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead!
		That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
		Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.

ROMEO		This day's black fate on more days doth depend;	120
		This but begins the woe, others must end.

ROMEO	Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain!
	Away to heaven, respective lenity,
	And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!	125
	[Re-enter TYBALT]
	Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,
	That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul
	Is but a little way above our heads,
	Staying for thine to keep him company:
	Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.	130

TYBALT		Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
		Shalt with him hence.

BENVOLIO	Romeo, away, be gone!
	The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.	135
	Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death,
	If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!

First Citizen		Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio?	140
		Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?