William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (189 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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PAGE ⌈
aside
⌉
aside
⌉
I am almost afraid to stand alone 10
Here in the churchyard, yet I will adventure.
Here in the churchyard, yet I will adventure.
He hides himself at a distance from Paris
PARIS (
strewing flowers
)
strewing flowers
)
Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.
O woe! Thy canopy is dust and stones,
Which with sweet water nightly I will dew,
Or, wanting that, with tears distilled by moans.
The obsequies that I for thee will keep
Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.
The boy gives warning. Something doth approach.
What cursed foot wanders this way tonight
To cross my obsequies and true love’s rite? 20
What, with a torch? Muffle me, night, a while.
He stands aside
He sprinkles water
Which with sweet water nightly I will dew,
Or, wanting that, with tears distilled by moans.
The obsequies that I for thee will keep
Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.
The Page whistles
What cursed foot wanders this way tonight
To cross my obsequies and true love’s rite? 20
Enter Romeo and
⌈
Balthasar⌉ his man, with a torch, a mattock, and a crow of iron
He stands aside
ROMEO
Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.
Hold, take this letter. Early in the morning
See thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Give me the light. Upon thy life I charge thee, 25
Whate’er thou hear’st or seest, stand all aloof,
And do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I descend into this bed of death
Is partly to behold my lady’s face,
But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger
A precious ring, a ring that I must use
In dear employment. Therefore hence, be gone.
But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry
In what I farther shall intend to do,
By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint,
And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.
The time and my intents are savage-wild,
More fierce and more inexorable far
Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
Hold, take this letter. Early in the morning
See thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Give me the light. Upon thy life I charge thee, 25
Whate’er thou hear’st or seest, stand all aloof,
And do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I descend into this bed of death
Is partly to behold my lady’s face,
But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger
A precious ring, a ring that I must use
In dear employment. Therefore hence, be gone.
But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry
In what I farther shall intend to do,
By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint,
And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.
The time and my intents are savage-wild,
More fierce and more inexorable far
Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
⌈BALTHASAR⌉
I will be gone, sir, and not trouble ye. 40
ROMEO
So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that.
Live and be prosperous, and farewell, good fellow.
He gives money
⌈BALTHASAR⌉ (
aside
)
aside
)
For all this same, I’ll hide me hereabout. His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.
He hides himself at a distance from Romeo. ⌈
Romeo begins to jorce open the tombs
⌉
ROMEO
Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,
Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth,
Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,
And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food.
Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth,
Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,
And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food.
PARIS
(aside)
(aside)
This is that banished haughty Montague
That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief
It is supposed the fair creature died;
And here is come to do some villainous shame
To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him.
⌈
Drawing
⌉ Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague!
Can vengeance be pursued further than death? 55
Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.
Obey and go with me, for thou must die.
That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief
It is supposed the fair creature died;
And here is come to do some villainous shame
To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him.
⌈
Drawing
⌉ Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague!
Can vengeance be pursued further than death? 55
Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.
Obey and go with me, for thou must die.
ROMEO
I must indeed, and therefore came I hither.
Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp’rate man.
Fly hence, and leave me. Think upon these gone. 60
Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth,
Put not another sin upon my head
By urging me to fury. O, be gone.
By heaven, I love thee better than myself,
For I come hither armed against myself. 65
Stay not, be gone. Live, and hereafter say
A madman’s mercy bid thee run away.
Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp’rate man.
Fly hence, and leave me. Think upon these gone. 60
Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth,
Put not another sin upon my head
By urging me to fury. O, be gone.
By heaven, I love thee better than myself,
For I come hither armed against myself. 65
Stay not, be gone. Live, and hereafter say
A madman’s mercy bid thee run away.
PARIS
I do defy thy conjuration,
And apprehend thee for a felon here.
And apprehend thee for a felon here.
ROMEO (
drawing
)
drawing
)
Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy. 70
They fight
⌈PAGE⌉
O Lord, they fight! I I will go call the watch. Exit
PARIS
O, I am slainǃ If thou be merciful,
Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.
Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.
ROMEO
In faith, I will.
Paris dies
Paris dies
Let me peruse this face.
Mercutio’s kinsman, noble County Paris! 75
What said my man when my betossèd soul
Did not attend him as we rode? I think
He told me Paris should have married Juliet.
Said he not so? Or did I dream it so?
Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, 80
To think it was so? O, give me thy hand,
One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book.
I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave.
A grave—O no, a lantern, slaughtered youth,
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes
This vault a feasting presence full of light.
Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred.
How oft, when men are at the point of death,
Have they been merry, which their keepers call
A lightning before death! O, how may I 90
Call this a lightning? O my love, my wife!
Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet
Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,
And death’s pale flag is not advanced there.
Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?
O, what more favour can I do to thee
Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain
To sunder his that was thine enemy?
Forgive me, cousin. Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe
That unsubstantial death is amorous,
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour? 105
For fear of that I still will stay with thee,
And never from this pallet of dim night
Depart again. Here, here will I remain
With worms that are thy chambermaids. O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest, 110
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last.
Arms, take your last embrace, and lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death.
Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide,
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks thy seasick weary barque!
Here’s to my love.
O true apothecary,
Thy drugs are quick! Thus with a kiss I die.
Mercutio’s kinsman, noble County Paris! 75
What said my man when my betossèd soul
Did not attend him as we rode? I think
He told me Paris should have married Juliet.
Said he not so? Or did I dream it so?
Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, 80
To think it was so? O, give me thy hand,
One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book.
I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave.
⌈
Heopens the tomb, revealing Juliet
⌉
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes
This vault a feasting presence full of light.
⌈
He bears the body of Paris to the tombs
⌉
How oft, when men are at the point of death,
Have they been merry, which their keepers call
A lightning before death! O, how may I 90
Call this a lightning? O my love, my wife!
Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet
Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,
And death’s pale flag is not advanced there.
Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?
O, what more favour can I do to thee
Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain
To sunder his that was thine enemy?
Forgive me, cousin. Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe
That unsubstantial death is amorous,
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour? 105
For fear of that I still will stay with thee,
And never from this pallet of dim night
Depart again. Here, here will I remain
With worms that are thy chambermaids. O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest, 110
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last.
Arms, take your last embrace, and lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death.
⌈
He kisses Juliet, then pours poison into the cup
⌉
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks thy seasick weary barque!
Here’s to my love.
He drinks the poison
Thy drugs are quick! Thus with a kiss I die.
He kisses Juliet, falls, and dies.Enter Friar Laurence with lantern, crow, and spade
FRIAR LAURENCE
Saint Francis be my speed! How oft tonight
Have my old feet stumbled at graves? Who’s there?
Have my old feet stumbled at graves? Who’s there?
BALTHASAR
Here’s one, a friend, and one that knows you well.
FRIAR LAURENCE
Bliss be upon you. Tell me, good my friend,
What torch is yon that vainly lends his light 125
To grubs and eyeless skulls? As I discern,
It burneth in the Capels’ monument.
What torch is yon that vainly lends his light 125
To grubs and eyeless skulls? As I discern,
It burneth in the Capels’ monument.
BALTHASAR
It doth so, holy sir, and there’s my master,
One that you love.
One that you love.
FRIAR LAURENCE Who is it?
BALTHASAR Romeo.
FRIAR LAURENCE
How long hath he been there?
BALTHASAR Full half an hour.
FRIAR LAURENCE
Go with me to the vault.
BALTHASAR I dare not, sir.
My master knows not but I am gone hence,
And fearfully did menace me with death
If I did stay to look on his intents.
And fearfully did menace me with death
If I did stay to look on his intents.
FRIAR LAURENCE
Stay then, I’ll go alone. Fear comes upon me. 135
O, much I fear some ill unthrifty thing.
O, much I fear some ill unthrifty thing.
BALTHASAR
As I did sleep under this yew tree here
I dreamt my master and another fought,
And that my master slew him.
I dreamt my master and another fought,
And that my master slew him.
FRIAR LAURENCE Romeo!
He ⌈
stoops and
⌉
looks on the blood and weapons
Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains 140
The stony entrance of this sepulchre?
What mean these masterless and gory swords
To lie discoloured by this place of peace?
Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris, too,
And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour
Is guilty of this lamentable chance I
The lady stirs.
The stony entrance of this sepulchre?
What mean these masterless and gory swords
To lie discoloured by this place of peace?
Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris, too,
And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour
Is guilty of this lamentable chance I
Juliet awakes
⌈
and rises
⌉
JULIET
O comfortable friar, where is my lord?
I do remember well where I should be,
And there I am. Where is my Romeo? 150
I do remember well where I should be,
And there I am. Where is my Romeo? 150
FRIAR LAURENCE
I hear some noise. Lady, come from that nest
Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.
A greater power than we can contradict
Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.
Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead, 155
And Paris, too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee
Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.
Stay not to question, for the watch is coming.
Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay. Exit
Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.
A greater power than we can contradict
Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.
Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead, 155
And Paris, too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee
Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.
Stay not to question, for the watch is coming.
Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay. Exit
JULIET
Go, get thee hence, for I will not away. 160
What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.
O churt!—drunk all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips.
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,
To make me die with a restorative.
Thy lips are warm.
What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.
O churt!—drunk all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips.
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,
To make me die with a restorative.
She kisses Romeo’s lips
CHIEF WATCHMAN ⌈within⌉ Lead, boy. Which way?
JULIET
Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief.
O happy dagger,
This is thy sheath! There rust, and let me die.
She takes Romeo’s dagger
This is thy sheath! There rust, and let me die.
She stabs herself, falls, and dies.Enter the Page and Watchmen
⌈PAGE⌉
This is the place, there where the torch doth burn. 170
CHIEF WATCHMAN
The ground is bloody. Search about the churchyard.
Go, some of you. Whoe’er you find, attach.
Pitiful sight! Here lies the County slain,
And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead,
Who here hath lain this two days buried.
Go tell the Prince. Run to the Capulets,
Raise up the Montagues. Some others search.
We see the ground whereon these woes do lie,
But the true ground of all these piteous woes
We cannot without circumstance descry.
Go, some of you. Whoe’er you find, attach.
Exeunt some Watchmen
And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead,
Who here hath lain this two days buried.
Go tell the Prince. Run to the Capulets,
Raise up the Montagues. Some others search.
Exeunt other Watchmen ⌈
severally
⌉
But the true ground of all these piteous woes
We cannot without circumstance descry.
Enter
⌈
Watchmen
⌉
with Balthasar
⌈SECOND⌉ WATCHMAN
Here’s Romeo’s man. We found him in the churchyard.
CHIEF WATCHMAN
Hold him in safety till the Prince come hither.
Enter another Watchman with Friar Laurence
THIRD WATCHMAN
Here is a friar that trembles, sighs, and weeps.
We took this mattock and this spade from him
As he was coming from this churchyard’s side.
We took this mattock and this spade from him
As he was coming from this churchyard’s side.
CHIEF WATCHMAN
A great suspicion. Stay the friar, too.
Enter the Prince ⌈
with others
⌉
PRINCE
What misadventure is so early up,
That calls our person from our morning rest?
That calls our person from our morning rest?
Enter Capulet and his Wife
CAPULET
What should it be that is so shrieked abroad?
CAPULET’S WIFE
O, the people in the street cry ‘Romeo’,
Some ‘Juliet’, and some ‘Paris’, and all run
With open outcry toward our monument.
Some ‘Juliet’, and some ‘Paris’, and all run
With open outcry toward our monument.
PRINCE
What fear is this which startles in our ears?
CHIEF WATCHMAN
Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain,
And Romeo dead, and Juliet, dead before,
Warm, and new killed.
And Romeo dead, and Juliet, dead before,
Warm, and new killed.
PRINCE
Search, seek, and know how this foul murder comes.
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