Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh,
Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied.
Cry but ‘Ay me!’ Pronounce but ‘love’ and ‘dove’,
10
Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word,
One nickname for her purblind son and heir,
Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so trim
When King Cophetua lov’d the beggar maid.
He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not:
15
The ape is dead and I must conjure him.
I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes,
By her high forehead and her scarlet lip,
By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh,
And the demesnes that there adjacent lie,
20
That in thy likeness thou appear to us.
BENVOLIO And if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him.
MERCUTIO This cannot anger him. ’Twould anger him
To raise a spirit in his mistress’ circle
Of some strange nature, letting it there stand
25
Till she had laid it and conjur’d it down:
That were some spite. My invocation
Is fair and honest; in his mistress’ name
I conjure only but to raise up him.
BENVOLIO
Come, he hath hid himself among these trees
30
To be consorted with the humorous night.
Blind is his love, and best befits the dark.
MERCUTIO If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.
Now will he sit under a medlar tree
And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit
35
As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.
O Romeo, that she were, O that she were
An open-arse and thou a poperin pear!
Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle-bed.
This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.
40
Come, shall we go?
BENVOLIO Go then, for ’tis in vain
To seek him here that means not to be found.
Exeunt Benvolio and Mercutio.
2.2
[Romeo comes forward.]
ROMEO He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
Enter JULIET above.
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east and Juliet is the sun!
Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon
Who is already sick and pale with grief
5
That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid since she is envious,
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
It is my lady, O it is my love!
10
O that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses, I will answer it.
I am too bold. ’Tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
15
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp. Her eyes in heaven
20
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek.
JULIET Ay me.
ROMEO She speaks.
25
O speak again bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
30
When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
35
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot
40
Nor arm nor face nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O be some other name.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
45
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
ROMEO I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d:
50
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET
What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself
55
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
60
ROMEO Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.
JULIET
How cam’st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
65
ROMEO
With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
JULIET If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
70
ROMEO Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet
And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
75
And but thou love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
JULIET
By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
ROMEO By love, that first did prompt me to enquire.
80
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far
As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,
I should adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
85
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny
What I have spoke. But farewell, compliment.
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say ‘Ay’,
90
And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear’st,
Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,
They say, Jove laughs. O
gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or, if thou think’st I am too quickly won,
95
I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
And therefore thou mayst think my haviour light,
But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
100
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheard’st, ere I was ware,
My true-love passion; therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love
105
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
ROMEO Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops –
JULIET O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
110
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO What shall I swear by?
JULIET Do not swear at all.
Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I’ll believe thee.
ROMEO If my heart’s dear love –
115
JULIET Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract tonight:
It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say ‘It lightens’. Sweet, good night.
120
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
ROMEO O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
125
JULIET What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
ROMEO
Th’exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.
JULIET I gave thee mine before thou didst request it,
And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO
Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
130
JULIET But to be frank and give it thee again;
And yet I wish but for the thing I have.
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep: the more I give to thee
The more I have, for both are infinite.
135
I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.
[Nurse calls within.]
Anon, good Nurse – Sweet Montague be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again. Exit Juliet.
ROMEO O blessed blessed night. I am afeard,
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
140
Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
Enter JULIET above.
JULIET
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow
By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
145
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay,
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
NURSE [within] Madam.
JULIET I come, anon – But if thou meanest not well
150
I do beseech thee –
NURSE [within] Madam.
JULIET By and by I come –
To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief.
Tomorrow will I send.
ROMEO So thrive my soul –
JULIET A thousand times good night. Exit Juliet.
ROMEO A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
155
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
Enter JULIET above again.
JULIET Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falconer’s voice
To lure this tassel-gentle back again.
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
160
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine
With repetition of my Romeo’s name.
ROMEO It is my soul that calls upon my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
165
Like softest music to attending ears.
JULIET Romeo.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 445
