Romeo and Juliet

PROLOGUE
Two households, both alike in
dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our
scene,
From ancient grudge break to
new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil
hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of 5
these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take
their life;
Whose misadventured piteous
overthrows
Do with their death bury their
parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their
death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their 10
parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end,
nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of
our stage;
The which if you with patient
ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil
shall strive to mend.
ACT I SCENE I Verona. A public place.
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of
Capulet, armed with swords and bucklers
SAMPSON Gregory, o' my word, we'll not
carry coals.
GREGORY No, for then we should be
colliers.
 draw.
GREGORY Ay, while you live, draw your
neck out o' the collar.
SAMPSON I strike quickly, being moved. 5
Act 1 GREGORY But thou art not quickly moved
to strike.
Prologue SAMPSON A dog of the house of Montague
moves me.
The chorus introduces the play, and tells the audience that two families in Verona have
reignited an ancient feud. Two GREGORY To
lovers, one from each move
family, is to
commit stir;after
suicide and to be
trying
valiant
to run away from their families. The loss of their children is to stand:
compels the families to end the
feud.
therefore, if thou art moved,
thou runn'st away.
SAMPSON A dog of that house shall move 10
me to stand: I will
take the wall of any man or
maid of Montague's.
GREGORY That shows thee a weak slave;
for the weakest goes
to the wall.
SAMPSON True; and therefore women,
being the weaker vessels,
are ever thrust to the wall: 15
therefore I will push
Act One, Scene One
Montague's men from the wall,
The servants of the Capulets are on the street waiting and thrustservants
for some his maids
of the Montague's
to arrive. When they do, Samson from the Capulets to bites his thumb
the wall. at them, essentially a
strong insult. Abraham from the Montague's accepts the insult and the men start to fight.
GREGORY The quarrel is between our
Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, enters and makes the men masters andbyusdrawing
stop fighting their men.
his own
sword. Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, then also enters the street. Seeing Benvolio, he too draws
his sword and enters the fight.
SAMPSON 'Tis all one, I will show myself a
tyrant: when I
Old Capulet runs onto the stage and demands a sword haveso that he too with
fought may fight.
the His
men,wifeI will 20
restrains him, even when Old Montague emerges with his sword drawn
be cruel with the as well. The
Citizens of the Watch have put up a cry, and manage to get Prince Escalus to arrive. The
Prince chides them for three times before causing the maids,
street ofand cuttooff
Verona betheir
unsafe.heads.
He
orders them to return home, and personally accompanies
GREGORY The the Capulets.
heads of the maids?
The Montagues and BenvolioSAMPSON remain on stage. TheyAy, the heads
ask Benvolio why of thewas
Romeo maids,
not or
with him, and he tells them Romeo has been in a strangetheirmood
maidenheads;
lately. When Romeo
appears, the Montagues ask Benvolio to find out what is wrong, and then depart. Romeo
take it in what sense thou wilt.
informs Benvolio that he is in love with a woman named Rosaline who wishes to remain
chaste for the rest of her life, GREGORY They must take it in sense that
which is why he is so depressed. 25
feel it.
SAMPSON Me they shall feel while I am
able to stand: and
'tis known I am a pretty piece of
 GREGORY 'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou
hadst, thou
hadst been poor John. Draw thy
tool! here comes
Act One, Scene Two two of the house of the 30
Montagues.
Paris pleads with Capulet to let him marry Juliet, who
SAMPSON Myis still only a girl
naked of thirteen. is out:
weapon
Capulet tells him to wait, but decides to allow Paris quarrel,
to woo herI and
will backwin
try to her heart.
thee.
He then tells his servant Peter to take a list of names and invite the people to a masked
ball he is hosting that evening.GREGORY How! turn thy back and run?
SAMPSON Fear me not.
Peter meets Romeo on the street, and being unable to read, asks Romeo to help read the
list for him. Romeo does, andGREGORY
realizes that the girl heNo, marry;
loves, I fear
Rosaline, willthee!
be attending
this party. Peter tells him thatSAMPSON
it will be held at Capulet's
Let us take the lawis of
house, and that he invited
our ifsides;
he 35
wishes to come. Both Benvolio and Romeo decide to go.
let them begin.
Act One, Scene Three GREGORY I will frown as I pass by, and let
them take it as
Lady Capulet asks the Nurse to call for Juliet. She does, theyand list.
then tells Lady Capulet that
Juliet will be fourteen in under two weeks. She then digresses and speaks of how Juliet
SAMPSON
was as a child, causing both Juliet Nay, as they dare. I will bite my
and her mother embarassment.
thumb at them;
The mother tells Juliet that Paris has come to marrywhich her. She isthen
a describes
disgrace Paristoasthem,
being if
beautiful, and compares him to a fine book that onlythey lacksbear
a cover.
it. Juliet does not
promise anything, but agrees to at least look at the man that night at dinner.
Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR
Act One, Scene Four ABRAHAM Do you bite your thumb at us, 40
sir?
Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio are making their way to the masked party. Romeo is still
SAMPSON I do bite my thumb, sir.
depressed, even though he gets to see Rosaline. Mercutio tries to cheer him up by telling
ABRAHAM
a story about Queen Mab, a fictitious Do men's
elf that infiltrates you dreams.
bite yourRomeo thumb
finally at us,
shushes him and comments that he is afraid of the consequences
sir? of going to this party.
SAMPSON Aside to GREGORY Is the law
Act One, Scene Five of our side, if I say
Romeo stands to the side during the dancing, and it ay? is from this spot that he first sees
Juliet. He immediately falls inGREGORY
love with her. TybaltNo. overhears Romeo talking to a 45
servingman and recognizes him as Romeo Montague by his voice. However, before
Tybalt can creat a scene, OldSAMPSON
Capulet tells him to leaveNo,Romeosir, I alone,
do not sincebite my look
it would thumb
bad to have a brawl in the middle of the festivities. at you, sir, but I
bite my thumb, sir.
Romeo finds Juliet and touches her hand. They speak in sonnet form to one another, and
Romeo eventually gets to kissGREGORY
her. However, Juliet is Do youtoquarrel,
forced go see hersir?mother. The
Nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is a Capulet, at which he is startled.
ABRAHAM Quarrel sir! no, sir.
SAMPSON
Juliet finds her Nurse at the end of the party and begs If her
you do,outsir,
to find whoI Romeo
am for you: I
is. The 50
Nurse returns and tells her he is Romeo, the only son serve
of the as good a
Montague manJuliet
family. as you.
is
heart-broken that she loves a "loathed enemy" (1.5.138).
ABRAHAM No better.
SAMPSON Well, sir.
GREGORY Say 'better:' here comes one of
my master's kinsmen.
 ABRAHAM You lie. 55
SAMPSON Draw, if you be men. Gregory,
remember thy swashing blow.
They fight
Act One: AnalysisEnter BENVOLIO
BENVOLIO Part, fools!
This play begins with a sonnet, a form of prose usually reserved for a lover addressing his
beloved. The sonnet is a very structured form of prose, Putlending
up your itself swords;
to order. you know
Shakespeare cleverly contrasts this orderly sonnet with notthewhat you do.
immediate disorder of the first
scene. Thus, the scene quickly degenerates into a
Beats down their swords bunch of quarreling servants who soon
provoke a fight between the houses of Montegue and Capulet.
Enter TYBALT
This scene is wrought with sexualTYBALTovertones, with the variousart
What, servants
thouspeaking
drawn of raping
among
the enemy's women. The sexual wordplay will continue throughout the
these heartless hinds? play, becoming
extremely bawdy and at times offensive, yet also underlying the love affair between
Romeo and Juliet. Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon 60
thy death.
The disorder within the play is evidenced by inverted circumstances. Servants start the
BENVOLIO I do but keep the peace: put up
quarrel, but soon draw the noblemen into the brawl. The young men enter the fight, but
soon the old men try to deny their age and fight as well. thy sword,
The fact that this whole scene
takes place in broad daylight undermines the security that
Or manageis supposedit toto exist
partduring
thesethemen
day. Thus the play deals with conflicting images: servants with me. leading noblemen, old age
pretending to be young, day overtaking night.
TYBALT What, drawn, and talk of peace!
The Nurse speaks of Juliet falling as a child when she I hate
relatesthe word,
a story to Lady Capulet.
This story indirectly pertains to the rise and fall of the characters. Since this is a tragedy,
As I hate hell, all Montagues,
the influence of wheel's fortune cannot be overlooked. Indeed, Juliet's role in the play
does parallel the wheel of fortune, with her rise to the and thee:and her fall to the vault.
balcony
Have at thee, coward! 65
The Nurse also foreshadows, "An I might live to see thee married once" (1.3.63).
Naturally she does not expectThey this tofight
be realized in so short a time, but indeed she does
live to only see Juliet marriedEnter,
once. several of both houses, who join the fray; then
enter Citizens, with clubs
Romeo compares Juliet to, "a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" (1.5.43) when he first sees
her. This play on the comparison FirstofCitizen Clubs,
dark and light shows bills, inand
up frequently partisans!
subsequent
scenes. It is a central part of their love that importantstrike! beattake
love scenes them placedown!
in the dark,
away from the disorder of the day. Thus Romeo loves DownJuliet with
at night,
thebut Capulets!
kills Tybalt down
during the day. It especially shows up in the first act in the way Romeo shuts out the
daylight while he is pining for Rosaline. with the Montagues!
Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY CAPULET
In the fifth scene the lover's share a sonnet which uses imagery of saints and pilgrims.
CAPULET What noise is this? Give me my
This relates to the fact that Romeo means Pilgrim in Italian. It is also a sacriligeous
sonnet, for Juliet becomes a saint to be kissed and Romeo long sword, ho!
a holy traveler.
LADY A crutch, a crutch! why call you
The foreshadowing so common in
CAPULETall of Shakespeare's
for plays comes from Juliet near the
a sword?
end of the first act. She states, "If he be married, / My grave is like to be my wedding
CAPULET
bed." (1.5.132). This will be related My sword,
over and over again, from her INursesay!and Old Montague
later even 70
from Lady Capulet. is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite
of me.
Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
MONTAGUE Thou villain Capulet,--Hold me
not, let me go.
 MONTAGUE a foe.
Enter PRINCE, with Attendants
PRINCE Rebellious subjects, enemies to
peace,
One of the remarkable aspects of the play is the transformation
Profanersof both of Romeo
this and Juliet
neighbour- 75
after they fall in love. Juliet first comes across as a young, innocent girl who obeys her
stained steel,--
parents' commands. However, by the last scene she is devious and highly focused. Thus,
Will saving
she asks her nurse about three separate men at the party, they Romeo
not hear? What,
for last so as not ho!
to arouse suspicion. Romeo will undergo a similar transformation in
you men, you beasts, the second act,
resulting in Mercutio commenting that he has become sociable.
That quench the fire of your
There is a strange biblical reference which comes from pernicious
Benvolio in rage
the very first scene,
when he attempts to halt the fight. He remarks, "PutWith up yourpurple
swords. You know not what
fountains issuing
you do" (1.1.56). This is the same phrase used by Jesus when he stops his apostles from
from your veins,
fighting the Roman guards during his arrest. It seems to preordain Juliet's demise, namely
her three day "death" followed by a resurrection which Onstill
pain of torture,
ultimately from those
ends in death.
bloody hands
Romeo and Juliet Summary Throw your mistemper'd 80
weapons to the ground,
The play is set in Verona, Italy, where a feud has broken out between the families of the
Montegues and the Capulets. The servants of both houses And hear
open the theplaysentence of your
with a brawling
movedand
scene that eventually draws in the noblemen of the families prince.
the city officials,
including Prince Escalus. Three civil brawls, bred of an
airy word,
Romeo is lamenting the fact that he is love with a woman named Rosaline, who has
vowed to remain chaste for the rest of her life. He and Byhis thee, old happen
friend Benvolio Capulet, to and
stumble across a servant of the Capulet's in the street. The servant,
Montague, Peter, is trying to read
a list of names of people invited to a masked party at the Capulet house that evening.
Romeo helps him read the list and receives an invitationHave to thrice
the party.disturb'd the quiet of
our streets,
Romeo arrives at the party in costume and falls in love And withmade
Juliet the Verona's
minute he seesancient
her. 85
However, he is recognized by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, who wants to kill him on the spot.
citizens
Capulet intervenes and tells Tybalt that he will not disturb the party for any amount of
money. Romeo manages to approach Juliet and tell Cast her thatby theirher.
he loves grave
She andbeseeming
he
share a sonnet and finish it with a kiss. ornaments,
Juliet's Nurse tells Romeo who Juliet really is, and he Tois wield old he
upset when partisans,
finds out heinloveshands
the daughter of Capulet. Juliet likewise finds out who asRomeo
old, is, and laments the fact that
she is in love with her enemy. Canker'd with peace, to part
your canker'd hate:
Soon thereafter Romeo climbs the garden wall leading to Juliet's garden. Juliet emerges
on her balcony and speaks her private thoughts out loud,If ever you herself
imagining disturb ourShestreets
alone.
wishes Romeo could shed his name and marry her. At again,
this, Romeo appears and tells her
that he loves her. She warns him to be true in his love to her, and makes him swear by his
own self that he truly loves her. Your lives shall pay the forfeit of 90
the peace.
Juliet then is called inside, but manages to return twice
Fortothis
call Romeo
time, all backtheto her.
restTheydepart
agree that Juliet will send her Nurse to meet him at nine
away:o'clock the next day, at which
point Romeo will set a place for them to be married.
You Capulet; shall go along with
me:
And, Montague, come you this
afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in
 To old Free-town, our common 95
judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all
men depart.
The Nurse carries out her duty, and tells Juliet to
Exeunt all but MONTAGUE,meet Romeo at theLADY
chapel where Friar
MONTAGUE, and
Laurence lives and works. Juliet goes to find Romeo, and together they are married by
the Friar. BENVOLIO
MONTAGUE Who set this ancient quarrel
Benvolio and Mercutio, a good friend of the Montegues, new are waiting on the street when
abroach?
Tybalt arrives. Tybalt demands to know where Romeo is so that he can challenge him to
Speak,
duel, in order to avenge Romeo's sneaking into the party. nephew,
Mercutio werevague,
is eloquently you by
but Romeo happens to arrive in the middle of the verbalwhen it began?
bantering. Tybalt challenges
him, but Romeo passively resists fighting,
BENVOLIO at which point Mercutio
Here were the jumps in and draws
servants of your
his sword on Tybalt. Romeo tries to block the two men, but Tybalt cuts Mercutio and
adversary,
runs away, only to return after he hears tha. Mercutio has died. Romeo fights with Tybalt
And scene
and kills him. When Prince Escalus arrives at the murder yours, close tofighting
he chooses banish ere I 100
Romeo from Verona forever. did approach:
The Nurse goes to tell Juliet the sad news about what I has
drew to to
happened part them:
Tybalt in the
and Romeo.
instantthat
Juliet is heart-broken, but soon recovers when she realizes came
Romeo would have been
killed if he had not fought Tybalt. She sends the Nurse to find Romeo and give him her
ring. Romeo comes that night and sleeps with Juliet. The next morning he is forced to
leave at dusk when Juliet's mother arrives. Romeo goes
Thetofiery
Mantua where he
Tybalt, waitshis
with for sword
someone to send news about Juliet or about his banishment.
prepared,
Which,
During the night Capulet decides that Juliet should marry as he
a young manbreathed
named Paris.defiance
He
and Lady Capulet go to tell Juliet that she should marryto my ears,
Paris, but when she refuses to
obey Capulet becomes infuriated and orders her to comply with his orders. He then
leaves, and is soon followed by Lady Capulet and the HeNurse,
swungwhomabout his head
Juliet throws out of and
the room, saying, "ancient damnation" (3.5.235). cut the winds,
Who nothing hurt withal hiss'd 105
Juliet then goes to Friar Laurence, who gives her a potion that will make her seem dead
him in scorn:
for at least two days. She takes the potion and drinks it that night. The next morning, the
day Juliet is supposed to marry Paris, her Nurse finds While we in were
her "dead" bed. Theinterchanging
whole house
decries her suicide, and Friar Laurence makes them thrusts and
hurry to put herblows,
into the family vault.

Romeo's servant arrives in Mantua and tells his master Came more
that Juliet is deadand more and
and buried.
Romeo hurries back to Verona. Friar Laurence discovers fought tooon
latepart
from andFriar part,
John that his
message to Romeo has failed to be delivered. He rushes to getprince
Till the to Juliet's grave who
came, beforeparted
Romeo does. either part.
Romeo arrives at the CapuletLADY O, by
vault and finds it guarded where is Romeo?
Paris, who saw you
is there to mourn
the loss of his betrothed. ParisMONTAGUE
challenges Romeo tohim to-day?
a duel, and is quickly killed. Romeo
then carries Paris into the grave and sets his body down. Seeing Juliet dead within the
Right glad I am he was not at 110
tomb, Romeo drinks some poison he has purchased and dies kissing her.
this fray.
Friar Laurence arrives just asBENVOLIO
Juliet wakes up withinMadam,
the bloody vault.
an hour He tries before
to get her the
to come out, but when she sees Romeo dead beside worshipp'd
her, Juliet takessun
his dagger and kills
herself with it. The rest of the town starts to arrive, including Capulet and Montegue.
Peer'd forth the golden window
of the east,
A troubled mind drave me to
walk abroad;
Where, underneath the grove of
 That westward rooteth from the 115
city's side,
So early walking did I see your
son:
Towards
Friar Laurence tells them the whole story. The two family him agree
patriarches I made, but he
to become
was ware of me
friends by erecting golden statues of the other's child.
And stole into the covert of the
wood:
I, measuring his affections by
my own,
That most are busied when 120
they're most alone,
Pursued my humour not
pursuing his,
And gladly shunn'd who gladly
fled from me.
MONTAGUE Many a morning hath he there
been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh
morning dew.
Adding to clouds more clouds 125
with his deep sighs;
But all so soon as the all-
cheering sun
Should in the furthest east
begin to draw
The shady curtains from
Aurora's bed,
Away from the light steals home
my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens 130
himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks far
daylight out
And makes himself an artificial
night:
Black and portentous must this
humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the
cause remove.
BENVOLIO My noble uncle, do you know 135
the cause?
MONTAGUE I neither know it nor can learn of