ACT 1
[Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse]
LADY CAPULET
Nurse, where's my daughter? Call her forth to me.
Nurse, where’s my daughter? Call her here for me.
NURSE
Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year old,
I swear by my virginity at twelve,
I bade her come. What, lamb! What, ladybird!
I have already asked she comes. Where are you!
God forbid! Where's this girl? What, Juliet!
Oh goodness, where’s that girl? Hey, Juliet!
[Enter JULIET]
JULIET
How now! Who calls?
What’s up? Who’s calling me?
NURSE
Your mother.
Your mother.
JULIET
Madam, I am here.
Madam, I am here.
What is your will?
What do you want?
LADY CAPULET
This is the matter:--Nurse, give leave awhile,
This is the matter. – Nurse, leave us a while,
We must talk in secret:--nurse, come back again;
We have to talk in secret. – Nurse, come back;
I have remembered me, thou's hear our counsel.
I’ve reconsidered, and you have to hear this.
Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.
You know my daughter’s age; she is maturing.
NURSE
Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.
Indeed; I know her age down to the hour.
LADY CAPULET
She's not fourteen.
She’s not fourteen yet.
NURSE
I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,--
I’d bet fourteen teeth –
And yet, to my teeth be it spoken, I have but four--
Although, if it’s my teeth, I’ve only got four –
She is not fourteen. How long is it now
She is not fourteen. How long is it now
To Lammas-tide?
Till August 1st?
LADY CAPULET
A fortnight and odd days.
A fortnight and the odd day.
NURSE
Even or odd, of all days in the year,
Even or odd, on that day in the year,
Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.
The eve of August 1st, at night she’s fourteen.
Susan and she--God rest all Christian souls!--
Susan and her – God rest all Christian souls! –
Were of an age: well, Susan is with God;
Were both the same age; Susan’s now in heaven;
She was too good for me: but, as I said,
She was too good to be my daughter; but
On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;
The eve of August 1st, at night, she’s fourteen;
That shall she, marry; I remember it well.
That she will be. I do remember well.
'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years;
It’s been eleven years now since the earthquake;
And she was weaned,--I never shall forget it,--
She stopped breastfeeding – I will not forget it –
Of all the days of the year, upon that day:
Upon that day, of all days in the year:
For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,
For I’d rubbed bitter herbs upon my breast,
Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall;
Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall.
My lord and you were then at Mantua:--
My lord and you were then in Mantua –
Nay, I do bear a brain:--but, as I said,
My memory is good – but, as I said,
When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple
When she did taste the herbs upon my nipple
Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool,
Of my breast and the taste was bitter, sweet fool
To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug!
Became annoyed and angry with my breast!
Shake quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I trow,
The dove-house shouted ‘earthquake!’ There was no need
To bid me trudge:
To tell me I should leave.
And since that time it is eleven years;
And since then, it has been eleven years.
For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood,
Back then, she could stand up alone; no, even
She could have run and waddled all about;
Back then she’d run and waddle all about;
For even the day before, she broke her brow:
For just the day before, she cut her forehead;
And then my husband--God be with his soul!
And then my husband – God be with his soul!
A' was a merry man--took up the child:
He was a happy man – lifted the child.
'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?
“Yes,” he said, “did you fall on your face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;
You’ll fall upon your back for sex when older,
Wilt thou not, Jule?' And, by my holidame,
Won’t you, Jule?” And, by the heaven above,
The pretty wretch left crying and said 'Ay.'
The pretty fool stopped crying, saying “Yes.”
To see, now, how a jest shall come about!
You see now how a joke becomes the truth!
I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,
I tell you, if I live a thousand years,
I never should forget it: 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he;
I never will forget it. “Won’t you, Jule?” he said;
And, pretty fool, it stinted and said 'Ay.'
And, pretty fool stopped crying, whispering, “Yes.”
LADY CAPULET
Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.
I’ve heard enough of this; please, now be quiet.
NURSE
Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh,
Yes, madam, but I cannot help but laugh,
To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.'
To think that she stopped crying, saying, “Yes.”
And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow
But let me tell you, she had on her forehead
A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone;
A bump as big as a baby rooster’s bollocks;
A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly:
A massive bump; and she cried bitterly.
'Yea,' quoth my husband,'fall'st upon thy face?
“Yes,” my husband said, “fall on your forehead?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age;
You’ll fall upon your back for sex when older,
Wilt thou not, Jule?' It stinted and said 'Ay.'
Won’t you, Jule?” To which she whispered, “Yes.”
JULIET
And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I.
And whisper up yourself now, nurse, I tell you.
NURSE
Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace!
Yes, I am done. May God spread blessings on you!
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed:
You were the prettiest babe I ever nursed;
An I might live to see thee married once,
If I can live to see you married one day,
I have my wish.
My wishes will come true.
LADY CAPULET
Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme
Indeed, for marriage is the very topic
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How stands your disposition to be married?
What are your thoughts about you getting married?
JULIET
It is an honour that I dream not of.
It is an honour I don’t think about.
NURSE
An honour! Were not I thine only nurse,
An honour? If I weren’t the one who nursed you,
I would say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat.
I’d say you sucked all wisdom from your nipples.
LADY CAPULET
Well, think of marriage now; younger than you,
It’s time to think of marriage; there are younger
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Verona ladies than you, well respected,
Are made already mothers: by my count,
Already that are mothers. As I recall,
I was your mother much upon these years
I was your mother just about the same age
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief:
That you are now a young woman. In brief:
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.
The brave Count Paris wants to marry you.
NURSE
A man, young lady! Lady, such a man
A man, young lady! Lady, he’s a man
As all the world--why, he's a man of wax.
That all the world…well, he is almost perfect!
LADY CAPULET
Verona's summer hath not such a flower.
No summer flowers are lovelier in Verona.
NURSE
Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.
No, he’s a flower; indeed, a lovely flower.
LADY CAPULET
What say you? Can you love the gentleman?
What do you think, then? Can you love this man?
This night you shall behold him at our feast;
Tonight you will observe him at our feast.
Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,
Observe the depth within young Paris’s face,
And find delight writ there with beauty's pen;
Appreciating all his gorgeous lines;
Examine every married lineament,
Note how his features work in harmony
And see how one another lends content
And, all combined, are beautiful to see,
And what obscured in this fair volume lies
And features that his lovely face disguise
Find written in the margent of his eyes.
You’ll see within the glowing of his eyes.
This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
This man is like a book without a cover;
To beautify him, only lacks a cover:
To make him beautiful, he needs a lover:
The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride
Fish thrive in lovely water, all surrounded
For fair without the fair within to hide:
By beauty, like the two of you compounded.
That book in many's eyes doth share the glory,
Most people think a story should be told
That in gold clasps locks in the golden story;
If it’s a book bound with a clasp of gold;
So shall you share all that he doth possess,
So you’ll get all his strengths, and insofar
By having him, making yourself no less.
As wedding him, you’ll stay the girl you are.
NURSE
No less! Nay, bigger; women grow by men.
At least! No, bigger, for he’ll make you pregnant.
LADY CAPULET
Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?
So, tell me what you think: can you love Paris?
JULIET
I'll look to like, if looking liking move:
I’ll strive to like him if he looks appealing:
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
But I won’t let my eyes be over-tempted
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.
Than your permission grants that I’m exempted.
[Enter a Servant]
SERVANT
Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you
Madam, the guests are here, supper is served; they’re
called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in
calling for you and Juliet; the staff are cursing the nurse
the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must
for not being in the pantry; it’s getting out of control. I have
hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight.
to leave to wait on the guests; please, come straight away.
LADY CAPULET
We follow thee.
We’ll follow you.
[Exit Servant]
Juliet, the county stays.
Juliet, Count Paris is here.
NURSE
Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.
Go, girl; seek happy times to bring you cheer.
[Exeunt]
