ACT 3
[Enter ROMEO and JULIET above, at the window]
JULIET
Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day:
Must you go now? It isn’t daybreak yet:
It was the nightingale, and not the lark,
That was a nightingale and not a lark
That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear;
That made the piercing whistle in your ear;
Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree:
Each night she sings on that pomegranate tree:
Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.
Believe me, love, it was a nightingale.
ROMEO
It was the lark, the herald of the morn,
It was a lark, which signifies it’s morning,
No nightingale: look, love, what envious streaks
And not a nightingale. Look, light is streaking
Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east:
Through clouds on the horizon to the east.
Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day
The stars of night have gone, and cheery day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
Is rising over misty mountain tops.
I must be gone and live, or stay and die.
I have to leave to live, else stay and die.
JULIET
Yon light is not day-light, I know it, I:
That light is not the daylight, I am sure:
It is some meteor that the sun exhales,
It is a meteor the sun spat out
To be to thee this night a torch-bearer,
To shine a torch to light your way tonight,
And light thee on thy way to Mantua:
To guide you on your way to Mantua.
Therefore stay yet; thou need'st not to be gone.
Oh so, stay longer; you don’t need to leave.
ROMEO
Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death;
Let me be captured and be put to death;
I am content, so thou wilt have it so.
I’m happy if that’s what you want to happen.
I'll say yon grey is not the morning's eye,
I’ll say the grey skies aren’t the light of morning,
'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow;
But the reflection of the moon goddess.
Nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat
Nor that is not the lark, whose notes are beating
The vaulty heaven so high above our heads:
Right up to heaven right above our heads.
I have more care to stay than will to go:
I’ve more desire to stay here than to leave:
Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so.
Come on then death! For that’s what Juliet wants.
How is't, my soul? Let's talk; it is not day.
How are you, soulmate? Let’s talk; it’s not day.
JULIET
It is, it is: hie hence, be gone, away!
It is, it is: quickly, be on your way!
It is the lark that sings so out of tune,
It is the lark that sings so out of tune,
Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps.
Straining to shriek and hitting graceless high notes.
Some say the lark makes sweet division;
Some say the lark brings joy as night turns day;
This doth not so, for she divideth us:
This isn’t true, for it’s dividing us two.
Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes,
Some say the lark and ugly toad should swap eyes,
O, now I would they had changed voices too!
But now I wish they’d swapped their voices too!
Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray,
Because the singing lark means we must part,
Hunting thee hence with hunt's-up to the day,
And at the dawn, the hunt for you will start.
O, now be gone; more light and light it grows.
So now be gone; the day is getting lighter.
ROMEO
More light and light; more dark and dark our woes!
Our sorrow darkens as the day draws brighter.
[Enter Nurse, to the chamber]
NURSE
Madam!
Madam!
JULIET
Nurse?
Nurse?
NURSE
Your lady mother is coming to your chamber:
Your lady mother is coming to your bedroom.
The day is broke; be wary, look about.
Morning has broken; careful, look around you.
[Exit]
JULIET
Then, window, let day in, and let life out.
Then, window, let the day in and my life out.
ROMEO
Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I'll descend.
Goodbye, goodbye! One kiss, then I’ll descend.
[He goeth down]
JULIET
Art thou gone so? Love, lord, ay, husband, friend!
Have you left just like that? Lord, husband, lover!
I must hear from thee every day in the hour,
I have to hear from you each hour each day,
For in a minute there are many days:
For every minute drags like many days;
O, by this count I shall be much in years
And thus I will be many more years older
Ere I again behold my Romeo!
Before I see my Romeo again!
ROMEO
Farewell!
Goodbye!
I will omit no opportunity
I won’t miss any opportunity
That may convey my greetings, love, to thee.
To send romantic notes to you from me.
JULIET
O think'st thou we shall ever meet again?
Do you think we will ever meet again?
ROMEO
I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve
I do not doubt it, and this pain will be
For sweet discourses in our time to come.
The lovely stories we’ll share in the future.
JULIET
O God, I have an ill-divining soul!
Oh God, I have a hunch that evil’s coming!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
I think I see you, now that you’re below me,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb:
As though you’re dead and lying in a tomb:
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale.
Either my eyesight fails me, or you look pale.
ROMEO
And trust me, love, in my eye so do you:
And trust me, you look pale to me as well:
Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu!
We’re pale, for sadness sups our blood. Goodbye!
[Exit]
JULIET
O fortune, fortune! All men call thee fickle:
Oh fortune, fortune! All men think you’re fickle.
If thou art fickle, what dost thou with him
But if you’re fickle, what do you want with him?
That is renowned for faith? Be fickle, fortune;
Who’s known for being faithful? Be fickle, fortune;
For then, I hope, thou wilt not keep him long,
For then, I hope, you won’t keep him for long,
But send him back.
Then send him back.
LADY CAPULET
[Within]
Ho, daughter! Are you up?
My daughter! Are you up?
JULIET
Who is't that calls? Is it my lady mother?
Who is that calling me? Is it my mother?
Is she not down so late, or up so early?
Is she still up so late, or up so early?
What unaccustomed cause procures her hither?
What strange occurrence might have brought her here?
[Enter LADY CAPULET]
LADY CAPULET
Why, how now, Juliet!
Well, hello, Juliet!
JULIET
Madam, I am not well.
Madam, I’m not well.
LADY CAPULET
Evermore weeping for your cousin's death?
Still always crying for your cousin’s death?
What, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears?
What, will you wash him from his grave with tears?
An if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live;
And if you could, you couldn’t make him live;
Therefore, have done: some grief shows much of love;
And so, stop crying; some grief shows you loved him;
But much of grief shows still some want of wit.
But too much grief suggests you’re rather foolish.
JULIET
Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss.
But let me cry for such a sense of loss.
LADY CAPULET
So shall you feel the loss, but not the friend
Then you will feel the loss, but not the friend
Which you weep for.
You’re crying for.
JULIET
Feeling so the loss,
The loss for which I’m crying
Cannot choose but ever weep the friend.
Ensures I’ll cry forever for my friend.
LADY CAPULET
Well, girl, thou weep'st not so much for his death,
Well then, you’re crying not that Tybalt’s dead,
As that the villain lives which slaughtered him.
But that the thug that killed him is alive.
JULIET
What villain madam?
What thug, mother?
LADY CAPULET
That same villain, Romeo.
That same thug, Romeo.
JULIET
[Aside]
Villain and he be many miles asunder.--
He’s many miles away from being a thug.
God Pardon him! I do, with all my heart;
God, pardon him! I do, with all my heart;
And yet no man like he doth grieve my heart.
And yet no man like him does make me grieve.
LADY CAPULET
That is, because the traitor murderer lives.
And that’s because that murderer is alive.
JULIET
Ay, madam, from the reach of these my hands:
Yes, madam, he is out of reach of me;
Would none but I might venge my cousin's death!
I wish that only I could get revenge!
LADY CAPULET
We will have vengeance for it, fear thou not:
We will get our revenge, be sure of that:
Then weep no more. I'll send to one in Mantua,
So stop your tears. I’ll send someone to Mantua,
Where that same banished runagate doth live,
Where that now banished renegade is living,
Shall give him such an unaccustomed dram,
And he’ll give him a potent drink that’s poisoned
That he shall soon keep Tybalt company:
That kills him, so he goes to join with Tybalt.
And then, I hope, thou wilt be satisfied.
And then I hope you will be satisfied.
JULIET
Indeed, I never shall be satisfied
Indeed, I never shall be satisfied
With Romeo, till I behold him--dead--
With Romeo, till I hold him…I am dead
Is my poor heart for a kinsman vexed.
Within my heart for my contentious kinsman.
Madam, if you could find out but a man
Mother, if only you could find the man
To bear a poison, I would temper it;
To give the poison, I would weaken it,
That Romeo should, upon receipt thereof,
So Romeo, once he has drunk it all,
Soon sleep in quiet. O, how my heart abhors
Will quietly fall to sleep. My heart detests
To hear him named, and cannot come to him.
To hear his name, yet cannot go to him.
To wreak the love I bore my cousin
I’d spread the love that I had for my cousin
Upon his body that slaughtered him!
Upon the body of the man that killed him!
LADY CAPULET
Find thou the means, and I'll find such a man.
You find the means, and I will find the man.
But now I'll tell thee joyful tidings, girl.
But now I have some happy news for you.
JULIET
And joy comes well in such a needy time:
And happy news is welcome in sad times.
What are they, I beseech your ladyship?
What is the news? Please hurry up and tell me.
LADY CAPULET
Well, well, thou hast a careful father, child;
Well as you know, your father cares for you, dear;
One who, to put thee from thy heaviness,
And he, to break the sadness you’ve been feeling,
Hath sorted out a sudden day of joy,
Has sorted out a sudden day of joy,
That thou expect'st not nor I looked not for.
That you were not expecting, nor I seeking.
JULIET
Madam, in happy time, what day is that?
Oh mother, quickly tell me, what’s the day?
LADY CAPULET
Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn,
Well my dear child, next Thursday morning, early,
The gallant, young and noble gentleman,
The gallant, young and noble gentleman,
The County Paris, at Saint Peter's Church,
The Count of Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church,
Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.
Will gladly make you there a happy bride.
JULIET
Now, by Saint Peter's Church and Peter too,
Now, by Saint Peter’s Church and Peter too,
He shall not make me there a joyful bride.
He will not make me there a happy bride.
I wonder at this haste; that I must wed
I wonder why you’re rushing me to marry
Ere he, that should be husband, comes to woo.
A man who hasn’t met me yet to woo me.
I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam,
I ask you, tell my lord and father, mother,
I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I swear,
I’ll not get married yet; but, when I do,
It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,
It will be Romeo, who you know I hate,
Rather than Paris. These are news indeed!
Instead of Paris. Now that is some news!
LADY CAPULET
Here comes your father; tell him so yourself,
Here comes your father; tell him that yourself
And see how he will take it at your hands.
And see how he will take it when you tell him.
[Enter CAPULET and Nurse]
CAPULET
When the sun sets, the air doth drizzle dew;
When the sun sets, a gentle fog appears;
But for the sunset of my brother's son
But at the sunset of my brother’s son,
It rains downright.
It pours with rain.
How now! A conduit, girl? What, still in tears?
What’s up! Are you a waterpipe? Still crying?
Evermore showering? In one little body
Forever showering? In a little body
Thou counterfeit'st a bark, a sea, a wind;
That seems to be a boat, a sea, and wind;
For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea,
For still your eyes, that I might call the sea,
Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is,
Do ebb and flow with tears; the boat’s your body
Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sighs;
That sails on salty water; winds, your sighs,
Who, raging with thy tears, and they with them,
Which, angry like your tears, and both together,
Without a sudden calm, will overset
Unless they both calm down, will overwhelm
Thy tempest-tossed body. How now, wife!
Your storm-lambasted body. What’s the news, wife!
Have you delivered to her our decree?
Have you told her about what we’ve decided?
LADY CAPULET
Ay, sir; but she will none, she gives you thanks.
Yes, sir, but she won’t do it, though she thanks you.
I would the fool were married to her grave!
I think the girl would rather wed her grave!
CAPULET
Soft! Take me with you, take me with you, wife.
Wait up! You’ll have to tell me that again, wife.
How! Will she none? Doth she not give us thanks?
What! She won’t do it? And she isn’t grateful?
Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blest,
Is she not proud? Does she not count her blessings,
Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought
For one that’s so unmerited, we’ve found
So worthy a gentleman to be her bridegroom?
A worthy gentleman to be her bridegroom?
JULIET
Not proud, you have; but thankful, that you have:
I am not proud you have, although I’m grateful:
Proud can I never be of what I hate;
I never can be proud of what I hate,
But thankful even for hate, that is meant love.
But, though I hate it, glad it’s sent in love.
CAPULET
How now, how now, chop-logic! What is this?
You what? That’s twisted logic! What do you mean?
'Proud,' and 'I thank you,' and 'I thank you not;'
You’re “proud,” and “thank you,” and “I do not thank you”;
And yet 'not proud,' mistress minion, you,
And yet you say you’re “not proud”; spoiled brat!
Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds,
Don’t give me, “thanks, but no thanks”, “proudly unproud”,
But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next,
But get your body ready for next Thursday
To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church,
To marry Paris at Saint Peter’s Church,
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.
Or I will drag you like a prisoner there.
Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage!
Get out of here, you rotting corpse! You baggage!
You tallow-face!
You pale face!
LADY CAPULET
Fie, fie! What, are you mad?
Wait up, now! Are you mad?
JULIET
Good father, I beseech you on my knees,
Dear father, I am begging on my knees
Hear me with patience but to speak a word.
For you to listen patiently to me.
CAPULET
Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!
Go hang yourself, you bag! Rebellious lowlife!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
I’ll tell you what: be in the church on Thursday
Or never after look me in the face:
Or you will never look at me again.
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me;
Don’t speak; do not reply; don’t answer me;
My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blest
My fingers want to slap you. We once thought
That God had lent us but this only child;
That God had blessed us with this only child,
But now I see this one is one too much,
But now I see that one child is too many,
And that we have a curse in having her:
And that we both are cursed for having her.
Out on her, hilding!
Get out, you vile person!
NURSE
God in heaven bless her!
Oh, God bless her!
You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so.
You are at fault, my lord, to scold her like that.
CAPULET
And why, my lady wisdom? Hold your tongue,
And why, wise woman? Shut up, hold your tongue,
Good prudence; smatter with your gossips, go.
If you want to be wise. Go gossip elsewhere.
NURSE
I speak no treason.
I’m saying nothing wrong.
CAPULET
O, God ye god-den.
Oh no, for God’s sake.
NURSE
May not one speak?
Can I not speak?
CAPULET
Peace, you mumbling fool!
Be quiet, you mumbling fool!
Utter your gravity o'er a gossip's bowl;
Spread all your knowledge when you have a chitchat;
For here we need it not.
For her, we do not need it.
LADY CAPULET
You are too hot.
You are too angry.
CAPULET
God's bread! It makes me mad:
For God’s sake! It drives me mad
Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play,
Each hour of every day, at work, at play,
Alone, in company, still my care hath been
Alone, with others, all I’ve cared about is
To have her matched: and having now provided
To see her married. And now I’ve provided
A gentleman of noble parentage,
A gentleman of noble parentage,
Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly trained,
Of landed gentry, youthful, educated,
Stuffed, as they say, with honourable parts,
And, so I’ve heard, they say he’s well endowed,
Proportioned as one's thought would wish a man;
Proportioned like a woman would desire;
And then to have a wretched puling fool,
And then to have a wretched, moaning fool,
A whining mammet, in her fortune's tender,
A whining puppet, when she has good fortune,
To answer 'I'll not wed; I cannot love,
Reply, “I will not wed him; I can’t love him;
I am too young; I pray you, pardon me.'
I am too young; I beg you, let me off.”
But, as you will not wed, I'll pardon you:
But, as you will not wed him, I’ll forgive you:
Graze where you will you shall not house with me:
Go where you want, but not within my house;
Look to't, think on't, I do not use to jest.
Go do it, think about it; I’m not joking.
Thursday is near; lay hand on heart, advise:
Thursday is close; think long and hard about it.
An you be mine, I'll give you to my friend;
If you’re my daughter, you will wed my friend;
And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,
But if not, you’ll beg, starve, die in the streets,
For, by my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee,
For, on my life, I won’t acknowledge you,
Nor what is mine shall never do thee good:
And you will not inherit what is mine.
Trust to't, bethink you; I'll not be forsworn.
Now, think about it; I’ll not change my mind.
[Exit]
JULIET
Is there no pity sitting in the clouds,
Are there no gods that look down from above
That sees into the bottom of my grief?
And see the depth and content of my grief?
O, sweet my mother, cast me not away!
Oh, my dear mother, do not throw me out!
Delay this marriage for a month, a week;
Delay this marriage for a month or week;
Or, if you do not, make the bridal bed
Or, if you don’t, then make my bridal bed
In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.
Within the musty tomb where Tybalt lies.
LADY CAPULET
Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word:
Don’t talk to me, for I won’t say a word:
Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.
Do what you want, for I am done with you.
[Exit]
JULIET
O God!--O nurse, how shall this be prevented?
Oh God! Oh nurse, how can this be prevented?
My husband is on earth, my faith in heaven;
My husband is on earth, my vows in heaven;
How shall that faith return again to earth,
How can my vows come back to me on earth
Unless that husband send it me from heaven
Unless my husband sends them back from heaven
By leaving earth? Comfort me, counsel me.
By leaving earth? Give me advice and comfort.
Alack, alack, that heaven should practise stratagems
How sad that heaven’s playing dirty tricks
Upon so soft a subject as myself!
Upon someone as gentle as myself!
What say'st thou? Hast thou not a word of joy?
What do you say? Can you say something happy?
Some comfort, nurse.
Give comfort to me, nurse.
NURSE
Faith, here it is.
Well, here it is.
Romeo is banished; and all the world to nothing,
So, Romeo is banished; it’s a fair bet
That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you;
That he will not return to claim you back;
Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
Or, if he did, it has to be in secret.
Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,
So, in the situation you are facing,
I think it best you married with the county.
I think it best you’re married to Count Paris.
O, he's a lovely gentleman!
Oh, he’s a lovely gentleman!
Romeo's a dishclout to him: an eagle, madam,
Romeo’s a dishcloth next to him: an eagle
Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye
Does not have eyes as green, as quick or lovely
As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart,
As Paris has. Curse me if I am wrong,
I think you are happy in this second match,
I think that you’ll be happy second time,
For it excels your first: or if it did not,
For he’s far better than your first; or if not,
Your first is dead; or 'twere as good he were,
Your first is dead, or he’s as good as dead,
As living here and you no use of him.
For living here, you’ll never get to see him.
JULIET
Speakest thou from thy heart?
Do you speak from your heart?
NURSE
And from my soul too;
And from my soul, too;
Or else beshrew them both.
Or else goddamn them both.
JULIET
Amen!
Amen!
NURSE
What?
What do you mean?
JULIET
Well, thou hast comforted me marvellous much.
Well, you have given me a lot of comfort.
Go in: and tell my lady I am gone,
Go inside: tell my mother I have left
Having displeased my father, to Laurence' cell,
– Because I made my father mad – for Laurence’s church
To make confession and to be absolved.
To make confession and to be absolved.
NURSE
Marry, I will; and this is wisely done.
Indeed I will; and that’s a wise decision.
[Exit]
JULIET
Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!
Damn you, old woman! Evil, wicked person!
Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn,
What’s worse? To wish me married to the count,
Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue
Or slag my husband off by that same mouth
Which she hath praised him with above compare
That’s heaped her endless compliments upon him
So many thousand times? Go, counsellor;
A thousand times before? Clear off, advisor;
Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain.
I’ll never share my heart with you again.
I'll to the friar, to know his remedy:
I’ll go to seek the friar’s remedy;
If all else fail, myself have power to die.
If all else fails, I have the power to die.
[Exit]
