Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
Prologue
(Enter Chorus.)
CHORUS:
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 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 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.
(Exit Chorus.)
Act I, Scene I
(A public place in Verona. 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.
SAMPSON:
I mean, and we be in choler, we'll draw.
GREGORY:
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar.
SAMPSON:
I strike quickly, being moved.
GREGORY:
But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
SAMPSON:
A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
GREGORY:
To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand:
therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.
SAMPSON:
A dog of that house shall move 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: therefore I will push
Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids
to the wall.
GREGORY:
The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.
SAMPSON:
'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I
have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the
maids, and cut off their heads.
GREGORY:
The heads of the maids?
SAMPSON:
Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;
take it in what sense thou wilt.
GREGORY:
They must take it in sense that feel it.
SAMPSON:
Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and
'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.
GREGORY:
'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou
hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! here comes
two of the house of Montagues.
(Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR.)
SAMPSON:
My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.
GREGORY:
How! turn thy back and run?
SAMPSON:
Fear me not.
GREGORY:
No, marry; I fear thee!
SAMPSON:
Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.
GREGORY:
I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as
they list.
SAMPSON:
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them;
which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
(ABRAHAM comes forward.)
ABRAHAM:
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON:
I do bite my thumb, sir.
ABRAHAM:
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON:
(Aside to GREGORY) Is the law of our side, if I say ay?
GREGORY:
(Aside to SAMPSON) No.
SAMPSON:
No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite
my thumb, sir.
GREGORY:
Do you quarrel, sir?
ABRAHAM:
Quarrel, sir! no, sir.
SAMPSON:
If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.
ABRAHAM:
No better.
SAMPSON:
Well, sir.
GREGORY:
Say "better": here comes one of my master's kinsmen.
SAMPSON:
Yes, better, sir.
ABRAHAM:
You lie.
SAMPSON:
Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.
(They fight. Enter BENVOLIO.)
BENVOLIO:
Part, fools!
Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
(Enter TYBALT.)
TYBALT:
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
BENVOLIO:
I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.
TYBALT:
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!
(They fight.)
