Shakespeare's Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (best book series to read txt) π
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href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@47960@[email protected]#LNum_Act2_0" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Enter Chorus
Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is belov'd and loves again,
Alike bewitched by the charm of looks,
But to his foe suppos'd he must complain,
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear;
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new-beloved any where.
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet. [Exit.
Scene I.
A Lane by the Wall of Capulet's Orchard
Enter Romeo
Romeo. Can I go forward when my heart is here?β
Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out.
[He climbs the wall, and leaps down within it.
Enter Benvolio and Mercutio
Benvolio. Romeo! my cousin Romeo! Romeo!
Mercutio. He is wise,
And, on my life, hath stolen him home to bed.
Benvolio. He ran this way, and leap'd this orchard wall;
Call, good Mercutio.
Mercutio. Nay, I'll conjure too.β
Romeo! humours! madman! passion! lover!
Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh!
Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied;
10
Cry but 'Ay me!' pronounce but 'love' and 'dove';
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!β
He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not;
The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.β
I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes,
By her high forehead and her scarlet lip,
That in thy likeness thou appear to us!
20
Benvolio. An 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
Till she had laid it and conjur'd it down.
That were some spite; my invocation
Is fair and honest, and in his mistress' name
I conjure only but to raise up him.
Benvolio. Come, he hath hid himself among these trees,
To be consorted with the humorous night;
30
Blind is his love and best befits the dark.
Mercutio. If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.β
Romeo, good night.βI'll to my truckle-bed;
This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.
Come, shall we go?
Benvolio.Go, then; for 'tis in vain
To seek him here that means not to be found. [Exeunt.
Scene II.
Capulet's Orchard
Enter Romeo
Romeo. He jests at scars that never felt a wound.β [Juliet appears above at a window.
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.β
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
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.β
10
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!β
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,
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,
20
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
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.β
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
30
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him,
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing 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
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Romeo. [Aside] 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.
40
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
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 name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title.βRomeo, doff thy name,
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
Romeo. I take thee at thy word.
50
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd;
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,
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 that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound.β
60
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
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.
Romeo. With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do that dares love attempt;
Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.
70
Juliet. If they do see thee, they will murther thee.
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;
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 inquire;
81
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 would adventure for such merchandise.
Juliet. Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night.
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I have spoke; but farewell compliment!
90
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say ay,
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,
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;
100
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
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's passion; therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
Romeo. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree topsβ
Juliet. O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
110
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
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 loveβ
Juliet. Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract to-night;
It is too rash, too unadvis'd, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
120
Ere one can say it lightens. Sweet, good night!
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?
Juliet. What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?
Romeo. The 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.
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Romeo. Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love?
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. [Nurse calls within.
I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!β
Anon, good nurse!βSweet Montague, be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again. [Exit.
Romeo. O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard,
140
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.
Re-enter Juliet, above
Juliet. Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
If that thy bent of love
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