with the men, I will beclull witli the wiides, I will cut off their heads.
A 3 Grego. The
[ Dramatis Personae
Chorus
Escalus, Prince of Verona
Paris, a young count, kinsman to the Prince
Montague
Capulet
An old man, of the Capulet family
Romeo, son to Montague
Mercutio, kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo
Benvolio, nephew to Montague and friend to Romeo
Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet
Balthasar, servant to Romeo
Peter, servant to Juliet’s nurse
Abram, servant to Montague
An Apothecary
Three Musicians
An Officer
Lady Montague, wife to Montague
Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet
Juliet, daughter to Capulet
Nurse to Juliet
Citizens of Verona, Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of both
houses, Maskers, Torchbearers, Pages, Guards, Watch-
men, Servants, and Attendants
Scene: Verona; Mantua]
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
THE PROLOGUE
[ Enter Chorus. ]
Chorus. Two households, both alike in dignity,° 1
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-crossed° lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, naught 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. ]
[ACT 1
Scene 1. Verona. A public place. ]
Enter Sampson and Gregory, with swords and bucklers,° of the house of Capulet.
Sampson. Gregory, on 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 run’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.
1.1.s.d. bucklers small shields 1 carry coals endure insults 2 colliers coal venders (this leads to puns on “choler” = anger, and “collar” = hang-man’s noose) 3 and if 3 draw draw swords 13 take the wall take the preferred place on the walk
Gregory. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.°
Sampson. ’Tis 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 civil with the maids—I will cut off their heads.
Gregory. The heads of the maids?
Sampson. Ay, the heads of the maids or their maiden-heads. 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 two other Servingmen [ Abram 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!
15-16 weakest goes to the wall i.e., is pushed to the rear 18 thrust to the wall assaulted against the wall 33 Poor John hake salted and dried (poor man’s fare) 33 tool weapon (with bawdy innuendo) 39 marry (an interjection, from “By the Virgin Mary”)
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
A 3 Grego. The
[ Dramatis Personae
Chorus
Escalus, Prince of Verona
Paris, a young count, kinsman to the Prince
Montague
Capulet
An old man, of the Capulet family
Romeo, son to Montague
Mercutio, kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo
Benvolio, nephew to Montague and friend to Romeo
Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet
Balthasar, servant to Romeo
Peter, servant to Juliet’s nurse
Abram, servant to Montague
An Apothecary
Three Musicians
An Officer
Lady Montague, wife to Montague
Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet
Juliet, daughter to Capulet
Nurse to Juliet
Citizens of Verona, Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of both
houses, Maskers, Torchbearers, Pages, Guards, Watch-
men, Servants, and Attendants
Scene: Verona; Mantua]
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
THE PROLOGUE
[ Enter Chorus. ]
Chorus. Two households, both alike in dignity,° 1
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-crossed° lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, naught 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. ]
[ACT 1
Scene 1. Verona. A public place. ]
Enter Sampson and Gregory, with swords and bucklers,° of the house of Capulet.
Sampson. Gregory, on 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 run’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.
1.1.s.d. bucklers small shields 1 carry coals endure insults 2 colliers coal venders (this leads to puns on “choler” = anger, and “collar” = hang-man’s noose) 3 and if 3 draw draw swords 13 take the wall take the preferred place on the walk
Gregory. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.°
Sampson. ’Tis 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 civil with the maids—I will cut off their heads.
Gregory. The heads of the maids?
Sampson. Ay, the heads of the maids or their maiden-heads. 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 two other Servingmen [ Abram 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!
15-16 weakest goes to the wall i.e., is pushed to the rear 18 thrust to the wall assaulted against the wall 33 Poor John hake salted and dried (poor man’s fare) 33 tool weapon (with bawdy innuendo) 39 marry (an interjection, from “By the Virgin Mary”)
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
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