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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 misadventur’d piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
Love is a smoke rais’d with the fume of sighs; 185 Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
ROMEO She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste; 215 For beauty, starv’d with her severity, Cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair, To merit bliss by making me despair. She hath forsworn to love; and in that vow 220 Do I live dead that live to tell it now.
My child is yet a stranger in the world, She hath not seen the change of fourteen years; 10 Let two more summers wither in their pride Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
Find written in the margent of his eyes, This precious book of love, this unbound lover, 90 To beautify him only lacks a cover. The fish lives in the sea, and ’tis much pride For fair without the fair within to hide. That book in many’s eyes doth share the glory, That in gold clasps locks in the golden story; 95 So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him making yourself no less.
JULIET I’ll look to like, if looking liking move; 100 But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.
MERCUTIO You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings And soar with them above a common bound.
ROMEO 25 Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too rude, too boist’rous, and it pricks like thorn. MERCUTIO If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
MERCUTIO True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy; 105 Which is as thin of substance as the air, And more inconstant than the wind, who wooes
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
ROMEO O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
JULIET My only love, sprung from my only hate! 145 Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathed enemy.
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!
It is my lady; O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! 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.
JULIET 35 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.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.
ROMEO 70 With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
ROMEO I have night’s cloak to hide me from their sight; 80 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 A thousand times good night! [Exit.] ROMEO A thousand times the worse, to want thy light! 165 Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books; But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
ROMEO Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet; 60 As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine, And all combin’d, save what thou must combine By holy marriage. When, and where, and how We met, we woo’d, and made exchange of vow, I’ll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, 65 That thou consent to marry us to-day.
These violent delights have violent ends 10 And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.
MERCUTIO I am hurt. A plague o’ both your houses! I am sped.
Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night
O, I have bought the mansion of a love, But not possess’d it; and, though I am sold, Not yet enjoy’d. So tedious is this day As is the night before some festival
There is no world without Verona walls, But purgatory, torture, hell itself. 20 Hence banished is banish’d from the world, And world’s exile is death. Then ‘banishment’ Is death misterm’d. Calling death ‘banishment,’ Thou cut’st my head off with a golden axe And smilest upon the stroke that murders me.
Here’s to my love! [Drinks.] O true apothecary! 120 Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished; 315 For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
