| ACT II SCENE II | Capulet's orchard. | |
| [Enter ROMEO] |
| ROMEO | He jests at scars that never felt a wound. |
[JULIET appears above at a window] |
| But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? |
| It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. |
| Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, |
| Who is already sick and pale with grief, | 5 |
| 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. |
| It is my lady, O, it is my love! | 10 |
| 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: |
| Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, | 15 |
| 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, |
| As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven | 20 |
| 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! | 25 |
| JULIET | Ay me! |
| ROMEO | She speaks: |
| 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 | 30 |
| Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes |
| 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? | 35 |
| 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; | 40 |
| Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. |
| 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 | 45 |
| 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. Romeo, doff thy name, |
| And for that name which is no part of thee | 50 |
| Take all myself. |
| ROMEO | I take thee at thy word: |
| Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; |
| Henceforth I never will be Romeo. |
| JULIET | What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night | 55 |
| 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; | 60 |
| Had I it written, I would tear the word. |
| JULIET | My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words |
| Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound: |
| Art thou not Romeo and a Montague? |
| ROMEO | Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike. | 65 |
| JULIET | How camest 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; | 70 |
| For stony limits cannot hold love out, |
| And what love can do that dares love attempt; |
| Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me. |
| JULIET | If they do see thee, they will murder thee. |
| ROMEO | Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye | 75 |
| 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 sight; |
| And but thou love me, let them find me here: | 80 |
| 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, who first did prompt me to inquire; |
| He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. | 85 |
| 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 | 90 |
| 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! |
| Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,' |
| And I will take thy word: yet if thou swear'st, | 95 |
| Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries |
| Then 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 an say thee nay, | 100 |
| So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world. |
| In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, |
| And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light: |
| But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true |
| Than those that have more cunning to be strange. | 105 |
| 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. | 110 |
| ROMEO | Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear |
| That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops-- |
| JULIET | O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, |
| That monthly changes in her circled orb, |
| Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. | 115 |
| 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. | 120 |
| ROMEO | If my heart's dear love-- |
| JULIET | Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee, |
| I have no joy of this contract to-night: |
| It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden; |
| Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be | 125 |
| 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! | 130 |
| 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. | 135 |
| 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, | 140 |
| The more I have, for both are infinite. |
[Nurse calls within] |
| I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu! |
| Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true. |
| Stay but a little, I will come again. |
| [Exit, above] |
| ROMEO | O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard. | 145 |
| 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 be honourable, |
| Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow, | 150 |
| By one that I'll procure to come to thee, |
| Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite; |
| And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay |
| And follow thee my lord throughout the world. |
| Nurse | [Within] Madam!
| 155 |
| JULIET | I come, anon.--But if thou mean'st not well, |
| I do beseech thee-- |
| Nurse | [Within] Madam!
|
| JULIET | By and by, I come:-- |
| To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief: | 160 |
| To-morrow will I send. |
| ROMEO | So thrive my soul-- |
| JULIET | A thousand times good night! |
| [Exit, above] |
| ROMEO | A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. |
| Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from | 165 |
| their books, |
| But love from love, toward school with heavy looks. |
| [Retiring] |
| [Re-enter JULIET, above] |
| JULIET | Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice, |
| To lure this tassel-gentle back again! |
| Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud; | 170 |
| Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, |
| And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine, |
| With repetition of my Romeo's name. |
| ROMEO | It is my soul that calls upon my name: |
| How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, | 175 |
| Like softest music to attending ears! |
| JULIET | Romeo! |
| ROMEO | My dear? |
| JULIET | At what o'clock to-morrow |
| Shall I send to thee? | 180 |
| ROMEO | At the hour of nine. |
| JULIET | I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then. |
| I have forgot why I did call thee back. |
| ROMEO | Let me stand here till thou remember it. |
| JULIET | I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, | 185 |
| Remembering how I love thy company. |
| ROMEO | And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, |
| Forgetting any other home but this. |
| JULIET | 'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone: |
| And yet no further than a wanton's bird; | 190 |
| Who lets it hop a little from her hand, |
| Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, |
| And with a silk thread plucks it back again, |
| So loving-jealous of his liberty. |
| ROMEO | I would I were thy bird. | 195 |
| JULIET | Sweet, so would I: |
| Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. |
| Good night, good night! parting is such |
| sweet sorrow, |
| That I shall say good night till it be morrow. | 200 |
| [Exit above] |
| ROMEO | Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! |
| Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! |
| Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, |
| His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell. |
| [Exit] |
