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Romeo and Juliet: Act I, Scene 2

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Romeo and Juliet
Act I, Scene 2

Verona. A street.

Romeo

Romeo

Percy Anderson, circa 1900

  1. Enter Capulet, County Paris, and Second Servingman, the
  2. clown.

Capulet

1 - 3
  1. But Montague is bound as well as I,
  2. In penalty alike, and ’tis not hard, I think,
  3. For men so old as we to keep the peace.

Paris

4 - 6
  1. Of honorable reckoning are you both,
  2. And pity ’tis you liv’d at odds so long.
  3. But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?

Capulet

7 - 11
  1. But saying o’er what I have said before:
  2. My child is yet a stranger in the world,
  3. She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;
  4. Let two more summers wither in their pride,
  5. Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Paris

12
  1. Younger than she are happy mothers made.

Capulet

13 - 38
  1. And too soon marr’d are those so early made.
  2. Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she;
  3. She’s the hopeful lady of my earth.
  4. But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
  5. My will to her consent is but a part;
  6. And she agreed, within her scope of choice
  7. Lies my consent and fair according voice.
  8. This night I hold an old accustom’d feast,
  9. Whereto I have invited many a guest,
  10. Such as I love, and you, among the store
  11. One more, most welcome, makes my number more.
  12. At my poor house look to behold this night
  13. Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light.
  14. Such comfort as do lusty young men feel
  15. When well-apparell’d April on the heel
  16. Of limping winter treads, even such delight
  17. Among fresh fennel buds shall you this night
  18. Inherit at my house; hear all, all see;
  19. And like her most whose merit most shall be;
  20. Which on more view of many, mine, being one,
  21. May stand in number, though in reck’ning none.
  22. Come go with me.
  23. To Second Servingman.
  24. Go, sirrah, trudge about
  25. Through fair Verona, find those persons out
  26. Whose names are written there, and to them say,
  27. My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
  1. Exit with Paris.

Second Servingman

39 - 45
  1. Find them out whose names are written here! It is written
  2. that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard and the
  3. tailor with his last, the fisher with his pencil and the
  4. painter with his nets; but I am sent to find those persons
  5. whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the
  6. writing person hath here writ. I must to the learned. In
  7. good time!
  1. Enter Benvolio and Romeo.

Benvolio

46 - 51
  1. Tut, man, one fire burns out another’s burning,
  2. One pain is less’ned by another’s anguish;
  3. Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;
  4. One desperate grief cures with another’s languish:
  5. Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
  6. And the rank poison of the old will die.

Romeo

52
  1. Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.

Benvolio

53
  1. For what, I pray thee?

Romeo

54
  1. For your broken shin.
Costume designs for Romeo and Juliet

From: Costume designs for Romeo and Juliet

Percy Anderson, circa 1900

Benvolio

55
  1. Why, Romeo, art thou mad?

Romeo

56 - 58
  1. Not mad, but bound more than a madman is;
  2. Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
  3. Whipt and tormented, and—God-den, good fellow.

Second Servingman

59
  1. God gi’ god-den. I pray, sir, can you read?

Romeo

60
  1. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.

Second Servingman

61 - 62
  1. Perhaps you have learn’d it without book.
  2. But I pray, can you read any thing you see?

Romeo

63
  1. Ay, if I know the letters and the language.

Second Servingman

64
  1. Ye say honestly, rest you merry!

Romeo

65 - 73
  1. Stay, fellow, I can read.
  2. He reads the letter.
  3. “Signior Martino and his wife and daughters; County Anselme
  4. and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of Vitruvio;
  5. Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces; Mercutio and his
  6. brother Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and
  7. daughters; my fair niece Rosaline, and Livia; Signior
  8. Valentio and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio and the lively
  9. Helena.”
  10. A fair assembly. Whither should they come?

Second Servingman

74
  1. Up.

Romeo

75
  1. Whither? To supper?

Second Servingman

76
  1. To our house.

Romeo

77
  1. Whose house?

Second Servingman

78
  1. My master’s.

Romeo

79
  1. Indeed I should have ask’d thee that before.

Second Servingman

80 - 82
  1. Now I’ll tell you without asking. My master is the great
  2. rich Capulet, and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I
  3. pray come and crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry!
  1. Exit.

Benvolio

83 - 88
  1. At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s
  2. Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves,
  3. With all the admired beauties of Verona.
  4. Go thither, and with unattainted eye
  5. Compare her face with some that I shall show,
  6. And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Romeo

89 - 94
  1. When the devout religion of mine eye
  2. Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
  3. And these, who, often drown’d, could never die,
  4. Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
  5. One fairer than my love! The all-seeing sun
  6. Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.

Benvolio

95 - 100
  1. Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
  2. Herself pois’d with herself in either eye;
  3. But in that crystal scales let there be weigh’d
  4. Your lady’s love against some other maid
  5. That I will show you shining at this feast,
  6. And she shall scant show well that now seems best.

Romeo

101 - 102
  1. I’ll go along no such sight to be shown,
  2. But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.
  1. Exeunt.
Lord Normanby as Romeo

Lord Normanby as Romeo

From Lord Normanby's private theatricals in Florence

circa 1830

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