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Romeo and Juliet: Act II, Scene 2

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Romeo and Juliet
Act II, Scene 2

Capulet’s orchard.

With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls

Julius Kronberg, 1886

  1. Romeo advances.

Romeo

1 - 25
  1. He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
  2. Enter Juliet above at her window.
  3. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
  4. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
  5. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
  6. Who is already sick and pale with grief
  7. That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
  8. Be not her maid, since she is envious;
  9. Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
  10. And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
  11. It is my lady, O, it is my love!
  12. O that she knew she were!
  13. She speaks, yet she says nothing; what of that?
  14. Her eye discourses, I will answer it.
  15. I am too bold, ’tis not to me she speaks.
  16. Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
  17. Having some business, do entreat her eyes
  18. To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
  19. What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
  20. The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
  21. As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
  22. Would through the airy region stream so bright
  23. That birds would sing and think it were not night.
  24. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
  25. O that I were a glove upon that hand,
  26. That I might touch that cheek!

Juliet

26
  1.                                Ay me!

Romeo

27 - 34
  1.        She speaks!
  2. O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art
  3. As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
  4. As is a winged messenger of heaven
  5. Unto the white-upturned wond’ring eyes
  6. Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him,
  7. When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds,
  8. And sails upon the bosom of the air.

Juliet

35 - 38
  1. O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
  2. Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
  3. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
  4. And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo

39
  1. Aside.
  2. Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet

40 - 51
  1. ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
  2. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
  3. What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
  4. Nor arm nor face, nor any other part
  5. Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
  6. What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
  7. By any other word would smell as sweet;
  8. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
  9. Retain that dear perfection which he owes
  10. Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
  11. And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
  12. Take all myself.

Romeo

52 - 54
  1.                  I take thee at thy word.
  2. Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptiz’d;
  3. Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

Byam Shaw, 1901

Juliet

55 - 56
  1. What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night
  2. So stumblest on my counsel?

Romeo

57 - 61
  1.                             By a name
  2. I know not how to tell thee who I am.
  3. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
  4. Because it is an enemy to thee;
  5. Had I it written, I would tear the word.

Juliet

62 - 64
  1. My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
  2. Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound.
  3. Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?

Romeo

65
  1. Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.

Juliet

66 - 69
  1. How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
  2. The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
  3. And the place death, considering who thou art,
  4. If any of my kinsmen find thee here.

Romeo

70 - 73
  1. With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
  2. For stony limits cannot hold love out,
  3. And what love can do, that dares love attempt;
  4. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.

Juliet

74
  1. If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

Romeo

75 - 77
  1. Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
  2. Than twenty of their swords! Look thou but sweet,
  3. And I am proof against their enmity.

Juliet

78
  1. I would not for the world they saw thee here.

Romeo

79 - 82
  1. I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
  2. And but thou love me, let them find me here;
  3. My life were better ended by their hate,
  4. Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

Juliet

83
  1. By whose direction foundst thou out this place?

Romeo

84 - 88
  1. By love, that first did prompt me to inquire;
  2. He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
  3. I am no pilot, yet, wert thou as far
  4. As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,
  5. I should adventure for such merchandise.

Juliet

89 - 110
  1. Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
  2. Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
  3. For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
  4. Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
  5. What I have spoke, but farewell compliment!
  6. Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say, “Ay,”
  7. And I will take thy word; yet, if thou swear’st,
  8. Thou mayest prove false: at lovers’ perjuries
  9. They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
  10. If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully;
  11. Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
  12. I’ll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,
  13. So thou wilt woo, but else not for the world.
  14. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
  15. And therefore thou mayest think my behavior light,
  16. But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
  17. Than those that have more coying to be strange.
  18. I should have been more strange, I must confess,
  19. But that thou overheardst, ere I was ware,
  20. My true-love passion; therefore pardon me,
  21. And not impute this yielding to light love,
  22. Which the dark night hath so discovered.

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

William Hatherell, 1912

Romeo

111 - 112
  1. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
  2. That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—

Juliet

113 - 115
  1. O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon,
  2. That monthly changes in her circled orb,
  3. Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Romeo

116
  1. What shall I swear by?

Juliet

117 - 120
  1.                        Do not swear at all;
  2. Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
  3. Which is the god of my idolatry,
  4. And I’ll believe thee.

Romeo

121
  1.                        If my heart’s dear love—

Juliet

122 - 130
  1. Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
  2. I have no joy of this contract tonight,
  3. It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden,
  4. Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
  5. Ere one can say it lightens. Sweet, good night!
  6. This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
  7. May prove a beauteous flow’r when next we meet.
  8. Good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest
  9. Come to thy heart as that within my breast!

Romeo

131
  1. O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

Juliet

132
  1. What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?

Romeo

133
  1. Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.

Juliet

134 - 135
  1. I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;
  2. And yet I would it were to give again.

Romeo

136
  1. Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?

Juliet

137 - 144
  1. But to be frank and give it thee again,
  2. And yet I wish but for the thing I have.
  3. My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
  4. My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
  5. The more I have, for both are infinite.
  6. Nurse calls within.
  7. I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
  8. Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
  9. Stay but a little, I will come again.
  1. Exit above.

Romeo

145 - 147
  1. O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard,
  2. Being in night, all this is but a dream,
  3. Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.
  1. Enter Juliet above.

Juliet

148 - 154
  1. Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
  2. If that thy bent of love be honorable,
  3. Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
  4. By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
  5. Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
  6. And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay,
  7. And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

Nurse

155
  1. Within.
  2. Madam!

Juliet

156 - 157
  1. I come, anon.—But if thou meanest not well,
  2. I do beseech thee—

Nurse

158
  1. Within.
  2.                    Madam!

Juliet

159 - 161
  1.        By and by, I come—
  2. To cease thy strife, and leave me to my grief.
  3. Tomorrow will I send.

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Robert Dudley, William MacKenzie, 19th century

Romeo

162
  1.                       So thrive my soul—

Juliet

163
  1. A thousand times good night!
  1. Exit above.

Romeo

164 - 166
  1. A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
  2. Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
  3. But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
  1. Retiring.
  1. Enter Juliet again above.

Juliet

167 - 172
  1. Hist, Romeo, hist! O, for a falc’ner’s voice,
  2. To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
  3. Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud,
  4. Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
  5. And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine,
  6. With repetition of my Romeo’s name. Romeo!

Romeo

173 - 175
  1. It is my soul that calls upon my name.
  2. How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
  3. Like softest music to attending ears!

Juliet

176
  1. Romeo!

Romeo

177
  1.        My nyas?

Juliet

178 - 179
  1.          What a’ clock tomorrow
  2. Shall I send to thee?

Romeo

180
  1.                       By the hour of nine.

Juliet

181 - 182
  1. I will not fail, ’tis twenty year till then.
  2. I have forgot why I did call thee back.

Romeo

183
  1. Let me stand here till thou remember it.

Juliet

184 - 185
  1. I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
  2. Rememb’ring how I love thy company.

Romeo

186 - 187
  1. And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
  2. Forgetting any other home but this.

Juliet

188 - 193
  1. ’Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone—
  2. And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird,
  3. That lets it hop a little from his hand,
  4. Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
  5. And with a silken thread plucks it back again,
  6. So loving-jealous of his liberty.

Romeo

194
  1. I would I were thy bird.

Juliet

195 - 199
  1.                          Sweet, so would I,
  2. Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
  3. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,
  4. That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
  5. Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
  1. Exit above.

Romeo

200 - 202
  1. Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!
  2. Hence will I to my ghostly sire’s close cell,
  3. His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
  1. Exit.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Alexandre Bida, 19th century

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