Scene III

Verona. A Churchyard; in it, the monument of the Capulets.

Enter Paris and his Page with flowers and a torch.

PAR:

Give me thy torch, boy. Hence, and stand aloof.
Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.
Under yond yew tree lay thee all along,
Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground.
So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread(5)
(Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves)
But thou shalt hear it. Whistle then to me,
As signal that thou hear'st something approach.
Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.

PAR:

Give me your torch, boy. Go away, and stand over there.
Never mind, put it out. I don’t want to be seen.
You can go lie down under that yew tree over there and wait,
Holding your ear close to the sacred ground,
So that no foot can walk upon the churchyard,
Which is loose and not hard with digging up of graves,
Without your hearing it. Then whistle to me
As signal that you hear something approaching.
Give me those flowers. Go, do what I have told you.

PAGE:

Aside.

I am almost afraid to stand alone(10)
Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.

PAGE:

I am almost afraid to stand alone
Here in the churchyard, but I will stay.

Retires.

PAR:

Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew
(O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones)
Which with sweet water nightly I will dew;
Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans.(15)
The obsequies that I for thee will keep
Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.

The Page whistles.

The boy gives warning something doth approach.
What cursed foot wanders this way to-night
To cross my obsequies and true love's rite?(20)
What, with a torch? Muffle me, night, a while.

Retires.

PAR:

Sweet flower, I scatter flowers around your bridal bed.
O sorrow! Your bridal canopy is dust and stones!
I will cover them with sweet tears every night,
Or, deprived of that, with tears distilled by moans.
I will keep saying the funeral prayers for you, and I will come
Every night to put flowers on your grave and weep. The boy gives the warning something is approaching.
What cursed foot wanders this way tonight,
To disturb my funeral prayers and the rites of true love?
What, with a torch! Night, hide me awhile.

Enter Romeo and Balthasar with a torch, a mattock, and a crow of iron.

ROM:

Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.
Hold, take this letter. Early in the morning
See thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Give me the light. Upon thy life I charge thee,(25)
Whate'er thou hearest or seest, stand all aloof
And do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I descend into this bed of death
Is partly to behold my lady's face,
But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger(30)
A precious ring—a ring that I must use
In dear employment. Therefore hence, be gone.
But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry
In what I further shall intend to do,
By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint(35)
And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.
The time and my intents are savage-wild,
More fierce and more inexorable far
Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.

ROM:

Give me that chisel-edged pick and the iron wrench.
Stop, take this letter. First thing in the morning,
See that you deliver it to my lord and father.
Give me the light; on your life I order you,
No matter what you see or hear, stand far away
And don’t interrupt me in my plan.
Why I’m going down into this tomb
Is partly to see my lady's face,
But mostly to take a precious ring
from her dead finger, a ring that I must use
In a very special errand. Therefore, go away. Get going.
But if you return, jealous, and try to find out
What I intend to do,
By heaven, I will tear you limb from limb,
And scatter your limbs all over this hungry churchyard!
The time and my intents are savage and wild,
So much ore fierce and more determined
Than hungry tigers or the roaring sea.

BAL:

I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.(40)

BAL:

I’ll go, sir, and not trouble you.

ROM:

So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that.
Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow.

ROM:

This way you show me friendship. You take that.
Live, and be prosperous, and, farewell, good fellow.

BAL:

Aside.

For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout.
His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.

BAL:

Just the same, I'll hide close by.
I fear his looks, and I doubt his reasons.

Retires.

ROM:

Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,(45)
Gorg'd with the dearest morsel of the earth,
Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,
And in despite I'll cram thee with more food.

ROM:

You hateful belly, you womb of death,
Stuffed full with the dearest morsel of the earth,
I will force your rotten jaws to open,
And, in spite, I'll cram you fuller with more food!

Romeo opens the tomb.

PAR:

This is that banish'd haughty Montague
That murdered my love's cousin—with which grief(50)
It is supposed the fair creature died—
And here is come to do some villanous shame
To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him.
Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague!
Can vengeance be pursu'd further than death?(55)
Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.
Obey, and go with me; for thou must die.

PAR:

This man is that banished, arrogant Montague
That murdered my love's cousin, by which grief,
It is supposed, the beautiful creature died,
And he’s come here to desecrate
The dead bodies. I will seize him.
Stop your unholy work, vile Montague!
Can vengeance be pursued any further than death?
Condemned villain, I arrest you.
Obey, and go with me, because you must die.

ROM:

I must indeed; and therefore came I hither.
Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp'rate man.
Fly hence and leave me. Think upon these gone;(60)
Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth,
Put not another sin upon my head
By urging me to fury. O, be gone!
By heaven, I love thee better than myself,
For I come hither arm'd against myself.(65)
Stay not, be gone. Live, and hereafter say
A madman's mercy bid thee run away.

ROM:

Indeed I must die. And that’s why I came here.
Good gentle youth, don’t anger a desperate man;
Fly from here and leave me. think about these dead people.
Let them terrify you. I beg you, youth,
Don’t put another sin on my head
By urging me to fight. O, go away!
By heaven, I love you better than I love myself,
Because I came here only armed against myself.
Don’t stay. Go away. Live, and later you will say,
A madman's mercy made you run away.

PAR:

I do defy thy conjuration
And apprehend thee for a felon here.

PAR:

I defy your solemn appeal,
And I here arrest you as a felon.

ROM:

Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!(70)

ROM:

Will you still provoke me? Then, I’ll get you, boy!

They fight.

PAGE:

O Lord, they fight! I will go call the watch.

Exit. Paris falls.

PAGE:

O lord, they’re fighting! I’ll go call the guards.

PAR:

O, I am slain! If thou be merciful,
Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.

PAR:

O, I’m killed! If you are merciful,
Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.

Dies.

ROM:

In faith, I will. Let me peruse this face.
Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Paris!(75)
What said my man when my betossed soul
Did not attend him as we rode? I think
He told me Paris should have married Juliet.
Said he not so? or did I dream it so?
Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet(80)
To think it was so? O, give me thy hand,
One writ with me in sour misfortune's book!
I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave.
A grave? O, no, a lantern, slaughtr'd youth,
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes(85)
This vault a feasting presence full of light.
Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr'd.

Lays him in the tomb.

How oft when men are at the point of death
Have they been merry! which their keepers call
A lightning before death. O, how may I(90)
Call this a lightning? O my love! my wife!
Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Thou art not conquer'd. Beauty's ensign yet
Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,(95)
And death's pale flag is not advanced there.
Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?
O, what more favour can I do to thee
Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain
To sunder his that was thine enemy?(100)
Forgive me, cousin. Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe
That unsubstantial Death is amorous,
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour?(105)
For fear of that I still will stay with thee
And never from this palace of dim night
Depart again. Here, here will I remain
With worms that are thy chambermaids. O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest(110)
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!(115)
Come, bitter conduct; come, unsavoury guide!
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!
Here's to my love! Drinks. O true apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.(120)

Falls.

ROM:

In faith, I will. Let me see this face.
Mercutio's relative, noble Count Paris!
What my man say, when my soul was tossing and turning
And I didn’t pay attention to him as we rode? I think
He told me Paris was going to marry Juliet.
Did he say it? Or did I dream it?
Or I’m crazy to think it was so,
Hearing him talk of Juliet ? O, give me your hand,
One written along with me in sour luck's book!
I'll bury you in a triumphant grave;
A grave? O, no, a lantern, slaughtered youth,
Because Juliet lies here, and her beauty makes
This tomb a party room full of light.
Death, you lie there, buried by a dead man. How often, when men are at the point of death
Have they been happy?! Which their keepers call
A lightening before death. O, how may I
Call this a lightening? O my love! My wife!
Death, that has sucked the honey of your breath,
Has had no power yet on your beauty.
You’re not conquered. Beauty's officer
Is still red on your lips and in your cheeks,
And death's pale flag is not yet planted there.
Tybalt, do you lie there in your bloody sheet?
O, what other favor can I do for you
Than to end the youth of your enemy with the same hand
that cut your youth half?
Forgive me, cousin! Ah, dear Juliet,
Why are you still so beautiful? Shall I believe
That death that has no substance is a lover,
And that the lean ugly monster keeps
You here in dark to be his mistress?
Because I’m afraid of that, I still will stay with you,
And never leave this palace of dim night
Again. Here, here I will remain
With the worms that are your maids. O, here
I will set up my everlasting rest,
And shake off the bonds of unlucky stars
From my world-wearied body. Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal a timeless bargain
With death, who will take everything, with a righteous kiss!
Come on, bitter escort. Come on, unsavory guide!
You desperate sea captain, now run your sea-sick weary ship
Onto the dashing rocks all at once!
Here's to my love! [Drinks.] O, Pharmacist, you told the truth!
Your drugs are quick. So, I die with a kiss.

Enter Friar Laurence, with lantern, crow, and spade.