From Capulet’s garden Romeo overhears Juliet express her love for him. When he answers her, they acknowledge their love and their desire to be married.
⌜ Romeo comes forward. ⌝
ROMEO
0824 He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
⌜ Enter Juliet above. ⌝
0825 But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
0826 It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.
0827 Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
0828 5 Who is already sick and pale with grief
0829 That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
0830 Be not her maid since she is envious.
0831 Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
0832 And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
0833 10 It is my lady. O, it is my love!
0834 O, that she knew she were!
0835 She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
0836 Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
0837 I am too bold. ’Tis not to me she speaks.
0838 15 Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
0839 Having some business, ⌜ do ⌝ entreat her eyes
0840 To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
0841 What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
0842 The brightness of her cheek would shame those
0843 20 stars
0844 As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven
0845 Would through the airy region stream so bright
0846 That birds would sing and think it were not night.
0847 See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
0848 25 O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
0849 That I might touch that cheek!
JULIET 0850 Ay me.
ROMEO , ⌜ aside ⌝ 0851 She speaks.
0852 O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art
0853 30 As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
0854 As is a wingèd messenger of heaven
0855 Unto the white-upturnèd wond’ring eyes
0856 Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
0857 When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds
0858 35 And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET
0859 O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
0860 Deny thy father and refuse thy name,
0861 Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
0862 And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO , ⌜ aside ⌝
0863 40 Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
0864 ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
0865 Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
0866 What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
0867 Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name
0868 45 Belonging to a man.
0869 What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
0870 By any other word would smell as sweet.
0871 So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
0872 Retain that dear perfection which he owes
0873 50 Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
0874 And, for thy name, which is no part of thee,
0875 Take all myself.
ROMEO 0876 I take thee at thy word.
0877 Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized.
0878 55 Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET
0879 What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night,
0880 So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO 0881 By a name
0882 I know not how to tell thee who I am.
0883 60 My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself
0884 Because it is an enemy to thee.
0885 Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET
0886 My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
0887 Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound.
0888 65 Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
ROMEO
0889 Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.
JULIET
0890 How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
0891 The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
0892 And the place death, considering who thou art,
0893 70 If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
ROMEO
0894 With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
0895 For stony limits cannot hold love out,
0896 And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
0897 Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
JULIET
0898 75 If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
ROMEO
0899 Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
0900 Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet,
0901 And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET
0902 I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO
0903 80 I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
0904 And, but thou love me, let them find me here.
0905 My life were better ended by their hate
0906 Than death proroguèd, wanting of thy love.
JULIET
0907 By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
ROMEO
0908 85 By love, that first did prompt me to inquire.
0909 He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
0910 I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
0911 As that vast shore ⌜ washed ⌝ with the farthest sea,
0912 I should adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET
0913 90 Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
0914 Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
0915 For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
0916 Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny
0917 What I have spoke. But farewell compliment.
0918 95 Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say “Ay,”
0919 And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear’st,
0920 Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,
0921 They say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
0922 If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
0923 100 Or, if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
0924 I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay,
0925 So thou wilt woo, but else not for the world.
0926 In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
0927 And therefore thou mayst think my ⌜ havior ⌝ light.
0928 105 But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
0929 Than those that have ⌜ more ⌝ coying to be strange.
0930 I should have been more strange, I must confess,
0931 But that thou overheard’st ere I was ware
0932 My true-love passion. Therefore pardon me,
0933 110 And not impute this yielding to light love,
0934 Which the dark night hath so discoverèd.
ROMEO
0935 Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow,
0936 That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—
JULIET
0937 O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon,
0938 115 That monthly changes in her ⌜ circled ⌝ orb,
0939 Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO
0940 What shall I swear by?
JULIET 0941 Do not swear at all.
0942 Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
0943 120 Which is the god of my idolatry,
0944 And I’ll believe thee.
ROMEO 0945 If my heart’s dear love—
JULIET
0946 Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
0947 I have no joy of this contract tonight.
0948 125 It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
0949 Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
0950 Ere one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night.
0951 This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
0952 May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
0953 130 Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest
0954 Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
ROMEO
0955 O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET
0956 What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
ROMEO
0957 Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.
JULIET
0958 135 I gave thee mine before thou didst request it,
0959 And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO
0960 Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
JULIET
0961 But to be frank and give it thee again.
0962 And yet I wish but for the thing I have.
0963 140 My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
0964 My love as deep. The more I give to thee,
0965 The more I have, for both are infinite.
⌜ Nurse calls from within. ⌝
0966 I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.—
0967 Anon, good nurse.—Sweet Montague, be true.
0968 145 Stay but a little; I will come again. ⌜ She exits. ⌝
ROMEO
0969 O blessèd, blessèd night! I am afeard,
0970 Being in night, all this is but a dream,
0971 Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
⌜ Reenter Juliet above. ⌝
JULIET
0972 Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
0973 150 If that thy bent of love be honorable,
0974 Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
0975 By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
0976 Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
0977 And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
0978 155 And follow thee my ⌜ lord ⌝ throughout the world.
⌜ NURSE , within ⌝ 0979 Madam.
JULIET
0980 I come anon.—But if thou meanest not well,
0981 I do beseech thee—
⌜ NURSE , within ⌝ 0982 Madam.
JULIET 0983 160 By and by, I come.—
0984 To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief.
0985 Tomorrow will I send.
ROMEO 0986 So thrive my soul—
JULIET 0987 A thousand times good night. ⌜ She exits. ⌝
ROMEO
0988 165 A thousand times the worse to want thy light.
0989 Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their
0990 books,
0991 But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
⌜ Going. ⌝
Enter Juliet ⌜ above ⌝ again.
JULIET
0992 Hist, Romeo, hist! O, for a falc’ner’s voice
0993 170 To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
0994 Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
0995 Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies
0996 And make her airy tongue more hoarse than ⌜ mine ⌝
0997 With repetition of “My Romeo!”
ROMEO
0998 175 It is my soul that calls upon my name.
0999 How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
1000 Like softest music to attending ears.
JULIET
1001 Romeo.
ROMEO 1002 My ⌜ dear. ⌝
JULIET 1003 180 What o’clock tomorrow
1004 Shall I send to thee?
ROMEO 1005 By the hour of nine.
JULIET
1006 I will not fail. ’Tis twenty year till then.
1007 I have forgot why I did call thee back.
ROMEO
1008 185 Let me stand here till thou remember it.
JULIET
1009 I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
1010 Rememb’ring how I love thy company.
ROMEO
1011 And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
1012 Forgetting any other home but this.
JULIET
1013 190 ’Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone,
1014 And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird,
1015 That lets it hop a little from his hand,
1016 Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
1017 And with a silken thread plucks it back again,
1018 195 So loving-jealous of his liberty.
ROMEO
1019 I would I were thy bird.
JULIET 1020 Sweet, so would I.
1021 Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
1022 Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet
1023 200 sorrow
1024 That I shall say “Good night” till it be morrow.
⌜ She exits. ⌝
⌜ ROMEO ⌝
1025 Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
1026 Would I were sleep and peace so sweet to rest.
1027 Hence will I to my ghostly friar’s close cell,
1028 205 His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
He exits.