Romeo and Juliet
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] |
Next: Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 3