Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 5
A hall in Capulet’s house.
First Servant : Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He
[p]shift a
trencher? he scrape a trencher!
Second Servant : When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's
[p]hands and they
unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing.
First Servant : Away with the joint-stools, remove the
[p]court-cupboard, look to the
plate. Good thou, save
[p]me a piece of marchpane; and, as thou lovest
me, let
[p]the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell.
[p]Antony, and
Potpan!
Second Servant : Ay, boy, ready.
First Servant : You are looked for and called for, asked for and
[p]sought for, in the
great chamber.
Second Servant : We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys; be
[p]brisk awhile,
and the longer liver take all.
Capulet : Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes
[p]Unplagued with
corns will have a bout with you.
[p]Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you
all
[p]Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty,
[p]She, I'll
swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now?
[p]Welcome, gentlemen! I
have seen the day
[p]That I have worn a visor and could tell
[p]A
whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,
[p]Such as would please: 'tis
gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone:
[p]You are welcome, gentlemen! come,
musicians, play.
[p]A hall, a hall! give room! and foot it,
girls.
[p][Music plays, and they dance]
[p]More light, you knaves; and
turn the tables up,
[p]And quench the fire, the room is grown too
hot.
[p]Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.
[p]Nay, sit,
nay, sit, good cousin Capulet;
[p]For you and I are past our dancing
days:
[p]How long is't now since last yourself and I
[p]Were in a
mask?
Second Capulet : By'r lady, thirty years.
Capulet : What, man! 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much:
[p]'Tis since the
nuptials of Lucentio,
[p]Come pentecost as quickly as it will,
[p]Some
five and twenty years; and then we mask'd.
Second Capulet : 'Tis more, 'tis more, his son is elder, sir;
[p]His son is thirty.
Capulet : Will you tell me that?
[p]His son was but a ward two years ago.
Romeo : [To a Servingman] What lady is that, which doth
[p]enrich the
hand
[p]Of yonder knight?
Servant : I know not, sir.
Romeo : O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
[p]It seems she hangs
upon the cheek of night
[p]Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's
ear;
[p]Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
[p]So shows a
snowy dove trooping with crows,
[p]As yonder lady o'er her fellows
shows.
[p]The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
[p]And,
touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
[p]Did my heart love till
now? forswear it, sight!
[p]For I ne'er saw true beauty till this
night.
Tybalt : This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
[p]Fetch me my rapier, boy.
What dares the slave
[p]Come hither, cover'd with an antic face,
[p]To
fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
[p]Now, by the stock and honour of
my kin,
[p]To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.
Capulet : Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so?
Tybalt : Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
[p]A villain that is hither come
in spite,
[p]To scorn at our solemnity this night.
Capulet : Young Romeo is it?
Tybalt : 'Tis he, that villain Romeo.
Capulet : Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
[p]He bears him like a portly
gentleman;
[p]And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
[p]To be a
virtuous and well-govern'd youth:
[p]I would not for the wealth of all
the town
[p]Here in my house do him disparagement:
[p]Therefore be
patient, take no note of him:
[p]It is my will, the which if thou
respect,
[p]Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
[p]And
ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
Tybalt : It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
[p]I'll not endure him.
Capulet : He shall be endured:
[p]What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go
to;
[p]Am I the master here, or you? go to.
[p]You'll not endure him!
God shall mend my soul!
[p]You'll make a mutiny among my
guests!
[p]You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man!
Tybalt : Why, uncle, 'tis a shame.
Capulet : Go to, go to;
[p]You are a saucy boy: is't so, indeed?
[p]This trick
may chance to scathe you, I know what:
[p]You must contrary me! marry,
'tis time.
[p]Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; go:
[p]Be
quiet, or--More light, more light! For shame!
[p]I'll make you quiet.
What, cheerly, my hearts!
Tybalt : Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting
[p]Makes my flesh tremble
in their different greeting.
[p]I will withdraw: but this intrusion
shall
[p]Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.
Romeo : [To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest hand
[p]This holy shrine,
the gentle fine is this:
[p]My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready
stand
[p]To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
Juliet : Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
[p]Which mannerly
devotion shows in this;
[p]For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands
do touch,
[p]And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
Romeo : Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
Juliet : Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
Romeo : O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
[p]They pray, grant
thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Juliet : Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
Romeo : Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
[p]Thus from my lips,
by yours, my sin is purged.
Juliet : Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
Romeo : Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
[p]Give me my sin again.
Juliet : You kiss by the book.
Nurse : Madam, your mother craves a word with you.
Romeo : What is her mother?
Nurse : Marry, bachelor,
[p]Her mother is the lady of the house,
[p]And a good
lady, and a wise and virtuous
[p]I nursed her daughter, that you
talk'd withal;
[p]I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
[p]Shall
have the chinks.
Romeo : Is she a Capulet?
[p]O dear account! my life is my foe's debt.
Benvolio : Away, begone; the sport is at the best.
Romeo : Ay, so I fear; the more is my unrest.
Capulet : Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone;
[p]We have a trifling foolish
banquet towards.
[p]Is it e'en so? why, then, I thank you all
[p]I
thank you, honest gentlemen; good night.
[p]More torches here! Come on
then, let's to bed.
[p]Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late:
[p]I'll
to my rest.
Juliet : Come hither, nurse. What is yond gentleman?
Nurse : The son and heir of old Tiberio.
Juliet : What's he that now is going out of door?
Nurse : Marry, that, I think, be young Petrucio.
Juliet : What's he that follows there, that would not dance?
Nurse : I know not.
Juliet : Go ask his name: if he be married.
[p]My grave is like to be my
wedding bed.
Nurse : His name is Romeo, and a Montague;
[p]The only son of your great
enemy.
Juliet : My only love sprung from my only hate!
[p]Too early seen unknown, and
known too late!
[p]Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
[p]That I
must love a loathed enemy.
Nurse : What's this? what's this?
Juliet : A rhyme I learn'd even now
[p]Of one I danced withal.
Nurse : Anon, anon!
[p]Come, let's away; the strangers all are gone.
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Next: Act 2 - Scene 0
