Act 1, Scene 5

Servingmen come forth with napkins.

FIRST SERVINGMAN
Where’s Potpan that he helps not to take away? He shift a trencher? He scrape a trencher?

SECOND SERVINGMAN
When good manners shall lie all in one or two men’s hands, and they unwashed too, ’tis a foul thing.

FIRST SERVINGMAN
Away with the joint stools, remove the court cupboard, look to the plate.— Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane, and, as thou loves me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell.—Anthony and Potpan!

THIRD SERVINGMAN
Ay, boy, ready.

FIRST SERVINGMAN
You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great chamber.

THIRD SERVINGMAN
We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys! Be brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.

They move aside.

Enter Capulet and his household, all the guests and gentlewomen to Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, and the other Maskers.

CAPULET
Welcome, gentlemen. Ladies that have their toes
Unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you.
Ah, my mistresses, which of you all
Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
She, I’ll swear, hath corns. Am I come near you now?
Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear,
Such as would please. ’Tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone.
You are welcome, gentlemen.—Come, musicians, play.

Music plays and they dance.

A hall, a hall, give room!—And foot it, girls.
More light, you knaves, and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire; the room is grown too hot.
Ah, sirrah, this unlooked-for sport comes well.
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days.
How long is ’t now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?

CAPULET’S COUSIN
By ’r Lady, thirty years.

CAPULET
What, man, ’tis not so much, ’tis not so much.
’Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio,
Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five and twenty years, and then we masked.

CAPULET’S COUSIN
’Tis more, ’tis more. His son is elder, sir.
His son is thirty.

CAPULET
Will you tell me that?
His son was but a ward two years ago.

ROMEO, to a Servingman
What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?

SERVINGMAN
I know not, sir.

ROMEO
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear—
Beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear.
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand
And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.

TYBALT
This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy.
What, dares the slave
Come hither covered with an antic face
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honor of my kin,
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.

Page exits.

CAPULET
Why, how now, kinsman? Wherefore storm you so?

TYBALT
Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
A villain that is hither come in spite
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.
He bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town
Here in my house do him disparagement.
Therefore be patient. Take no note of him.
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.

TYBALT
It fits when such a villain is a guest.
I’ll not endure him.

CAPULET He shall be endured.
What, goodman boy? I say he shall. Go to.
Am I the master here or you? Go to.
You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul,
You’ll make a mutiny among my guests,
You will set cock-a-hoop, you’ll be the man!

TYBALT
Why, uncle, ’tis a shame.

CAPULET Go to, go to.
You are a saucy boy. Is ’t so indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you. I know what.
You must contrary me. Marry, ’tis time—
Well said, my hearts.—You are a princox, go.
Be quiet, or—More light, more light!—for shame,
I’ll make you quiet.—What, cheerly, my hearts!

TYBALT
Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.

He exits.

ROMEO, taking Juliet’s hand
If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,
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.
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.
Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.

He kisses her.

JULIET
Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

ROMEO
Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.

He kisses her.

JULIET
You kiss by th’ book.

NURSE
Madam, your mother craves a word with you.

Juliet moves toward her mother.

ROMEO
What is her mother?
NURSE Marry, bachelor,
Her mother is the lady of the house,
And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous.
I nursed her daughter that you talked withal.
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks.

Nurse moves away.

ROMEO
Is she a Capulet?
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.
We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.—
Is it e’en so? Why then, I thank you all.
I thank you, honest gentlemen. Good night.—
More torches here.—Come on then, let’s to bed.—
Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late.
I’ll to my rest.

All but Juliet and the Nurse begin to exit.

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 Petruchio.

JULIET
What’s he that follows here, that would not dance?
NURSE I know not.

JULIET
Go ask his name. The Nurse goes. If he be marrièd,
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.

NURSE, returning
His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
The only son of your great enemy.

JULIET
My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me
That I must love a loathèd enemy.

NURSE
What’s this? What’s this?

JULIET
A rhyme I learned even now
Of one I danced withal.

One calls within “Juliet”.

NURSE Anon, anon.
Come, let’s away. The strangers all are gone.

They exit.

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