The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1017 page)

Friar Lawrence

Oh, I see.  The madman doesn’t want to listen.

O, then I see that madmen have no ears.

Romeo

Why should I listen to someone who cannot understand?

How should they, when that wise men have no eyes?

Friar Lawrence

Just hear me out.

Let me dispute with thee of thy estate.

Romeo

You can’t speak of things you know nothing about.  If you were in my shoes, just married to Juliet, accused of murdering Tybalt, and now banished, then, I would listen to you as you tore out your hair and prepared for your death.

Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel: Wert thou as young as I, Juliet thy love, An hour but married, Tybalt murdered, Doting like me, and like me banished, Then mightst thou speak, then mightst thou tear thy hair, And fall upon the ground, as I do now, Taking the measure of an unmade grave.

(Knocking within.)

Friar Lawrence

Get up.  Someone is knocking.  Hide!

Arise; one knocks. Good Romeo, hide thyself.

Romeo

I’m not hiding, unless a fog comes in here and wraps around me.

Not I; unless the breath of heartsick groans, Mist-like infold me from the search of eyes.

(Knocking.)

Friar Lawrence
 

Listen to how they are knocking.  Who’s there?  Get up, Romeo.  They will take you.  You need to get up so you can stay here.  (Knocking.)  Hide in my study.  Hurry!  I’m coming!  I’m coming!  (Knocking.)  Who’s knocking so hard on my door?  What do you want?

Hark, how they knock!--Who's there?--Romeo, arise; Thou wilt be taken.--Stay awhile;--Stand up;[Knocking] Run to my study.--By-and-by!--God's will! What simpleness is this.--I come, I come! [Knocking] Who knocks so hard? whence come you? what's your will?

Nurse

Let me come in and I’ll tell you.  I am here from Juliet.

[Within.] Let me come in, and you shall know my errand; I come from Lady Juliet.

Friar Lawrence

You are welcome then.

Welcome then.

(Enter Nurse.)

Nurse

Oh holy friar, where is Romeo?  

O holy friar, O, tell me, holy friar, Where is my lady's lord, where's Romeo?

Friar Lawrence

He is lying over there, in a terrible state of mind.

There on the ground, with his own tears made drunk.

Nurse

Just like my Juliet.

O, he is even in my mistress' case,-- Just in her case!

Friar Lawrence

This is a terrible situation.

O woeful sympathy! Piteous predicament!

Nurse

I know.  Juliet is blubbering and weeping and weeping and blubbering.  Stand up and be a man.  For the sake of Juliet, stand up.  Why should you be crying?

Even so lies she, Blubbering and weeping, weeping and blubbering.-- Stand up, stand up; stand, an you be a man: For Juliet's sake, for her sake, rise and stand; Why should you fall into so deep an O?

Romeo

Nurse!

Nurse!

Nurse

Death is the end for everyone.

Ah sir! ah sir!--Well, death's the end of all.

Romeo

You spoke of Juliet.  How is she?  Does she see me as a murderer now?  I have killed her relative and our joy.  Where is she?  What does she say about us?

Spakest thou of Juliet? how is it with her? Doth not she think me an old murderer, Now I have stain'd the childhood of our joy With blood remov'd but little from her own? Where is she? and how doth she/ and what says My conceal'd lady to our cancell'd love?

Nurse
 

She doesn’t say anything.  She just cries and cries.  She falls on her bed and cries for Tybalt and you.  Then, she cries some more.

O, she says nothing, sir, but weeps and weeps; And now falls on her bed; and then starts up, And Tybalt calls; and then on Romeo cries, And then down falls again.

Romeo

She cries for me and it is killing her, like I killed Tybalt.  Tell me, Friar, what do I have to cut out to remove this sin?  (Drawing his sword.)

As if that name, Shot from the deadly level of a gun, Did murder her; as that name's cursed hand Murder'd her kinsman.--O, tell me, friar, tell me, In what vile part of this anatomy Doth my name lodge? tell me, that I may sack The hateful mansion.

Friar Lawrence

Hold on.  Aren’t you a man?  You are acting like a little girl or a wild beast.  I thought you knew better.  You have killed Tybalt, so are you going to kill yourself, too?  That will kill Juliet for sure.  Do not take your life for granted and curse your birth, the heavens, and the earth.  You should be ashamed for even thinking of such a thing.  You are nothing if you cannot take responsibility for your actions.  You are like a ticking time bomb!  Get up.  Juliet is alive.  She is the reason for part of this, because Tybalt was coming to kill you.  So, you killed Tybalt.  Be happy you are alive.  The law has been ignored and instead of facing execution, you are facing banishment.  You are blessed, but you refuse to see it.  Listen to me.  People like you die miserable.  Go to Juliet.  Comfort her, but do not stay too long.  You must make your way to Mantua, where you will live until we can figure out a way for you to come back to rejoin your wife and friends.  Beg the Prince’s pardon and then you can come back and be happier than you ever were before.  Go ahead, Nurse, and tell Juliet.  Tell her to urge her family to bed after their long day of mourning.  Tell her Romeo is coming.

Hold thy desperate hand: Art thou a man? thy form cries out thou art; Thy tears are womanish; thy wild acts denote The unreasonable fury of a beast; Unseemly woman in a seeming man! Or ill-beseeming beast in seeming both! Thou hast amaz'd me: by my holy order, I thought thy disposition better temper'd. Hast thou slain Tybalt? wilt thou slay thyself? And slay thy lady, too, that lives in thee, By doing damned hate upon thyself? Why rail'st thou on thy birth, the heaven, and earth? Since birth and heaven and earth, all three do meet In thee at once; which thou at once wouldst lose. Fie, fie, thou sham'st thy shape, thy love, thy wit; Which, like a usurer, abound'st in all, And usest none in that true use indeed Which should bedeck thy shape, thy love, thy wit: Thy noble shape is but a form of wax, Digressing from the valour of a man; Thy dear love sworn, but hollow perjury, Killing that love which thou hast vow'd to cherish; Thy wit, that ornament to shape and love, Mis-shapen in the conduct of them both, Like powder in a skilless soldier's flask, Is set a-fire by thine own ignorance, And thou dismember'd with thine own defence. What, rouse thee, man! thy Juliet is alive, For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead; There art thou happy: Tybalt would kill thee, But thou slewest Tybalt; there art thou happy too: The law, that threaten'd death, becomes thy friend, And turns it to exile; there art thou happy: A pack of blessings lights upon thy back; Happiness courts thee in her best array; But, like a misbehav'd and sullen wench, Thou pout'st upon thy fortune and thy love:-- Take heed, take heed, for such die miserable. Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed, Ascend her chamber, hence and comfort her: But, look, thou stay not till the watch be set, For then thou canst not pass to Mantua; Where thou shalt live till we can find a time To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, Beg pardon of the prince, and call thee back With twenty hundred thousand times more joy Than thou went'st forth in lamentation.-- Go before, nurse: commend me to thy lady; And bid her hasten all the house to bed, Which heavy sorrow makes them apt unto. Romeo is coming.

Nurse

I could stay here all night and listen to your wise words.  I will tell my lady you are coming.

O Lord, I could have stay'd here all the night To hear good counsel: O, what learning is!-- My lord, I'll tell my lady you will come.

Romeo

Please do, and tell her I am sorry.

Do so, and bid my sweet prepare to chide.

Nurse

Here, sir, this is a ring she asked me to give you.  Hurry!  It’s getting late.

Here, sir, a ring she bid me give you, sir: Hie you, make haste, for it grows very late.

(Exit Nurse.)

Romeo

I am feeling better.

How well my comfort is reviv'd by this!

Friar Lawrence

Go then and good night.  Get out before the sun comes up and go to Mantua.  Send your man to me from time to time and I will keep you posted about what is going on here.  Give me your hand.  It is late and you must go.

Go hence; good night! and here stands all your state: Either be gone before the watch be set, Or by the break of day disguis'd from hence. Sojourn in Mantua; I'll find out your man, And he shall signify from time to time Every good hap to you that chances here: Give me thy hand; 'tis late; farewell; good night.

Romeo

Even though I am going to be filled with joy, I am sad to leave you.  Farewell.

But that a joy past joy calls out on me, It were a grief so brief to part with thee: Farewell.

(Exit all.)

Scene IV:  A room in Capulet’s house.

(Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Paris.)

Capulet

Things have not gone well lately, so we have not had time to prepare Juliet for marriage.  She loved Tybalt dearly, as I did, so she probably won’t come down tonight.  I would have gone to bed myself, if you weren’t here.

Things have fallen out, sir, so unluckily That we have had no time to move our daughter: Look you, she lov'd her kinsman Tybalt dearly, And so did I; well, we were born to die. 'Tis very late; she'll not come down to-night: I promise you, but for your company, I would have been a-bed an hour ago.

Paris

I understand this is not the best time to try to win your daughter’s affections.  Please give her my best.  Good night.

These times of woe afford no tune to woo.-- Madam, good night: commend me to your daughter.

Lady Capulet

I will, and I will talk to her early tomorrow about you, but tonight she is too upset.

I will, and know her mind early to-morrow; To-night she's mew'd up to her heaviness.

Capulet

Sir Paris, I will make her marry you.  Wife, go to her now or go to bed.  Tell her about Paris’s love and inform her that she will be getting married Wednesday.  What day is this, anyway?

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender Of my child's love: I think she will be rul'd In all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not.-- Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed; Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love; And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next,-- But, soft! what day is this?

Paris

Monday, sir.

Monday, my lord.

Capulet

Monday!  Ha-ha!  Wednesday is too soon then.  Make it Thursday, wife.  She will be married to this noble earl.  Paris, will you be ready?  Is this too soon for you?  We’ll keep it intimate, just a few friends.  If we celebrate too much, people will think we have no respect for the dead.  So, we’ll keep it simple.  What do think about Thursday?

Monday! ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon, Thursday let it be;--a Thursday, tell her, She shall be married to this noble earl.-- Will you be ready? do you like this haste? We'll keep no great ado,--a friend or two; For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late, It may be thought we held him carelessly, Being our kinsman, if we revel much: Therefore we'll have some half a dozen friends, And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?

Paris

I wish Thursday were tomorrow.

My lord, I would that Thursday were to-morrow.

Capulet

Well, go on.  Thursday it is.  Go, wife, to Juliet or go to bed.  Let her know about her wedding arrangements.  Farewell, my lord.  It is almost morning now, so good night.

Well, get you gone: o' Thursday be it then.-- Go you to Juliet, ere you go to bed, Prepare her, wife, against this wedding-day.-- Farewell, my lord.--Light to my chamber, ho!-- Afore me, it is so very very late That we may call it early by and by.-- Good night.

(Exit all.)

Scene V:  An open gallery to Juliet’s chamber, overlooking the garden.

(Enter Romeo and Juliet.)

Juliet

Will you be gone?  It’s not day yet.  I heard the nightingale, the bird of night, not the lark, the bird of morning.  Believe me it is not time to go.

Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day: It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree: Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.

Romeo

I heard the lark.  I can see the sunrise just over the mountain tops.  I must leave or stay and die.