The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1020 page)

Friar Lawrence

Ah, Juliet, I already know your grief.  I have racked my brain trying to figure out a way for you to get out of this marriage, but you must marry this man on Thursday.

Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief; It strains me past the compass of my wits: I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it, On Thursday next be married to this county.

Juliet

Please don’t tell me you know about it; tell me what we’re going to do.  Or, I will use this knife to prevent this marriage.  Please give me some advice or watch me die.  

Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this, Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it: If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, And with this knife I'll help it presently. God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo's seal'd, Shall be the label to another deed, Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Turn to another, this shall slay them both: Therefore, out of thy long-experienc'd time, Give me some present counsel; or, behold, 'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife Shall play the empire; arbitrating that Which the commission of thy years and art Could to no issue of true honour bring. Be not so long to speak; I long to die, If what thou speak'st speak not of remedy.

 
Friar Lawrence

Hold on.  I may have an idea, but it will take some desperate measures to prevent this marriage.  If you are willing to really kill yourself before you get married again, then you will probably go along with my idea.  

Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution As that is desperate which we would prevent. If, rather than to marry County Paris Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, Then is it likely thou wilt undertake A thing like death to chide away this shame, That cop'st with death himself to scape from it; And, if thou dar'st, I'll give thee remedy.

Juliet

I would rather leap to my death, or become a thief, or live with serpents, than marry Paris.  I will do whatever it takes to prevent this marriage and stay true to my love.

O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower; Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk Where serpents are; chain me with roaring bears; Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house, O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's rattling bones, With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls; Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud; Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble; And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.

Friar Lawrence

Go home then, act happy, and tell your parents you agree to marry Paris.  Tomorrow night, make sure you are alone.  Take this vial and drink it.  You will fall into a deep sleep, and appear to have no breath or pulse.  You will appear cold and lifeless, and even the color from your face will fade.  You will remain like this for forty-two hours, so when your new husband comes to find you, he will think you are dead.  You will be put into the Capulet’s death vault.  In the meantime, I will send Romeo word of our plan.  He and I will be with you when you wake, and the two of you may go to Mantua.  Can you go through with this plan?

Hold, then; go home, be merry, give consent To marry Paris: Wednesday is to-morrow; To-morrow night look that thou lie alone, Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy chamber: Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off: When, presently, through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse Shall keep his native progress, but surcease: No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest; The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade To paly ashes; thy eyes' windows fall, Like death, when he shuts up the day of life; Each part, depriv'd of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death: And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death Thou shalt continue two-and-forty hours, And then awake as from a pleasant sleep. Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead: Then,--as the manner of our country is,-- In thy best robes, uncover'd, on the bier, Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie. In the mean time, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift; And hither shall he come: and he and I Will watch thy waking, and that very night Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. And this shall free thee from this present shame, If no inconstant toy nor womanish fear Abate thy valour in the acting it.

Juliet

Of course, I can.  Give me!  Give me!

Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear!

Friar Lawrence

(Giving her the vial.)  Here, now go and stay strong.  I’ll send word to Romeo.

Hold; get you gone, be strong and prosperous In this resolve: I'll send a friar with speed To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord.

Juliet

Love give me strength, and strength help me get through this.  Goodbye, dear Father.

Love give me strength! and strength shall help afford. Farewell, dear father.

(Exit all.)

Scene II:  Hall in Capulet’s house.

(Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet, Nurse, and Servants.)

Capulet

Here, invite the guests on this list.

So many guests invite as here are writ.--

(Exit first Servant.)

Sir, go find and hire twenty chefs.

Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks.

Second Servant

I will get only the best.  I’ll test them by making them lick their fingers.

You shall have none ill, sir; for I'll try if they can lick their fingers.

Capulet

How does that test them?

How canst thou try them so?

Second Servant

Only good cooks can lick their fingers.  Anyone who cannot will not come with me.

Marry, sir, 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers: therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not with me.

Capulet

Well, go already.

Go, begone.--

(Exit second Servant.)

We are not going to be prepared for this wedding in time.  Where is my daughter, Friar Lawrence’s?

We shall be much unfurnish'd for this time.-- What, is my daughter gone to Friar Lawrence?

Nurse

Yes, true.

Ay, forsooth.

Capulet

Good, I hope he has some influence on that spoiled brat.

Well, be may chance to do some good on her: A peevish self-will'd harlotry it is.

Nurse

Here she comes now with a smile on her face.

See where she comes from shrift with merry look.

(Enter Juliet.)

Capulet

Where have you been, my headstrong daughter?

How now, my headstrong! where have you been gadding?

Juliet

I have been where I could repent the sin of disobedience to my parents.  Now, at Friar Lawrence’s urgings, I am here to beg your forgiveness.  (On her knees.) Please, forgive me.  From now on, I will listen to you and do whatever you wish.

Where I have learn'd me to repent the sin Of disobedient opposition To you and your behests; and am enjoin'd By holy Lawrence to fall prostrate here, To beg your pardon:--pardon, I beseech you! Henceforward I am ever rul'd by you.

Capulet

Send for the Count.  Tell him he is to wed tomorrow morning.

Send for the county; go tell him of this: I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow morning.

Juliet

I saw him at Friar Lawrence’s cell and told him how I felt without being too forthcoming.

I met the youthful lord at Lawrence' cell; And gave him what becomed love I might, Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty.

Capulet

That is good.  Stand up.  Everything is as it should be.  Now, go fetch Paris and bring him here.  We all owe the friar for this one.

Why, I am glad on't; this is well,--stand up,-- This is as't should be.--Let me see the county; Ay, marry, go, I say, and fetch him hither.-- Now, afore God, this reverend holy friar, All our whole city is much bound to him.

Juliet

Nurse, will you go with me to my closet and help pick out the wedding attire for tomorrow?

Nurse, will you go with me into my closet, To help me sort such needful ornaments As you think fit to furnish me to-morrow?

Lady Capulet

There’s plenty of time.  The wedding is not until Thursday.

No, not till Thursday; there is time enough.

Capulet

Go Nurse, go with her.  We are going to have the wedding tomorrow.

Go, nurse, go with her.--We'll to church to-morrow.

(Exit Juliet and Nurse.)

Lady Capulet

We are not going to have enough food for the party.  It’s almost night.

We shall be short in our provision: 'Tis now near night.

Capulet

Don’t worry.  I will get things ready.  I promise.  Go help Juliet get ready.  I’ll be working all night so don’t expect me to come to bed.  I’ll be the housewife for once.  Where is everyone?  I will go get Paris myself and prepare him for tomorrow.  I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted now that my wayward daughter is going to be married.

Tush, I will stir about, And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife: Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her; I'll not to bed to-night;--let me alone; I'll play the housewife for this once.--What, ho!-- They are all forth: well, I will walk myself To County Paris, to prepare him up Against to-morrow: my heart is wondrous light Since this same wayward girl is so reclaim'd.

(Exit Capulet.)

Scene III:  Juliet’s bedroom.

(Enter Juliet and Nurse.)

Juliet

Those outfits are best, but gentle Nurse, I need to be alone now.  I need time to pray for blessings upon tomorrow because you know I am full of sin.

Ay, those attires are best:--but, gentle nurse, I pray thee, leave me to myself to-night; For I have need of many orisons To move the heavens to smile upon my state, Which, well thou know'st, is cross and full of sin.

(Enter Lady Capulet.)

Lady Capulet

Are you busy?  Do you need my help?

What, are you busy, ho? need you my help?

Juliet

No ma’am.  We have figured everything out.  So, if you don’t mind, I want to be alone.  Let the Nurse stay with you tonight, because I know how busy you are with the preparations.

No, madam; we have cull'd such necessaries As are behoveful for our state to-morrow: So please you, let me now be left alone, And let the nurse this night sit up with you; For I am sure you have your hands full all In this so sudden business.

Lady Capulet

Good night then.  Go to bed and get some rest because you are going to need it.

Good night: Get thee to bed, and rest; for thou hast need.

(Exit Lady Capulet and Nurse.)

Juliet

Goodnight.  God only knows when we will see each other again.  I am cold with fear.  Maybe I’ll call them back.  Nurse!  Oh, what good can she do me?  I must do this alone.  Here is the vial.  What if this doesn’t work?  What if I have to get married tomorrow?  I will lay my knife beside me in case it doesn’t.  What if this is a poison the friar has given me so he will not be dishonored, because he married me to Romeo?  No, he would not do such a terrible thing because he is a righteous man.  I will not think negatively of him.  What if I wake up in the tomb before Romeo gets there?  Will I suffocate in the vault?  Or, if I live, be surrounded by the terror of death and darkness, and the dead, decomposing bodies of my ancestors.  Perhaps, Tybalt, just now laid to rest, will stir like they say of new spirits. So if I wake early, the terrible smells and spirits’ howls will drive me crazy.  I will play with the joints of my ancestors, try to wake Tybalt, and finally bash my brains out with a bone.  I think I see Tybalt now, looking for Romeo, his murderer.  Stay Tybalt, stay.  Romeo, I am coming.  I drink to you.

God knows when we shall meet again. I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins That almost freezes up the heat of life: I'll call them back again to comfort me;-- Nurse!--What should she do here? My dismal scene I needs must act alone.-- Come, vial.-- What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married, then, to-morrow morning?-- No, No!--this shall forbid it:--lie thou there.-- [Laying down her dagger.] What if it be a poison, which the friar Subtly hath minister'd to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour'd, Because he married me before to Romeo? I fear it is: and yet methinks it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man:-- I will not entertain so bad a thought.-- How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? there's a fearful point! Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? Or, if I live, is it not very like The horrible conceit of death and night, Together with the terror of the place,-- As in a vault, an ancient receptacle, Where, for this many hundred years, the bones Of all my buried ancestors are pack'd; Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth, Lies festering in his shroud; where, as they say, At some hours in the night spirits resort;-- Alack, alack, is it not like that I, So early waking,--what with loathsome smells, And shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth, That living mortals, hearing them, run mad;-- O, if I wake, shall I not be distraught, Environed with all these hideous fears? And madly play with my forefathers' joints? And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud? And, in this rage, with some great kinsman's bone, As with a club, dash out my desperate brains?-- O, look! methinks I see my cousin's ghost Seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body Upon a rapier's point:--stay, Tybalt, stay!-- Romeo, I come! this do I drink to thee.