The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1023 page)

(Exit Friar John.)

Friar Lawrence

Now, I must go to the tomb alone.  Juliet will be awake in three hours.  She will hate me if Romeo is not there.  But, I will write to Romeo again and keep her in my cell until he gets here.  Poor living soul, closed up in a dead man’s tomb!

Now must I to the monument alone; Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake: She will beshrew me much that Romeo Hath had no notice of these accidents; But I will write again to Mantua, And keep her at my cell till Romeo come;-- Poor living corse, clos'd in a dead man's tomb!

(Exit.)

Scene III:  A churchyard with the tomb of the Capulets.

(Enter Paris and his Page, bearing flowers and a torch.)

Paris

Give me the torch, boy, and stand back.  Better yet, put it out.  I don’t want to be seen out here.  Go over by that tree and put your ear to the ground.  If you hear someone coming, whistle a warning.  Give me those flowers and do as I say.

Give me thy torch, boy: hence, and stand aloof;-- Yet put it out, for I would not be seen. Under yond yew tree lay thee all along, Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground; So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,-- Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,-- But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me, As signal that thou hear'st something approach. Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.

Page

(To himself.) Okay, but I am afraid to stand alone in the graveyard.

[Aside.] I am almost afraid to stand alone Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.

(Retires.)

Paris

Oh, my sweet flower.  I bring you flowers for thy bridal bed.  Your canopy is dust and stones. I will water them with my tears.  I promise to come every night and bring flowers and weep.

Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew: O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones! Which with sweet water nightly I will dew; Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans: The obsequies that I for thee will keep, Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.

(The Page whistles.)

I hear the boy’s warning.  Someone is coming and keeping me from mourning my love.  Someone with a torch!  I must hide in the darkness.

The boy gives warning something doth approach. What cursed foot wanders this way to-night, To cross my obsequies and true love's rite? What, with a torch! muffle me, night, awhile.

(Retires.)

(Enter Romeo and Balthasar with a torch and tools.)

Romeo

Give me the axe and the crowbar.  Here, take this letter, and deliver it to my father in the morning.  Give me the torch, and promise me that no matter what you hear or see, you will not interfere.  I am going in there partly to see my love’s face one more time, and to get a ring from her finger that I must use.  So, go on, but if you come back I will tear you limb from limb and spread you about this graveyard.  I am as wild and fierce as a tiger!

Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron. Hold, take this letter; early in the morning See thou deliver it to my lord and father. Give me the light; upon thy life I charge thee, Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand all aloof And do not interrupt me in my course. Why I descend into this bed of death Is partly to behold my lady's face, But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger A precious ring,--a ring that I must use In dear employment: therefore hence, be gone:-- But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry In what I further shall intend to do, By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint, And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs: The time and my intents are savage-wild; More fierce and more inexorable far Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.

Balthasar

I’ll go, sir, and not bother you.

I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.

Romeo

Good friend, take this and live prosperously.  Farewell, good fellow.

So shalt thou show me friendship.--Take thou that: Live, and be prosperous: and farewell, good fellow.

Balthasar

(To himself.)  I’ll hide here, because I am afraid he is up to no good.

For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout: His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.

(Retires.)

Romeo

Damned tomb, house of death, filled with the dearest that ever tread the earth, I will open your rotten jaws…

Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorg'd with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,

(Opens the door.)

…and fill you with more food.

And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food!

Paris

That is the Montague who murdered my love’s cousin and caused my bride to die from grief.  He has come to do something awful to the dead bodies.  I will capture him.

This is that banish'd haughty Montague That murder'd my love's cousin,--with which grief, It is supposed, the fair creature died,-- And here is come to do some villanous shame To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.--

(Advances.)

Stop villainous Montague!  How can you seek revenge on the dead?  I arrest you.  Obey me and come because you are going to die.

Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague! Can vengeance be pursu'd further than death? Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee; Obey, and go with me; for thou must die.

Romeo

That is why I’m here.  I am a desperate man.  Don’t tempt me.  Go away and leave me alone.  I beg you, young man, do not make me kill you.  I am here to kill myself, not you.  Go away and let a madman finish himself.

I must indeed; and therefore came I hither.-- Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man; Fly hence and leave me:--think upon these gone; Let them affright thee.--I beseech thee, youth, Put not another sin upon my head By urging me to fury: O, be gone! By heaven, I love thee better than myself; For I come hither arm'd against myself: Stay not, be gone;--live, and hereafter say, A madman's mercy bid thee run away.

Paris

No, I will not let you.  I arrest you as a felon.

I do defy thy conjurations, And apprehend thee for a felon here.

Romeo

Let’s go then, boy.

Wilt thou provoke me? then have at thee, boy!

(They fight.)

Page

Oh, lord.  They are fighting.  I will go call the police.

O lord, they fight! I will go call the watch.

(Exit Page.)

Paris

You have stabbed me.  (Falls.)  Please be merciful and put me with Juliet.

O, I am slain! [Falls.] If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.

(Dies.)

Romeo

Let me look at you. You are Mercutio’s relative, Paris.  Wasn’t it my man who said that you were going to marry Juliet?  Or did I dream that?  Am I going mad?  Join me in my misfortune, Paris, and I will bury you in a triumphant grave.  This does not look like a grave, with the light from Juliet’s beautiful face inside. Here, this is where dead men lay.

In faith, I will.--Let me peruse this face:-- Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Paris!-- What said my man, when my betossed soul Did not attend him as we rode? I think He told me Paris should have married Juliet: Said he not so? or did I dream it so? Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, To think it was so?--O, give me thy hand, One writ with me in sour misfortune's book! I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave;-- A grave? O, no, a lanthorn, slaught'red youth, For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes This vault a feasting presence full of light. Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr'd.

(Lays Paris in the tomb.)

How is it that men feel happiness when they are about to die?  Is it enlightenment?  I will call this enlightenment.  Oh, my love!  My wife!  Death that took away your breath did not have the power to take away your beauty.  You are not conquered.  You still have color in your cheeks and lips.  Tybalt, lying over there in your bloody sheet, I do you a favor by taking the hand that killed you and kill myself.  Forgive me, cousin!  Ah, Juliet, why are you still so beautiful?  Is death so jealous that he has brought you here to be his lover?  I will not leave you in this dark place for him.  I will stay with you and the worms that are your servants.  Here, I will set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of this world.  Eyes, take your last look!  Arms, take your last embrace, and lips, the doors of breath take your last kiss.  Come bitter death, I will not bargain with you.  Here’s to my love!  (Drinks.)  The drugs work quickly, so with a kiss I die.

How oft when men are at the point of death Have they been merry! which their keepers call A lightning before death: O, how may I Call this a lightning?--O my love! my wife! Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty: Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death's pale flag is not advanced there.-- Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet? O, what more favour can I do to thee Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain To sunder his that was thine enemy? Forgive me, cousin!--Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous; And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour? For fear of that I still will stay with thee, And never from this palace of dim night Depart again: here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chambermaids: O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest; And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.--Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death!-- Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide! Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark! Here's to my love! [Drinks.]--O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick.--Thus with a kiss I die.

(Dies.)

(Enter, at the other end of the Churchyard, Friar Lawrence with a lantern, crowbar and shovel.)

Friar Lawrence

Saint Francis, give me speed!  I have stepped over so many graves tonight.  Who’s there?  Who is it in this place so late?  Is it the dead?

Saint Francis be my speed! how oft to-night Have my old feet stumbled at graves!--Who's there? Who is it that consorts, so late, the dead?

Balthasar

It is your friend.

Here's one, a friend, and one that knows you well.

Friar Lawrence

Oh, good.  Tell me, friend, what light is that over there by the Capulet’s tomb?

Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend, What torch is yond that vainly lends his light To grubs and eyeless skulls? as I discern, It burneth in the Capels' monument.

Balthasar

It is my master, the one you love so much.

It doth so, holy sir; and there's my master, One that you love.

Friar Lawrence

Who is it?

Who is it?

Balthasar

Romeo.

Romeo.

Friar Lawrence

How long has he been in there?

How long hath he been there?

Balthasar

About a half an hour.

Full half an hour.

Friar Lawrence

Go with me.

Go with me to the vault.

Balthasar

No.  My master thinks I am gone and threatened me with death if I interrupted him.

I dare not, sir; My master knows not but I am gone hence; And fearfully did menace me with death If I did stay to look on his intents.

Friar Lawrence

Stay then.  I’ll go alone, although fear grips me.

Stay then; I'll go alone:--fear comes upon me; O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing.

Balthasar

I fell asleep under this tree and dreamed that my master was fighting someone, and that he killed him.

As I did sleep under this yew tree here, I dreamt my master and another fought, And that my master slew him.

Friar Lawrence

Romeo!  (Goes forward.)  Oh, no, what is this blood stain?  What do these bloody swords mean?  

Romeo! [Advances.] Alack, alack! what blood is this which stains The stony entrance of this sepulchre?-- What mean these masterless and gory swords To lie discolour'd by this place of peace?

(Enters the tomb.)

Romeo!  You are so pale!  And, Paris, too?  What a terrible time!  The lady stirs.

O, pale!--Who else? what, Paris too? And steep'd in blood?--Ah, what an unkind hour Is guilty of this lamentable chance!--The lady stirs.

(Juliet wakes and stirs.)

Juliet

Oh, Friar, where is my lord?  I remember where I am supposed to be, but where is Romeo?