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Home > Romeo and Juliet > ACT III - SCENE I. A public place.

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ACT III - SCENE I. A public place.
Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants

BENVOLIO
1    I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
2    The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
3    And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
4    For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.
MERCUTIO
5    Thou art like one of those fellows that when he
6    enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword
7    upon the table and says 'God send me no need of
8    thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws
9    it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.
BENVOLIO
10   Am I like such a fellow?
MERCUTIO
11   Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as
12   any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as
13   soon moody to be moved.
BENVOLIO
14   And what to?
MERCUTIO
15   Nay, an there were two such, we should have none
16   shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,
17   thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more,
18   or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou
19   wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no
20   other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what
21   eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?
22   Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of
23   meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as
24   an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a
25   man for coughing in the street, because he hath
26   wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun:
27   didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing
28   his new doublet before Easter? with another, for
29   tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou
30   wilt tutor me from quarrelling!
BENVOLIO
31   An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man
32   should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.
MERCUTIO
33   The fee-simple! O simple!
BENVOLIO
34   By my head, here come the Capulets.
MERCUTIO
35   By my heel, I care not.
Enter TYBALT and others

TYBALT
36   Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
37   Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.
MERCUTIO
38   And but one word with one of us? couple it with
39   something; make it a word and a blow.
TYBALT
40   You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you
41   will give me occasion.
MERCUTIO
42   Could you not take some occasion without giving?
TYBALT
43   Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,--
MERCUTIO
44   Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an
45   thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but
46   discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall
47   make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!
BENVOLIO
48   We talk here in the public haunt of men:
49   Either withdraw unto some private place,
50   And reason coldly of your grievances,
51   Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.
MERCUTIO
52   Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
53   I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.
Enter ROMEO

TYBALT
54   Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.
MERCUTIO
55   But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery:
56   Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
57   Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.'
TYBALT
58   Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford
59   No better term than this,--thou art a villain.
ROMEO
60   Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
61   Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
62   To such a greeting: villain am I none;
63   Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st me not.
TYBALT
64   Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
65   That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.
ROMEO
66   I do protest, I never injured thee,
67   But love thee better than thou canst devise,
68   Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
69   And so, good Capulet,--which name I tender
70   As dearly as my own,--be satisfied.
MERCUTIO
71   O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
72   Alla stoccata carries it away.
Draws
73   Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
TYBALT
74   What wouldst thou have with me?
MERCUTIO
75   Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine
76   lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you
77   shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the
78   eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher
79   by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your
80   ears ere it be out.
TYBALT
81   I am for you.
Drawing

ROMEO
82   Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
MERCUTIO
83   Come, sir, your passado.
They fight

ROMEO
84   Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.
85   Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!
86   Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath
87   Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:
88   Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!
MERCUTIO
89   I am hurt.
90   A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.
91   Is he gone, and hath nothing?
BENVOLIO
92   What, art thou hurt?
MERCUTIO
93   Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.
94   Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
Exit Page

ROMEO
95   Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
MERCUTIO
96   No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
97   church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
98   me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I
99   am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o'
100  both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a
101  cat, to scratch a man to death! a braggart, a
102  rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of
103  arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I
104  was hurt under your arm.
ROMEO
105  I thought all for the best.
MERCUTIO
106  Help me into some house, Benvolio,
107  Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!
108  They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,
109  And soundly too: your houses!
Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO

ROMEO
110  This gentleman, the prince's near ally,
111  My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
112  In my behalf; my reputation stain'd
113  With Tybalt's slander,--Tybalt, that an hour
114  Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet,
115  Thy beauty hath made me effeminate
116  And in my temper soften'd valour's steel!
Re-enter BENVOLIO

BENVOLIO
117  O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead!
118  That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
119  Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.
ROMEO
120  This day's black fate on more days doth depend;
121  This but begins the woe, others must end.
BENVOLIO
122  Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
ROMEO
123  Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain!
124  Away to heaven, respective lenity,
125  And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!
Re-enter TYBALT
126  Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,
127  That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul
128  Is but a little way above our heads,
129  Staying for thine to keep him company:
130  Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.
TYBALT
131  Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
132  Shalt with him hence.
ROMEO
133  This shall determine that.
They fight; TYBALT falls

BENVOLIO
134  Romeo, away, be gone!
135  The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.
136  Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death,
137  If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!
ROMEO
138  O, I am fortune's fool!
BENVOLIO
139  Why dost thou stay?
Exit ROMEO

Enter Citizens, &c

First Citizen
140  Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio?
141  Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?
BENVOLIO
142  There lies that Tybalt.
First Citizen
143  Up, sir, go with me;
144  I charge thee in the princes name, obey.
PRINCE
145  Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
BENVOLIO
146  O noble prince, I can discover all
147  The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
148  There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
149  That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
LADY CAPULET
150  Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child!
151  O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt
152  O my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,
153  For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.
154  O cousin, cousin!
PRINCE
155  Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?
BENVOLIO
156  Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay;
157  Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
158  How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
159  Your high displeasure: all this uttered
160  With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd,
161  Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
162  Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
163  With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast,
164  Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
165  And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
166  Cold death aside, and with the other sends
167  It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity,
168  Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud,
169  'Hold, friends! friends, part!' and, swifter than
170  his tongue,
171  His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
172  And 'twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
173  An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
174  Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;
175  But by and by comes back to Romeo,
176  Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,
177  And to 't they go like lightning, for, ere I
178  Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain.
179  And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.
180  This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.
LADY CAPULET
181  He is a kinsman to the Montague;
182  Affection makes him false; he speaks not true:
183  Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
184  And all those twenty could but kill one life.
185  I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give;
186  Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.
PRINCE
187  Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;
188  Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?
MONTAGUE
189  Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's friend;
190  His fault concludes but what the law should end,
191  The life of Tybalt.
PRINCE
192  And for that offence
193  Immediately we do exile him hence:
194  I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,
195  My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;
196  But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine
197  That you shall all repent the loss of mine:
198  I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;
199  Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:
200  Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste,
201  Else, when he's found, that hour is his last.
202  Bear hence this body and attend our will:
203  Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.
Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT II, SCENE VIACT III, II (Next) >
Scene Index
ACT I
  • PROLOGUE
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT II
  • PROLOGUE
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III

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