ACT III
SCENE I A public place.


 [Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants]

BENVOLIO I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
 The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
 And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
 For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

MERCUTIO Thou art like one of those fellows that when he
 enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword
 upon the table and says 'God send me no need of
 thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws
 it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.

BENVOLIO Am I like such a fellow?

MERCUTIO Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as
 any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as
 soon moody to be moved.

BENVOLIO And what to?

MERCUTIO Nay, an there were two such, we should have none
 shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,
 thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more,
 or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou
 wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no
 other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what
 eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?
 Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of
 meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as
 an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a
 man for coughing in the street, because he hath
 wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun:
 didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing
 his new doublet before Easter? with another, for
 tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou
 wilt tutor me from quarrelling!

BENVOLIO An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man
 should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.

MERCUTIO The fee-simple! O simple!

BENVOLIO By my head, here come the Capulets.

MERCUTIO By my heel, I care not.

 [Enter TYBALT and others]

TYBALT Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
 Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.

MERCUTIO And but one word with one of us? couple it with
 something; make it a word and a blow.

TYBALT You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you
 will give me occasion.

MERCUTIO Could you not take some occasion without giving?

TYBALT Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,--

MERCUTIO Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an
 thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but
 discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall
 make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!

BENVOLIO We talk here in the public haunt of men:
 Either withdraw unto some private place,
 And reason coldly of your grievances,
 Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.

MERCUTIO Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
 I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.

 [Enter ROMEO]

TYBALT Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.

MERCUTIO But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery:
 Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
 Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.'

TYBALT Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford
 No better term than this,--thou art a villain.

ROMEO Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
 Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
 To such a greeting: villain am I none;
 Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st me not.

TYBALT Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
 That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.

ROMEO I do protest, I never injured thee,
 But love thee better than thou canst devise,
 Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
 And so, good Capulet,--which name I tender
 As dearly as my own,--be satisfied.

MERCUTIO O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
 Alla stoccata carries it away.

 [Draws]

 Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

TYBALT What wouldst thou have with me?

MERCUTIO Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine
 lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you
 shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the
 eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher
 by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your
 ears ere it be out.

TYBALT I am for you.

 [Drawing]

ROMEO Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.

MERCUTIO Come, sir, your passado.

 [They fight]

ROMEO Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.
 Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!
 Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath
 Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:
 Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!

 [TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs MERCUTIO, and flies
 with his followers]

MERCUTIO I am hurt.
 A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.
 Is he gone, and hath nothing?

BENVOLIO What, art thou hurt?

MERCUTIO Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.
 Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.

 [Exit Page]

ROMEO Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

MERCUTIO No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
 church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
 me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I
 am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o'
 both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a
 cat, to scratch a man to death! a braggart, a
 rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of
 arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I
 was hurt under your arm.

ROMEO I thought all for the best.

MERCUTIO Help me into some house, Benvolio,
 Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!
 They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,
 And soundly too: your houses!

 [Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO]

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

 [Re-enter BENVOLIO]

BENVOLIO O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead!
 That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
 Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.

ROMEO This day's black fate on more days doth depend;
 This but begins the woe, others must end.

BENVOLIO Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.

ROMEO Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain!
 Away to heaven, respective lenity,
 And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!

 [Re-enter TYBALT]

 Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,
 That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul
 Is but a little way above our heads,
 Staying for thine to keep him company:
 Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.

TYBALT Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
 Shalt with him hence.

ROMEO This shall determine that.

 [They fight; TYBALT falls]

BENVOLIO Romeo, away, be gone!
 The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.
 Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death,
 If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!

ROMEO O, I am fortune's fool!

BENVOLIO Why dost thou stay?

 [Exit ROMEO]

 [Enter Citizens, &c]

First Citizen Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio?
 Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?

BENVOLIO There lies that Tybalt.

First Citizen Up, sir, go with me;
 I charge thee in the princes name, obey.

 [Enter Prince, attended; MONTAGUE, CAPULET, their
 Wives, and others]

PRINCE Where are the vile beginners of this fray?

BENVOLIO O noble prince, I can discover all
 The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
 There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
 That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.

LADY CAPULET Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child!
 O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt
 O my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,
 For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.
 O cousin, cousin!

PRINCE Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?

BENVOLIO Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay;
 Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
 How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
 Your high displeasure: all this uttered
 With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd,
 Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
 Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
 With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast,
 Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
 And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
 Cold death aside, and with the other sends
 It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity,
 Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud,
 'Hold, friends! friends, part!' and, swifter than
 his tongue,
 His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
 And 'twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
 An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
 Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;
 But by and by comes back to Romeo,
 Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,
 And to 't they go like lightning, for, ere I
 Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain.
 And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.
 This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

LADY CAPULET He is a kinsman to the Montague;
 Affection makes him false; he speaks not true:
 Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
 And all those twenty could but kill one life.
 I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give;
 Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.

PRINCE Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;
 Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?

MONTAGUE Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's friend;
 His fault concludes but what the law should end,
 The life of Tybalt.

PRINCE And for that offence
 Immediately we do exile him hence:
 I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,
 My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;
 But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine
 That you shall all repent the loss of mine:
 I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;
 Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:
 Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste,
 Else, when he's found, that hour is his last.
 Bear hence this body and attend our will:
 Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.

 [Exeunt]




 ROMEO AND JULIET


ACT III