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Romeo and Juliet
Act 1, scene 5

Synopsis:

Contents

Characters in the Play

Entire Play

The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters “star-crossed lovers”—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers….

Prologue

Act 1, scene 1

A street fight breaks out between the Montagues and the Capulets, which is broken up by the ruler of Verona,…

Act 1, scene 2

In conversation with Capulet, Count Paris declares his wish to marry Juliet. Capulet invites him to a party that night….

Act 1, scene 3

Lady Capulet informs Juliet of Paris’s marriage proposal and praises him extravagantly. Juliet says that she has not even dreamed…

Act 1, scene 4

Romeo and Benvolio approach the Capulets’ party with their friend Mercutio and others, wearing the disguises customarily donned by “maskers.”…

Act 1, scene 5

Capulet welcomes the disguised Romeo and his friends. Romeo, watching the dance, is caught by the beauty of Juliet. Overhearing…

Act 2, chorus

Again the Chorus’s speech is in the form of a sonnet.

Act 2, scene 1

Romeo finds himself so in love with Juliet that he cannot leave her. He scales a wall and enters Capulet’s…

Act 2, scene 2

From Capulet’s garden Romeo overhears Juliet express her love for him. When he answers her, they acknowledge their love and…

Act 2, scene 3

Determined to marry Juliet, Romeo hurries to Friar Lawrence. The Friar agrees to marry them, expressing the hope that the…

Act 2, scene 4

Mercutio and Benvolio meet the newly enthusiastic Romeo in the street. Romeo defeats Mercutio in a battle of wits. The…

Act 2, scene 5

Juliet waits impatiently for the Nurse to return. Her impatience grows when the Nurse, having returned, is slow to deliver…

Act 2, scene 6

Juliet meets Romeo at Friar Lawrence’s cell. After expressing their mutual love, they exit with the Friar to be married.

Act 3, scene 1

Mercutio and Benvolio encounter Tybalt on the street. As soon as Romeo arrives, Tybalt tries to provoke him to fight….

Act 3, scene 2

Juliet longs for Romeo to come to her. The Nurse arrives with the news that Romeo has killed Tybalt and…

Act 3, scene 3

Friar Lawrence tells Romeo that his punishment for killing Tybalt is banishment, not death. Romeo responds that death is preferable…

Act 3, scene 4

Paris again approaches Capulet about marrying Juliet. Capulet, saying that Juliet will do as she is told, promises Paris that…

Act 3, scene 5

Romeo and Juliet separate at the first light of day. Almost immediately her mother comes to announce that Juliet must…

Act 4, scene 1

Paris is talking with Friar Lawrence about the coming wedding when Juliet arrives. After Paris leaves, she threatens suicide if…

Act 4, scene 2

Capulet energetically directs preparations for the wedding. When Juliet returns from Friar Lawrence and pretends to have learned obedience, Capulet…

Act 4, scene 3

Juliet sends the Nurse away for the night. After facing her terror at the prospect of awaking in her family’s…

Act 4, scene 4

The Capulets and the Nurse stay up all night to get ready for the wedding. Capulet, hearing Paris approach with…

Act 4, scene 5

The Nurse finds Juliet in the deathlike trance caused by the Friar’s potion and announces Juliet’s death. Juliet’s parents and…

Act 5, scene 1

Romeo’s man, Balthasar, arrives in Mantua with news of Juliet’s death. Romeo sends him to hire horses for their immediate…

Act 5, scene 2

Friar John enters, bringing with him the letter that he was to have delivered to Romeo. He tells why he…

Act 5, scene 3

Paris visits Juliet’s tomb and, when Romeo arrives, challenges him. Romeo and Paris fight and Paris is killed. Romeo, in…
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⌜Scene 5⌝
Servingmen come forth with napkins.

⌜FIRST⌝ SERVINGMAN Where’s Potpan that he helps not
 to take away? He shift a trencher? He scrape a
 trencher?
⌜SECOND⌝ SERVINGMAN When good manners shall lie
5 all in one or two men’s hands, and they unwashed
 too, ’tis a foul thing.
⌜FIRST⌝ SERVINGMAN Away with the joint stools, remove
 the court cupboard, look to the plate.—
 Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane, and, as
10 thou loves me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone
 and Nell.—Anthony and Potpan!
⌜THIRD⌝ SERVINGMAN Ay, boy, ready.
⌜FIRST⌝ SERVINGMAN You are looked for and called for,
 asked for and sought for, in the great chamber.
⌜THIRD⌝ SERVINGMAN 15We cannot be here and there too.
 Cheerly, boys! Be brisk awhile, and the longer liver
 take all.⌜They move aside.⌝

Enter ⌜Capulet and his household,⌝ all the guests and
gentlewomen to ⌜Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, and⌝ the
⌜other⌝ Maskers.

CAPULET 
 Welcome, gentlemen. Ladies that have their toes
 Unplagued with corns will walk ⌜a bout⌝ with
20 you.—
 Ah, my mistresses, which of you all
 Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
 She, I’ll swear, hath corns. Am I come near you
 now?—
25 Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day
 That I have worn a visor and could tell
 A whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear,
 Such as would please. ’Tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone.
53
Romeo and Juliet
ACT 1. SC. 5

 You are welcome, gentlemen.—Come, musicians,
30 play.Music plays and they dance.
 A hall, a hall, give room!—And foot it, girls.—
 More light, you knaves, and turn the tables up,
 And quench the fire; the room is grown too hot.—
 Ah, sirrah, this unlooked-for sport comes well.—
35 Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,
 For you and I are past our dancing days.
 How long is ’t now since last yourself and I
 Were in a mask?
CAPULET’S COUSIN  By ’r Lady, thirty years.
CAPULET 
40 What, man, ’tis not so much, ’tis not so much.
 ’Tis since the nuptial of ⌜Lucentio,⌝
 Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,
 Some five and twenty years, and then we masked.
CAPULET’S COUSIN 
 ’Tis more, ’tis more. His son is elder, sir.
45 His son is thirty.
CAPULET  Will you tell me that?
 His son was but a ward two years ago.
ROMEO, ⌜to a Servingman⌝ 
 What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand
 Of yonder knight?
SERVINGMAN 50I know not, sir.
ROMEO 
 O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
 It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
 As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear—
 Beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear.
55 So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
 As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.
 The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand
 And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.
 Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,
60 For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
55
Romeo and Juliet
ACT 1. SC. 5

TYBALT 
 This, by his voice, should be a Montague.—
 Fetch me my rapier, boy.⌜Page exits.⌝
 What, dares the slave
 Come hither covered with an antic face
65 To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
 Now, by the stock and honor of my kin,
 To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.
CAPULET 
 Why, how now, kinsman? Wherefore storm you so?
TYBALT 
 Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
70 A villain that is hither come in spite
 To scorn at our solemnity this night.
CAPULET 
 Young Romeo is it?
TYBALT  ’Tis he, that villain Romeo.
CAPULET 
 Content thee, gentle coz. Let him alone.
75 He bears him like a portly gentleman,
 And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
 To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
 I would not for the wealth of all this town
 Here in my house do him disparagement.
80 Therefore be patient. Take no note of him.
 It is my will, the which if thou respect,
 Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
 An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
TYBALT 
 It fits when such a villain is a guest.
85 I’ll not endure him.
CAPULET  He shall be endured.
 What, goodman boy? I say he shall. Go to.
 Am I the master here or you? Go to.
 You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul,
57
Romeo and Juliet
ACT 1. SC. 5

90 You’ll make a mutiny among my guests,
 You will set cock-a-hoop, you’ll be the man!
TYBALT 
 Why, uncle, ’tis a shame.
CAPULET  Go to, go to.
 You are a saucy boy. Is ’t so indeed?
95 This trick may chance to scathe you. I know what.
 You must contrary me. Marry, ’tis time—
 Well said, my hearts.—You are a princox, go.
 Be quiet, or—More light, more light!—for shame,
 I’ll make you quiet.—What, cheerly, my hearts!
TYBALT 
100 Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
 Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
 I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall,
 Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.
He exits.
ROMEO, ⌜taking Juliet’s hand⌝ 
 If I profane with my unworthiest hand
105 This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
 My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
 To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
JULIET 
 Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
 Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
110 For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,
 And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.
ROMEO 
 Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
JULIET 
 Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
ROMEO 
 O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do.
115 They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
JULIET 
 Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.
59
Romeo and Juliet
ACT 1. SC. 5

ROMEO 
 Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.
⌜He kisses her.⌝
 Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.
JULIET 
 Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
ROMEO 
120 Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
 Give me my sin again.⌜He kisses her.⌝
JULIET  You kiss by th’ book.
NURSE 
 Madam, your mother craves a word with you.
⌜Juliet moves toward her mother.⌝
ROMEO 
 What is her mother?
NURSE 125 Marry, bachelor,
 Her mother is the lady of the house,
 And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous.
 I nursed her daughter that you talked withal.
 I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
130 Shall have the chinks.⌜Nurse moves away.⌝
ROMEO, ⌜aside⌝  Is she a Capulet?
 O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.
BENVOLIO 
 Away, begone. The sport is at the best.
ROMEO 
 Ay, so I fear. The more is my unrest.
CAPULET 
135 Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone.
 We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.—
 Is it e’en so? Why then, I thank you all.
 I thank you, honest gentlemen. Good night.—
 More torches here.—Come on then, let’s to bed.—
140 Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late.
 I’ll to my rest.
⌜All but Juliet and the Nurse begin to exit.⌝
61
Romeo and Juliet
ACT 1. SC. 5

JULIET 
 Come hither, nurse. What is yond gentleman?
NURSE 
 The son and heir of old Tiberio.
JULIET 
 What’s he that now is going out of door?
NURSE 
145 Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio.
JULIET 
 What’s he that follows here, that would not dance?
NURSE I know not.
JULIET 
 Go ask his name. ⌜The Nurse goes.⌝ If he be marrièd,
 My grave is like to be my wedding bed.
NURSE, ⌜returning⌝ 
150 His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
 The only son of your great enemy.
JULIET 
 My only love sprung from my only hate!
 Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
 Prodigious birth of love it is to me
155 That I must love a loathèd enemy.
NURSE 
 What’s this? What’s this?
JULIET  A rhyme I learned even now
 Of one I danced withal.
One calls within “Juliet.”
NURSE  Anon, anon.
160 Come, let’s away. The strangers all are gone.
They exit.


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