Romeo and Juliet: Act 2, Scene 2
[ROMEO comes out of hiding.]
ROMEO
1. He jests at scars that never felt a wound: Romeo says Mercutio can jest about love because he's never been in love.
1
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
[JULIET appears above at a window.]
2
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
3
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
4
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
5
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
6. her maid: i.e., devotee of Diana, goddess of the moon, and patroness of virgins.
8. Her vestal livery is but sick and green: Her chaste uniform is green, like the "green-sickness," an anemia that was supposed to occur in unmarried girls, because they were not fruitful.
8. Her vestal livery is but sick and green: Her chaste uniform is green, like the "green-sickness," an anemia that was supposed to occur in unmarried girls, because they were not fruitful.
6
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
7
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
8
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
9
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
10
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
11
O, that she knew she were!
12
She speaks yet she says nothing; what of that?
13
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
14
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks.
15
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
16
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
17. spheres: heavenly positions. According to the astronomy of Shakespeare's time, the stars were fixed in concentric transparent spheres that revolved around the earth.
17
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
18
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
19
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
20
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
21. stream: shine.
21
Would through the airy region stream so bright
22
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
23
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
24
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
25
That I might touch that cheek!
JULIET
25
Ay me!
ROMEO
25
She speaks!
26
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
27-28. As glorious ... As is a winged messenger of heaven: i.e., as bright as an angel.
29. white-upturned: turned upward so that the whites are visible below the irises.
29. white-upturned: turned upward so that the whites are visible below the irises.
27
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
28
As is a winged messenger of heaven
29
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
30
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
31
When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds
32
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET
33. wherefore art thou Romeo?: why are you [named] Romeo [Montague]?
33
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
34
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
35
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
36
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO [Aside.]
37
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
38
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
39. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague: you are yourself, no matter if you are a Montague.
39
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
40
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
41
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
42
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
43
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
44
By any other name would smell as sweet;
45
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
46. owes: owns.
47. doff: shed.
47. doff: shed.
46
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
47
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
48
And for that name which is no part of thee
49
Take all myself.
ROMEO
49
I take thee at thy word.
50
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
51
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET
52. bescreen'd: hidden, as behind a screen.
53. my counsel: my conversation with myself.
53. my counsel: my conversation with myself.
52
What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
53
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO
53
By a name
54
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
55
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
56
Because it is an enemy to thee;
57
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET
58
My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
59
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:
60
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
ROMEO
61. if either thee dislike: if either ["Romeo" or "Montague"] displeases you.
61
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.
JULIET
62
How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
63
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
64
And the place death, considering who thou art,
65
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
ROMEO
66. o'er-perch: fly over.
66
With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
67
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
68
And what love can do, that dares love attempt;
69
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
JULIET
70
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
ROMEO
71-72. there . . . swords!: In the love poetry of Shakespeare's time, it was often said that a disdainful look from the beloved lady could kill the man who loved her.
73. proof against: invulnerable to.
73. proof against: invulnerable to.
71
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
72
Than twenty of their swords! Look thou but sweet,
73
And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET
74
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO
75
I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;
76
And but thou love me, let them find me here:
77
My life were better ended by their hate,
78. death prorogued, wanting of thy love: death drawn out, because of lack of love from you.
78
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
JULIET
79
By whose direction found'st thou out this place?
ROMEO
80
By love, who first did prompt me to inquire;
81. He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes: he [love] gave me inspiration and I gave him [love] sight.
81
He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes.
82
I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
83
As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea,
84. I would adventure for such merchandise: I would take every chance for such a precious prize.
84
I would adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET
85
Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,
86
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
87
For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
88. Fain: gladly. dwell on form: stay within the limits of the formalities [of courtship]. 89. compliment: conventionthe expected exchange of compliments.
88
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
89
What I have spoke, but farewell compliment!
90
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say "Ay,"
91. if thou swear'st: if you swear [that you love me].
92. Thou mayst prove false: you may prove to be untrue [to your vow of love]. 92-93. at lovers' perjuries . . . Jove laughs: they say Jove laughs at lovers' lies.
92. Thou mayst prove false: you may prove to be untrue [to your vow of love]. 92-93. at lovers' perjuries . . . Jove laughs: they say Jove laughs at lovers' lies.
91
And I will take thy word; yet if thou swear'st,
92
Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries
93
They say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
94
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully;
95
Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
96
I'll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,
97. So thou wilt woo: i.e., so you will woo me.
98. fond: foolish, innocent, impulsive.
99. light: wanton, flirtatious.
98. fond: foolish, innocent, impulsive.
99. light: wanton, flirtatious.
97
So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
98
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
99
And therefore thou mayst think my behavior light,
100
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
101. those that have more coying to be strange: those who have more skill at coquetry playact standoffishness to seem more desirable. 102. should have: would have. 103. ere I was ware: before I was aware [of your presence].
101
Than those that have more coying to be strange.
102
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
103
But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware,
104
My true love's passion; therefore pardon me,
105
And not impute this yielding to light love,
106. discovered: uncovered, revealed.
106
Which the dark night hath so discovered.
ROMEO
107
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
108
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops
JULIET
109
O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
110. changes in her circled orb: i.e., changes her course. According to the astronomy of Shakespeare's time, each heavenly body was fixed in a sphere ("circled orb"), which revolved around the earth, and those spheres were supposed to be perfect, but the sphere of the moon appeared to be highly erratic.
110
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
111
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO
112
What shall I swear by?
JULIET
112
Do not swear at all;
113
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
114
Which is the god of my idolatry,
115
And I'll believe thee.
ROMEO
115
If my heart's dear love
JULIET
116
Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
117. contract: exchange of vows.
118. unadvised: ill-considered.
118. unadvised: ill-considered.
117
I have no joy of this contract tonight:
118
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
119
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
120
Ere one can say "It lightens." Sweet, good night!
121
This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
122
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
123
Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest
124
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!
ROMEO
125
O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET
126
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
ROMEO
127
The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.
JULIET
128
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
129
And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO
130
Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love?
JULIET
131. frank: generous.
131
But to be frank, and give it thee again.
132
And yet I wish but for the thing I have.
133. bounty: generosity, capacity to give [love].
133
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
134
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
135
The more I have, for both are infinite.
[Nurse calls within.]
136
I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
137. Anon: at once.
137
Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
138
Stay but a little, I will come again.
[Exit, above.]
ROMEO
139
O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard.
140
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
141. substantial: real.
141
Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.
[Re-enter JULIET, above.]
JULIET
142
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
143. bent: intention, purpose.
143
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
144
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
145
By one that I'll procure to come to thee,
146
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
147. all my fortunes: everything I am and will become. Juliet is not talking about money. 148. follow thee my lord: follow you as my honored husband.
147
And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay
148
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
Nurse [Within.]
149
Madam!
JULIET
150. anon: right away.
150
I come, anon.But if thou mean'st not well,
151
I do beseech thee
Nurse [Within]
151
Madam!
JULIET
151. By and by: immediately.
152. strife: striving, endeavor [to woo me]. my grief: my grief [at losing your true love].
152. strife: striving, endeavor [to woo me]. my grief: my grief [at losing your true love].
151
By and by, I come:
152
To cease thy strife, and leave me to my grief:
153
Tomorrow will I send.
ROMEO
153
So thrive my soul
JULIET
154
A thousand times good night!
[Exit, above.]
ROMEO
155
A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
156
Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books,
157
But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
Enter JULIET, again [above].
JULIET
158. Hist: Juliet is trying to get Romeo's attention with a hissed falconer's cry. 159. tassel-gentle: male falcon.
160. Bondage is hoarse:
161-162. Else . . . mine: Or else I would tear open Echo 's cave, and make her voice fill the air with a sound hoarser than mine.
160. Bondage is hoarse:
161-162. Else . . . mine: Or else I would tear open Echo 's cave, and make her voice fill the air with a sound hoarser than mine.
158
Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice,
159
To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
160
Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud;
161
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
162
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine,
163
With repetition of my Romeo's name. Romeo!
ROMEO
164
It is my soul that calls upon my name:
165
How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night,
166. attending: listening.
166
Like softest music to attending ears!
JULIET
167
Romeo!
ROMEO
167. niesse: fledgling hawk.
167
My niesse?
JULIET
167
At what o'clock tomorrow
168
Shall I send to thee?
ROMEO
168
At the hour of nine.
JULIET
169
I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then.
170
I have forgot why I did call thee back.
ROMEO
171
Let me stand here till thou remember it.
JULIET
172. to: in order to. still: always.
172
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
173
Remembering how I love thy company.
ROMEO
174
And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,
175
Forgetting any other home but this.
JULIET
176
'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:
177. wanton's: spoiled child's.
177
And yet no further than a wanton's bird;
178
Who lets it hop a little from her hand,
179. gyves: fetters.
179
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
180
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
181. his: its.
181
So loving-jealous of his liberty.
ROMEO
182
I would I were thy bird.
JULIET
182
Sweet, so would I:
183
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
184
Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow,
185
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
[Exit above.]
ROMEO
186
Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
187
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!
188. ghostly sire: spiritual father, confessor. close: narrow.
189. dear hap: good fortune.
189. dear hap: good fortune.
188
Hence will I to my ghostly sire's close cell,
189
His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
Exit.