Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, scene 2 | The Folger SHAKESPEARE (2023)

⌜Scene2⌝

⌜Romeocomes forward.⌝

ROMEO
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.

⌜EnterJuliet above.⌝

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
5Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid since she is envious.
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
10It is my lady. O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.

I am too bold. ’Tis not to me she speaks.
15Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, ⌜do⌝entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those
20stars
As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
25O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
JULIETAy me.
ROMEO, ⌜aside⌝She speaks.
O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art
30As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
As is a wingèd messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturnèd wond’ring eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds
35And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name,
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO, ⌜aside⌝
40Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name
45Belonging to a man.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
50Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And, for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
ROMEOI take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized.
55Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET
What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night,
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEOBy a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am.
60My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET
My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound.
65Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
ROMEO
Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.
JULIET
How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
70If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
ROMEO
With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
JULIET
75If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

ROMEO
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO
80I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
And, but thou love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death proroguèd, wanting of thy love.
JULIET
By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
ROMEO
85By love, that first did prompt me to inquire.
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
As that vast shore ⌜washed⌝with the farthest sea,
I should adventure for such merchandise.
JULIET
90Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny
What I have spoke. But farewell compliment.
95Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say “Ay,”
And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear’st,
Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,
They say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
100Or, if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo, but else not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
And therefore thou mayst think my ⌜havior⌝light.
105But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true

Than those that have ⌜more⌝coying to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheard’st ere I was ware
My true-love passion. Therefore pardon me,
110And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discoverèd.
ROMEO
Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—
JULIET
O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon,
115That monthly changes in her ⌜circled⌝orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO
What shall I swear by?
JULIETDo not swear at all.
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
120Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I’ll believe thee.
ROMEOIf my heart’s dear love—
JULIET
Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract tonight.
125It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night.
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
130Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
ROMEO
O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
ROMEO
Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.

JULIET
135I gave thee mine before thou didst request it,
And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO
Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
JULIET
But to be frank and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have.
140My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep. The more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
⌜Nursecalls from within.⌝
I hear some noise within. Dear love, adieu.—
Anon, good nurse.—Sweet Montague, be true.
145Stay but a little; I will come again.⌜Sheexits.⌝
ROMEO
O blessèd, blessèd night! I am afeard,
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too flattering sweet to be substantial.

⌜ReenterJuliet above.⌝

JULIET
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
150If that thy bent of love be honorable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
155And follow thee my ⌜lord⌝throughout the world.
⌜NURSE, within⌝Madam.
JULIET
I come anon.—But if thou meanest not well,
I do beseech thee—
⌜NURSE, within⌝Madam.
JULIET160By and by, I come.—
To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief.
Tomorrow will I send.

ROMEOSo thrive my soul—
JULIETA thousand times good night.⌜Sheexits.⌝
ROMEO
165A thousand times the worse to want thy light.
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their
books,
But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
⌜Going.⌝

Enter Juliet ⌜above⌝again.

JULIET
Hist, Romeo, hist! O, for a falc’ner’s voice
170To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than ⌜mine⌝
With repetition of “My Romeo!”
ROMEO
175It is my soul that calls upon my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears.
JULIET
Romeo.
ROMEOMy ⌜dear.⌝
JULIET180What o’clock tomorrow
Shall I send to thee?
ROMEOBy the hour of nine.
JULIET
I will not fail. ’Tis twenty year till then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.
ROMEO
185Let me stand here till thou remember it.
JULIET
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Rememb’ring how I love thy company.

ROMEO
And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.
JULIET
190’Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone,
And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird,
That lets it hop a little from his hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silken thread plucks it back again,
195So loving-jealous of his liberty.
ROMEO
I would I were thy bird.
JULIETSweet, so would I.
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet
200sorrow
That I shall say “Good night” till it be morrow.
⌜Sheexits.⌝
⌜ROMEO⌝
Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
Would I were sleep and peace so sweet to rest.
Hence will I to my ghostly friar’s close cell,
205His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
He exits.