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Romeo & Juliet
 


    
ACT III, Scene i
Act III, Scene i: A public place. Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, and servants.
BENVOLIO
  Please, Mercutio, let's go.
It's hot, the Capulets are around,
and if we meet them, there'll be a fight.
This hot weather makes tempers flare!
MERCUTIO
  You're like open of those fellows who enters a bar, throws his sword on the table, and says, "I pray heaven I'll have no reason to use you!" Then after he has felt the effect of his
second cup, he'll draw his sword for no reason at all on the waiter who brought his wine.
BENVOLIO
  Am I like that fellow?
MERCUTIO
  Come on, you're as hot-tempered when you're angry as any man in Italy. You're quickly moved to get angry, and quickly angry to be moved.
BENVOLIO
  Moved? What to?
MERCUTIO
  Really, if there were two like you, we'd soon have none because one would kill the other. You, why, you would quarrel with a man who has a hair more or a hair less in his beard than you have. You'll quarrel with a man for cracking hazelnuts, for no other reason than that you have hazel eyes. What kind of eye, except one like yours, would see the occasion for a quarrel? Your head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of yolk, and yet your head has been beaten to a scramble, like an egg, for quarreling. You've quarreled with a man for coughing in the street because he woke your dog that was lying asleep in the sun. Didn't you quarrel with a tailor because he wore his new jacket before Easter? And fought with another man for tying his new shoes with an old lace? And yet you lecture me about quarreling?
BENVOLIO
  If I were as likely to quarrel as you, someone who bought
my life would own it for about an hour and a quarter.
MERCUTIO
  Owned it? Stupid!
Enter TYBALT, PETRUCHIO, and others.
BENVOLIO
  I swear by my head, here come the Capulets.
MERCUTIO
  I swear by my heel, I don't care.
TYBALT (to his servants)
  Stay close behind me; I'll speak to them. (To Mercutio and others)
Gentlemen, good afternoon. I wish to speak a word with one of you.
MERCUTIO
  Just one word with one of us?
Add something to it; make it a word and a punch in the mouth.
TYBALT
  I'll be ready enough to do that, sir, if you'll give
me a reason to do so.
MERCUTIO
  Couldn't you take an "occasion" without me giving you one?
TYBALT
  Mercutio, you consort with Romeo--
MERCUTIO
  Consort? What do you think we are, musicians? If you make musicians of us, you'll hear nothing but sour notes. Here's my fiddlestick! (He draws his sword) This will make you dance! By God, consort?
BENVOLIO
  We are talking here in public.
Let's move to a private place,
or coolly discuss your grievances,
or let's leave. Everyone is staring at us here.
MERCUTIO
  Men's eyes were made to look, so let them stare.
I won't budge for anyone.
Enter ROMEO.
TYBALT
  Peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.
MERCUTIO
  But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wears your livery.
If you go to the dueling field, he'll certainly follow you.
In that sense, you may call him your follower.
TYBALT
  Romeo, the love that I feel for you can find
no better word than this--you're a clumsy, stupid fellow!
ROMEO
  Tybalt, the reason that I have for loving you
helps me overcome the anger I should really feel
at such an insult. Clumsy.
Therefore, goodbye. I see you don't really know me.
TYBALT
  Boy, this will not excuse the wrong
you've done to me. Turn around and draw your sword!
ROMEO
  I protest, I've never harmed you.
I love you more than you can understand
until you know the reason for my love.
So, good Capulet--a name I value
as dearly as my own--be satisfied.
MERCUTIO
  What a calm, dishonorable, disgusting submission to an insult!
Tybalt is getting away with this insult.

Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you cross swords with me?
He draws his sword.
  Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you cross swords with me?
TYBALT
  What do you want of me?
MERCUTIO
  Good king of the cats, I want nothing of you except one of your nine lives. That life I mean to take and then, depending on whether you treat me well or badly, I might only thrash your other eight. Will you draw your sword from your scabbard? Hurry, or my sword will beat your ears before yours is out.
TYBALT
  I'm ready for you. (Draws his sword)
ROMEO
  Gentle, Mercutio, put your sword away.
MERCUTIO
  Come on, sir, give your forward thrust.
They fight.
ROMEO
  Draw your sword, Benvolio, beat down their weapons.
Gentlemen, this is shameful! Stop this!
Tybalt! Mercutio! The prince has specifically
forbidden fighting in the streets of Verona.
Stop, Tybalt! Please, Mercutio!
ROMEO reaches to stop them. TYBALT sweeps under ROMEO'S arm, stabs MERCUTIO, and runs away with the rest of his followers.
MERCUTIO
  I'm wounded!
A curse on both your houses! I'm mortally wounded.
Is he gone without even a scrape?
BENVOLIO
  Are you hurt?
MERCUTIO
  It's just a scratch, a scratch, but it's enough.
Where's my page? Go, servant, get a doctor.
The page exits.
ROMEO
  Be brave, man. The wound cannot be deep.
MERCUTIO
  No, it's not as deep as a well, or as wide as a church door. But it's enough, it will serve. Ask for me tomorrow and you'll find me a grave man. I'm done with this world. A curse on both your houses! By God, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat-he scratches to the manuals. Why the devil did you come between us? He stabbed me when you tried to part us.
ROMEO
  I thought I was doing the right thing.
MERCUTIO
  Help me into a house, Benvolio,
or I'll faint. Damn both of your houses!
They have made a corpse of me. I've had it!
Damn your houses!
MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO exit.
ROMEO
  Mercutio, the prince's cousin
and my true friend, has been mortally wounded
defending me--my reputation being slandered
by Tybalt's insults--from Tybalt who's been my
cousin for only an hour. O sweet Juliet,
your beauty has made me act like a woman
and weakened my courage!
Re-enter BENVOLIO.
BENVOLIO
  O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead!
His noble soul has climbed to the clouds.
He was too young to leave the earth.
ROMEO
  This day's black fate casts a shadow on the future.
This is only the beginning of the sorrow to come.
BENVOLIO
  Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
Re-enter TYBALT.
ROMEO
  So, you're living in victory and Mercutio is dead?
Leave thoughtful mercy to the angels--
fiery anger will lead me now.
Now, Tybalt, take back that insult
that you gave me just awhile ago. Mercutio's soul
is hovering just over our heads
waiting for your soul to keep him company.
Either you, or I, or both will soon join him.
TYBALT
  You wretched boy, you who accompanied him here,
will also leave with him.
ROMEO
  This fight will decide that!
They fight, and TYBALT falls.
BENVOLIO
  Romeo, run! Get away!
People are starting to gather and Tybalt is dead!
Don't stand there in shock! The prince will sentence you to death
if you're captured. Go on, run!
ROMEO
  O, I am a victim of fate!
BENVOLIO
  Why are you hanging around?
ROMEO exits.
Enter citizens.
CITIZEN
  Which way did the man run who killed Mercutio?
Which way did that murderer Tybalt go?
BENVOLIO
  Tybalt is lying there.
CITIZEN
  Come with me, sir.
I order you in the name of the prince to obey.
Enter the PRINCE, MONTAGUE, CAPULET, their wives, and others.
PRINCE
  Where are the evil people who started this fight?
BENVOLIO
  O noble, prince, I can reveal
the whole story behind this fatal fight.
There lies the man that young Romeo killed.
Tybalt had earlier killed your cousin, Mercutio.
LADY CAPULET
  Tybalt, my nephew! My brother's child!
O prince! O nephew! Husband! The blood
of my dear nephew has been shed. Prince, by your honor,
you must execute the Montague who did this!
My nephew! My nephew!
PRINCE
  Benvolio, who started this fight?
BENVOLIO
  Tybalt, who lies here dead, killed by Romeo.
Romeo spoke courteously and urged Tybalt to consider
how trivial their disagreement was, and he told Tybalt
it would rouse your anger. Romeo said all of this
with gentleness, calmness, and modesty.
But he could not make peace with hot-tempered
Tybalt who was deaf to peace. Instead, Tybalt thrusts
his deadly sword at brave Mercutio's breast.
Mercutio, who was just as angry, turned his sword point to meet Tybalt's,
and with fighting scorn, he beat death away with one hand
and with the other hand, he thrusts
back at Tybalt, who skillfully
returned the thrust. Romeo cried out,
"Stop it, friends! Separate!" And faster than he could say it,
he beat down their weapons with his sword.
Romeo rushed to get between them, but Tybalt
maliciously ran his sword under Romeo's arm and stabbed
brave Mercutio. Then Tybalt fled,
but after awhile, he returned to Romeo.
Romeo decided he would avenge Mercutio's death,
and as fast as lightning, they were fighting again. Before I
could separate them, brave Tybalt was killed,
and as he fell, Romeo turned and ran.
This is the truth, I swear to you on my life.
LADY CAPULET
  He is related to the Montagues.
His bias makes him lie--he's not telling the truth.
There were twenty of them fighting in this quarrel,
and all twenty of them could only kill one man.
I beg for justice, which you, prince, must give.
Romeo killed Tybalt; Romeo must not live!
PRINCE
  Romeo killed him, but Tybalt killed Mercutio.
Who has to pay for the price for Mercutio's death?
MONTAGUE
  Not Romeo, prince. He was Mercutio's friend.
His crime was doing what the law would have done--
he killed the murderer Tybalt.
PRINCE
  And for killing Tybalt,
I immediately exile Romeo.
I have a personal interest in this fight.
My relative Mercutio lies bleeding thanks to your fight,
and I'm going to penalize you with such a heavy fine
that all of you who will repent the loss of my cousin.
I'll be deaf to your pleading and excuses.
Neither your tears nor your prayers will buy forgiveness,
so don't even try to use them. Let Romeo leave quickly.
Otherwise, if he's found, he'll die within the hour.
Take Tybalt's body and obey my orders.
Mercy only encourages murders when killers are pardoned.
They exit.