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Romeo & Juliet
 


    
ACT V, Scene iii
Act V, Scene iii: A churchyard in which is a tomb belonging to the Capulet family. Enter PARIS and his PAGE with flowers, perfumed water, and a torch.
PARIS
  Give me your torch, boy. Go stand over there.
Put out the torch, for I don't want to be seen.
Go lie under that yew tree,
and keep your ear close to the ground.
No foot will walk about the churchyard--
since the soil is loose and not firm due to the digging of graves--
that you won't be able to hear it. Whistle
to signal me if you hear someone coming.
Give me those flowers. Do as I tell you. Go!
PAGE (to himself)
  I'm almost afraid to be alone
here in this courtyard, but I'll chance it.
He hides.
PARIS
  Sweet Juliet, my flower, with these flowers, I'll cover your bridal bed.
He scatters flowers around tomb.
  O sorrow! Your bed is dust and stones--
  which I'll sprinkle with perfume every night.
  Or if I don't have perfume, I'll use tears mixed with my moans.
  The funeral rites that I'll keep for you
every night will be to sprinkle flowers on your grave and weep.
The PAGE whistles.
  That's the boy's signal that someone is approaching.
What damned foot wanders this way tonight
to interrupt that ritual for my true love?
What--someone with a torch? Hide me, night, for awhile.
He hides.
Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR with a torch, a pickaxe, and a crowbar.
ROMEO
  Give me that pickaxe and the crowbar.
Wait! Take this letter and deliver it
to my lord and father early in the morning.
Give me the light. Upon your life, I order you,
whatever you hear or see, to stand aside
and don't try to stop me.
I'm going into this tomb
partly to see my lady's face,
but mostly to take from her dead finger
a precious ring--a ring that I must use
in important business. Therefore, go away!
But if you become curious and return to pry
into what I intend to do,
by heaven, I'll tear you limb from limb
and cover this hungry churchyard with your body.
The time and my plans are savage and wild,
far more fierce and more relentless
than hungry tigers or the roaring sea.
BALTHASAR
  I'll go, sir, and not bother you.
ROMEO
  By doing so, you'll prove you're my friend. Take this. (Gives him money)
Live and be prosperous. Goodbye, good fellow.
BALTHASAR (to himself)
  Despite what he said, I'll hide close by.
His looks are frightening and I am suspicious about what he intends to do.
He hides.
ROMEO (looking at the tomb)
  You detestable stomach. You womb of death.
You are gorged with the dearest morsel on earth.
So I'll force your rotten jaws to open,
and to spite you, I'll cram you with more food!
Pries the tomb open with the crowbar.
PARIS
  There's that banished, haughty Montague
who murdered my love's cousin. It was from grieving for Tybalt,
it's said, that my beautiful love died.
And now he's come to do some villainous dishonor to
the dead bodies. I'll stop him.
He comes forward.
  Stop your unholy work, evil Montague!
Can you demand any further revenge than death?
Condemned villain, I'll stop you.
Obey and go with me, for you must die.
ROMEO
  I must die, indeed, and that is why I came here.
Good gentle youth, don't tempt a desperate man.
Fly away and leave me. Think about those who are dead.
Let them frighten you. I beg you, youth,
don't lay another sin on my head
by making me angry. Go away!
By heaven, I love you better than I love myself,
for I came here with weapons to hurt myself.
Don't stay; go! Live, and later you can say that
a madman's mercy told you to run away.
PARIS
  I reject your appeals,
and I arrest you as a criminal.
ROMEO
  You want to start something? Then take that, boy.
They fight.
PAGE
  O Lord, they are fighting! I'll go call the guards.
He exits.
PARIS
  O, I'm dying. (He falls) If you are merciful,
open the tomb and lay me beside Juliet!
He dies.
ROMEO
  Truly, I will. Let me look at his face.
This is Mercutio's relative, the noble Count Paris!
What was it my servant said when my disturbed soul
did not listen to him as we rode? I think
he told me Paris was supposed to have married Juliet.
Isn't that what he said? Or did I dream?
Or am I crazy, hearing him talk of Juliet,
to believe it? O, give me your hand.
We've both been written about in sour misfortune's book.
I'll bury you in a triumphant grave.
A grave? O, no, rather a lantern, slain youth,
because Juliet lies here, and her beauty makes
this tomb a state banquet hall full of light.
Dead man, lie there, buried by a dead man.
He lays PARIS in the tomb.
  Often when men are at the point of death,
they have been happy, Their nurses call this
a revival before death. O, how may I
call this a revival? O my love! My wife!
Death, that has sucked the honey from your breath,
has no power yet over your beauty.
You are not conquered. Beauty's flag is
still crimson in your lips and cheeks,
and death's pale flag has not advanced there.
Tybalt, is that you lying there in your bloody sheet?
O, what greater favor can I do for you
than, with the hand that killed you,
kill the one who was your enemy?
Forgive, me, cousin--Ah, dear Juliet,
why are you still so beautiful? Shall I believe
that the phantom Death is passionate
and that the thin, hateful monster keeps
you here in the dark to be his mistress?
For fear of that, I'll stay with you
and never again leave this palace of
dim night. Here, here I'll remain
with worms that are your servingmaids. O, here
I'll take my eternal rest,
and shake off the grip of unkind fate
from my world-wearied body. Eyes, take your last look!
Arms, take your last embrace! And lips--O you lips
that are the doors of breath--seal with a fitting kiss
an eternal bargain to all-consuming death!
Come, bitter poison, come distasteful guide.
You desperate pilot, crash my seasick, tired body
against the dashing rocks at once.
Here's to my love! (He drinks the poison) O, faithful pharmacist!
Your drugs are quick. With this kiss, I die.
ROMEO kisses JULIET and dies.
Enter FRIAR LAURENCE, with a lantern, a crowbar, and a spade.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  Saint Francis, help me! How often tonight
have my old feet stumbled over graves. Who's there?
BALTHASAR
  A friend and one who knows you well.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  Bless you. Tell me, my friend,
what torch is that over there that vainly lights up
the worms and eyeless skulls? As best as I can see,
it burns into the Capulet's tomb.
BALTHASAR
  It does, holy sir; and that's where my master is,
one that you love.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  Who's that?
BALTHASAR
  Romeo.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  At least half an hour.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  Go with me to the tomb.
BALTHASAR
  I don't dare, sir.
My master doesn't know that I haven't left.
With frightening words, he threatened me with death
if I stayed to see what he did.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  Stay here then; I'll go alone. I'm beginning to feel frightened.
I'm afraid something terribly unlucky has happened.
BALTHASAR
  As I slept under this yew tree here,
I dreamed of my master and another man fought,
and that my master killed him.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  Romeo!
He advances towards the tomb.
  Alas, alas, whose blood is that that stains
the stone entrance of this tomb?
What's the meaning of these unclaimed, bloody swords
that lie here, stained with blood, in this peaceful place?
He advances towards the tomb.
  Romeo! How pale he is! Who else is here? What, Paris too?
And he's covered in blood? The hour that saw this
sad turn of events occur is tragic, indeed!
The lady is waking up.
JULIET rises.
JULIET
  O comforting friar, where is my lord?
I remember quite well where I am supposed to be,
and here I am. But where is my Romeo?
There is a noise.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  I hear some noise. Lady, come from that bed
of death, contamination, and unnatural sleep.
A greater power than we can argue with
has ruined our plans. Come, come away.
Your dear husband lies here dead--
and Paris, too. Come, I'll hide you
in a convent of nuns.
Don't stop to ask questions because the guards are coming.
Come, let's go, good Juliet. (The noise is heard again) I don't dare stay any longer.
FRIAR LAURENCE exits.
JULIET
  Go, go away. I'll stay.
What's this? A bottle, clutched in my true love's hand?
Poison, I see, has brought him to his untimely end.
O, the rascal drank it all and didn't leave one good drop
to help me follow him. I'll kiss your lips, then.
Perhaps some drop of poison still hangs on them
to make me die from that life-giving kiss.
Your lips are warm!
Enter GAURDS and Paris' PAGE.
FIRST GUARD
  Lead the way, boy. Which direction?
JULIET
  Noise! Then I'll be brief! What luck--a dagger!
She snatches ROMEO'S dagger.
  This is your holder. (She stabs herself) Rest there and let me die.
JULIET falls on ROMEO'S body and dies.
PAGE
  That's the place--there where the torch burns.
FIRST GUARD
  The ground is bloody. Search the churchyard.
Go, some of you, and whoever you find, arrest.
Some of the guards exit.
  This is a pitiful sight! Here lies Count Paris, killed.
And there lies Juliet, bleeding, warm and just died
though she has been buried for two days.
Go, tell the prince. Run to the Capulets.
Wake up the Montagues. Others of you, search the area!
Other guards exits.
  We see the ground where the sorrows lie.
But the true cause of all these pitiful sorrows
we can't tell without more details.
Re-enter some of the guards with BALTHASAR.
SECOND GUARD
  Here's Romeo's servant. We found him in the churchyard.
FIRST GUARD
  Keep him under guard until the prince comes.
Re-enter another guard with FRIAR LAURENCE.
THIRD GUARD
  Here's a friar who shakes, sighs, and weeps.
We took this pickaxe and this spade from him,
as he was coming from the side of this churchyard.
FIRST GUARD
  This is very suspicious. Keep the friar, too.
Enter the PRINCE, and attendants.
PRINCE
  What trouble is up so early
that wakes me from my morning sleep?
Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and others.
CAPULET
  What could it be that people are shouting in the streets?
LADY CAPULET
  The people in the street shout, "Romeo,"
some shout, "Juliet," and some shout, "Paris." And all of them are running
with noisy shouts towards our tomb.
PRINCE
  What news has alarmed everyone?
FIRST GUARD
  Your majesty, here lies Count Paris, killed.
Romeo is also dead, and Juliet, who was dead before,
is still warm and newly killed.
PRINCE
  Search, investigate, and find out how this foul murder happened.
FIRST GUARD
  Here's a friar, and Romeo's servant,
carrying tools that could be used to open
these dead men's tombs.
CAPULET
  O heavens! Wife, see how our daughter bleeds!
This dagger has missed the right victim. See, Romeo's dagger sheath
is empty, and the dagger has been
mistakenly placed in our daughter's breasts.
LADY CAPULET
  Alas! This sight of death is like a bell
that summons my aged body to my grave.
Enter MONTAGUES and others.
PRINCE
  Come, Montague. You are up early
to see your son and heir who just retired even earlier.
MONTAGUE
  Alas, prince, my wife died tonight!
Grief over my son's exile killed her.
What further sorrow schemes against me in my old age?
PRINCE
  Look and you will see.
MONTAGUE
  O you rude boy. What kind of manner is this
to hurry before your father to a grave?
PRINCE
  No more of your violent grieving for awhile
until we can clear up these strange events
and know how and why they started and how they really occurred.
Then I'll be your leader in mourning
and lead you even to death. But in the meantime, no more.
Bear your sorrows with patience.
Bring here the people under suspicion.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  I'm the most important suspect, least likely to do something wrong,
yet I'm most suspected since the time and place
stands as evidence against me and seems to prove me guilty of this shocking murder.
And here I stand, both to charge myself and clear myself,
condemn myself and excuse myself.
PRINCE
  Then tell us at once what you know about this.
FRIAR LAURENCE
  I'll be brief because the span of my remaining years
is not as long as a long tale.
Romeo, who lies dead there, was Juliet's husband.
And she, who lies dead there, was Romeo's faithful wife.
I married them, and their secret wedding day
was Tybalt's last day. His untimely death
banished the new bridegroom from this city.
It was for him--not for Tybalt--that Juliet grieved.
You, Lord Capulet, to shake her out of her depression,
arranged for her to marry Count Paris
right away. Then she came to me,
and with wild looks, begged me to think of some way
to get her out of this second marriage.
If I didn't know, she said she'd kill herself there in my cell.
Then I gave her, from my knowledge of medicine,
a sleeping potion. It worked
as I intended it to do since it made her
seem like she was dead. Meanwhile, I wrote to Romeo
that he should come here tonight
to her free her from this borrowed grave
as tonight was the time the potion would wear off.
But Friar John, who was to take my letter to Romeo,
was detained by accident, and last night,
he brought my letter back. Then all alone
at the time I estimated Juliet would awaken,
I came to take her from her relatives' tomb.
I intended to keep her hidden in my cell
until I could conveniently get word to Romeo.
But when I came some minutes before
she was to awaken, here lay
the noble Paris and true Romeo, dead before their time.
Juliet awoke and I begged her to come out
and patiently accepted these events willed by heaven.
But then a noise scared me away from the tomb,
and she, too deep in despair, wouldn't go with me.
She stayed, and it seems she committed suicide.
This is all I know. Her nurse was in on the secret
about Juliet's marriage. And if any of this
went wrong because of me, let my old life
be sacrificed, some hour before my time,
according to the severity of the strictest laws.
PRINCE
  I've always known you to be a holy man.
Where's Romeo's servant? What can he add to this?
BALTHASAR
  I brought my master news of Juliet's death.
And then, in haste, he came from Mantua
to this same place and this same tomb.
He told me to deliver this letter to his father early in the morning,
and as he went into the tomb, he threatened me with death
if I didn't go away and leave him here.
PRINCE
  Give me the letter; I want to look at it.
Where is Count Paris's page--the one who called the guards?
Servant, what made your master come to this place?
PAGE
  He came with flowers to scatter at his lady's grave.
He asked me to stay away, so I did.
Soon, someone came with a light to open the tomb.
After awhile, my master drew his sword on him,
and I ran away to call the guard.
PRINCE
  This letter proves the truth of the friar's words.
It tells the course of their love and the news of her death.
Here he writes of how he bought poison
from a poor pharmacist and then
came to this tomb to die and lie with Juliet.
Where are these enemies? Capulet, Montague!
See what a curse is laid upon your hatred.
Heaven finds the means to kill your joys with love.
And I, for overlooking your feud,
have lost two relatives, too. We've all been punished.
CAPULET
  O my brother Montague, give me your hand.
This is my daughter's dowry, for I can ask
for nothing more.
MONTAGUE
  But I'll give you more,
for I'll put up a statue of her in pure gold.
So as long as Verona is called Verona,
there'll be no other figure valued
like that of the true and faithful Juliet.
CAPULET
  I'll put up an equally rich statue of Romeo beside Juliet's.
They are the poor sacrifices of our feud.
PRINCE
  This morning brings a cloudy peace.
  The sun, out of sorrow, will not show its head.
  Go! We'll talk more about these sad things,
  Some of you will be pardoned and some of you will be punished.
  There never was a story of more sorrow
than this one of Juliet and her Romeo.
They exit.