What said my man when my betossèd soul

Did not attend him as we rode? I think

He told me Paris should have married Juliet.

Said he not so? Or did I dream it so?

Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, 80

To think it was so? O, give me thy hand,

One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book.

I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave.

⌈Heopens the tomb, revealing Juliet⌉

A grave—O no, a lantern, slaughtered youth,

For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes

This vault a feasting presence full of light.

⌈He bears the body of Paris to the tombs⌉

Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred.

How oft, when men are at the point of death,

Have they been merry, which their keepers call

A lightning before death! O, how may I 90

Call this a lightning? O my love, my wife!

Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,

Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.

Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet

Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,

And death’s pale flag is not advanced there.

Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?

O, what more favour can I do to thee

Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain

To sunder his that was thine enemy?

Forgive me, cousin. Ah, dear Juliet,

Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe

That unsubstantial death is amorous,

And that the lean abhorred monster keeps

Thee here in dark to be his paramour? 105

For fear of that I still will stay with thee,

And never from this pallet of dim night

Depart again. Here, here will I remain

With worms that are thy chambermaids. O, here

Will I set up my everlasting rest, 110

And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars

From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last.

Arms, take your last embrace, and lips, O you

The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss

A dateless bargain to engrossing death.

⌈He kisses Juliet, then pours poison into the cup⌉

Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide,

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on

The dashing rocks thy seasick weary barque!

Here’s to my love.

He drinks the poison

O true apothecary,

Thy drugs are quick! Thus with a kiss I die.

He kisses Juliet, falls, and dies.

Enter Friar Laurence with lantern, crow, and spade

FRIAR LAURENCE

Saint Francis be my speed! How oft tonight

Have my old feet stumbled at graves? Who’s there?

BALTHASAR

Here’s one, a friend, and one that knows you well.

FRIAR LAURENCE

Bliss be upon you. Tell me, good my friend,

What torch is yon that vainly lends his light 125

To grubs and eyeless skulls? As I discern,

It burneth in the Capels’ monument.

BALTHASAR

It doth so, holy sir, and there’s my master,

One that you love.

FRIAR LAURENCE Who is it?

BALTHASAR Romeo.

FRIAR LAURENCE

How long hath he been there?

BALTHASAR Full half an hour.

FRIAR LAURENCE

Go with me to the vault.

BALTHASAR I dare not, sir.

My master knows not but I am gone hence,

And fearfully did menace me with death

If I did stay to look on his intents.

FRIAR LAURENCE

Stay then, I’ll go alone. Fear comes upon me. 135

O, much I fear some ill unthrifty thing.

BALTHASAR

As I did sleep under this yew tree here

I dreamt my master and another fought,

And that my master slew him.

FRIAR LAURENCE Romeo!

He ⌈stoops and⌉ looks on the blood and weapons

Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains 140

The stony entrance of this sepulchre?

What mean these masterless and gory swords

To lie discoloured by this place of peace?

Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris, too,

And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour

Is guilty of this lamentable chance I

Juliet awakes ⌈and rises⌉

The lady stirs.

JULIET

O comfortable friar, where is my lord?

I do remember well where I should be,

And there I am. Where is my Romeo? 150

FRIAR LAURENCE

I hear some noise. Lady, come from that nest

Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.

A greater power than we can contradict

Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.

Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead, 155

And Paris, too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee

Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.

Stay not to question, for the watch is coming.

Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay. Exit

JULIET

Go, get thee hence, for I will not away. 160

What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand?

Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.

O churt!—drunk all, and left no friendly drop

To help me after? I will kiss thy lips.

Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,

To make me die with a restorative.

She kisses Romeo’s lips

Thy lips are warm.

CHIEF WATCHMAN ⌈within⌉ Lead, boy. Which way?

JULIET

Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief.

She takes Romeo’s dagger

O happy dagger,

This is thy sheath! There rust, and let me die.

She stabs herself, falls, and dies.

Enter the Page and Watchmen