# The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (Dowden)/Act 3/Scene 1

ACT III
SCENE I.—Verona. A public Place.
Enter Mercutio, Benvolio, Page, and Servants.
| Ben. | I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire: The day is hot, the Capulets abroad, And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl; For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. |
| Mer. | Thou art like one of those fellows that when5 he enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword upon the table and says, "God send me no need of thee!" and by the operation of the second cup draws it on the drawer, when in- deed there is no need.10 |
| Ben. | Am I like such a fellow? |
| Mer. | Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy ​mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved. |
| Ben. | And what to?15 |
| Mer. | Nay, an there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou ! why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more or a hair less in his beard than thou hast. Thou wilt quarrel with a man20 for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes; what eye, but such an eye, would spy out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten25 as addle as an egg for quarrelling. Thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in the street, because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new30 doublet before Easter? with another, for tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling! |
| Ben. | An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee-simple of my life for35 an hour and a quarter. |
| Mer. | The fee-simple! O simple! |
Enter Tybalt and Others.
| Ben. | By my head, here come the Capulets. |
| Mer. | By my heel, I care not. |
| Tyb. | Follow me close, for I will speak to them.40 Gentlemen, good den; a word with one of you. |
| Mer. | And but one word with one of us? couple it with something; make it a word and a blow. |
| Tyb. | You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me occasion.45 |
| Mer. | Could you not take some occasion without giving? |
| Tyb. | Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,— |
| Mer. | Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an thou make minstrels of us, look to hear no-50 thing but discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall make you dance. 'Zounds, consort! |
| Ben. | We talk here in the public haunt of men: Either withdraw unto some private place, Or reason coldly of your grievances,55 Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us. |
| Mer. | Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze; I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I. |
Enter Romeo.
| Tyb. | Well, peace be with you, sir; here comes my man. |
| Mer. | But I'll be hang'd, sir, if he wear your livery:60 Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower; Your worship in that sense may call him "man." |
| Tyb. | Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford No better term than this, thou art a villain. |
| Rom. | Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee65 Doth much excuse the appertaining rage To such a greeting: villain am I none; Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st me not. |
| Tyb. | Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw. |
| Rom. | I do protest I never injured thee,70 But love thee better than thou canst devise, ​Till thou shalt know the reason of my love: And so, good Capulet, which name I tender As dearly as mine own, be satisfied.75 |
| Mer. | O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away.[Draws. Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? |
| Tyb. | What wouldst thou have with me? |
| Mer. | Good king of cats, nothing but one of your80 nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it85 be out. |
| Tyb. | I am for you.[Drawing. |
| Rom. | Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. |
| Mer. | Come, sir, your passado.[They fight. |
| Rom. | Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.90 Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage! Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath Forbid this bandying in Verona streets. Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio! |
| Mer. | I am hurt, A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.95 Is he gone, and hath nothing? |
| Ben. | What, art thou hurt? |
| Mer. | Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough. Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon. |
| Rom. | Courage, man ; the hurt cannot be much. |
| Mer. | No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as100 a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve : ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o' both your houses! 'Zounds! a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch105 a man to death! a braggart, a rogue, a villain, ​that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm. |
| Rom. | I thought all for the best.110 |
| Mer. | Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me: I have it, And soundly too: your houses! |
| Rom. | This gentleman, the prince's near ally,115 My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt In my behalf; my reputation stain'd With Tybalt's slander, Tybalt, that an hour Hath been my cousin. O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,120 And in my temper soften'd valour's steel! |
Re-enter Benvolio.
| Ben. | O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead! That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds, Which too untimely here did scorn the earth. |
| Rom. | This day's black fate on more days doth depend;125 This but begins the woe others must end. |
Re-enter Tybalt.
| Ben. | Here comes the furious Tybalt back again. |
| Rom. | Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!130 Now, Tybalt, take the "villain" back again That late thou gavest me! for Mercutio's soul Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company: Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.135 |
| Tyb. | Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, Shalt with him hence. |
| Rom. | This shall determine that. |
| Ben. | Romeo, away! be gone! The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain: Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death140 If thou art taken: hence! be gone! away! |
| Rom. | O, I am fortune's fool! |
| Ben. | Why dost thou stay? |
Enter Citizens, etc.
| First Cit. | Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he? |
| Ben. | There lies that Tybalt. |
| First Cit. | Up, sir, go with me;145 I charge thee in the prince's name, obey. |
Enter Prince, attended; Montague, Capulet, their Wives, and others.
| Prince. | Where are the vile beginners of this fray? |
| Ben. | O noble prince, I can discover all The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl: There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,150 That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio. |
| Lady Cap. | Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child!O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spill'd Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true, ​For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.155 O cousin, cousin! |
| Prince. | Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? |
| Ben. | Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay: Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal160 Your high displeasure : all this uttered With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd, Could not take truce with the unruly spleen Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast;165 Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point, And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats Cold death aside, and with the other sends It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud,170 "Hold, friends! friends, part!" and, swifter than his tongue, His agile arm beats down their fatal points, And 'twixt them rushes ; underneath whose arm An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;175 But by and by comes back to Romeo, Who had but newly entertain'd revenge, And to 't they go like lightning; for, ere I ​Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain; And as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly :180 This is the truth or let Benvolio die. |
| Lady Cap. | He is a kinsman to the Montague, Affection makes him false, he speaks not true: Some twenty of them fought in this black strife, And all those twenty could but kill one life.185 I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give; Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live. |
| Prince. | Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio; Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe? |
| Mon. | Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's friend;190 His fault concludes but what the law should end, The life of Tybalt. |
| Prince. | And for that offence Immediately we do exile him hence: I have an interest in your hate's proceeding, My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;195 But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine That you shall all repent the loss of mine: I will be deaf to pleading and excuses; Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses; ​Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste,200 Else, when he's found, that hour is his last. Bear hence this body and attend our will: Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.[Exeunt. |
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Critical notes
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Explanatory notes
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