Verona.A public place.Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords and bucklers SAMPSON Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.GREGORY No, for then we should be colliers.SAMPSON I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.GREGORY Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.SAMPSON I strike quickly, being moved.GREGORY But thou art not quickly moved to strike.SAMPSON A dog of the house of Montague moves me.GREGORY To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.SAMPSON A dog of that house shall move me to stand:I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.GREGORY That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.SAMPSON True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.GREGORY The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.SAMPSON 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant:when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and cut off their heads.GREGORY The heads of the maids? SAMPSON Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;take it in what sense thou wilt.GREGORY They must take it in sense that feel it.SAMPSON Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and 'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.GREGORY 'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John.Draw thy tool! here comes two of the house of the Montagues.SAMPSON My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.GREGORY How! turn thy back and run? SAMPSON Fear me not.GREGORY No, marry; I fear thee! SAMPSON Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.GREGORY I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list.SAMPSON Nay, as they dare.I will bite my thumb at them;which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR ABRAHAM Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? SAMPSON I do bite my thumb, sir.ABRAHAM Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? SAMPSON [Aside to GREGORY] Is the law of our side, if I say ay? GREGORY No.SAMPSON No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but Ibite my thumb, sir.GREGORY Do you quarrel, sir? ABRAHAM Quarrel sir! no, sir.SAMPSON If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.ABRAHAM No better.SAMPSON Well, sir.GREGORY Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinsmen.SAMPSON Yes, better, sir.ABRAHAM You lie.SAMPSON Draw, if you be men.Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.
They fight Enter BENVOLIO BENVOLIO Part, fools!
Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
Beats down their swords Enter TYBALT TYBALT What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.BENVOLIO I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me.TYBALT What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:Have at thee, coward!
They fight Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs First Citizen Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!
Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY CAPULET CAPULET What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho! LADY CAPULET A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword? CAPULET My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE MONTAGUE Thou villain Capulet,--Hold me not, let me go.LADY MONTAGUE Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.
Enter PRINCE, with Attendants PRINCE Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts, That quench the fire of your pernicious rage With purple fountains issuing from your veins, On pain of torture, from those bloody hands Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground, And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets, And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:You Capulet; shall go along with me:And, Montague, come you this afternoon, To know our further pleasure in this case, To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, and BENVOLIO MONTAGUE Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?
Speak, nephew, were you by when it began? BENVOLIO Here were the servants of your adversary, And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:I drew to part them: in the instant came The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared, Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears, He swung about his head and cut the winds, Who nothing hurt withal hiss'd him in scorn:While we were interchanging thrusts and blows, Came more and more and fought on part and part, Till the prince came, who parted either part.LADY MONTAGUE O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day?