ARKCODEX
Act III, Scene 1
1A public place.
2Enter Mercutio, Benvolio, Page, and Servants.
3BenvolioI 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.
4MercutioThou art like one of those fellows that when 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 indeed there is no need.
5BenvolioAm I like such a fellow?
6MercutioCome, 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.
7BenvolioAnd what to?
8MercutioNay, 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 man 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 beaten 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 new doublet before Easter? with another, for tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling!
9BenvolioAn I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.
10MercutioThe fee-simple! O simple!
11BenvolioBy my head, here come the Capulets.
12MercutioBy my heel, I care not.
13Enter Tybalt and others.
14TybaltFollow me close, for I will speak to them. Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.
15MercutioAnd but one word with one of us? couple it with something; make it a word and a blow.
16TybaltYou shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me occasion.
17MercutioCould you not take some occasion without giving?
18TybaltMercutio, thou consort’st with Romeo—
19MercutioConsort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords: here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall make you dance. ’Zounds, consort!
20BenvolioWe talk here in the public haunt of men:
Either withdraw unto some private place,
And reason coldly of your grievances,
Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.
21MercutioMen’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I.
22Enter Romeo.
23TybaltWell, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.
24MercutioBut I’ll be hang’d, sir, if he wear your livery:
Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower;
Your worship in that sense may call him “man.”
25TybaltRomeo, the hate I bear thee can afford
No better term than this—thou art a villain.
26RomeoTybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting: villain am I none;
Therefore farewell; I see thou know’st me not.
27TybaltBoy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.
28RomeoI do protest, I never injured thee,
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 my own—be satisfied.
29MercutioO calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
Alla stoccata carries it away. Draws.
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
30TybaltWhat wouldst thou have with me?
31MercutioGood king of cats, nothing but one of your 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 it be out.
32TybaltI am for you. Drawing.
33RomeoGentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
34MercutioCome, sir, your passado. They fight.
35RomeoDraw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.
Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!
Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath
Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:
Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio! Tybalt under Romeo’s arm stabs Mercutio, and flies with his followers.
36MercutioI am hurt.
A plague o’ both your houses! I am sped.
Is he gone, and hath nothing?
37BenvolioWhat, art thou hurt?
38MercutioAy, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, ’tis enough.
Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon. Exit Page.
39RomeoCourage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
40MercutioNo, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as 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 scratch 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.
41RomeoI thought all for the best.
42MercutioHelp 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! Exeunt Mercutio and Benvolio.
43RomeoThis gentleman, the prince’s near ally,
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 kinsman! O sweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate
And in my temper soften’d valour’s steel!
44Reenter Benvolio.
45BenvolioO Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio’s dead!
That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.
46RomeoThis day’s black fate on more days doth depend;
This but begins the woe others must end.
47BenvolioHere comes the furious Tybalt back again.
48RomeoAlive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain!
Away to heaven, respective lenity,
And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!
49Reenter Tybalt.
50Now, 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.
51TybaltThou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
Shalt with him hence.
52RomeoThis shall determine that. They fight; Tybalt falls.
53BenvolioRomeo, away, be gone!
The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.
Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death,
If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!
54RomeoO, I am fortune’s fool!
55BenvolioWhy dost thou stay? Exit Romeo.
56Enter Citizens, etc.
57First CitizenWhich way ran he that kill’d Mercutio?
Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?
58BenvolioThere lies that Tybalt.
59First CitizenUp, sir, go with me;
I charge thee in the princes name, obey.
60Enter Prince, attended; Montague, Capulet, their Wives, and others.
61PrinceWhere are the vile beginners of this fray?
62BenvolioO noble prince, I can discover all
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
63Lady CapuletTybalt, my cousin! O my brother’s child!
O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt
Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,
For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.
O cousin, cousin!
64PrinceBenvolio, who began this bloody fray?
65BenvolioTybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay;
Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
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,
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,
“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;
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.
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.
66Lady CapuletHe 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.
I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give;
Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.
67PrinceRomeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;
Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?
68MontagueNot Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio’s friend;
His fault concludes but what the law should end,
The life of Tybalt.
69PrinceAnd 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;
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,
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.