JULIET                        O, I have bought the mansion of a love,                         But not yet possessed it, and though I am sold,                         Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day                         As is the night before some festival                         To an impatient child that hath new robes                         And may not wear them. (3.2.26-31) This […]

JULIET                        Come, gentle night, come, loving black-browed night,                         Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die                         Take him and cut him out in little stars,                         And he will make the face of heaven so fine                         That all the world will be in love with night                         And pay no worship […]

JULIET                        Come, night, come, Romeo, come, thou day in night,                         For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night                         Whiter than new snow upon a raven’s back. (3.2.17-19) This is where the speech turns in its conceits, and gets even better. But first, night has wings– and we fleetingly picture again not just the […]

JULIET                                                            Come, civil Night,                         Thou sober-suited matron all in black,                         And learn me how to lose a winning match,                         Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.                         Hood my unmanned blood, bating in my cheeks,                         With thy black mantle, till strange love grow bold,                         Think true love acted simple modesty. […]

JULIET         Spread thy close curtain, love-performing Night,                         That runaways’ eyes may wink, and Romeo                         Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen:                         Lovers can see to do their amorous rites                         By their own beauties, or if love be blind                         It best agrees with night. (3.2.5-10) And […]

[3.2] Enter JULIET alone. JULIET                        Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,                         Towards Phoebus’ lodging; such a waggoner                         As Phaëton would whip you to the west,                         And bring in cloudy night immediately. (3.2.1-4) I feel like Troilus – Shakespeare’s Troilus, waiting to be introduced, finally, to Cressida, on whom he has a queasy crush. ‘I am […]

PRINCE           I have an interest in your hearts’ 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 […]

PRINCE           Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;                         Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe? MONTAGUE   Not Romeo, Prince, he was Mercutio’s friend;                         His fault concludes but what the law should end,                         The life of Tybalt. PRINCE                                               And for that offence                         Immediately we do exile him hence. (3.1.173-178) There […]

LADY CAPULET         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.                                     I beg for justice, which thou, Prince, must give:                                     Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must […]

BENVOLIO                              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 […]