JULIET                        Go get thee hence, for I will not away.                         What’s here? a cup closed in my true love’s hand?                         Poison I see hath been his timeless end.                         O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop                         To help me after? I will kiss thy lips,                         Haply some poison yet […]

                                                [Noise within] FRIAR              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;                         And Paris too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee                         […]

FRIAR              Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris too?                         And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour                         Is guilty of this lamentable chance!                                                 [Juliet rises.]                         The lady stirs. JULIET                        O comfortable Friar, where is my lord?                         I do remember well where I should be;                         And there I am. […]

FRIAR                                                  Romeo!                         [Friar stoops and looks on the blood and weapons.]                         Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains                         The stony entrance of this sepulchre?                         What mean these masterless and gory swords                         To lie discoloured by this place of peace?                                                 [Enters the tomb.] (5.3.139-144) Ages ago I noted that […]

FRIAR              How long hath he been there? BALTHASAR                                                   Full half an hour. FRIAR              Go with me to the vault. BALTHASAR                                       I dare not, sir.                         My master knows not but that I am gone hence,                         And fearfully did menace me with death                         If I did stay to look on his intents. FRIAR              Stay […]

Enter FRIAR [LAWRENCE] with lantern, crow, and spade. FRIAR              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              Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend,                         What torch is yond that vainly […]

ROMEO           Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide!                         Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on                         The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!                         Here’s to my love! [Drinks.] O true apothecary!                         Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. [Dies.] (5.3.116-120) Does it seem trivial, or inappropriate, or just postponing […]

ROMEO                                               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! (5.3.112-115) This is a moment that connects with, makes sense of, all those previous moments of body language in the play. And most […]

ROMEO                                   Here, here will I remain                         With worms that are thy chambermaids; O here                         Will I set up my everlasting rest,                         And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars                         From this world-wearied flesh. (5.3.108-112) Where is here? in the tomb, this palace of dim night, certainly. But there’s implied action, perhaps: here is […]

ROMEO                                   Ah, dear Juliet,                         Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe                         That unsubstantial death is amorous,                         And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps                         Thee here in dark to be his paramour?                         For fear of that, I still will stay with thee,                         And never from this palace of […]