The PAGE moves away.
[Scatters flowers around JULIET’S closed tomb] Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew— O woe! Thy canopy is dust and stones— Which with sweet water nightly I will dew. Or, wanting that, with tears distilled by moans, The obsequies that I for thee will keep Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.
[Scattering flowers at the door of JULIET’s closed tomb] Sweet flower, I’m covering your bridal bed with flowers. Oh, misery! The canopy of your bed is dust and stones. Each night I’ll water these flowers. Or, if I don’t do that, the ritual I will keep for you each night will be to put flowers on your grave and weep.
The PAGE whistles.
The PAGE whistles.
The boy gives warning something doth approach. What cursèd foot wanders this way tonight To cross my obsequies and true love’s rite?
The boy warns that someone is approaching. What cursed person would be wandering out here tonight, interfering with my rituals of true love?
ROMEO and BALTHASAR enter carrying a torch, pickax, and crowbar.
ROMEO and BALTHASAR enter carrying a torch, pickax, and crowbar.
What with a torch! Muffle me, night, awhile.
Whoever it is is carrying a torch! I’ll hide in the darkness for a while.
Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron. [Takes them from BALTHASAR] Hold, take this letter. Early in the morning See thou deliver it to my lord and father. [Gives letter to BALTHASAR] Give me the light. [Takes torch from BALTHASAR] Upon thy life I charge thee, Whate’er thou hear’st or seest, stand all aloof, And do not interrupt me in my course. Why I descend into this bed of death Is partly to behold my lady’s face, But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger A precious ring, a ring that I must use In dear employment. Therefore hence, be gone. But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry In what I farther shall intend to do, By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs. The time and my intents are savage, wild, More fierce and more inexorable far Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
Give me the pickax and the crowbar. [He takes them from BALTHASAR] Now, take this letter. Deliver it to my father early in the morning. [He gives the letter to BALTHASAR] Give me the torch. [He takes the torch from BALTHASAR] By your life, I command that no matter what you hear or see, you stay away, and do not interrupt me in my actions. I’m going to go down into this tomb in part to look upon my wife’s face, but more importantly, to take a precious ring from her dead finger. I must use the ring for urgent business. So go, get out of here. And if you get suspicious and return to spy on what I’m doing, I swear I’ll tear you limb from limb and throw your body parts around this graveyard, which is so hungry for death. The times, and my plan, are wild and savage, and I am more fierce and unstoppable than a hungry tiger or the raging sea.
I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.
I’ll go, sir, and not interfere.
So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that. [He gives BALTHASAR money] Live and be prosperous, and farewell, good fellow.
That’s how you will show me friendship. Take this. [He gives BALTHASAR money] Live and be prosperous. Farewell, good fellow.
[Aside] For all this same, I’ll hide me hereabout. His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.
[To himself] Despite everything I just said, I’ll hide nearby. The look on his face makes me nervous, and I have doubts about his story of what he plans to do.
BALTHASAR moves away and falls asleep.
BALTHASAR moves away and falls asleep.
Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open, And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food! [Begins to opens the tomb with his tools]
[Speaking to the door of the tomb] You hateful mouth, you womb of death. You’ve feasted on the most precious girl on earth. So now I’m going to force open your rotten jaws and cram more food into you. [ROMEO begins to open the tomb with his tools]
[Aside] This is that banished haughty Montague, That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief, It is supposed the fair creature died. And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him. [To ROMEO] Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague! Can vengeance be pursued further than death? Condemnèd villain, I do apprehend thee. Obey and go with me, for thou must die.
[To himself] It’s that arrogant Montague who was banished. He’s the one who murdered my love’s cousin Tybalt, which caused Juliet the grief that they think killed her. And here he’s come to do something terrible and shameful to the dead bodies. I’ll arrest him.
[To ROMEO] Stop your sinful work, vile Montague! Would you pursue vengeance even beyond death? Condemned villain, I arrest you. Obey and come with me, for you must die.
I must indeed, and therefore came I hither. Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man. Fly hence and leave me. Think upon these gone. Let them affright thee. I beseech thee, youth, Put not another sin upon my head By urging me to fury. O, be gone! By heaven, I love thee better than myself, For I come hither armed against myself. Stay not, be gone. Live, and hereafter say A madman’s mercy bid thee run away.
Indeed, I must die, which is why I came here. Good and noble young man, don’t tempt a desperate man. Run from here and leave me alone. Think about the dead who rest here. Let them terrify you. I beg you, young man, don’t make me so angry that I have to add another sin to those I already have committed. Oh, get out of here! I swear by God, I love you more than I love myself. For I’ve come here with weapons to use against myself. Don’t stay here, go away. Live, and afterwards say that a merciful madman told you to run away.
I do defy thy commination And apprehend thee for a felon here.
I defy your threats. I’m arresting you as a criminal.
Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!
You're really provoking me? Then let’s fight, boy!
ROMEO and PARIS fight.
ROMEO and PARIS fight.
O Lord, they fight! I will go call the watch.
Oh Lord, they’re fighting! I’ll go call the watch.
[Falls] Oh, I am slain! If thou be merciful, Open the tomb. Lay me with Juliet.
[He falls] Oh, I’ve been killed! If you are merciful, open the tomb and lay me next to Juliet.
In faith, I will.—Let me peruse this face. Mercutio’s kinsman, noble County Paris. What said my man, when my betossèd soul Did not attend him as we rode? I think He told me Paris should have married Juliet. Said he not so? Or did I dream it so? Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, To think it was so? —O, give me thy hand, One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book. I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave. [ROMEO opens the tomb to reveal JULIET inside] A grave? Oh, no. A lantern, slaughtered youth, For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes This vault a feasting presence full of light. Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred. [Lays PARIS in the tomb] How oft when men are at the point of death Have they been merry, which their keepers call A lightning before death! Oh, how may I Call this a lightning?—O my love, my wife! Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there.— Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet? O, what more favor can I do to thee, Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain To sunder his that was thine enemy? Forgive me, cousin. —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 dim night Depart again. Here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chamber maids. Oh, here Will I set up my everlasting rest, And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh. 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. [Kisses JULIET, takes out the poison] 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 the poison] O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
I promise, I will. Let me look at this face. It’s Mercutio’s relative, noble Count Paris. What did my servant tell me while we were riding here? I was so upset I wasn’t paying attention to him. I think he told me Paris was supposed to marry Juliet. Isn’t that what he said? Or was I dreaming? Or am I crazy and, hearing him say something about Juliet, I jumped to the wrong conclusion? [ Speaking to Paris’ body] Oh, give me your hand. You and I both had equal measures of bad fortune! I’ll bury you in a magnificent grave. [ROMEO opens the tomb to reveal JULIET inside] A grave? No! It is a cupola atop a tower, my dead young man. Juliet lies here, and her beauty fills this tomb like a festival chamber full of light. Dead man, lie down right there—another dead man is burying you. [ ROMEO lays PARIS in the tomb] Men are often happy just before their death. Their nurses call it the lightness before death. Oh, how can I call this lightness? Oh, my love, my wife! Though death has sucked the honey from your breath, it has not yet had the power to ruin your beauty. You are not conquered. A beautiful banner of red still lingers on your lips and cheeks. The paleness of death has not yet reached them. Tybalt, are you lying there in your bloody shroud? Oh, what better favor can I do for you than to use the hand that cut short your youth to kill your murderer. Forgive me, cousin! Ah, dear Juliet, why are you still so beautiful? Should I believe that death itself loves you, and that the hungry, hated monster keeps you here in the dark to be his lover? To make sure that doesn’t happen, I’ll stay with you forever and never again leave this dark tomb. Here, here I’ll remain with the worms that are your chamber-maids. Oh, I’ll rest here forever and escape the control of the bad fortune that has plagued my body. Eyes, see for the last time! Arms, make your last embrace! And lips, you doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss the infinite deal I have made with death. [ROMEO kisses JULIET and takes out the poison] Come, bitter transport. Come, unpleasant guide! You desperate pilot, crash this seasick and weary ship into the rocks. Here’s to my love! [He drinks the poison] Oh, honest pharmacist, your drugs work quickly. With this kiss, I die.