Enter Mercutio, Benvolio, and ⌜their⌝ men.BENVOLIO I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire. The day is hot, the Capels ⌜are⌝ abroad, And if we meet we shall not ’scape a brawl, For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.MERCUTIO 5Thou art like one of these 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 him on the drawer when indeed there is10 no need.BENVOLIO Am I like such a fellow?MERCUTIO Come, 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.BENVOLIO 15And what to?MERCUTIO Nay, 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 than20 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
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an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been25 beaten as addle as an egg for quarreling. Thou hast quarreled 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? With30 another, for tying his new shoes with old ribbon? And yet thou wilt tutor me from quarreling?BENVOLIO An 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.MERCUTIO 35The fee simple? O simple!Enter Tybalt, Petruchio, and others.BENVOLIO By my head, here comes the Capulets.MERCUTIO By my heel, I care not.TYBALT, ⌜to his companions⌝ Follow me close, for I will speak to them.— Gentlemen, good e’en. A word with one of you.MERCUTIO 40And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something. Make it a word and a blow.TYBALT You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me occasion.MERCUTIO Could you not take some occasion without45 giving?TYBALT Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo.MERCUTIO Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? An thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s50 that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!BENVOLIO We talk here in the public haunt of men. Either withdraw unto some private place, Or reason coldly of your grievances, Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us.
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MERCUTIO 55 Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze. I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I.Enter Romeo.TYBALT Well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.MERCUTIO But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery. Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower.60 Your Worship in that sense may call him “man.”TYBALT Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford No better term than this: thou art a villain.ROMEO Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage65 To such a greeting. Villain am I none. Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.TYBALT Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.ROMEO I do protest I never injured thee70 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 mine own, be satisfied.MERCUTIO O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!75 Alla stoccato carries it away.⌜He draws.⌝ Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?TYBALT What wouldst thou have with me?MERCUTIO Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal, and, as80 you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the
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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.TYBALT I am for you.⌜He draws.⌝ROMEO 85 Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.MERCUTIO Come, sir, your passado.⌜They fight.⌝ROMEO Draw, Benvolio, beat down their weapons.⌜Romeo draws.⌝ Gentlemen, for shame forbear this outrage! Tybalt! Mercutio! The Prince expressly hath90 Forbid this bandying in Verona streets. Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!⌜Romeo attempts to beat down their rapiers.
Tybalt stabs Mercutio.⌝⌜PETRUCHIO⌝ Away, Tybalt!⌜Tybalt, Petruchio, and their followers exit.⌝MERCUTIO I am hurt. A plague o’ both houses! I am sped.95 Is he gone and hath nothing?BENVOLIO What, art thou hurt?MERCUTIO Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough. Where is my page?—Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.⌜Page exits.⌝ROMEO Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much.MERCUTIO 100No, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough. ’Twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, 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, a105 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.
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ROMEO I thought all for the best.MERCUTIO 110 Help 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!⌜All but Romeo⌝ exit.ROMEO This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally,115 My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt In my behalf. My reputation stained With Tybalt’s slander—Tybalt, that an hour Hath been my cousin! O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate120 And in my temper softened valor’s steel.Enter Benvolio.BENVOLIO O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead. That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds, Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.ROMEO This day’s black fate on more days doth depend.125 This but begins the woe others must end.⌜Enter Tybalt.⌝BENVOLIO Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.ROMEO ⌜Alive⌝ in triumph, and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And ⌜fire-eyed⌝ fury be my conduct now.—130 Now, 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.
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TYBALT 135 Thou wretched boy that didst consort him here Shalt with him hence.ROMEO This shall determine that.They fight. Tybalt falls.BENVOLIO Romeo, away, begone! The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.140 Stand not amazed. The Prince will doom thee death If thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away.ROMEO O, I am Fortune’s fool!BENVOLIO Why dost thou stay?Romeo exits.Enter Citizens.CITIZEN Which way ran he that killed Mercutio?145 Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?BENVOLIO There lies that Tybalt.CITIZEN, ⌜to Tybalt⌝ Up, sir, go with me. I charge thee in the Prince’s name, obey.Enter Prince, old Montague, Capulet, their Wives and all.PRINCE Where are the vile beginners of this fray?BENVOLIO 150 O 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.LADY CAPULET Tybalt, my cousin, O my brother’s child!155 O prince! O cousin! Husband! O, the blood is spilled Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,
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For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague. O cousin, cousin!PRINCE Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?BENVOLIO 160 Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay— Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal Your high displeasure. All this utterèd With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed165 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 beats170 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 tongue175 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,180 Who had but newly entertained 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.LADY CAPULET 185 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.190 Romeo slew Tybalt; Romeo must not live.
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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,195 The life of Tybalt.PRINCE And for that offense Immediately we do exile him hence. I have an interest in your hearts’ proceeding: My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding.200 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,205 Else, when he is found, that hour is his last. Bear hence this body and attend our will. Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.⌜They⌝ exit, ⌜the Capulet men
bearing off Tybalt’s body.⌝
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