SCENE II. Capulet's orchard. Romeo and Juliet  Shakespeare homepage  |  Romeo and Juliet  | Act 2, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. Capulet's orchard. 

 Enter ROMEO  ROMEO  He jests at scars that never felt a wound. 



 JULIET appears above at a window  But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? 

 It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. 

 Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, 

 Who is already sick and pale with grief, 

 That thou her maid art far more fair than she: 

 Be not her maid, since she is envious; 

 Her vestal livery is but sick and green 

 And none but fools do wear it; cast it off. 

 It is my lady, O, it is my love! 

 O, that she knew she were! 

 She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that? 

 Her eye discourses; I will answer it. 

 I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: 

 Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, 

 Having some business, do entreat her eyes 

 To twinkle in their spheres till they return. 

 What if her eyes were there, they in her head? 

 The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, 

 As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven 

 Would through the airy region stream so bright 

 That birds would sing and think it were not night. 

 See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! 

 O, that I were a glove upon that hand, 

 That I might touch that cheek! 

 JULIET  Ay me! 

 ROMEO  She speaks: 

 O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art 

 As glorious to this night, being o'er my head 

 As is a winged messenger of heaven 

 Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes 

 Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him 

 When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds 

 And sails upon the bosom of the air. 

 JULIET  O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? 

 Deny thy father and refuse thy name; 

 Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, 

 And I'll no longer be a Capulet. 

 ROMEO  [Aside]  Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? 

 JULIET  'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; 

 Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. 

 What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, 

 Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part 

 Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! 

 What's in a name? that which we call a rose 

 By any other name would smell as sweet; 

 So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, 

 Retain that dear perfection which he owes 

 Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, 

 And for that name which is no part of thee 

 Take all myself. 

 ROMEO  I take thee at thy word: 

 Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; 

 Henceforth I never will be Romeo. 

 JULIET  What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night 

 So stumblest on my counsel? 

 ROMEO  By a name 

 I know not how to tell thee who I am: 

 My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, 

 Because it is an enemy to thee; 

 Had I it written, I would tear the word. 

 JULIET  My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words 

 Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound: 

 Art thou not Romeo and a Montague? 

 ROMEO  Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike. 

 JULIET  How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? 

 The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, 

 And the place death, considering who thou art, 

 If any of my kinsmen find thee here. 

 ROMEO  With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; 

 For stony limits cannot hold love out, 

 And what love can do that dares love attempt; 

 Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me. 

 JULIET  If they do see thee, they will murder thee. 

 ROMEO  Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye 

 Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet, 

 And I am proof against their enmity. 

 JULIET  I would not for the world they saw thee here. 

 ROMEO  I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight; 

 And but thou love me, let them find me here: 

 My life were better ended by their hate, 

 Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. 

 JULIET  By whose direction found'st thou out this place? 

 ROMEO  By love, who first did prompt me to inquire; 

 He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. 

 I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far 

 As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea, 

 I would adventure for such merchandise. 

 JULIET  Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face, 

 Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek 

 For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night 

 Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny 

 What I have spoke: but farewell compliment! 

 Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,' 

 And I will take thy word: yet if thou swear'st, 

 Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries 

 Then say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo, 

 If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully: 

 Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won, 

 I'll frown and be perverse an say thee nay, 

 So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world. 

 In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, 

 And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light: 

 But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true 

 Than those that have more cunning to be strange. 

 I should have been more strange, I must confess, 

 But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware, 

 My true love's passion: therefore pardon me, 

 And not impute this yielding to light love, 

 Which the dark night hath so discovered. 

 ROMEO  Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear 

 That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops-- 

 JULIET  O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, 

 That monthly changes in her circled orb, 

 Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. 

 ROMEO  What shall I swear by? 

 JULIET  Do not swear at all; 

 Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, 

 Which is the god of my idolatry, 

 And I'll believe thee. 

 ROMEO  If my heart's dear love-- 

 JULIET  Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee, 

 I have no joy of this contract to-night: 

 It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden; 

 Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be 

 Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night! 

 This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, 

 May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. 

 Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest 

 Come to thy heart as that within my breast! 

 ROMEO  O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? 

 JULIET  What satisfaction canst thou have to-night? 

 ROMEO  The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine. 

 JULIET  I gave thee mine before thou didst request it: 

 And yet I would it were to give again. 

 ROMEO  Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love? 

 JULIET  But to be frank, and give it thee again. 

 And yet I wish but for the thing I have: 

 My bounty is as boundless as the sea, 

 My love as deep; the more I give to thee, 

 The more I have, for both are infinite. 



 Nurse calls within  I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu! 

 Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true. 

 Stay but a little, I will come again. 



 Exit, above  ROMEO  O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard. 

 Being in night, all this is but a dream, 

 Too flattering-sweet to be substantial. 



 Re-enter JULIET, above  JULIET  Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. 

 If that thy bent of love be honourable, 

 Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow, 

 By one that I'll procure to come to thee, 

 Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite; 

 And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay 

 And follow thee my lord throughout the world. 

 Nurse  [Within]  Madam! 

 JULIET  I come, anon.--But if thou mean'st not well, 

 I do beseech thee-- 

 Nurse  [Within]  Madam! 

 JULIET  By and by, I come:-- 

 To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief: 

 To-morrow will I send. 

 ROMEO  So thrive my soul-- 

 JULIET  A thousand times good night! 



 Exit, above  ROMEO  A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. 

 Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from 

 their books, 

 But love from love, toward school with heavy looks. 



 Retiring 

 Re-enter JULIET, above  JULIET  Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice, 

 To lure this tassel-gentle back again! 

 Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud; 

 Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, 

 And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine, 

 With repetition of my Romeo's name. 

 ROMEO  It is my soul that calls upon my name: 

 How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, 

 Like softest music to attending ears! 

 JULIET  Romeo! 

 ROMEO  My dear? 

 JULIET  At what o'clock to-morrow 

 Shall I send to thee? 

 ROMEO  At the hour of nine. 

 JULIET  I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then. 

 I have forgot why I did call thee back. 

 ROMEO  Let me stand here till thou remember it. 

 JULIET  I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, 

 Remembering how I love thy company. 

 ROMEO  And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, 

 Forgetting any other home but this. 

 JULIET  'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone: 

 And yet no further than a wanton's bird; 

 Who lets it hop a little from her hand, 

 Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, 

 And with a silk thread plucks it back again, 

 So loving-jealous of his liberty. 

 ROMEO  I would I were thy bird. 

 JULIET  Sweet, so would I: 

 Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. 

 Good night, good night! parting is such 

 sweet sorrow, 

 That I shall say good night till it be morrow. 



 Exit above  ROMEO  Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! 

 Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! 

 Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, 

 His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell. 



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