SCENE I. A public place. Romeo and Juliet  Shakespeare homepage  |  Romeo and Juliet  | Act 3, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. A public place. 

 Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants  BENVOLIO  I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire: 

 The day is hot, the Capulets abroad, 

 And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl; 

 For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. 

 MERCUTIO  Thou art like one of those 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 

 it on the drawer, when indeed there is 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  And 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, than 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 fun of quarrels as an egg is full of 

 meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as 

 an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled 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? with another, for 

 tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou 

 wilt tutor me from quarrelling! 

 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  The fee-simple! O simple! 

 BENVOLIO  By my head, here come the Capulets. 

 MERCUTIO  By my heel, I care not. 



 Enter TYBALT and others  TYBALT  Follow me close, for I will speak to them. 

 Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you. 

 MERCUTIO  And 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 without giving? 

 TYBALT  Mercutio, thou consort'st 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's that shall 

 make you dance. 'Zounds, consort! 

 BENVOLIO  We talk here in the public haunt of men: 

 Either withdraw unto some private place, 

 And reason coldly of your grievances, 

 Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us. 

 MERCUTIO  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; 

 Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.' 

 TYBALT  Romeo, the hate 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 rage 

 To such a greeting: villain am I none; 

 Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st 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 thee, 

 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 my own,--be satisfied. 

 MERCUTIO  O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! 

 Alla stoccata carries it away. 



 Draws  Tybalt, you rat-catcher, 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 as you 

 shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the 

 eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher 

 by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your 

 ears ere it be out. 

 TYBALT  I am for you. 



 Drawing  ROMEO  Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. 

 MERCUTIO  Come, sir, your passado. 



 They fight  ROMEO  Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons. 

 Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage! 

 Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath 

 Forbidden bandying in Verona streets: 

 Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio! 



 TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs MERCUTIO, and flies with his followers  MERCUTIO  I am hurt. 

 A plague o' both your houses! I am sped. 

 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. 



 Exit Page  ROMEO  Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. 

 MERCUTIO  No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a 

 church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for 

 me to-morrow, 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, a 

 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. 

 ROMEO  I thought all for the best. 

 MERCUTIO  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! 



 Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO  ROMEO  This gentleman, the prince's near ally, 

 My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt 

 In my behalf; my reputation stain'd 

 With Tybalt's slander,--Tybalt, that an hour 

 Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet, 

 Thy beauty hath made me effeminate 

 And in my temper soften'd valour's steel! 



 Re-enter BENVOLIO  BENVOLIO  O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's 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; 

 This but begins the woe, others must end. 

 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! 



 Re-enter TYBALT  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. 

 TYBALT  Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, 

 Shalt with him hence. 

 ROMEO  This shall determine that. 



 They fight; TYBALT falls  BENVOLIO  Romeo, away, be gone! 

 The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. 

 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? 



 Exit ROMEO 

 Enter Citizens,  & c  First Citizen  Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? 

 Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he? 

 BENVOLIO  There lies that Tybalt. 

 First Citizen  Up, sir, go with me; 

 I charge thee in the princes name, obey. 



 Enter Prince, attended; MONTAGUE, CAPULET, their Wives, and others  PRINCE  Where are the vile beginners of this fray? 

 BENVOLIO  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! 

 O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt 

 O my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true, 

 For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague. 

 O cousin, cousin! 

 PRINCE  Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? 

 BENVOLIO  Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay; 

 Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him bethink 

 How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal 

 Your high displeasure: all this uttered 

 With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd, 

 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 beats 

 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 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 back to Romeo, 

 Who had but newly entertain'd 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  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 not live. 

 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: 

 I have an interest in your hate's 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 out abuses: 

 Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste, 

 Else, when he's found, that hour is his last. 

 Bear hence this body and attend our will: 

 Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Romeo and Juliet  | Act 3, Scene 1 

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