Romeo & Juliet - Act 1 Scene 2
A street.
Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and Servant
Capulet and Paris enter discussing politics, reminding the audience of Capulet’s position and of the circumstances of the feud and judgment, and also underscoring the fact that Paris is a relative of the Prince.
CAPULET
But Montague is bound as well as I,
In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard,
I think, For men so old as we to keep the peace.
PARIS
Of honourable reckoning are you both;
And pity 'tis you lived at odds so long.
But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?
CAPULET
But saying o'er what I have said before:
My child is yet a stranger in the world;
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made.
This is the first description we get of Juliet (though she’s not yet mentioned by name). Where Rosaline was described at length as beautiful and unattainable, all we learn about Juliet is that she’s young, Paris wants to marry her, and her father wants her to be happy.
Capulet invites Paris to compare Juliet to other beauties, as Benvolio advised Romeo about Rosaline. Oddly, Capulet seems convinced that his daughter will not fare well by comparison.
CAPULET
And too soon marred are those so early made.
The earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she;
She is the hopeful lady of my earth.
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.
This night I hold an old-accustomed feast,
Whereto I have invited many a guest,
Such as I love; and you, among the store,
One more, most welcome, makes my number more.
At my poor house look to behold this night
Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light;
Such comfort as do lusty young men feel
When well-apparelled April on the heel
Of limping winter treads, even such delight
Among fresh female buds shall you this night
Inherit at my house; hear all, all see,
And like her most whose merit most shall be:
Which on more view of many, mine being one,
May stand in number, though in reckoning none.
Come, go with me.
To Servant, giving a paper
Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona; find those persons out
Whose names are written there, and to them say,
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
Exeunt CAPULET and PARIS
A bit of fun traditional comic business: the Servant has been given a task that he’s not able to perform. He lists a series of occupations, getting the tools wrong, to suggest that those combinations would be equivalent to trusting him with a list, illiterate as he is.
Servant
Find them out whose names are written here!
It is written, that the shoemaker should meddle
with his yard, and the tailor with his last, the
fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his
nets; but I am sent to find those persons whose
names are here writ, and can never find what
names the writing person hath here writ. I
must to the learned. In good time.
Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO
Benvolio seems to have warmed to his subject here, composing full rhyming poems on the fly. Romeo interrupts with very down-to-earth prose, disrupting the flow and taking over the conversation. Even in his raw emotional state, Romeo seems to get some pleasure from messing with his friend.
BENVOLIO
Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning,
One pain is lessened by another's anguish;
Turn giddy, and be helped by backward turning;
One desperate grief cures with another's languish:
Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
And the rank poison of the old will die.
ROMEO
Your plantain-leaf is excellent for that.
BENVOLIO
For what, I pray thee?
ROMEO
For your broken shin.
BENVOLIO
Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
Romeo interrupts himself to address the servant, at first playfully misunderstanding his request; it turns out that the Servant gives as good as he gets, and is able to confuse Romeo in turn.
ROMEO
Not mad, but bound more than a madman is:
Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
Whipped and tormented and – God-den, good fellow.
Servant
God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read?
ROMEO
Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Servant
Perhaps you have learned it without book. But I
pray, can you read anything you see?
ROMEO
Ay, if I know the letters and the language.
Servant
Ye say honestly; rest you merry!
ROMEO
Stay, fellow; I can read.
Reads
Romeo has spoken at length about the lady he loves, but this is the first time we actually hear her named. There’s a choice to make about whether Benvolio already knows her identity, or whether he figures it out from the way Romeo reacts to her name on the list.
'Signior Martino and his wife and daughters,
County Anselme and his beauteous sisters,
the lady widow of Vitravio,
Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces,
Mercutio and his brother Valentine,
mine uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters;
my fair niece Rosaline, and Livia;
Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt,
Lucio and the lively Helena.'
A fair assembly; whither should they come?
Servant
Up.
ROMEO
Whither?
Similarly, this is the first mention of Mercutio, so Romeo and Benvolio may share a look or otherwise non-verbally comment at his name as well.
Servant
To supper; to our house.
ROMEO
Whose house?
Servant
My master's.
ROMEO
Indeed, I should have asked you that before.
Servant
Now I'll tell you without asking: my master
is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not
of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and
crush a cup of wine. Rest you merry!
Exit
BENVOLIO
At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest,
With all the admired beauties of Verona;
Go thither; and with unattainted eye
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
By the end of the scene, we’re back to a discussion of Rosaline and of Romeo’s love, and the language returns to the formal poetic rhymed verse of earlier on.
ROMEO
When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires,
And these who, often drowned, could never die,
Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.
BENVOLIO
Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
Herself poised with herself in either eye;
But in that crystal scales let there be weighed
Your lady's love against some other maid
That I will show you shining at this feast,
And she shall scant show well that now shows best.
ROMEO
I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,
But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.
Exeunt