Romeo And Juliet - The Folger SHAKESPEARE

Folger Shakespeare tMatterFrom the Director of the Folger ShakespeareLibraryTextual IntroductionSynopsisCharacters in the PlayPrologueACT 1Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4

Scene 5ACT 2ChorusScene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4Scene 5Scene 6ACT 3Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4Scene 5ACT 4Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4Scene 5ACT 5Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3From the Director of the Folger ShakespeareLibraryIt is hard to imagine a world without Shakespeare. Since theircomposition four hundred years ago, Shakespeare’s plays and poemshave traveled the globe, inviting those who see and read his works tomake them their own.Readers of the New Folger Editions are part of this ongoing processof “taking up Shakespeare,” finding our own thoughts and feelings inlanguage that strikes us as old or unusual and, for that very reason,new. We still struggle to keep up with a writer who could think a milea minute, whose words paint pictures that shift like clouds. These

expertly edited texts are presented to the public as a resource forstudy, artistic adaptation, and enjoyment. By making the classic textsof the New Folger Editions available in electronic form as The FolgerShakespeare (formerly Folger Digital Texts), we place a trustedresource in the hands of anyone who wants them.The New Folger Editions of Shakespeare’s plays, which are the basisfor the texts realized here in digital form, are special because of theirorigin. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is thesingle greatest documentary source of Shakespeare’s works. Anunparalleled collection of early modern books, manuscripts, andartwork connected to Shakespeare, the Folger’s holdings have beenconsulted extensively in the preparation of these texts. The Editionsalso reflect the expertise gained through the regular performance ofShakespeare’s works in the Folger’s Elizabethan Theatre.I want to express my deep thanks to editors Barbara Mowat and PaulWerstine for creating these indispensable editions of Shakespeare’sworks, which incorporate the best of textual scholarship with arichness of commentary that is both inspired and engaging. Readerswho want to know more about Shakespeare and his plays can followthe paths these distinguished scholars have tread by visiting theFolger either in-person or online, where a range of physical anddigital resources exists to supplement the material in these texts. Icommend to you these words, and hope that they inspire.Michael WitmoreDirector, Folger Shakespeare LibraryTextual IntroductionBy Barbara Mowat and Paul WerstineUntil now, with the release of The Folger Shakespeare (formerlyFolger Digital Texts), readers in search of a free online text ofShakespeare’s plays had to be content primarily with using theMoby Text, which reproduces a late-nineteenth century version ofthe plays. What is the difference? Many ordinary readers assume thatthere is a single text for the plays: what Shakespeare wrote. ButShakespeare’s plays were not published the way modern novels orplays are published today: as a single, authoritative text. In somecases, the plays have come down to us in multiple published versions,represented by various Quartos (Qq) and by the great collection put

together by his colleagues in 1623, called the First Folio (F). Thereare, for example, three very different versions of Hamlet, two of KingLear, Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, and others. Editors choose whichversion to use as their base text, and then amend that text with words,lines or speech prefixes from the other versions that, in theirjudgment, make for a better or more accurate text.Other editorial decisions involve choices about whether an unfamiliarword could be understood in light of other writings of the period orwhether it should be changed; decisions about words that made it intoShakespeare’s text by accident through four hundred years ofprintings and misprinting; and even decisions based on culturalpreference and taste. When the Moby Text was created, forexample, it was deemed “improper” and “indecent” for Miranda tochastise Caliban for having attempted to rape her. (See The Tempest,1.2: “Abhorred slave,/Which any print of goodness wilt nottake,/Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee ”). All Shakespeareeditors at the time took the speech away from her and gave it to herfather, Prospero.The editors of the Moby Shakespeare produced their text longbefore scholars fully understood the proper grounds on which to makethe thousands of decisions that Shakespeare editors face. The FolgerLibrary Shakespeare Editions, on which the Folger Shakespeare textsdepend, make this editorial process as nearly transparent as ispossible, in contrast to older texts, like the Moby , which hideeditorial interventions. The reader of the Folger Shakespeare knowswhere the text has been altered because editorial interventions aresignaled by square brackets (for example, from Othello: “ If she inchains of magic were not bound, ”), half-square brackets (forexample, from Henry V: “With blood and sword and fire to winyour right,”), or angle brackets (for example, from Hamlet: “Ofarewell, honest soldier. Who hath relieved/you?”). At any point inthe text, you can hover your cursor over a bracket for moreinformation.Because the Folger Shakespeare texts are edited in accord withtwenty-first century knowledge about Shakespeare’s texts, the Folgerhere provides them to readers, scholars, teachers, actors, directors,and students, free of charge, confident of their quality as texts of theplays and pleased to be able to make this contribution to the studyand enjoyment of Shakespeare.Synopsis

The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters “starcrossed lovers”—and the stars do seem to conspire against theseyoung lovers.Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. Their families areenmeshed in a feud, but the moment they meet—when Romeo andhis friends attend a party at Juliet’s house in disguise—the two fall inlove and quickly decide that they want to be married.A friar secretly marries them, hoping to end the feud. Romeo and hiscompanions almost immediately encounter Juliet’s cousin Tybalt,who challenges Romeo. When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo’sfriend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. Romeo then killsTybalt and is banished. He spends that night with Juliet and thenleaves for Mantua.Juliet’s father forces her into a marriage with Count Paris. To avoidthis marriage, Juliet takes a potion, given her by the friar, that makesher appear dead. The friar will send Romeo word to be at her familytomb when she awakes. The plan goes awry, and Romeo learnsinstead that she is dead. In the tomb, Romeo kills himself. Julietwakes, sees his body, and commits suicide. Their deaths appearfinally to end the feud.Characters in the PlayROMEOMONTAGUE ,his fatherLADY MONTAGUE , his motherBENVOLIO , their kinsmanABRAM, a Montague servingmanBALTHASAR , Romeo’s servingmanJULIETCAPULET ,her fatherLADY CAPULET , her motherNURSE to JulietTYBALT , kinsman to the CapuletsPETRUCHIO, Tybalt’s companionCapulet’s CousinSAMPSONGREGORYservingmen

PETEROther ServingmenESCALUS,Prince of Veronathe Prince’s kinsman and Juliet’s suitorMERCUTIO, the Prince’s kinsman and Romeo’s friendParis’ PagePARIS,FRIAR LAWRENCEFRIAR JOHNAPOTHECARYThree or four CitizensThree MusiciansThree WatchmenCHORUSAttendants, Maskers, Torchbearers, a Boy with a drum, Gentlemen,Gentlewomen, Tybalt’s Page, Servingmen.THE PROLOGUEEnter Chorus.FTLN 0001FTLN 0002FTLN 0003FTLN 0004FTLN 0005FTLN 0006FTLN 0007FTLN 0008FTLN 0009FTLN 0010FTLN 0011FTLN 0012FTLN 0013FTLN 0014Two households, both alike in dignity(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.The fearful passage of their death-marked loveAnd the continuance of their parents’ rage,Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;The which, if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.510

Chorus exits.7ACT 1Scene 1Enter Sampson and Gregory, with swords and bucklers,of the house of Capulet.SAMPSONFTLN 0015Gregory, on my word we’ll not carry coals.GREGORYFTLN 0016No, for then we should be colliers.SAMPSONFTLN 0017I mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw.GREGORYFTLN 0018FTLN 0019Ay, while you live, draw your neck out ofcollar.5SAMPSONFTLN 0020I strike quickly, being moved.GREGORYFTLN 0021But thou art not quickly moved to strike.SAMPSONFTLN 0022A dog of the house of Montague moves me.GREGORYFTLN 0023FTLN 0024FTLN 0025To move is to stir, and to be valiant is tostand. Therefore if thou art moved thou runn’staway.10SAMPSONFTLN 0026FTLN 0027A dog of that house shall move me to stand. Iwill take the wall of any man or maid of Montague’s.GREGORYFTLN 0028FTLN 0029That shows thee a weak slave, for the weakestgoes to the wall.SAMPSONFTLN 0030FTLN 0031’Tis true, and therefore women, being theweaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall. Therefore15

I will push Montague’s men from the wall andthrust his maids to the wall.FTLN 0032FTLN 0033GREGORYFTLN 0034FTLN 0035The quarrel is between our masters and ustheir men.20SAMPSONFTLN 0036FTLN 0037FTLN 0038’Tis all one. I will show myself a tyrant.When I have fought with the men, I will be civilwith the maids; I will cut off their heads.911Romeo and JulietACT 1. SC. 1GREGORYFTLN 0039The heads of the maids?25SAMPSONFTLN 0040FTLN 0041Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads.Take it in what sense thou wilt.GREGORYFTLN 0042They must take it in sense that feel it.SAMPSONFTLN 0043FTLN 0044Me they shall feel while I am able to stand,and ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.30GREGORYFTLN 0045FTLN 0046FTLN 0047’Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thouhadst been poor-john. Draw thy tool. Here comesof the house of Montagues.Enter Abram with another Servingman.SAMPSONFTLN 0048FTLN 0049My naked weapon is out. Quarrel, I will backthee.GREGORYFTLN 0050How? Turn thy back and run?SAMPSONFTLN 0051Fear me not.GREGORYFTLN 0052No, marry. I fear thee!SAMPSON35

FTLN 0053FTLN 0054Let us take the law of our sides; let thembegin.40GREGORYFTLN 0055FTLN 0056I will frown as I pass by, and let them take itas they list.SAMPSONFTLN 0057FTLN 0058Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb atthem, which is disgrace to them if they bear it.He bites his thumb.ABRAMFTLN 0059Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?45SAMPSONFTLN 0060I do bite my thumb, sir.ABRAMFTLN 0061FTLN 0062FTLN 0063FTLN 0064Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?SAMPSON , aside to GregoryIs the law of our side if Isay “Ay”?GREGORY, aside to SampsonNo.50SAMPSONFTLN 0065FTLN 0066No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir,but I bite my thumb, sir.GREGORYFTLN 0067Do you quarrel, sir?ABRAMFTLN 0068Quarrel, sir? No, sir.SAMPSONFTLN 0069FTLN 0070But if you do, sir, I am for you. I serve asgood a man as you.55ABRAMFTLN 0071No better.13Romeo and JulietSAMPSONFTLN 0072Well, sir.Enter Benvolio.ACT 1. SC. 1