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Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 1

Mercutio and Tybalt fall · William Shakespeare
Every note, for your class

Previously, in Act 2, Scene 6

Friar Laurence cautions Romeo that violent delights may have violent endings and urges moderation. Juliet arrives at the cell and exchanges declarations of love with Romeo. Friar Laurence leads Romeo and Juliet away to complete their secret marriage.

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 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 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 full 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 an old riband? And yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling!
BENVOLIO
And I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee simpleabsolute and inheritable ownership of land. of my life for an hour and a quarter.
MERCUTIO
The fee simple! O simple!
Enter Tybalt and others.
BENVOLIO
By my head, here comes the Capulets.
MERCUTIO
By my heel, I care not.
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, and you will give me occasion.
MERCUTIO
Could you not take some occasion without giving?
TYBALT
Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo.
MERCUTIO
Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? And 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 love I bear thee can affordNo better term than this: Thou art a villain.
ROMEO
Tybalt, the reason that I have to love theeDoth much excuse the appertaining rageTo such a greeting. Villain am I none;Therefore farewell; I see thou know’st me not.
TYBALT
Boy, this shall not excuse the injuriesThat thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw.
ROMEO
I do protest I never injur’d thee,But love thee better than thou canst deviseTill thou shalt know the reason of my love.And so good Capulet, which name I tenderAs dearly as mine own, be satisfied.
MERCUTIO
O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!Alla stoccataAn Italian fencing thrust delivered with the point of the sword. carries it away.Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
TYBALT
What wouldst thou have with me?
MERCUTIO
Good King of CatsA title for Tybalt, alluding to the cat named Tybert in the beast-fable tradition and to his skill as a fighter., nothing but one of your nine lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beatTo beat soundly with blows that do not draw blood. the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcherA sword’s scabbard or sheath. by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.
TYBALT
I am for you.
ROMEO
Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
MERCUTIO
Come, sir, your passadoA forward thrust in fencing, made by stepping towards an opponent..
They fight.
ROMEO
Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage,Tybalt, Mercutio, the Prince expressly hathForbid this bandying in Verona streets.Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!
Exeunt Tybalt with his Partizans.
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 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, 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 hurtIn my behalf; my reputation stain’dWith Tybalt’s slander,—Tybalt, that an hourHath been my cousin. O sweet Juliet,Thy beauty hath made me effeminateAnd in my temper soften’d valour’s steel.
Re-enter Benvolio.
BENVOLIO
O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio’s dead,That gallant spirit hath aspir’d the clouds,Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.
ROMEO
This day’s black fate on mo days doth depend;This but begins the woe others must end.
Re-enter Tybalt.
BENVOLIO
Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
ROMEO
Again in triumph, and Mercutio slain?Away to heaven respective lenity,And fire-ey’d fury be my conduct now!Now, Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back againThat late thou gav’st me, for Mercutio’s soulIs 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 amaz’d. The Prince will doom thee deathIf thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away!
ROMEO
O, I am fortune’s fool!
BENVOLIO
Why dost thou stay?
Exit Romeo.
Enter Citizens.
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 Prince’s 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 allThe 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 husband! O, the blood is spill’dOf 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, bid him bethinkHow nice the quarrel was, and urg’d withalYour high displeasure. All this utteredWith gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow’dCould not take truce with the unruly spleenOf Tybalt, deaf to peace, but that he tiltsWith piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point,And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beatsCold death aside, and with the other sendsIt back to Tybalt, whose dexterityRetorts 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 armAn envious thrust from Tybalt hit the lifeOf 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 ICould 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 offenceImmediately 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 amerceTo punish by imposing a fine. you with so strong a fineThat you shall all repent the loss of mine.I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase outto obtain release from something by payment or sacrifice. abuses.Therefore use none. Let Romeo hence in haste,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.
Exeunt.