295

brings;

305

The Quartos (Q) of this play contain no division into acts and scenes; the Folio of 1623 (F) indicates only the opening act and scene. The bracketed matter is the work of N. Rowe (edition of 1709) and later editors. The stage-directions marked with a dagger (†) and the Prologue are from the first Quarto (Q); other unbracketed matter is from F.

PROLOGUE

12 two hours' traffic, the Elizabethan play was performed in the afternoon, after dinner. Two short hours' are assigned to the performance of Henry VIII (Prologue, line 13), which is, in fact, shorter by 250 lines than this play. The curious will reckon, therefore, that Shakespeare's plays were timed at about 25 lines to the minute, including all action.

ACT I

i. 1 carry coals, endure insults, as menials do. 4 in choler, in anger.

15 take the wall, the wall in ancient streets affording shelter, walking next it was preferred, and more honorable. The word-play which follows refers to other proverbial expressions. The weakest goes to the wall' is used of earthen dishes; 'to lie next the wall' was said of a married woman.

27 cruel] Q.; civil Q2 F. The later variant is perhaps correct-used in irony.

32 in] Q.; om. Q, F.

tered, behind Gregory, unobserved. Elizabethan 'entrances' seem to have been timed somewhat in advance of the modern 'entrances'; the traversing of the front stage required this. Tokens in the cap distinguished partizans of rival houses.

73 heartless hinds, literally 'menials without heart (courage)'; punningly, 'deer without a stag.' 77 drawn] Q; draw F.

80 bills, pikes.

partisans, halberts. This cry is equivalent to 'Police!'

85 in spite of me, in my despite, in my dishonor. 96 airy, trivial. 102 canker'd, rusted.

104 forfeit, penalty for transgression. 109 Free town, English equivalent of Villa Franca, in the Italian version.

111 abroach, running, as wine out of a cask. 119 who, i. e., the winds, personified. 134-135 For these lines Q, Pope, and many editors read: That most are busied when they are most alone. The passage means: I sought to escape from myself in nature. most (1)=most diligently; most (2) most people.

140 Sun] Theobald; same Q2 F. 165 to, as to. shrift, confession. 175 view, look.

177 Still, always.

178 See pathways to his will, see to shoot So straight! Q reads: Should without laws give pathways to our will.

183 create] Q, created Q2 F.

38 two] Q.; om. Q2 F.

48 bite my thumb, still a form of insult in Italy; to snap the thumb-nail out from the (upper) teeth.

65-6 one of my master's kinsmen, that is, Tybalt, who now enters un-stage. Benvolio has already en

198 loving] Q2 F; a lovers Q1.

200 Romeo was better acquainted, as these lines prove, with the conventional poetry of love, than with love itself.

205 in sadness, seriously; Romeo puns on the word's deeper meaning.

209 Ah] Q1, Malone; A Q, F.

214-222 Steevens notes the appropriateness of these lines as praise of Queen Elizabeth. 217 unharm'd] Q. Pope; uncharm'd Q2 F.

est. A maiden must dwell in modesty as a fish in the sea.

with her.

.9 fourteen years, in Bandello eighteen, in Brooke sixteen years. Some editors think Shakespeare wrong in reducing thus his heroine's age. But Daniel, in his Civil Wars (dedication of 1609 edition; the book was used as a source by Shakespeare in Richard II), says: 'And if I have erred somewhat in the draught of the young Queen Isabel in not suiting her passions to her years, I must crave favor of my credulous readers; and I hope the young ladies of England (who peradventure will think themselves of age sufficient, at 14 years, to have a feeling of their own estates) will excuse me in that point.'

12, 13 made, marr'd and married were often played upon in Shakespeare's time. Cf. II. iv. 121-2. 29 female] Q.; fennell Q, F.

32 on] Q. Q; one Q. The meaning of lines 32-33 is not clear. Possibly Capulet puns on 'won' and 'one'; 'on further view of all, my daughter being "won" may stand first by merit in your affections, though as "one" she is nought in reckoning.' Cf. 'among a number one is reckoned none," from Shakespeare's Sonnet 136.

58 God gi' god-den, God give you good evening.

4 hoodwink'd, blindfolded.

7-8 These lines are from Q1; om. Q2 F.

7 without-book, imperfectly learned. 8 entrance, trisyllabic, 'enterance.' 10 measure, stately a court dance. 30 a visor! My face is a mask already.

38 candle-holder, the proverb says, that the luckiest gamester is the candle-holder, i. e., the one who does not play.

39 ne'er so fair, the game is always best when we have left it.

39 done] Q.; dun Q.; dum Q2.

40 dun's the mouse, a slang phrase, keep as still as

89 Plats, tangles.

103 face] Q.; side Q, F.

68 County, Ital. conte, count.

78 To supper,] in F continued as Romeo's speech. 90 unattainted, without colored glasses, impartial.

32 tetchy, irritated.

36 alone,] F; high lone Q, hylone Q, (perhaps a child's word).

52 it, its, genitive case of it. This archaism, found in Brooke, recurs in later plays of Shakespeare. 59 mark, set apart.

66, 67 honour] Q.; houre Q2.

76 man of wax, a model, paragon.

81 volume. Italy at this time was famous for its books and binding. The use of books metaphorically occurs elsewhere in the play.

86 margent, margin, where notes were inserted in books.

89-94 Here Lady Capulet cautions Juliet to be mod

113 sail] Q.; suits F.

v. 7 joint-stool, folding-stool.

8 court-cupboard, side-board. 9 marchpane, a kind of cake.

19 have a bout] Q1; walke about F. 21 makes dainty, affects haughtiness.

42 Here Q, adds Good youths, i' faith. O, youth's a jolly thing!

57 what, how?

59 fleer, sneer.

68 portly, well-bred, of good carriage or behavior. 83 cock-a-hoop, a fight going. 88 princox, forward boy.

96 fine] Theobald; since Q F.

99 pilgrim, Romeo (Italian ‘romeo,' pilgrim who has been to Rome) must have worn a pilgrim's disguise.

112 by the book, according to rule.
124 towards, near in time.
142 prodigious, ominous.

ACT II

i. 2 earth, Romeo's body. centre, Juliet, with whom his heart lies.

13 Abraham] Q F. Upton suggests Adam; either patriarch's name suits here, paradoxically taken. Abraham man was a name for a tricky beggar of the time.

trim] Q1; true F.

14 Cophetua, hero of an old ballad, one stanza of which tells of Cupid's wounding him.

31 humorous, full of humors, damp.
38 poperin, from Poperinghe, in Flanders.

39 truckle-bed, bed pushed under the standing bed. 40 field-bed, traveling bed; here; the ground.

ii. S. D. Romeo comes forward.] There is no change of scene here, in reality. Note that line 1 rhymes with i. 42. Modern stage versions concur in this, placing the lane on the right of the stage, orchard center, and balcony left.

1 He, Mercutio.

7 her maid, vowed to her service, a virgin. 31 lazy-pacing] Q, Pope; lazy puffing Q, F.

39 though, with conditional force. "Thou wouldst

be still Romeo, even though thou wert no longer Montague.'

41 nor any other part] Q1; om. F.

42 0. . . . name] follows face in F; restored by Malone.

46 owes, owns.

53 counsel, secrets.

55 saint. Cf. I. v. 105. Romeo discloses himself by thus recalling his name for her, at the ball.

61 dislike, with impersonal use.

66 o'er perch, fly over.

69 stop] Q F; let Q1.

78 prorogued, put off.

79 direction, guidance.

92 at lovers' perjuries. From translated by Marlowe.

97 so, so that, if only.

101 more cunning] Q.; coying F. 101 strange, reserved.

131 frank, free, liberal.

151 by and by, soon.

17 butt-shaft, arrow without barbs. 19 prince of cats, Tybert, or Tybalt, is the name of the cat in the popular beast-epic, Reynard the Fox.

21 prick-song, music written down in parts, especially in counter-point. In plain-song the harmony was made up by the singer.

22-3 minim rest, rest of a half-note in music.

25 house, in heraldry, elder branch of a family; a challenge from an inferior could be ignored.

26 cause, provocation to a quarrel.

27 passado, lunge, or side-step, in fencing. punto reverso, back-handed thrust.

hay Ital. "Thou hast it! The cry when the thrust went home.

30 fantasticos] Q.; fantasies F.

35 perdona-mis] Globe; pardon-mees F.

36-37 form, with pun on form, meaning 'bench.' bones, with pun on Ital. buon, good.

41 Petrarch, (1304-1374), wrote sonnets to Laura which were the models of the Elizabethans. 45 hilding, worthless person.

48 slop, loose thunks, breeches.

51 slip, a pun; slip means 'counterfeit money.' 52 good] om. F. 56-70 case singleness, puns and equivoques appear in every phrase, scarcely deserving eluci

dation.

152 suit] Q. Q.; strife F.

160 tassel gentle, tercel, the male hawk.

164 Romeo's name] Q.; om. F.

133 confidence, conference. The Nurse here is like Mrs. Malaprop.

135 indite] Q F; invite Q. Benvolio mimics the Nurse's affected use of elegant diction.

151 lady, lady, lady,' from the ballad of Chaste Susanna.

152 marry, farewell] Q.; om. F.

153 merchant, ungentlemanly fellow.

154 ropery, roguery.

178 wanton, merry girl.

180 gyves, bonds.

185-190 These lines are taken from Q1 Q2 QF

uncertain.

199 stay] Q2; stay thou F. 201 tackled stair, rope ladder.

223 the dog's letter, because the sound is like a growl. The Romans, also, called it so.

232 Before, and apace] Q2 F; Peter, take my fan, and go before Q1

ii. 1 The lines following represent the epithalamium, a conventional lyric song, according to Gervinus. 6 runaways' eyes, an expression giving rise to much discussion; one of the great cruces of the Shakespearean text. The rest of the speech seems to indicate Juliet's own desire not to see or be seen of her lover. Runaways' may then mean the lovers, runaways from their former state.

9 By] Q; and by Q2 Q3 F.

14 Hood, cover. unmann'd, untamed. bating, fluttering. These are terms of falconry.

21 he] Q. Qs; I Q2 F.

25 garish, dazzling.

45 I, the pun on 'Ay' and 'I' occurs elsewhere. Cf. Richard II IV. i. 201.

47 cockatrice, an

animal ( the scorpion); its

glance was fabled to be fatal.

49 shut] Capell; shot F.

56 gore-blood, clotted blood.

76 corrected by the Globe editors. Ravenous dove

feathered raven, Q2 F.

79 damned] Q.; dimme Q2 F.

81 bower, embower.

87 naught, wicked.

95 at] Q; om. F.

120 modern, commonplace.

12 desperate tender, bold offer.

v. 1-35 a conventional dawn-song, or aubade. In this type of lyric two lovers dispute whether the song they hear is of the lark or the nightingale.

24 defy you] Pope; defy my Q.; deny you Q 40 simples, herbs used in drugs.

67 utter, put out, circulate. 76 pay] Q.; pray F.

iii 3 yew] ew Q1; young Q

68 conjurations] Q.; communication Q2. 96 advanced, raised.

107 Q2 F insert here: Depart againe; F come lie thou in my arm.

Here's to thy health, where'er thou tumblest in,
O true Apothecary.

Line 120 follows; then the full passage 108-120. 137 yew tree] Pope; young tree Q2 F. 162 timeless, untimely.

170 This is] Q.; Tis in F.

209 more] Q1; now F.

216 outrage, outburst.

222 parties of suspicion, suspected parties.