READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, scene iii |
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Act I, Scene iii:
Room in Capulet's House.
Room in Capulet's House.
| [Enter Lady Capulet, and Nurse.] |
| Lady Capulet. |
| Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. |
| Nurse.: |
| Now, by my maidenhea,—at twelve year old,— |
| I bade her come.—What, lamb! what ladybird!— |
| God forbid!—where's this girl?—what, Juliet! |
| [Enter Juliet.] |
| Juliet.: |
| How now, who calls? |
| Nurse.: |
| Your mother. |
| Juliet.: |
| Madam, I am here. What is your will? |
| Lady Capulet. |
| This is the matter,—Nurse, give leave awhile, |
| We must talk in secret: nurse, come back again; |
| I have remember'd me, thou's hear our counsel. |
| Thou knowest my daughter's of a pretty age. |
| Nurse.: |
| Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. |
| Lady Capulet. |
| She's not fourteen. |
| Nurse.: |
| I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,— |
| And yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four,— |
| She is not fourteen. How long is it now |
| To Lammas-tide? |
| Lady Capulet. |
| A fortnight and odd days. |
| Nurse.: |
| Even or odd, of all days in the year, |
| Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. |
| Susan and she,—God rest all Christian souls!— |
| Were of an age: well, Susan is with God; |
| She was too good for me:—but, as I said, |
| On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen; |
| That shall she, marry; I remember it well. |
| 'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years; |
| And she was wean'd,—I never shall forget it—, |
| Of all the days of the year, upon that day: |
| For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, |
| Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall; |
| My lord and you were then at Mantua: |
| Nay, I do bear a brain:—but, as I said, |
| When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple |
| Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool, |
| To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug! |
| Shake, quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I trow, |
| To bid me trudge. |
| And since that time it is eleven years; |
| For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood |
| She could have run and waddled all about; |
| For even the day before, she broke her brow: |
| And then my husband,—God be with his soul! |
| 'A was a merry man,—took up the child: |
| 'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face? |
| Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit; |
| Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidame, |
| The pretty wretch left crying, and said 'Ay:' |
| To see now how a jest shall come about! |
| I warrant, an I should live a thousand yeas, |
| I never should forget it; 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he; |
| And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said 'Ay.' |
| Lady Capulet. |
| Enough of this; I pray thee hold thy peace. |
| Nurse.: |
| Yes, madam;—yet I cannot choose but laugh, |
| To think it should leave crying, and say 'Ay:' |
| And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow |
| A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone; |
| A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly. |
| 'Yea,' quoth my husband, 'fall'st upon thy face? |
| Thou wilt fall backward when thou com'st to age; |
| Wilt thou not, Jule?' it stinted, and said 'Ay.' |
| Juliet.: |
| And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. |
| Nurse.: |
| Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! |
| Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nurs'd: |
| An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish. |
| Lady Capulet. |
| Marry, that marry is the very theme |
| I came to talk of.—Tell me, daughter Juliet, |
| How stands your disposition to be married? |
| Juliet.: |
| It is an honour that I dream not of. |
| Nurse.: |
| An honour!—were not I thine only nurse, |
| I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat. |
| Lady Capulet. |
| Well, think of marriage now: younger than you, |
| Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, |
| Are made already mothers: by my count |
| I was your mother much upon these years |
| That you are now a maid. Thus, then, in brief;— |
| The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. |
| Nurse.: |
| A man, young lady! lady, such a man |
| As all the world—why he's a man of wax. |
| Lady Capulet. |
| Verona's summer hath not such a flower. |
| Nurse.: |
| Nay, he's a flower, in faith, a very flower. |
| Lady Capulet. |
| What say you? can you love the gentleman? |
| This night you shall behold him at our feast; |
| Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face, |
| And find delight writ there with beauty's pen; |
| Examine every married lineament, |
| And see how one another lends content; |
| And what obscur'd in this fair volume lies |
| Find written in the margent of his eyes. |
| This precious book of love, this unbound lover, |
| To beautify him, only lacks a cover: |
| The fish lives in the sea; and 'tis much pride |
| For fair without the fair within to hide: |
| That book in many's eyes doth share the glory, |
| That in gold clasps locks in the golden story; |
| So shall you share all that he doth possess, |
| By having him, making yourself no less. |
| Nurse.: |
| No less! nay, bigger; women grow by men |
| Lady Capulet. |
| Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love? |
| Juliet.: |
| I'll look to like, if looking liking move: |
| But no more deep will I endart mine eye |
| Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. |
| [Enter a Servant.] |
| Servant.: |
| Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you |
| called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed |
| in the pantry, and everything in extremity. I must |
| hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight. |
| Lady Capulet. |
| We follow thee.[Exit Servant.]— |
| Juliet, the county stays. |
| Nurse.: |
| Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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