Romeo and Juliet

Romeo

                                              O me! What fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.                           
Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.
Why, then, O brawling love, O loving hate,
O anything of nothing first created,
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep that is not what it is.
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

Benvolio

                                     No, coz, I rather weep.

Montague

Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?                  
Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?

Benvolio

Here were the servants of your adversary,
And yours, close fighting ere I did approach;
I drew to part them. In the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared,
Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head and cut the winds,
Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn.
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came more and more, and fought on part and part,   
Till the prince came, who parted either part.

Prince

You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our farther pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

Prince

Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbor-stainèd steel —
Will they not hear? What, ho! You men, you beasts
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage                
With purple fountains issuing from your veins —
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground.
And hear the sentence of your movèd prince.

Capulet

What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!

Lady Capulet

A crutch, a crutch — why call you for a sword?

Capulet

My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
[Enter the elderly Lord Montague in his nightgown and Lady Montague trying to restrain her husband]

Montague

Thou villain Capulet. [To his wife] Hold me not, let me go.

Lady Montague

Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.

Capulet

What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!

Lady Capulet

A crutch, a crutch — why call you for a sword?

Capulet

My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

Sampson

Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy
washing blow.
[The servants draw their swords and fight. Benvolio draws his sword and approaches the fighting men.]

Benvolio

Part, fools, put up your swords; you know not what     
you do.
[Tybalt draws his sword and addresses Benvolio]

Tybalt

What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Benvolio

I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.

Tybalt

What, drawn and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee, coward!                                                    

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