Mercutio and Benvolio encounter Tybalt on the street. As soon as Romeo arrives, Tybalt tries to provoke him to fight. When Romeo refuses, Mercutio answers Tybalt’s challenge. They duel and Mercutio is fatally wounded. Romeo then avenges Mercutio’s death by killing Tybalt in a duel. Benvolio tries to persuade the Prince to excuse Romeo’s slaying of Tybalt; however, the Capulets demand that Romeo pay with his life; the Prince instead banishes Romeo from Verona.
Enter Mercutio, Benvolio, and ⌜ their ⌝ men.
BENVOLIO
1469 I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire.
1470 The day is hot, the Capels ⌜ are ⌝ abroad,
1471 And if we meet we shall not ’scape a brawl,
1472 For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.
MERCUTIO 1473 5 Thou art like one of these fellows that, when
1474 he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his
1475 sword upon the table and says “God send me no
1476 need of thee” and, by the operation of the second
1477 cup, draws him on the drawer when indeed there is
1478 10 no need.
BENVOLIO 1479 Am I like such a fellow?
MERCUTIO 1480 Come, come, thou art as hot a jack in thy
1481 mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be
1482 moody, and as soon moody to be moved.
BENVOLIO 1483 15 And what to?
MERCUTIO 1484 Nay, an there were two such, we should
1485 have none shortly, for one would kill the other.
1486 Thou—why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that
1487 hath a hair more or a hair less in his beard than
1488 20 thou hast. Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking
1489 nuts, having no other reason but because thou
1490 hast hazel eyes. What eye but such an eye would spy
1491 out such a quarrel? Thy head is as full of quarrels as
1492 an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been
1493 25 beaten as addle as an egg for quarreling. Thou hast
1494 quarreled with a man for coughing in the street
1495 because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain
1496 asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor
1497 for wearing his new doublet before Easter? With
1498 30 another, for tying his new shoes with old ribbon?
1499 And yet thou wilt tutor me from quarreling?
BENVOLIO 1500 An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any
1501 man should buy the fee simple of my life for an
1502 hour and a quarter.
MERCUTIO 1503 35 The fee simple? O simple!
Enter Tybalt, Petruchio, and others.
BENVOLIO 1504 By my head, here comes the Capulets.
MERCUTIO 1505 By my heel, I care not.
TYBALT , ⌜ to his companions ⌝
1506 Follow me close, for I will speak to them.—
1507 Gentlemen, good e’en. A word with one of you.
MERCUTIO 1508 40 And but one word with one of us? Couple it
1509 with something. Make it a word and a blow.
TYBALT 1510 You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an
1511 you will give me occasion.
MERCUTIO 1512 Could you not take some occasion without
1513 45 giving?
TYBALT 1514 Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo.
MERCUTIO 1515 Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels?
1516 An thou make minstrels of us, look to hear
1517 nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s
1518 50 that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!
BENVOLIO
1519 We talk here in the public haunt of men.
1520 Either withdraw unto some private place,
1521 Or reason coldly of your grievances,
1522 Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us.
MERCUTIO
1523 55 Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze.
1524 I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I.
TYBALT
1525 Well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.
MERCUTIO
1526 But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery.
1527 Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower.
1528 60 Your Worship in that sense may call him “man.”
TYBALT
1529 Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford
1530 No better term than this: thou art a villain.
ROMEO
1531 Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
1532 Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
1533 65 To such a greeting. Villain am I none.
1534 Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.
TYBALT
1535 Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
1536 That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.
ROMEO
1537 I do protest I never injured thee
1538 70 But love thee better than thou canst devise
1539 Till thou shalt know the reason of my love.
1540 And so, good Capulet, which name I tender
1541 As dearly as mine own, be satisfied.
MERCUTIO
1542 O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!
1543 75 Alla stoccato carries it away. ⌜ He draws. ⌝
1544 Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?
TYBALT 1545 What wouldst thou have with me?
MERCUTIO 1546 Good king of cats, nothing but one of your
1547 nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal, and, as
1548 80 you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the
1549 eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher
1550 by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your
1551 ears ere it be out.
TYBALT 1552 I am for you. ⌜ He draws. ⌝
ROMEO
1553 85 Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
MERCUTIO 1554 Come, sir, your passado. ⌜ They fight. ⌝
ROMEO
1555 Draw, Benvolio, beat down their weapons.
⌜ Romeo draws. ⌝
1556 Gentlemen, for shame forbear this outrage!
1557 Tybalt! Mercutio! The Prince expressly hath
1558 90 Forbid this bandying in Verona streets.
1559 Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!
⌜ Romeo attempts to beat down their rapiers.
Tybalt stabs Mercutio. ⌝
⌜ PETRUCHIO ⌝ 1560 Away, Tybalt!
⌜ Tybalt, Petruchio, and their followers exit. ⌝
MERCUTIO 1561 I am hurt.
1562 A plague o’ both houses! I am sped.
1563 95 Is he gone and hath nothing?
BENVOLIO 1564 What, art thou hurt?
MERCUTIO
1565 Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough.
1566 Where is my page?—Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
⌜ Page exits. ⌝
ROMEO
1567 Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much.
MERCUTIO 1568 100 No, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as
1569 a church door, but ’tis enough. ’Twill serve. Ask for
1570 me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I
1571 am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o’
1572 both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a
1573 105 cat, to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a
1574 villain that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the
1575 devil came you between us? I was hurt under your
1576 arm.
ROMEO 1577 I thought all for the best.
MERCUTIO
1578 110 Help me into some house, Benvolio,
1579 Or I shall faint. A plague o’ both your houses!
1580 They have made worms’ meat of me.
1581 I have it, and soundly, too. Your houses!
⌜ All but Romeo ⌝ exit.
ROMEO
1582 This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally,
1583 115 My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt
1584 In my behalf. My reputation stained
1585 With Tybalt’s slander—Tybalt, that an hour
1586 Hath been my cousin! O sweet Juliet,
1587 Thy beauty hath made me effeminate
1588 120 And in my temper softened valor’s steel.
BENVOLIO
1589 O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead.
1590 That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
1591 Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.
ROMEO
1592 This day’s black fate on more days doth depend.
1593 125 This but begins the woe others must end.
BENVOLIO
1594 Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
ROMEO
1595 ⌜ Alive ⌝ in triumph, and Mercutio slain!
1596 Away to heaven, respective lenity,
1597 And ⌜ fire-eyed ⌝ fury be my conduct now.—
1598 130 Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again
1599 That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul
1600 Is but a little way above our heads,
1601 Staying for thine to keep him company.
1602 Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.
TYBALT
1603 135 Thou wretched boy that didst consort him here
1604 Shalt with him hence.
ROMEO 1605 This shall determine that.
They fight. Tybalt falls.
BENVOLIO
1606 Romeo, away, begone!
1607 The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.
1608 140 Stand not amazed. The Prince will doom thee death
1609 If thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away.
ROMEO
1610 O, I am Fortune’s fool!
BENVOLIO 1611 Why dost thou stay?
Romeo exits.
CITIZEN
1612 Which way ran he that killed Mercutio?
1613 145 Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?
BENVOLIO
1614 There lies that Tybalt.
CITIZEN , ⌜ to Tybalt ⌝ 1615 Up, sir, go with me.
1616 I charge thee in the Prince’s name, obey.
Enter Prince, old Montague, Capulet, their Wives and all.
PRINCE
1617 Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
BENVOLIO
1618 150 O noble prince, I can discover all
1619 The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl.
1620 There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
1621 That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
LADY CAPULET
1622 Tybalt, my cousin, O my brother’s child!
1623 155 O prince! O cousin! Husband! O, the blood is spilled
1624 Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,
1625 For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.
1626 O cousin, cousin!
PRINCE
1627 Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?
BENVOLIO
1628 160 Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay—
1629 Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
1630 How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
1631 Your high displeasure. All this utterèd
1632 With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed
1633 165 Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
1634 Of Tybalt, deaf to peace, but that he tilts
1635 With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,
1636 Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point
1637 And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
1638 170 Cold death aside and with the other sends
1639 It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
1640 Retorts it. Romeo he cries aloud
1641 “Hold, friends! Friends, part!” and swifter than his
1642 tongue
1643 175 His ⌜ agile ⌝ arm beats down their fatal points,
1644 And ’twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
1645 An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
1646 Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled.
1647 But by and by comes back to Romeo,
1648 180 Who had but newly entertained revenge,
1649 And to ’t they go like lightning, for ere I
1650 Could draw to part them was stout Tybalt slain,
1651 And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.
1652 This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.
LADY CAPULET
1653 185 He is a kinsman to the Montague.
1654 Affection makes him false; he speaks not true.
1655 Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
1656 And all those twenty could but kill one life.
1657 I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give.
1658 190 Romeo slew Tybalt; Romeo must not live.
PRINCE
1659 Romeo slew him; he slew Mercutio.
1660 Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?
⌜ MONTAGUE ⌝
1661 Not Romeo, Prince; he was Mercutio’s friend.
1662 His fault concludes but what the law should end,
1663 195 The life of Tybalt.
PRINCE 1664 And for that offense
1665 Immediately we do exile him hence.
1666 I have an interest in your hearts’ proceeding:
1667 My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding.
1668 200 But I’ll amerce you with so strong a fine
1669 That you shall all repent the loss of mine.
1670 ⌜ I ⌝ will be deaf to pleading and excuses.
1671 Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses.
1672 Therefore use none. Let Romeo hence in haste,
1673 205 Else, when he is found, that hour is his last.
1674 Bear hence this body and attend our will.
1675 Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.
⌜ They ⌝ exit, ⌜ the Capulet men
bearing off Tybalt’s body. ⌝