ACT FOUR, Scene 1

Friar Lawrence and Paris enters

Friar Lawrence: On Thursday, sir? The time is very diminutive.
Paris: My father Capulet will have it so, and I am nothing slow to neglect his haste.
Friar Lawrence: You say you do not know what the damsel thinks of this. The act is uneven. I approve to it not.
Paris: Excessively she, sobs for Tybalt’s passing, and therefore I seldom spoke of love. For Venus does
not smile upon a house of tears. Now sir, her father counts it dangerous. That she do give her
sorrow so much sway, and in his wisdom makes our marriage a swift. To halt the flowing of her
tears-which, too much minded by herself alone, may be put from her by society. Now you know
why the marriage is hasted.
Friar Lawrence: (aside) I would for I knew not why it should be slowed… Look, mi’lord, here comes mi’lady Juliet.
*Juliet enters the scene*
Paris: Fancy seeing you here, mi’lady and my wife.
Juliet: It is only possible for you to call me wife, if I was your wife.
Paris: That “may be” possible, love. On Thursday next.
Juliet: What must be shall be. *sigh*
Friar Lawrence: That’s a certain text.
Paris: Have you arrived to confess to this Father?
Juliet: To answer that, I must confess to you.
Paris: Do not try to obscure the fact that you love me from him, Juliet.
Juliet: I confess that I love him, Friar Lawrence.
Paris: So will ye, I am certain, that you fancy me.
Juliet: If I do so, it will be of more price. Being spoke behind your back than to your face.
Paris: Poor soul, thy face is dowsed in tears.
Juliet: The tears have got small victory by that, for it was bad enough before their spite.
Paris: Thou wrong’st it more than tears with that report.
Juliet: That is no slander, sir, which is a truth. And what I spake, I spake it to my face.
Paris: Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it.
Juliet: It may be so, for it is not mine own. – Are you at leisure, Holy Father, now, or shall I come to you at the
evening mass?
Friar: My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now. – My Lord, we must take this time among ourselves
alone.
Paris: God shield I should disturb devotion! – My love, on Thursday early I will rouse ye. *kisses her* Till then,
adieu, and keep thine holy kiss.
*Paris exits*
Juliet: O, shut the door! And when the deed is done, come weep with me in anguish, past hope, past cure, past
help.
Friar: O Juliet, I already know thy grief. It strains me past the compass of my wits. I hear thou must, and
nothing may prorogue it, On Thursday next be married to this county.
Juliet: Tell me not, Friar, that thou hear’st of this, unless thou tell me how to prevent it. If in wisdom thou can’t
help, do thou call my resolution wise, and with this knife I shall help it presently. *shows him a
knife*
Friar: Halt, my child. I do set eyes upon a kind of hope. If rather than to marry Count Paris, thou hast the
strength to slay thyself, then is it likely thou are willing to execute a thing like death to chide
away this shame, that copes with death himself to ‘scape from it. And if thou dare, I shall give
thee the remedy.
Juliet: O I plead unto thee, I’d rather be chained with dire bears, walk with the slithering serpents, or be inside
another dead man’s coffin, than to marry Count Paris. I’ll do anything with courage, if you give
me the remedy.
Friar: Very well, go home and be joyous, Give consent to marry Paris. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and at the
night of that day, *shows a vial* you must drink this liquor when no one is present. Thy pulse
shall vanish, along with the roses on your cheeks and lips. Thy breath will leave your body. Thou
shall appear in the likeness of the dead. The morning and your groom will come, and see you as
dead on thy own bed. They shall bring you to the vault, where all the fallen Capulet’s kinsmen are
kept. Romeo shall know of our drift by thine letters. When you wake, thou’st love shall be by
your side. Your present shame shall thaw like ice and you shall make a grandeur of an escape.
Juliet: O give me! Tell me not of fear!
Friar: *gives the vial* Hold and be gone. I’ll send a friar to give the letters to your beloved.
Juliet: Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford. I fare thee well, dear Father.

Scene 2
*Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet, Nurse, and two or three serving men*
Capulet: *gives paper to First serving man* So many guests invite here are writ. *exit first servingman* *to
second serving man* Sirrah, go hire me 20 cunning cooks.
2nd Serving man: Thy word is my command, Mi’lord, for I’ll try if they can lick their fingers.
Capulet: How can’t thou try them so?
2nd Serving man: Marry, sir, ‘tis an ill cook that cannot lick his fingers. Therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not
with me.
Capulet: Go, be gone. We shall be much unfurnished for this time.
*exit second serving man*
Nurse: Ay, forsooth.
Capulet: Well, he may chance to do some good on her. A peevish self-willed harlotry it is. *Juliet enters*
Nurse: See where she comes from shift with glee.
Capulet: Now now, my headstrong? Where have you gone to?
Juliet: Where I am able to repent for my sins of disobedient opposition to you and your behests. I am deeply
sorry and ask for repentance. *falls to her knees* Pardon, I beseech you! Henceforward, I am
under your power.
Capulet: Send for the county, go tell him of this. I’ll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning.
Juliet: I met the young count at Lawrence’s cell, and gave him what became love I might, not stepping o’er the
bounds of modesty.
Capulet: Why, I am gladdened by this sudden turn of events. This is really well. *Juliet matters* this is as’t
should be. –Let me see the county. Ay, marry, go, I say, and fetch him hither. –Now, before
God, this reverend holy friar! Our whole city is much bound to him.
Juliet: Nurse, will you go with me into my closet to help me sort such needful ornaments as you think to furnish
me tomorrow?
Lady Capulet: No, not till Thursday. There is time enough.
Capulet: Go, nurse. Go with her. We’ll to church tomorrow. *Exit Juliet and Nurse*
Lady Capulet: We shall be short in our provision.
Capulet: Silence, I will stir about, and all will be fine, I warrant thee, wife. Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up her.
I’ll play the housewife for the night.*Lady Capulet exits*
*Exit*

Scene 3
*Enter Juliet and Nurse*
Juliet: Ay, those attires are best. But, be balmy Nurse, I pray thee, leave me to thyself tonight. I must pray to the
heavens to smile at my fate. *Enter Lady Capulet*
Lady Capulet: Art though busy? Is there any need of my assistance?
Juliet: Thank you, Madame, but no. We have culled such necessities as are behove for our state tomorrow.
So please, to the both of you, leave me alone so I can be left alone to my thoughts.
Lady Capulet: Get to thy bed and rest, for thou hast need it. Good night. *Lady Capulet and Nurse Exits.*
Juliet: I fare thee well! –God only knows when we shall meet again. I have a feeling it would be a long time
since that.
What if I drink the vial and it contained lethal poison? What if I wake up inside the coffin with no air and
Romeo does not come? What if this plan would not come to fruition?
No! Why do I have such foolish thoughts? I must trust Friar Lawrence, I must trust Romeo. Come vial!
*Juliet gets the vial* Oh Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here is a drink. I drink onto thee! *drinks the
liquid inside the vial and collapses on top of the bed.*
 Scene 4
*Lady Capulet and Nurse*
Lady Capulet: Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, Nurse.
Nurse: They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.
*Enter Capulet*
Capulet: Come, stir, stir, stir! The second cock hath announced the day. The curfew bell hath rung. ‘Tis three
o’clock. –Look to the baked meats, good Angelica. Spare not for the cost.
Nurse: Get you to bed, faith. You’ll be sick tomorrow for this night’s watching.
Capulet: Nay! I have watched ere now all night for lesser cause, ne’er been sick.
Lady Capulet: Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time, but I will watch you from such watching now.
*Exit Lady Capulet and Nurse*
Capulet: A jealous hood, a jealous blood! *Enter three of f our serving men with logs and baskets* Now, now,
good fellow, what is there?
1st Serving man: Things for the cook, my lord, but I know not what.
Capulet: Make haste, make haste, Sirrah. *Exit 1st serving man* *To the second serving man* You, bring drier
logs, call upon Peter and he shall show you where they are.
2nd Serving man: I have a head, sir, and that will find out the logs, and never trouble Peter for the matter.
*Exit 2nd Serving man*
Capulet: Ha! A merry whore son! Thou shall be a loggerhead. *music in the background begins to play* Ah! The
signal of the county. He said he shall be here with music straight. Nurse! Wife! Nurse, I say!
*Nurse enters*
Capulet: Make haste and prepare my maiden daughter. The county has already come in search of his beloved.
Prepare Juliet and be hasty about it. Make haste I say!
*Everyone exits*

Scene 5
*Enter Nurse*
Nurse: Mistress! What, mistress! Juliet! –Quick, I warrant her, she. –Why, lamb! Why, lady! Pshaw, you lay-
about. Madam! Sweetheart! Rise from your doss. Why are you not speaking? Sleep for a week if
you must, but be quick to your feet now. The count Paris hath set his foot inside our domain.
Wake up, Miss! Goodness forgive me! How sound is she asleep?
*She walks up to Juliet’s bed and opens the bed curtain*
Nurse: What?! On your clothes still? Wake up! My Lady! *gasps* Alas! Help! Help! My Lady is dead! Someone
bring grog! Help! Help!
 *Lady Capulet enters*
Lady Capulet: What is all of this commotion?
Nurse: Oh a day full of anguish and lament! My lady is dead!
*Lady Capulet rushes to Juliet and caressed her face*
Lady Capulet: Oh woe is me! My child! My child! My life! My love! Resuscitate, look up, or I will die with thee! –Help!
Help! Call Help!
(Enter Capulet)
Capulet: What’s the hold up? Bring Juliet forth, the county is waiting.
Nurse: She’s dead, deceased, breathless! Alack the day!
Capulet: Let me see my daughter. *goes near Juliet* Impossible! My flower, my child! What hast happened to
thee! Her roses on her face have long wilted. Death lies on her like an eternal blizzard upon the
sweetest flower on the field.
Nurse: A lamentable day!
Lady Capulet: A woeful time!
*Enter Friar Lawrence, County Paris, and musicians.*
Friar Lawrence: Is the bride ready to go to church?
Capulet: Ready to set, but to never return. Paris, your wife is taken by death. She is here, deflowered by death like
she was nothing!
Paris: How I longed to see this morning’s arrival, and doth it give me an atrocious sight?
Lady Capulet: Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day! Most miserable time ever saw. Death has stolen from me, my
child!
Nurse: A woeful, woeful, woeful day we have behold! The day is as black as the darkest of nights! A cursed
event has fallen onto us!
Paris: Wronged, spited, slain! My wife, how could this ever happen to you?! Most detestable Death, by thee
beguiled, by cruel, cruel by thee quite overthrown! O my love, my life!
Friar Lawrence: Silence! Heaven and yourselves had part in this fair maid. Now heaven had all, and all the better is it for
the maid. Heaven has this planned for the maiden and so shall we accept it. Mourn for the lady,
but we must accept her passing.
Capulet: Turn the festival into a black funeral, our instruments to melancholy bells, our cheers to cries, our bridal
flowers serve for a buried corpse, and all things must be changed into contrary.
Friar: My lord, go you in, and madam, go with him; and go, Sir Paris. Everyone prepare the fair corpse unto her
grave. Move the heavens no more by crossing their high will.
*exit Capulet, Lady Capulet, Paris, and Friar Lawrence.*
1st Musician: Faith, we may put up our pipes and be gone.
Nurse: Honest good fellows, put up, put up, for this a time to anguish. *exits*
First musician: Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended.
*Peter enters*
Peter: Musicians, may you play, ‘Heart’s Ease’ ‘Heart’s Ease’.
1st Musician: Why ‘Heart’s Ease’?
Peter: For my heart itself plays ‘My heart is Full’ O, play me some merry dump to put me to ease.
1st Musician: Not a dump, we. ‘Tis no time to play now.
Peter: You will not then?
1st Musician: No.
Peter: I will then give it to you soundly.
1st Musician: What will you give us?
Peter: No money, on my faith, but the leek. I will give you the minstrel.
1st Musician: Then I shall give you the serving creature.
Peter: Then I shall lay the serving creature’s dagger on your pate. I’ll re you, I’ll fa you. Do you note me?
1st Musician: And you re us and fa us, you note us.
2nd Musician: Pray you, put up your dagger and show us your wit.
Peter: Then have at you with my wit. I will beat you with an iron wit and put up my iron dagger. Answer me like men.
*sings
When gripping grief the heart doth wound
And doleful dumps the mind oppress,
Then music with her silver sound—*
Why silver sound? What say you, Simon Catling?
1st Musician: For silver hath a sweet sound.
Peter: Prates. —What say you, Hugh Rebeck?
2nd Musician: I say, silver sound for musicians sound for silver
Peter: Prates too. –What say you, James Soundpost?
3rd Musician: Faith, I know not what to say.
Peter: Oh, for goodness sake, it is “music with her silver sound” for musicians have no gold for sounding.
*sings
Then music with her silver sound
With speedy help doth lend redress.*
*Peter exits*
1st Musician: What a pestilent knave, ‘tis the same!
2nd Musician: Hang him, Jack! We’ll in here, tarry for the mourners and stay dinner.
*All of them exits.*

~End of Act 4~