The Complete Romeo and Juliet: An Annotated Edition of the Shakespeare Play

By Donald J. Richardson

Among teenagers Romeo and Juliet appears to be the most popular of the Shakespeare tragedies. Perhaps this is because of the age of the protagonists. I suspect it is something far deeper than that, however. The depth of passion evinced by both Romeo and Juliet is familiar to most adolescents, and their isolation from the world of adults is also recognized by contemporary teens. Capulets ranting when dealing with Juliets nascent independence is no doubt familiar to todays sons and daughters. Thus, it seems Shakespeare continues to speak a universal language; this, I believe, accounts for the continued popularity of the work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481715461

Donald J. Richardson

Although he has long been eligible to retire, Donald J. Richardson continues to (try to) teach English Composition at Phoenix College in Arizona. He defines his life through his teaching, his singing, his volunteering, and his grandchildren.

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© 2013 by Donald J. Richardson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/18/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-1547-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-2355-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-1546-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013902693

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Other Books by Donald J. Richardson

Dust in the Wind, 2001

Rails to Light, 2005

Song of Fools, 2006

Words of Truth, 2007

The Meditation of My Heart, 2008

The Days of Darkness, 2009

The Dying of the Light, 2010

Between the Darkness and the Light, 2011

The Days of Thy Youth, 2012

Those Who Sit in Darkness, 2013

The Complete Hamlet, 2012

The Complete Macbeth, 2013

Table of Contents

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

ACT IV

ACT V

Works Cited

For all the teenaged readers of Romeo and Juliet

About the Book

Among teenagers Romeo and Juliet appears to be the most popular of the Shakespeare tragedies. Perhaps this is because of the age of the protagonists. I suspect it is something far deeper than that, however. The depth of passion evinced by both Romeo and Juliet is familiar to most adolescents, and their isolation from the world of adults is also recognized by contemporary teens. Capulet’s ranting when dealing with Juliet’s nascent independence is no doubt familiar to today’s sons and daughters. Thus, it seems Shakespeare continues to speak a universal language; this, I believe, accounts for the continued popularity of the work.

About the Author

Donald J. Richardson embarked upon the path to becoming a writer when he first learned to read in the second grade. For him the printed word opened up a magical world of possibility, of resolutions of problems, of potentially attained goals, all within the pages of books. Of course, not all of it has come to fruition, but the potential is still there. Yes, he engages in e-mail and electronic communication on a daily basis, but never in his lifetime, he says, will they ever totally supplant the magical world of books for him. He continues to read dozens of books every year because he loves to immerse himself in this world of undefined boundaries. Books are your friend, my friend, he echoes.

ACT I

PROLOGUE (Chorus)   Chorus: a character who addresses the audience, commenting on the action (Here this commentary is in the form of a sonnet. (Mowat, 6)

1  Two households, both alike in dignity,   Dignity: rank (Riverside, 1,104); social position (Mowat, 6)

2  In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,   

3  From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,   Ancient grudge: longstanding feud (Evans, 53); Mutiny: strife (Riverside, 1,104) discord (Cambridge, 976); riot (Mowat, 6)

4  Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.   Civil blood: the blood of civil strife; civil hands: citizens’ hands (Riverside, 1,104); civil: of citizens; also (ironically here) civilized (Mowat, 6)

5  From forth the fatal loins of these two foes   From… life: i.e. from the loins of these warring families were both two ill-fated lovers (Mowat, 6)

6  A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;   Star-cross’d: thwarted by the stars (Riverside, 1,104); doomed by the stars (Cambridge, 976); take their life: (1) derive their being; (2) commit suicide (DiGangi, 44)

7  Whose misadventured piteous overthrows   Misadventured: unlucky (Mowat, 6)

8  Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.   Doth: Southern form of third per. Pl., still common in Elizabethan English (Abbott 334). (Evans, 53)

9  The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,   Passage: progress (Bevington, 4)

10  And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

11  Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,   But: except for (Mowat, 6)

12  Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;   Two… stage: i.e., the subject of our two-hour performance (Mowat, 6)

13  The which if you with patient ears attend,

14  What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.   Miss: "prove defective (in our performance); mend: i.e. mend in future (as the result of knowing your judgment) (Riverside, 1,1,04)

SCENE I. Verona. A public place.

Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords

   and bucklers Buckler: "A

   small round shield held by a

   handle at arm’s length"

   (Merriam-Webster).

SAMPSON

1  Gregory, o’ my word, we’ll not carry coals.   Carry coals: do menial work; figuratively, put up with insults, ‘eat dirt’ (Riverside, 1,104)

GREGORY

2  No, for then we should be colliers.   Colliers: (Coal carriers were regarded as dirty and of evil repute.) (Bevington, 5); (this leads to puns on ‘choler’ = anger, and ‘collar’ = hangman’s noose) (Bryant, 4)

SAMPSON

3  I mean, and we be in choler, we’ll draw.   And: if; choler: anger; draw: draw our swords (Riverside, 1,104)

GREGORY

4  Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o’ the collar.   While… collar: "(1) as long as you live, avoid the hangman’s noose; (2) as long as you live, avoid tedious, menial work (with collar referring to the yoke of a draft animal, like an ox or a horse)." (DiGangi, 46); collar: "i.e., hangman’s noose (with pun on colliers and choler)" (Bevington, 5)

SAMPSON

5  I strike quickly, being mov’d.   Mov’d: angered (with obvious punning in the following lines) (Riverside, 1,104)

GREGORY

6  But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

SAMPSON

7  A dog of the house of Montague moves me.   Moves: incites

(Bevington, 5)

GREGORY

8  To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:   To stand: (1) to take up an offensive or defensive position against an enemy; (2) to present a brave front; (3) with a sexual connotation, ‘to have an erection’ (DiGangi, 46)

9  therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn’st away.

SAMPSON

10  A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will

11  take the wall of any man or maid of Montague’s.   Take the wall: assert social position or physical superiority. City streets, lacking pavements and slanted to a kennel (or channel) running down the centre, were the dumping grounds for refuse; the wall-side was therefore cleaner and safer and was claimed by people of rank or by anyone (like Sampson) who wanted to pick a fight. (Evans, 54)

GREGORY

12  That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes   The weakest… wall: the weakest must give way (proverbial) (Riverside, 1,104)

13  to the wall.

SAMPSON

14  True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,   Weaker vessels: See 1 Peter 3:7. (Riverside, 1,105); (Here begins a series of sexual puns on ‘thrust,’ ‘heads,’ ‘stand,’ ‘tool,’ ‘weapon.’") (Mowat, 8)

15  are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push

16  Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids

17  to the wall.

GREGORY

18  The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.   Between… men: i.e. not with the maids (Riverside, 1,105)

SAMPSON

19  ’Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I   One: the same (Mowat, 8)

20  have fought with the men, I will be civil with the   Civil: gentle, humane (Mowat, 8); civil may here be intended ironically, the paradoxical civility proper to Sampson in his role as ‘tyrant’ (Dowden)." (Evans, 55)

21  maids, and cut off their heads.

GREGORY

22  The heads of the maids?

SAMPSON

23  Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;    Maidenheads: hymens (DiGangi, 35)

24  take it in what sense thou wilt.   What sense: whatever meaning (Mowat, 10)

GREGORY

25  They must take it in sense that feel it.   They… it: i.e. those that feel it (sexual intercourse) must experience it as physical sensation; perhaps with play on ‘incense’ = set on fire. (Evans, 55)

SAMPSON

26  Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and   Stand: "(with bawdy suggestion, continued in the next few lines in draw thy tool and my naked weapon is out.)" (Bevington, 6)

27  ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.   Flesh… fish: (Refers to the proverbial phrase, ‘neither fish nor flesh.’) (Bevington, 6)

GREGORY

28  ’Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou   Fish: with play on the slang sense ‘female’ (Riverside, 1,105)

29  hadst been poor-John. Draw thy tool! here comes   Poor-John: hake salted and dried—a poor Lenten kind of food (probably with a bawdy suggestion of sexual insufficiency); comes of: come members of (Bevington, 6); tool: weapon (with bawdy innuendo) (Bryant, 5)

30  [two] of the house of the Montagues.

SAMPSON

31  My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.   Quarrel: pick a fight (DiGangi, 35)

GREGORY

32  How! turn thy back and run?

SAMPSON

33  Fear me not.   Fear: mistrust. (But Gregory deliberately misunderstands in the next line, saying in effect, No indeed, do you think I’d be afraid of you?) (Bevington, 6)

GREGORY

34  No, marry; I fear thee!   Marry: indeed (originally, the name of the Virgin Mary used as an oath (Riverside, 1,104); fear: am afraid of (Mowat, 10)

SAMPSON

35  Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.   Take the law of: have the law on (Riverside, 1,104)

GREGORY

36  I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as   Frown: sneer (DiGangi, 51)

37  they list.   List: like (Riverside, 1,104)

SAMPSON

38  Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them;   Bite my thumb: considered an act of insolence or defiance (Riverside, 1,104)

39  which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR

ABRAHAM

40  Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

SAMPSON

41  I do bite my thumb, sir.

ABRAHAM

42  Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

SAMPSON

43  [Aside to GREGORY] Is the law of our side, if I say   Of: on (DiGangi, 51)

44  ay?

GREGORY

45  No.

SAMPSON

46  No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I

47  bite my thumb, sir.

GREGORY

48  Do you quarrel, sir?

ABRAHAM

49  Quarrel sir! no, sir.

SAMPSON

50  If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.   If… you: If you want to fight, I’m ready. (DiGangi, 50)

ABRAHAM

51  No better.

SAMPSON

52  Well, sir.

GREGORY

53  Say better, here comes one of my master’s kinsmen.   Here… kinsmen: Tybalt is sighted (Cambridge, 977)

SAMPSON

54  Yes, better, sir.

ABRAHAM

55  You lie.

SAMPSON

56  Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy washing blow.   Washing: slashing (Riverside, 1,105)

They fight

Enter BENVOLIO   Benvolio: ’Benvolio’ means ‘good will.’ (Asimov, 477)

BENVOLIO

57  Part, fools!

58  Put up your swords; you know not what you do.   Up: away (DiGangi, 53)

Beats down their swords

Enter TYBALT

TYBALT

59  What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?   Heartless hinds: "cowardly servants; with punning sense ‘female deer without a stag [hartless], (Riverside, 1,105); Tybalt suggests that Benvolio is demeaned by his willingness to fight servants." (Evans, 57)

60  Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

BENVOLIO

61  I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,

62  Or manage it to part these men with me.   Manage: use (Mowat, 12)

TYBALT

63  What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,

64  As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

65  Have at thee, coward!   Have at thee: here I come at you (formula for announcing attack) (Riverside, 1,105)

They fight

Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs

   or partisans. Partisans:

   broad-headed spears

   (Riverside, 1,105)

FIRST CITIZEN

66  Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!   Clubs: familiar London cry, calling apprentices armed with clubs to riot or to suppress riot; bills: hooked blades on long shafts (Riverside, 1,105); battle-axes (Cambridge, 977); partisans: pikes or spears with two-edged knives affixed (Cambridge, 977)

67  Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!

Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY CAPULET   Gown: "Dressing gown, a

sign of the feud’s disruption of civic and domestic harmony" (DiGangi, 54)

CAPULET

68  What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!   Long sword: heavy, old-fashioned weapon (Mowat, 12)

LADY CAPULET

69  A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword?

CAPULET

70  My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,

71  And flourishes his blade in spite of me.   Spite: defiance (Riverside, 1,105)

Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE

MONTAGUE

72  Thou villain Capulet,—Hold me not, let me go.   Villain: base, ignoble (Riverside, 1,105)

LADY MONTAGUE

73  Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.

Enter PRINCE, with Attendants

PRINCE

74  Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,

75  Profaners of this neighbor-stained steel,—   Profaners… steel: profaning your weapons by staining them with your neighbors’ blood (Riverside, 1,105)

76  Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,   Will… hear: Indicating that the fight hasn’t stopped despite the arrival of the Prince (DiGangi, 54)

77  That quench the fire of your pernicious rage

78  With purple fountains issuing from your veins,   Purple: i.e., bloody, dark red (Bevington, 8)

79  On pain of torture, from those bloody hands   On… torture: i.e. failure to obey will be punished by torture. (Evans, 58)

80  Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground,   Mistempered: (1) angry; (2) tempered for use in a bad cause (Riverside, 1,105)

81  And hear the sentence of your moved prince.   Moved: angry (Mowat, 14)

82  Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,   Airy: light, insignificant (Riverside, 1,105)

83  By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,

84  Have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets,

85  And made Verona’s ancient citizens

86  Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,   By: aside; grave-beseeming ornaments: (1) appropriately solemn attire; (2) garments appropriate for the grave (i.e., for burial) (DiGangi, 56)

87  To wield old partisans, in hands as old,

88  Cank’red with peace, to part your cank’red hate:   Cank’red… cank’red: rusted… malignant (Riverside, 1,106)

89  If ever you disturb our streets again,

90  Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.   Forfeit of the peace: penalty for disturbing the peace (Mowat, 14)

91  For this time, all