This scene from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare takes place in Act Four, Scene One, as the action of the play falls towards tragedy. In this passage, Juliet encounters a jubilant Paris at Friar Laurence’s cell, and must put on a brave face in order to conceal the real cause of her troubled mind. Juliet engages in seemingly playful conversation with Paris, while refusing to consent to his impression of her and of their future together. FRIAR LAURENCE: Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell. PARIS: Happily met, my lady and my wife. JULIET: That may be, sir, when I may be a... Show more This scene from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare takes place in Act Four, Scene One, as the action of the play falls towards tragedy. In this passage, Juliet encounters a jubilant Paris at Friar Laurence’s cell, and must put on a brave face in order to conceal the real cause of her troubled mind. Juliet engages in seemingly playful conversation with Paris, while refusing to consent to his impression of her and of their future together. FRIAR LAURENCE: Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell. PARIS: Happily met, my lady and my wife. JULIET: That may be, sir, when I may be a wife. PARIS: That ‘may be’ must be, love, on Thursday next. JULIET: What must be shall be. FIRAR LAURENCE: That’s a certain text. PARIS: Come you to make confession to this father? JULIET: To answer that, I should confess to you. PARIS: Do not deny to him that you love me. JULIET: I will confess to you that I love him. PARIS: So will ye, I am sure, that you love 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 much abused with 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 evening mass? FRIAR LAURENCE: My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now, My lord, we must entreat the time alone. PARIS: God shield I should disturb devotion! — Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye. [Kissing her] Till then, adieu, and keep this holy kiss. Exit JULIET: O, shut the door, and when thou hast done so, Come weep with me, past hope, past cure, past help! FRIAR LAURENCE: 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 I may prevent it. If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, [She draws a knife] And with this knife I’ll help it presently. God joined my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands, And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo’s sealed, Shall be the label to another deed, Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Turn to another, this shall slay them both. Show less
This scene from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare takes place in Act Four, Scene One, as the action of the play falls towards tragedy. In this passage, Juliet encounters a jubilant Paris at Friar Laurence’s cell, and must put on a brave face in order to conceal the real cause of her troubled mind. Juliet engages in seemingly playful conversation with Paris, while refusing to consent to his impression of her and of their future together. FRIAR LAURENCE: Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell. PARIS: Happily met, my lady and my wife. JULIET: That may be, sir, when I may be a wife. PARIS: That ‘may be’ must be, love, on Thursday next. JULIET: What must be shall be. FIRAR LAURENCE: That’s a certain text. PARIS: Come you to make confession to this father? JULIET: To answer that, I should confess to you. PARIS: Do not deny to him that you love me. JULIET: I will confess to you that I love him. PARIS: So will ye, I am sure, that you love 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 much abused with 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 evening mass? FRIAR LAURENCE: My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now, My lord, we must entreat the time alone. PARIS: God shield I should disturb devotion! — Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye. [Kissing her] Till then, adieu, and keep this holy kiss. Exit JULIET: O, shut the door, and when thou hast done so, Come weep with me, past hope, past cure, past help! FRIAR LAURENCE: 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 I may prevent it. If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, [She draws a knife] And with this knife I’ll help it presently. God joined my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands, And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo’s sealed, Shall be the label to another deed, Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Turn to another, this shall slay them both.
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