I have time for you now, my sad daughter.
(to
PARIS) My lord, we must ask you to
leave us alone.
PARIS
God shield I should disturb devotion!—
Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye.
(kisses her) Till then, adieu, and
keep this holy kiss.
PARIS
God forbid that I should prevent sacred devotion! Juliet, I will
wake you early on
Thursday. (kissing
her)
Until then, good-bye, and keep this holy kiss.
Exit PARIS
PARIS exits.
JULIET
45
O, shut the door! And when thou hast done so,
Come weep with me, past hope, past cure, past help.
JULIET
Oh, shut the door, and after you shut it, come over here and weep
with me. This mess is beyond hope, beyond cure, beyond help!
FRIAR LAWRENCE
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,
50
On Thursday next be married to this county.
FRIAR LAWRENCE
Oh, Juliet, I already know about your sad situation. It's
a problem too hard for me to solve. I hear that you must marry this
count on Thursday, and that nothing can delay it.
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,
55
And with this knife I'll help it presently.
(shows him a knife)
God joined my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands.
And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo sealed,
Shall be the label to another deed,
60
Or my true heart with treacherous revolt
Turn to another, this shall slay them both.
Therefore out of thy long-experienced time,
Give me some present counsel, or, behold,
'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife
65
Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that
Which the commission of thy years and art
Could to no issue of true honor bring.
Be not so long to speak. I long to die
If what thou speak'st speak not of remedy.
JULIET
Don't tell me that you've heard about this
marriage, Friar, unless you can tell me how to prevent it. If you
who are so wise can't help, please be kind enough to call
my solution wise.
(she shows him a
knife)
And I'll solve the problem now with this knife. God joined
my heart to Romeo's. You joined our hands. And before
I—who was married to Romeo by you—am married
to another man, I'll kill myself. You are wise and you have
so much experience. Give me some advice about the current situation.
Or watch. Caught between these two difficulties, I'll act
like a judge with my bloody knife. I will truly and honorably
resolve the situation that you can't fix, despite your
experience and education. Don't wait long to speak. I want
to die if what you say isn't another solution.
