|
 |
|
| Enter ROMEO,
MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six
other MASKERS and TORCHBEARERS |
|
| ROMEO, MERCUTIO, and
BENVOLIO enter dressed as maskers, along with five or
six other
MASKERS
, carrying a drum and torches. |
|
| | ROMEO |
| |
What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? |
| |
Or shall we on without apology? |
|
| ROMEO |
|
What will we say is our excuse for being here? Or should we enter
without apologizing? |
|
| | BENVOLIO |
| |
The date is out of such prolixity. |
| |
We'll have no Cupid hoodwinked with a scarf, |
| 5 |
Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, |
| |
Scaring the ladies like a crowkeeper, |
| |
Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke |
| |
After the prompter for our entrance. |
| |
But let them measure us by what they will. |
| 10 |
We'll measure them a measure and be gone. |
|
| BENVOLIO |
|
It's out of fashion to give lengthy explanations like
that. We're not going to introduce our dance by having
someone dress up as Cupid, blindfolded and carrying a toy bow to
frighten the ladies like a scarecrow. Nor are we going to recite a
memorized speech to introduce ourselves. Let them judge us however
they please. We'll give them a dance and then hit the
road. |
|
| | ROMEO |
| |
Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling. |
| |
Being but heavy, I will bear the light. |
|
| ROMEO |
|
Give me a torch. I don't want to dance. I feel sad, so
let me be the one who carries the light. |
|
| | MERCUTIO |
| |
Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. |
|
| MERCUTIO |
|
No, noble Romeo, you've got to dance. |
|
| | ROMEO |
| |
Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes |
| 15 |
With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead |
| |
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. |
|
| ROMEO |
|
Not me, believe me. You're wearing dancing shoes with
nimble soles. My soul is made out of lead, and it's so
heavy it keeps me stuck on the ground so I can't
move. |
|
| | MERCUTIO |
| |
You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings |
| |
And soar with them above a common bound. |
|
| MERCUTIO |
|
You're a lover. Take Cupid's wings and fly
higher than the average man. |
|
| | ROMEO |
| |
I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft |
| 20 |
To soar with his light feathers, and so bound, |
| |
I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe. |
| |
Under love's heavy burden do I sink. |
|
| ROMEO |
|
His arrow has pierced me too deeply, so I can't fly high
with his cheerful feathers. Because this wound keeps me down, I
can't leap any higher than my dull sadness. I sink under
the heavy weight of love. |
|
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