No Fear Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 2, Scene 2
Original Text | Modern Text | |
ROMEO returns |
ROMEO returns. | |
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ROMEO
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
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ROMEO
It’s easy for someone to joke about scars if
they’ve never been cut.
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JULIET appears in a window above |
JULIET enters on the
balcony. | |
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But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid since she is envious.
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!
It is my lady. Oh, it is my love.
Oh, that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses. I will answer it.—
I am too bold. 'Tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp. Her eye in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand
That I might touch that cheek!
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But wait, what’s that light in the window over there? It
is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Rise up, beautiful sun, and kill
the jealous moon. The moon is already sick and pale with grief because you,
Juliet, her maid, are more beautiful than she.
Don’t be her maid, because she is jealous. Virginity
makes her look sick and green. Only fools hold on to their
virginity. Let it go. Oh, there’s my lady! Oh, it is my
love. Oh, I wish she knew how much I love her. She’s
talking, but she’s not saying anything. So what? Her eyes
are saying something. I will answer them. I am too bold.
She’s not talking to me. Two of the brightest stars in the
whole sky had to go away on business, and they’re asking
her eyes to twinkle in their places until they return. What if her
eyes were in the sky and the stars were in her head?—The
brightness of her cheeks would outshine the stars the way the sun
outshines a lamp. If her eyes were in the night sky, they would
shine so brightly through space that birds would start singing,
thinking her light was the light of day. Look how she leans her hand
on her cheek. Oh, I wish I was the glove on that hand so that I
could touch that cheek.
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JULIET
Ay
me!
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JULIET
Oh, my!
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