First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
Enter Romeo alone. | Enter Romeo alone | | RJ II.i.1 | |
Rom. | ROMEO | | | |
Can I goe forward when my heart is here? | Can I go forward when my heart is here? | | RJ II.i.1 | |
Turne backe dull earth, and find thy Center out. | Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out. | centre (n.)core of being, heart, soul | RJ II.i.2 | |
Enter Benuolio, with Mercutio. | Enter Benvolio with Mercutio. Romeo withdraws | | RJ II.i.3 | |
Ben. | BENVOLIO | | | |
Romeo, my Cozen Romeo, Romeo. | Romeo! My cousin Romeo! Romeo! | | RJ II.i.3.1 | |
Merc. | MERCUTIO | | | |
He is wise, | He is wise, | | RJ II.i.3.2 | |
And on my life hath stolne him home to bed. | And, on my life, hath stolen him home to bed. | | RJ II.i.4 | |
Ben. | BENVOLIO | | | |
He ran this way and leapt this Orchard wall. | He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. | orchard (n.)garden | RJ II.i.5 | |
Call good Mercutio: | Call, good Mercutio. | | RJ II.i.6.1 | |
Mer. | MERCUTIO | | | |
Nay, Ile coniure too. | Nay, I'll conjure too. | conjure (v.)engage in magic, cast spells, invoke supernatural aid | RJ II.i.6.2 | |
Romeo, Humours, Madman, Passion, Louer, | Romeo! Humours! Madman! Passion! Lover! | humour (n.)fancy, whim, inclination, caprice | RJ II.i.7 | |
Appeare thou in the likenesse of a sigh, | Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh. | | RJ II.i.8 | |
Speake but one rime, and I am satisfied: | Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied. | | RJ II.i.9 | |
Cry me but ay me, Prouant, but Loue and day, | Cry but ‘ Ay me!’ Pronounce but ‘ love ’ and ‘ dove.’ | | RJ II.i.10 | |
Speake to my goship Venus one faire word, | Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, | gossip (n.)friend, neighbour | RJ II.i.11 | |
| | Venus (n.)Roman goddess of beauty and love | | |
One Nickname for her purblind Sonne and her, | One nickname for her purblind son and heir, | purblind (adj.)half-blind, dim-sighted | RJ II.i.12 | |
Young Abraham Cupid he that shot so true, | Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so trim | trim (adv.)well, effectively, finely | RJ II.i.13 | |
| | Cupid (n.)[pron: 'kyoopid] Roman god of love, son of Venus and Mercury; a winged, blindfolded boy with curved bow and arrows | | |
| | Abraham (n.)in the Bible, a Hebrew patriarch, whose name is changed by God from Abram to Abraham | | |
When King Cophetua lou'd the begger Maid, | When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid. | Cophetua (n.)[pron: ko'fetjua] African king of a romantic ballad, who fell in love with a beggar-girl, Zenelophon | RJ II.i.14 | |
He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moueth not, | He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not. | | RJ II.i.15 | |
The Ape is dead, I must coniure him, | The ape is dead, and I must conjure him. | | RJ II.i.16 | |
I coniure thee by Rosalines bright eyes, | I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes, | | RJ II.i.17 | |
By her High forehead, and her Scarlet lip, | By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, | | RJ II.i.18 | |
By her Fine foote, Straight leg, and Quiuering thigh, | By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, | | RJ II.i.19 | |
And the Demeanes, that there Adiacent lie, | And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, | demesne (n.)(plural) territories, lands, dominions | RJ II.i.20 | |
That in thy likenesse thou appeare to vs. | That in thy likeness thou appear to us! | | RJ II.i.21 | |
Ben. | BENVOLIO | | | |
And if he heare thee thou wilt anger him. | An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. | an if (conj.)if | RJ II.i.22 | |
Mer. | MERCUTIO | | | |
This cannot anger him, t'would anger him | This cannot anger him. 'Twould anger him | | RJ II.i.23 | |
To raise a spirit in his Mistresse circle, | To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle | circle (n.)magic circle | RJ II.i.24 | |
Of some strange nature, letting it stand | Of some strange nature, letting it there stand | strange (adj.)of another person, not one's own | RJ II.i.25 | |
Till she had laid it, and coniured it downe, | Till she had laid it and conjured it down. | lay (v.)appease, prevent from walking | RJ II.i.26 | |
| | conjure (v.)control, constrain [by invoking divine powers] | | |
That were some spight. / My inuocation | That were some spite. My invocation | spite (n.)annoyance, vexation, irritation | RJ II.i.27 | |
is faire and honest, & in his Mistris name, | Is fair and honest. In his mistress' name | | RJ II.i.28 | |
I coniure onely but to raise vp him. | I conjure only but to raise up him. | | RJ II.i.29 | |
Ben. | BENVOLIO | | | |
Come, he hath hid himselfe among these Trees | Come, he hath hid himself among these trees | | RJ II.i.30 | |
To be consorted with the Humerous night: | To be consorted with the humorous night. | humorous (adj.)humid, damp, moist | RJ II.i.31 | |
| | consort (v.)accompany, attend, go with | | |
Blind is his Loue, and best befits the darke. | Blind is his love and best befits the dark. | | RJ II.i.32 | |
Mer. | MERCUTIO | | | |
If Loue be blind, Loue cannot hit the marke, | If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. | | RJ II.i.33 | |
Now will he sit vnder a Medler tree, | Now will he sit under a medlar tree | medlar (adj.)variety of tree [whose fruit were thought to resemble female genitalia] | RJ II.i.34 | |
And wish his Mistresse were that kind of Fruite, | And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit | | RJ II.i.35 | |
As Maides call Medlers when they laugh alone, | As maids call medlars when they laugh alone. | | RJ II.i.36 | |
O Romeo that she were, O that she were | O, Romeo, that she were, O that she were | | RJ II.i.37 | |
An open, or thou a Poprin Peare, | An open-arse and thou a poppering pear! | open-arse (n.)[rustic bawdy, from the shape of the fruit] medlar fruit | RJ II.i.38 | |
| | poppering / poperin (adj.)variety of pear [from Poperinghe, Belgium] | | |
Romeo goodnight, Ile to my Truckle bed, | Romeo, good night. I'll to my truckle-bed. | truckle-bed (n.)low-lying bed on castors, trundle-bed | RJ II.i.39 | |
This Field-bed is to cold for me to sleepe, | This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep. | field-bed (n.)bed out in the open, bed on the ground | RJ II.i.40 | |
Come shall we go? | Come, shall we go? | | RJ II.i.41.1 | |
Ben. | BENVOLIO | | | |
Go then, for 'tis in vaine | Go then, for 'tis in vain | | RJ II.i.41.2 | |
to seeke him here / That meanes not to be found. | To seek him here that means not to be found. | | RJ II.i.42 | |
Exeunt. | Exeunt Benvolio and Mercutio | | RJ II.i.42 | |