On Thursday, sir? The time is very short.
Thursday, sir? That's very soon.
Thursday, sir? That's way too fast.
thursday?? that's so soon
My father Capulet will have it so;
And I am nothing slow to slack his haste.
My father Capulet wants it that way; and I'm not reluctant to speed up his timeline.
Juliet's father Capulet is demanding it; and honestly, I'm ready to move fast.
capulet wants it i'm cool w the rush
You say you do not know the lady’s mind.
Uneven is the course; I like it not.
You say you don't know what the lady wants. This isn't right; I don't like it.
You're saying you don't even know if Juliet wants this. This is wrong; I have a bad feeling about it.
u don't know what she wants this is bad i hate it
Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt’s death,
And therefore have I little talk’d of love;
For Venus smiles not in a house of tears.
Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous
That she do give her sorrow so much sway;
And in his wisdom, hastes our marriage,
To stop the inundation of her tears,
Which, too much minded by herself alone,
May be put from her by society.
Now do you know the reason of this haste.
She's crying too much over Tybalt's death, and so I haven't talked much about love; for Venus doesn't smile in a house of sadness. Now, sir, her father thinks it's dangerous that she let her sadness control her so much; and in his wisdom, he's hurrying our marriage, to stop the flood of her tears, which, when she thinks about them alone too much, may be relieved by society. Now you know why we're moving so fast.
She's been crying constantly over Tybalt, so I haven't really talked about romance; because love doesn't happen when everyone's sad. Now, sir, her father is afraid that she's going to keep drowning in her grief; so he's pushing the wedding forward fast, to stop all these tears flowing, which, if she sits and thinks about them alone, might get better if she's around other people. Now you understand why everything's happening so quickly.
she's crying over tybalt no time for love talk her dad's worried marriage might cheer her up stop the tears
[_Aside._] I would I knew not why it should be slow’d.—
Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell.
I wish I didn't know the reason why it should be delayed. Look, sir, here comes the lady toward my cell.
I wish I didn't know why this wedding has to be delayed. Look, here comes the lady now.
wish i didnt know why this is delayed here she comes
Happily met, my lady and my wife!
Happily I meet you, my lady and my wife!
Great to see you, my lady and soon-to-be wife!
hey gorgeous bride-to-be
That may be, sir, when I may be a wife.
That may be, sir, when I'm allowed to be a wife.
That's true, sir, once I actually become a wife.
maybe when i'm actually a wife
That may be, must be, love, on Thursday next.
That maybe has to be, my love, on Thursday next.
That 'maybe' becomes a certainty, my love—next Thursday.
thursday it is
What must be shall be.
What must happen will happen.
What has to happen, has to happen.
whatever happens happens
That’s a certain text.
That's a certain truth.
That's absolutely certain.
facts
The opening of this scene contains some of Shakespeare's finest examples of language used as a weapon of self-defense. Juliet cannot tell Paris she hates him and never intends to marry him. But she refuses to tell him what he wants to hear. Every statement she makes is technically truthful while meaning the opposite of what Paris hears. 'I will confess to you that I love him' — the Friar, not Paris. 'Villain and he are many miles asunder' — yes, because Romeo is in Mantua. 'What must be shall be' — true, but not in the way Paris thinks. This is the behavior of someone who cannot speak freely but refuses to lie. It's a form of integrity under impossible constraint.
Come you to make confession to this father?
Did you come to confess to this father?
Are you here to go to confession with this priest?
u here to confess?
To answer that, I should confess to you.
If I answered that question, I'd have to confess to you instead.
If I answered that, I'd be confessing everything to you.
if i answer that's confession
Do not deny to him that you love me.
Don't deny to him that you love me.
Don't tell him that you don't love me.
tell him u love me
I will confess to you that I love him.
My confession to you is that I love him.
I'll admit to you that I love him.
i love romeo not u
So will ye, I am sure, that you love me.
So will you, I'm sure, when it comes to loving me.
I'm sure you will say you love me too.
u'll love me 2
If I do so, it will be of more price,
Being spoke behind your back than to your face.
If I do, it will be worth more, being said behind your back than to your face.
If I did, it would mean more if I said it to other people instead of you.
if i loved u i'd only say it when ur not around
Poor soul, thy face is much abus’d with tears.
Poor soul, your face is severely damaged by tears.
Poor thing, tears have really done a number on your face.
ur face is wrecked from crying
The tears have got small victory by that;
For it was bad enough before their spite.
The tears haven't won much over it; because it was bad enough before they attacked it.
Tears didn't really hurt it that badly; it was already ugly before they started.
tears didn't make it worse it was already bad
Thou wrong’st it more than tears with that report.
You're making it worse than tears do with that comment.
You're insulting it more than the tears are.
ur being mean w ur words
That is no slander, sir, which is a truth,
And what I spake, I spake it to my face.
That's no insult, sir, because it's the truth, and what I said, I said about my own face.
That's not an insult, sir, because it's true, and besides, I was talking about my own face.
not an insult it's the truth i was talking about myself
Thy face is mine, and thou hast slander’d it.
Your face is mine, and you've insulted it.
That face belongs to me now, and you just disrespected it.
that's my face now u can't trash it
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?
It may be, because it's not really my own. Are you free, holy father, right now, or should I come to you at evening mass?
Maybe so, because it's not really mine anymore. Do you have time now, holy father, or should I come back at evening mass?
maybe it is yours now do u have time? or should i come back later?
Friar Lawrence's plan is clever but brittle. It requires: Juliet's courage and secrecy; a successful letter reaching Romeo in Mantua; Romeo receiving the letter before hearing other news; Romeo coming to Verona without being caught; both of them surviving the forty-two hours; and Juliet's fake death being convincing enough to fool everyone. Any one of these failing collapses the whole plan. What the Friar apparently doesn't consider is the possibility of bad news reaching Romeo faster than good news — which is exactly what happens. The play's tragedy is not a curse or fate but a cascade of reasonable things going slightly wrong at exactly the wrong moments.
My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now.—
My lord, we must entreat the time alone.
I'm free right now, thoughtful daughter.— My lord, we need to have some privacy.
I have time for you right now.— Sir, we need to be alone.
i'm free we need privacy
God shield I should disturb devotion!—
Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye,
Till then, adieu; and keep this holy kiss.
God prevent me from disturbing her prayer!— Juliet, on Thursday morning I'll wake you, Until then, goodbye; and keep this holy kiss.
Heaven forbid I interrupt her prayers!— Juliet, I'll come wake you Thursday morning, Until then, take care; and here's a holy kiss.
won't interrupt ur prayers thursday morning i'll get u bye—here's a kiss
O shut the door, and when thou hast done so,
Come weep with me, past hope, past cure, past help!
Close the door, and when you've done that, come cry with me—past all hope, past healing, past help!
Shut the door, and when you're done, come cry with me—there's no hope, no cure, no way out!
close the door come cry w me no hope left
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.
Oh Juliet, I already understand your grief; it pushes me beyond what my mind can handle. I hear you must marry, and nothing can delay it, this Thursday to this County.
Oh Juliet, I know what you're going through; it's beyond what I can even process. I know you have to marry him, and there's no way around it, this Thursday to Paris.
i know ur hurting i can't even handle it u gotta marry thursday no way out
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,
And with this knife I’ll help it presently.
God join’d my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands;
And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo’s seal’d,
Shall be the label to another deed,
Or my true heart with treacherous revolt
Turn to another, this shall slay them both.
Therefore, out of thy long-experienc’d time,
Give me some present counsel, or behold
’Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife
Shall play the empire, arbitrating that
Which the commission of thy years and art
Could to no issue of true honour bring.
Be not so long to speak. I long to die,
If what thou speak’st speak not of remedy.
Don't tell me, Friar, that this is happening, unless you tell me how to stop it. If in your wisdom you can't help, then just say my plan is wise, and with this knife I'll help myself right now. God joined my heart and Romeo's—you joined our hands; and before this hand, sealed to Romeo's by you, becomes a label to another marriage, or my faithful heart with traitorous betrayal turns to another, this will kill them both. Therefore, from your long experience, give me some real help now, or watch this bloody knife between my desperation and me will be the judge, deciding what your wisdom and experience couldn't resolve with any honor. Don't take long to speak. I'm ready to die, if what you say doesn't offer a cure.
Don't just tell me this is happening, Friar, unless you have a way to stop it. If you can't help me with your wisdom, then at least admit my decision is smart, and I'll use this knife to fix it myself. God and you joined Romeo and me together; and before this hand, promised to Romeo, becomes linked to someone else, or my true heart betrays Romeo to go with another man, this knife will kill us both. So use all your experience and give me real help right now, or else this bloody knife will be the judge between my despair and death, when your age and skill can't figure this out any other way. Don't waste time talking. I'm ready to die if you can't offer a real solution.
give me a way out or i'll kill myself god married me to romeo i won't marry paris i'll use this knife help me friar or i die
Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope,
Which craves as desperate an execution
As that is desperate which we would prevent.
If, rather than to marry County Paris
Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,
Then is it likely thou wilt undertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That cop’st with death himself to scape from it.
And if thou dar’st, I’ll give thee remedy.
Wait, daughter. I see some hope, which needs as desperate a choice as the desperate choice we're trying to avoid. If, instead of marrying County Paris, you have the courage to kill yourself, then you probably have the courage to do something like dying to escape this shame, where you'd face death itself to escape it. And if you're brave enough, I'll give you the remedy.
Hold on, daughter. I do see a way, but it's as risky as what we're trying to stop. If you'd rather kill yourself than marry Paris, then you're probably brave enough to do something that looks like dying but isn't, where you'd basically face death to get away from this. And if you're that brave, I can help you.
wait i have an idea it's risky but if ur ready to die for romeo u can do this i can help u
O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of yonder tower,
Or walk in thievish ways, or bid me lurk
Where serpents are. Chain me with roaring bears;
Or hide me nightly in a charnel-house,
O’er-cover’d quite with dead men’s rattling bones,
With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls.
Or bid me go into a new-made grave,
And hide me with a dead man in his shroud;
Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble,
And I will do it without fear or doubt,
To live an unstain’d wife to my sweet love.
Tell me to leap from that tower's battlements rather than marry Paris, to walk in dangerous criminal ways, to hide where serpents live, or to be chained to roaring bears. Hide me nightly in tombs overflowing with dead men's rattling bones and yellowed skulls, or lock me in a fresh grave with a corpse. These things terrify me merely to hear them, yet I will do all of them without fear or hesitation, so that I may remain pure and faithful as Romeo's wife.
Rather than marry Paris, make me jump from that tower, walk dangerous streets, hide with snakes, chain me to wild bears, or lock me in a tomb with dead bodies and skulls. I'm terrified by these horrors, but I'll do them all without hesitation to stay faithful to Romeo.
jump towers snakes bears tombs anything but marry paris stay faithful to romeo
Hold then. Go home, be merry, give consent
To marry Paris. Wednesday is tomorrow;
Tomorrow night look that thou lie alone,
Let not thy Nurse lie with thee in thy chamber.
Take thou this vial, being then in bed,
And this distilled liquor drink thou off,
When presently through all thy veins shall run
A cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse
Shall keep his native progress, but surcease.
No warmth, no breath shall testify thou livest,
The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade
To paly ashes; thy eyes’ windows fall,
Like death when he shuts up the day of life.
Each part depriv’d of supple government,
Shall stiff and stark and cold appear like death.
And in this borrow’d likeness of shrunk death
Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,
And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.
Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes
To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead.
Then as the manner of our country is,
In thy best robes, uncover’d, on the bier,
Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault
Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.
In the meantime, against thou shalt awake,
Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,
And hither shall he come, and he and I
Will watch thy waking, and that very night
Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua.
And this shall free thee from this present shame,
If no inconstant toy nor womanish fear
Abate thy valour in the acting it.
Listen then. Go home, be happy, agree to marry Paris. Wednesday is tomorrow; tomorrow night when you're in bed, make sure your Nurse doesn't sleep with you in your room. Take this bottle, and when you're in bed, drink this liquid all down. Soon, a cold sleepy feeling will flow through all your veins; no pulse will continue its normal beating, but will stop. No warmth, no breath will show you're alive, The red in your lips and cheeks will fade to pale ashes; your eyes will close, Like death when it shuts down life. Every part of you, without movement, will be stiff, rigid, and cold like death. And in this borrowed shape of shrunken death You'll stay like this for forty-two hours, And then wake up as if from a pleasant sleep. When the groom comes in the morning to wake you from your bed, you'll appear dead. Then, as our custom is, In your best clothes, uncovered, on the bier, You'll be carried to that ancient tomb Where all the Capulets are buried. Meanwhile, before you wake, Shall Romeo learn through my letters what we plan, And he will come, and he and I Will watch over you when you wake, and that same night Shall Romeo carry you away to Mantua. And this will save you from this current shame, if you don't lose your nerve or act like a coward when the time comes to do it.
Okay then. Go home, act happy, say yes to marrying Paris. Tomorrow night is Wednesday; tomorrow night when you're in bed, make sure your Nurse doesn't stay in your room. Take this bottle. When you're in bed, drink all of this liquid. Very soon, a cold numb feeling will spread through your whole body; your pulse will completely stop. No warmth, no breath—you'll look completely dead. Your lips and cheeks will go white like ashes; your eyes will shut, Just like death when it ends life. Your whole body will become stiff, hard, and cold—exactly like death. And in this fake death look You'll stay this way for exactly forty-two hours, Then you'll wake up like from a good dream. When Paris comes in the morning to wake you up, you'll be unconscious. Then our custom says You'll be dressed in your best clothes and laid on the bier, and carried to the Capulet tomb where your whole family is buried. Meanwhile, before you wake up, Romeo will get my letters telling him the plan, And he'll come here, and he and I Will be there when you wake up, and that same night Romeo will take you away to Mantua. This will get you out of this nightmare, if you don't chicken out when it's time.
say yes to paris tomorrow night drink this u'll look dead for 42 hours then wake up paris thinks ur dead romeo gets the plan he rescues u u both escape
Give me, give me! O tell not me of fear!
Give it to me, give it to me! Don't talk to me about fear!
Give it to me, give it to me! Don't tell me to be scared!
give it now no more talk of fear
Hold; get you gone, be strong and prosperous
In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed
To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord.
Hold it. Go now, be strong and successful in this plan. I'll send a friar with speed to Mantua, with my letters to your husband.
Wait. Go now, stay strong and make this work. I'll send a friar fast to Mantua with letters to Romeo.
stay strong i'll get word to romeo fast
Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford.
Farewell, dear father.
Love give me strength, and strength will help me act. Goodbye, dear father.
May love give me courage, and courage will help me do this. Goodbye, dear father.
love will give me strength bye dad
The Reckoning
The scene that produces the plan that produces the tragedy. Juliet arrives at the Friar's with a knife. She is not threatening him — she is showing him she has already decided. The Friar's plan is genuinely clever, and Juliet accepts it not with hope but with the determination of someone who has already run the numbers on death. Paris's presence at the beginning is one of the play's most uncomfortable moments — he speaks to Juliet with cheerful possessiveness, and she deflects with remarks that are simultaneously polite and devastating.
If this happened today…
Someone shows up to their family therapist's office to find the man their parents want them to marry is also there — they didn't know he'd be there. They have to get through twenty minutes of him talking to them as if they're already engaged, deflecting every comment with technically-true-but-meaningless responses. Then he leaves. Then they pull out a knife. The therapist says: 'Put that away. I have a plan.' The plan is insane. They say yes.