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Romeo and Juliet

Act 1

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Original Text	Modern Text
Enter ROMEO alone	Enter ROMEO alone
ROMEO Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.	ROMEO Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.
Moves away Enter BENVOLIO with MERCUTIO	Moves away Enter BENVOLIO with MERCUTIO
BENVOLIO Romeo, my cousin Romeo! Romeo!	BENVOLIO Romeo, my cousin Romeo! Romeo!
MERCUTIO He is wise, And, on my life, hath stol'n him home to bed.	MERCUTIO He is wise, And, on my life, hath stol'n him home to bed.
BENVOLIO 5 He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. Call, good Mercutio.	BENVOLIO He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. Call, good Mercutio.
MERCUTIO Nay, I’ll conjure too! Romeo! Humours, madman, passion, lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh! Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied. Cry but “Ay me!” Pronounce but “love” and “dove.” Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, One nickname for her purblind son and heir, Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.— 15 He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not. The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.— I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, 20 And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us.	MERCUTIO Nay, I’ll conjure too! Romeo! Humours, madman, passion, lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh! Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied. Cry but “Ay me!” Pronounce but “love” and “dove.” Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, One nickname for her purblind son and heir, Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.— He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not. The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.— I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us.
BENVOLIO An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him.	BENVOLIO An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him.
MERCUTIO This cannot anger him. 'Twould anger him To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle 25 Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Till she had laid it and conjured it down. That were some spite. My invocation Is fair and honest. In his mistress' name I conjure only but to raise up him.	MERCUTIO This cannot anger him. 'Twould anger him To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Till she had laid it and conjured it down. That were some spite. My invocation Is fair and honest. In his mistress' name I conjure only but to raise up him.
BENVOLIO 30 Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be consorted with the humorous night. Blind is his love and best befits the dark.	BENVOLIO Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be consorted with the humorous night. Blind is his love and best befits the dark.
MERCUTIO If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he sit under a medlar tree 35 And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.— O Romeo, that she were! Oh, that she were An open arse, and thou a poperin pear. Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle bed. 40 This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.— Come, shall we go?	MERCUTIO If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he sit under a medlar tree And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.— O Romeo, that she were! Oh, that she were An open arse, and thou a poperin pear. Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle bed. This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.— Come, shall we go?
BENVOLIO Go, then, for ’tis in vain To seek him here that means not to be found.	BENVOLIO Go, then, for ’tis in vain To seek him here that means not to be found.
Exeunt	Exeunt

Original Text	Modern Text
Enter ROMEO alone	Enter ROMEO alone
ROMEO Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.	ROMEO Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.
Moves away Enter BENVOLIO with MERCUTIO	Moves away Enter BENVOLIO with MERCUTIO
BENVOLIO Romeo, my cousin Romeo! Romeo!	BENVOLIO Romeo, my cousin Romeo! Romeo!
MERCUTIO He is wise, And, on my life, hath stol'n him home to bed.	MERCUTIO He is wise, And, on my life, hath stol'n him home to bed.
BENVOLIO 5 He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. Call, good Mercutio.	BENVOLIO He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. Call, good Mercutio.
MERCUTIO Nay, I’ll conjure too! Romeo! Humours, madman, passion, lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh! Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied. Cry but “Ay me!” Pronounce but “love” and “dove.” Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, One nickname for her purblind son and heir, Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.— 15 He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not. The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.— I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, 20 And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us.	MERCUTIO Nay, I’ll conjure too! Romeo! Humours, madman, passion, lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh! Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied. Cry but “Ay me!” Pronounce but “love” and “dove.” Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, One nickname for her purblind son and heir, Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.— He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not. The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.— I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us.
BENVOLIO An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him.	BENVOLIO An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him.
MERCUTIO This cannot anger him. 'Twould anger him To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle 25 Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Till she had laid it and conjured it down. That were some spite. My invocation Is fair and honest. In his mistress' name I conjure only but to raise up him.	MERCUTIO This cannot anger him. 'Twould anger him To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Till she had laid it and conjured it down. That were some spite. My invocation Is fair and honest. In his mistress' name I conjure only but to raise up him.
BENVOLIO 30 Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be consorted with the humorous night. Blind is his love and best befits the dark.	BENVOLIO Come, he hath hid himself among these trees, To be consorted with the humorous night. Blind is his love and best befits the dark.
MERCUTIO If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he sit under a medlar tree 35 And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.— O Romeo, that she were! Oh, that she were An open arse, and thou a poperin pear. Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle bed. 40 This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.— Come, shall we go?	MERCUTIO If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. Now will he sit under a medlar tree And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.— O Romeo, that she were! Oh, that she were An open arse, and thou a poperin pear. Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle bed. This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.— Come, shall we go?
BENVOLIO Go, then, for ’tis in vain To seek him here that means not to be found.	BENVOLIO Go, then, for ’tis in vain To seek him here that means not to be found.
Exeunt	Exeunt

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