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, Act 1, Scene 5
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From . Ed. K. Deighton. London: Macmillan.
*Line numbers have been adjusted.
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, men wearing masks and prepared to take part in a masquerade, i.e. an assembly of maskers or buffoons, not the same as .
1. , which they had prepared; see note on 1. 3.
2. , or shall we go forward, on to the house.
3. . "In , when the king introduces himself to the entertainment given by Wolsey, he appears, like Romeo and his companions, in a mask, and sends a messenger before him to make an apology for his intrusion. This was a custom observed by those who came uninvited, with a desire to conceal themselves for the sake of intrigue, or to enjoy the greater freedom of conversation. Their entry on these occasions was always prefaced by some speech in praise of the beauty of the ladies or the generosity of the entertainer; and to the of such introductions allusion is here made. So, in Histriomastix, 1610, a man wonders why the enter without any compliment: 'What come they in so blunt, ? Of the same kind of masquerading, see a specimen in [i. 2. 121, et seqq.], where Cupid precedes a troop of ladies with a speech" (Steevens).
4. , with his eyes blinded with a scarf; to 'hoodwink' is to blind the eyes by covering the head with a hood, as hawks were blinded, until the moment arrived for flying them at their prey, by a hood drawn over their eyes; the word is used figuratively in . iv. 3. 72, "the time you may so hoodwink"; and . v. 2. 16, . iv. 1. 206. The object here is of course to symbolize Cupid's blindness.
5. . "The Tartarian bows, as well as most of those used by the Asiatic nations, resembled in their form the old Roman or Cupid's bow, such as we see on medals and bas-reliefs. Shakespeare used the epithet to distinguish it from the English bow, whose shape [when bent] is the segment of a circle" (Douce); , not a real bow made of yew, but a painted imitation made of a slip of such wood as is used for toys.
6. , as a crow-keeper scares crows; a is a boy employed to scare birds from the crops, of which crows are supposed to be the greatest enemies; but the word is also used of a stuffed figure, made of sticks with an old coat covering it, and sometimes armed with a bow; in this passage, as Nares points out, such a figure is clearly meant.
7, 8. , nor any halting prologue, indistinctly delivered as the actor follows the prompter reading from the book at the wings of the stage, to gain admission for us. For the emphatic double negative, see Abb. § 406. Ulrici supposes a to be a prologue not in the book — that is, not composed by the poet; but this seems a forced meaning, and probably nothing more is meant than a contrast between prologues read out from the book and those delivered from memory: , a trisyllable ; see Abb. § 477.
9. , but, let them judge of us as they please, take our measure by whatever standard they choose.
10. , we will just go through a dance with them and then depart; a measure, though used for dancing to music generally, was especially applied to a slow, stately, dance resembling the later minuet: , for them, for their behalf, but probably used here to correspond with in the previous line. On what is commonly called the ethical dative, see Abb. § 220.
11. , let me play the part of torch-bearer: , I am not inclined for, do not care to take part in: , used contemptuously of an affected manner of movement; cp. . iii. 1. 151, "you jig, you , and you lisp ... and make your wantonness your ignorance."
12. , the same pun as in i. 1. 164.
13. , we shall not be contented unless you dance.
15. , light, and so enabling the wearers to be nimble, active: , of course with the sorry pun which Shakespeare has again in . iv. 1. 123, . i. 1. 15.
16. , which so pins me down that I cannot move; for the omission of the relative, see Abb. § 244.
18. , to a height to which without them you could not leap.
19. , pierced in my heart; see Abb. § 440.
20. , and with that restraint, pinned down as I am by his shafts; of course for the sake of the quibble. Steevens quotes a similar quibble in iv. 18, though there the substantive means boundary, limit.
21. , soar above. Taken in connection with the previous line, pitch is probably used in the technical sense of the height to which a falcon towers; for that sense used figuratively, as here, cp. . i. 1. 109, "How high a his resolution soars"; . i. 1. 78, "Will make him fly an ordinary "; , heavy, laden.
29. , a mask.
30, 1. , a fig for masks! I care nothing what prying eye examines the blemishes of my face, notes the plainness of my face. apparently means, I care not a jot, not the value of a mask, for the concealment of my plainness which a visor affords: , cp. . iv. 5. 233, "I have with exact view perused thee, Hector, And every joint"; . ii. 1. 112, "I am sorry that with better heed and judgement I had not him."
32. , if anything is to blush for me, it shall be these beetle-brows of mine, i.e. I'll face them all without being in the least ashamed of myself: , probably heavy and shaggy, bushy, brows: the etymology is doubtful, but "it is probable ... that the comparison is to the short tufted antennae of some species of beetles, projecting at right angles to the head, which might have been called 'eyebrows' in Eng. as well as in Fr.; for the expression 'cockchafers' eyebrows' is the name given to a species of fringe made in imitation to the antennae of these insects" (Murray, .).
33, 4. , and let us all, as soon as we enter, engage in the dance; i. e. so as more easily to escape observation.
36. , caper about in the dance; , without feeling, which may be tickled without objecting to it, but also with an allusion to the empty-headedness of the themselves. In the days before carpets, it was customary to strew the floors with rushes.
37. , for I am fortified against such frivolities by an old-world proverb which suits my frame of mind. The is apparently that of the following line, of which Steevens gives an illustration from Ray's Proverbs, "A good ," i.e. spectator, "proves a good gamester." Some commentators include the next line also, while Malone refers the phrase to that line alone. Milton uses "proverbed" as = 'made a byword of,' . 203, "Am I not sung and for a fool In every street."
39. . Malone says the proverb "Our sport is at the best" (see below i. 5. 117) meant 'we have had enough of it'; Ritson that the allusion is to "a proverbial saying which advises to give over when the game is at the best"; though how this would apply to Romeo's state of mind, it is not easy to see. Possibly the meaning is 'The game (i.e. dancing) was never one I much cared for, and I am not going to argue the point further.'
40. , nonsense! what have you to do with the word dun (done)? It comes very well from the lips of a constable in his favourite phrase, but not from a fine fellow like you. What precise meaning the phrase had has not been discovered, though there is of course a reference to the colour of the mouse, and the same quibble with done is found in many old writers. Nor is it clearer why the monopoly should belong to the constable. Malone, indeed, supposes it to have meant "Peace, be still!" but the passage he quotes seems to prove nothing...
41. 2. . " is a Christmas gambol, at which I have often played. A log of wood is brought into the midst of the room : this is Dun (the cart-horse), and a cry is raised that he is . Two of the company advance, either with or without ropes, to draw him out. After repeated attempts, they find themsehes unable to do it, and call for more assistance. The game continues till all the company take part in it, when Dun is extricated of course; and the merriment arises from the awkward and affected efforts of the rustics to lift the log, and from sundry arch contrivances to let the ends of it fall on one another's toes. This will not be thought a very exquisite amusement; and yet I have seen much honest mirth at it" (Gifford). The saying, which was also the name of a tune, was a very old one, and Douce quotes it from the Manciple's prologue in Chaucer, 1. 4: this , this dung-heap, love. The term is a corruption of 'save reverence,' Lat. , an apologetical expression for the use of anything indelicate, and later on "in one instance became the substitute for the word which it originally introduced; as 'I trod in a ' — dropping the real name of the thing" (Nares).
43. , we are wasting time; originally used of burning candles by daylight, as Mercutio explains in answer to Romeo's literal acceptation of the words.
46. . The quartos, except the first, give "lights lights by day." I have followed Daniel in adopting Nicholson's easy and most satisfactory emendation.
47, 8. , take our words as they were meant, for it is in that meaning that our good sense show itself much oftener than in the use of our five wits; if our words are strictly taken, they are often misunderstood. The were common wit, imagination, fantasy, estimation (i.e. judgment), and memory; though the phrase was sometimes used as an equivalent to the five senses.
49. , masquerade, masked ball; not a masked entertainment such as that in the , iv. 1, or Milton's .
57. . The origin of the name Mab is uncertain, and Shakespeare, according to Thoms, is apparently the earliest writer to give her the title of queen. He mentions that Beaufort, in his , speaks of as the chief of the Irish fairies, and adds that the word is Celtic, meaning both in Welsh, and in the kindred dialects of Brittany, a child or infant, "and it would be difficult to find an epithet that better befits Shakespeare's description of the dwarf-like sovereign." If Shakespeare was the first to apply the designation of Fairy Queen to Mab, that designation seems to have been a well-recognized one, for Jonson in his , written in 1603, speaks of "a bevy of Fairies, attending on Mab their queen." [ .]
58. , the fairy whose "department it was to deliver the fancies of sleeping men of their dreams, those " (Steevens); see 1. 94, below.
59. , in size no bigger than the small figures engraved, or cut in relief, on agate stones set in rings. Shakespeare again refers to these figures as symbols of diminutiveness, in . iii. 1. 65, where Beatrice is said to compare a tall man to "a lance ill-headed" and a short one to " "; while in . i. 2. 19, Falstaff, speaking of his page, says "I was never manned till now."
60. . In the first quarto for alderman we have , the Dutch equivalent of our , and Steevens points out that in the old pictures of these dignitaries the ring is generally placed on the fore-finger, whereas in England it appears to have been more commonly worn on the thumb.
61. , only another form of , the Lat. pl. of , being treated as an English singular; literally something so small as to be incapable of division; cp. . iii. 2. 245, "It is as easy to count as to resolve the propositions of a lover."
63. , what children call a 'daddy-long-legs,' but different from the common spider; cp. . ii. 2. 21, "Hence, you , hence!"
64. , awning, hood.
65. , that by which the vehicle is drawn.
68. , what Milton, , 28, calls the "gray-fly," either the trumpet-fly, or possibly the cricket.
70. , taken out with a needle from the finger of a lazy maid. It was of old popularly believed that small parasites were sometimes harboured in the flesh of the fingers of lazy persons. Nares quotes Beaumont and Fletcher, , iii. 1. 111, 2, "Keep thy hands in thy muff and warm the idle ."
71-3. . Lettsom would place these lines after 1. 58, as "it is preposterous to speak of the parts of a chariot before mentioning the chariot itself": , carpenter, , worm; the and the , because the former is fond of cracking nuts, and the latter of boring its way through the shell, both eating the kernel and so hollowing out the shell which thereby becomes fitted for a coach for fairies.
73. , from time immemorial.
74. , with this pomp and splendour.
76. , bowing and cringing in the presence of those whose favour they seek to win.
76. , straightway, immediately.
80. , allusions to the sweatmeats eaten by ladies to sweeten the breath are very common in the old dramatists, and one of the names given to them was "kissing-comfits," as in . v. 5. 22.
82. , scenting out some appointment, office, etc., for which he might become a suitor to the king, or to those high in his favour. As courtiers have already been mentioned, it has been proposed to substitute 'counsellor's' here.
83. , a pig given to a priest in payment of tithes, or tenth parts of the parishioner's annual income.
85. , i.e. an increase to his income by his being presented with a richer living, better church preferment, or perhaps a living in addition to that already held by him, it being common in those days for priests to hold more than one living at a time.
88. . The toledo, a sword made at Toledo, in Spain, was in high favour formerly, the steel of the blade being of great excellence and finely tempered.
89. ,... of cups which no thirst could drain dry; the pledges drunk to the health of friends, mistresses, etc., are put for the cup from which they are drunk.
90. , he dreams that the signal for battle has been sounded by the drums, and he must up and arm.
91. , his vocabulary is so largely made up of oaths that even when in his alarm he tries to remember a prayer, he cannot do so without an admixture of blasphemy; cp. . ii. 7. 150, "Then a soldier, , and bearded like the pard."
92. . Cp. . ii. 2. 22-5, where, during the murder of Duncan, the sleeping chamberlains start up in their sleep, "There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried 'Murder': I stood and heard them; But they did say their prayers, and address'd them Again to sleep."
93. . "It was believed that certain malignant spirits ... assumed occasionally the likeness of women clothed in white; that in this character they sometimes haunted stables in the night-time, carrying in their hands tapers of wax, which they dropped on the horses' manes, thereby plaiting them in inextricable knots" ... (Douce).
94. , and causes the hair of those who are uncleanly in person to become caked in elf knots; the reference is said to be to a horrid disease called , in which the hair became injected with blood, an infliction superstitiously attributed to the malice of wicked elves. See next note, and cp. , ii. 3. 10, "my face I'll grime with filth; Blanket my loins; and ." For = caked, clotted, cp. . ii. 2. 481, "horridly trick'd With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and impasted with the parching streets." Queen Mab's hatred of sluttishness is again referred to in . V. 5. 50, "Elves, list your names; silence, you airy boys. Cricket, to Windsor chimneys shalt thou leap: Where fires thou find'st unraked and hearths unswept, There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry: "; a passage which Jouson has imitated in his , 34-7, where, speaking of "Mab, the mistress Fairy," he says, "She that pinches country wenches, If they rub not clean their benches, And with sharper nails remembers When they rake not up their embers."
95. , the disentangling of which forebodes, etc. The nominative to is the adjectival clause ; so the noun clause in Haml. iii. 1. 182, "Whereon his brains still beating puts him thus From fashion of himself," i.e. the beating of his brains puts; . i. 2. 115, "our ills told us Is as our earing," i.e. the telling of our ills is, etc. Why the disentanglement should have this effect is not clear, unless it is that it would further provoke the malice of Mab at seeing her work undone. On this subject of "elf-locks" and the "entangling" or the "untangling" there has in recent years been much controversy. Daniel, in the revised edition of our play, published by the New Shakspere Society, prefers "entangled," believing the entanglement, not the disentanglement, to be inauspicious.
W. G. Black, in , 5th Series, xi. 22, quotes a passage from , 1616, which perhaps bears out Daniel's contention; and W. G. Stone, in the same journal, xi. 205, quotes from Turner's , 1697, a further passage in support of the same view. "'Pride of Hair was punished,' saith Dr. Bolton, 'at first with an ugly Intanglement, sometime in the form of a great Snake, sometime of many little ones, full of Nastiness, Vermin, and noisome Smell; and that which is most to be admired, and never Age saw before, pricked with a Needle, they yielded bloody drops. This first began in Poland, afterwards entered into Germany; and all that then cut off his horrible snaky Hair, either lost their Eyes, or the Humour falling down upon other Parts tortured them extremely '..." Brinsley Nicholson remarks that "while a felting or inextricable interlacing of the hair — a result of neglect and want of cleanliness — was doubtless known in England (a state called by Dr. Copland 'false plica'), there is not, so far as I am aware, any recorded instance of the occurrence of the true in England so early as Shakespeare's time." J. W. Legg says that if there is an allusion here to the , "it is absolutely necessary to accept the early reading 'untangled.' If we accept 'entangled' as the reading, then we must reject any allusion under the name of 'elf-locks' to the : for the entanglement of the boded no misfortune; it was a piece of great good fortune, which lasted for ever if the hair did not become untangled."
101. , your talk is all nonsense.
104. , fancy; of which it is the older form.
105. , as regards substance; in the matter of substance.
106. , with the hope of softening it.
107, 8. , at one moment ... and at the next.
109. , so . iv. 2. 34-9, "the south"; and of the south wind, . iii. 5. 50, "Like south with wind and ."
110. , this inconstancy, in which we resemble the wind, diverts us from our purpose, is hindering us from joining the festivities.
112. , forebodes; more commonly with the reflexive pronoun.
113. , as yet impending in the stars that govern our fates, not yet fallen, but threatening to do so.
114. , is surely about to start on that cruel course which shall end so fatally. Cp. below, ii. 2. 117.
115. , for other instances of intransitive verbs used transitively see Abb. § 291.
116, 7. , of my unfortunate life prematurely paying the penalty of an undeserved death; , held of no account by the powers above; not thought worthy of being allowed the ordinary span.
119. , my brave fellows.
120. , drum, said to the attendant bearing the drum, which gives the signal for resuming the march of the procession.
Shakespeare, William. . Ed. K. Deighton. London: Macmillan, 1916. . 20 Feb. 2010.
Cotter, Henry James. . London: Robert Clarke Co., 1902.
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| More to Explore | Mercutio jests with Romeo, musing that Mab, the bringer of dreams, has visited his lovesick friend. At the beginning of Mercutio's speech Mab seems a whimsical creation, much like the fairies in . But we soon realize that Mercutio's Queen Mab is a malevolent hag. to learn more about Queen Mab and read a paraphrase of Mercutio's speech in plain English. | | The audience watching knows from the Prologue that the lovers will die, but neither character is aware of his or her fate. This makes the passing references to death spoken by the lovers all the more shocking to the audience. | | Romeo and Juliet | | | Act 1, Scene 4
| | Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six Maskers, Torch-bearers, and others What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? Or shall we on without a apology? The date is out of such prolixity: We'll have no Cupid hoodwink'd with a scarf, Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper; Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke After the prompter, for our entrance: But let them measure us by what they will; We'll measure them a measure, and be gone. Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling; Being but heavy, I will bear the light. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings, And soar with them above a common bound. I am too sore enpierced with his shaft 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. And, to sink in it, should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing. Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. Give me a case to put my visage in: A visor for a visor! what care I What curious eye doth quote deformities? Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me. Come, knock and enter; and no sooner in, But every man betake him to his legs. A torch for me: let wantons light of heart Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels, For I am proverb'd with a grandsire phrase; I'll be a candle-holder, and look on. The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done. Tut, dun's the mouse, the constable's own word: If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire Of this sir-reverence love, wherein thou stick'st Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho! Nay, that's not so. I mean, sir, in delay We waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day. Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits Five times in that ere once in our five wits. And we mean well in going to this mask; But 'tis no wit to go. Why, may one ask? I dream'd a dream to-night. And so did I. Well, what was yours? That dreamers often lie. In bed asleep, while they do dream things true. O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep; Her wagon-spokes made of long spiders' legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, The traces of the smallest spider's web, The collars of the moonshine's watery beams, Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film, Her wagoner a small grey-coated gnat, Not so big as a round little worm Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid; Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers. And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love; O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight, O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees, O'er ladies ' lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are: Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail Tickling a parson's nose as a' lies asleep, Then dreams, he of another benefice: Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five-fathom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two And sleeps again. This is that very Mab That plats the manes of horses in the night, And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes: This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage: This is she-- Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Thou talk'st of nothing. True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air And more inconstant than the wind, who wooes Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. This wind, you talk of, blows us from ourselves; Supper is done, and we shall come too late. I fear, too early: for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night's revels and expire the term Of a despised life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death. But He, that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen. Strike, drum. Exeunt Website navigation Romeo and Juliet - Act 1, scene 4Download romeo and juliet. Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015 - PDF Download as PDF
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Navigate this workAct 1, scene 4. Romeo and Benvolio approach the Capulets’ party with their friend Mercutio and others, wearing the disguises customarily donned by “maskers.” Romeo is anxious because of an ominous dream. Mercutio mocks him with a speech about a dream-giving queen of fairies. Stay connectedFind out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved. my S hakespeare Sign in with:Or use e-mail:. my R omeo &J uliet - Using myShakespeare
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  Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet Shakescleare Translation Romeo and Juliet Translation Act 1, Scene 4ROMEO, MERCUTIO, and BENVOLIO enter wearing party masks. Five other men wearing party masks and carrying torches enter with them. What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? Or shall we on without apology? What excuse will we make? Or should we enter without apology? The date is out of such prolixity. We’ll have no Cupid hoodwinked with a scarf, 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. We’ll measure them a measure and be gone. It’s no longer fashionable to talk that much. We’re not going to announce our entrance with some guy blindfolded, dressed up as Cupid, and carrying a toy bow in order to frighten the ladies like some scarecrow. Nor will we introduce ourselves with a memorized speech. They can judge us however they want. We’ll dance for one dance, and then get out of there. Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling. Being but heavy, I will bear the light. Give me a torch. I don’t feel like dancing. Since I’m sad, I might as well carry the light. Everything you need for every book you read.Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. No, sweet Romeo, you have to dance. Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. Not me, believe me. You’ve got on dancing shoes with nimble soles. But my soul is made of lead so heavy that it anchors me to the ground and I can’t move. You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings And soar with them above a common bound. You’re a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings and use them to soar higher than the average man. I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft 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. I’ve been too strongly pierced by his arrow to soar. My wounded heart won’t let me escape my dull sadness. I am sinking under love’s heavy burden. And to sink in it, should you burthen love— Too great oppression for a tender thing. If you sink in love , then you’re burdening it. You’re putting too much weight on such a tender thing. Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn. Is love really so tender? To me it seems too rough, too rude, too unruly, and it pricks like a thorn. If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.— Give me a case to put my visage in! A visor for a visor. —What care I What curious eye doth cote deformities? Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me. If love is rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love when it pricks you, and you’ll beat love down. Give me a mask to put over my face. A mask to cover that mask I call my face. What do I care if someone sees my flaws? Let the this mask, with its dark eyebrows, blush for me. Come, knock and enter. And no sooner in But every man betake him to his legs. Come on, let’s knock and go inside. And once inside, let’s all start dancing. A torch for me. Let wantons light of heart Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels. For I am proverbed with a grandsire phrase, I’ll be a candle holder, and look on. The game was ne’er so fair, and I am done. Give me a torch to carry. Let those with light hearts dance. There’s an old proverb that fits me perfectly: I’ll hold a torch and watch. The game looks like fun, but I’m done with it. Tut, dun’s the mouse, the constable’s own word. If thou art dun, we’ll draw thee from the mire, Or—save your reverence—love, wherein thou stick’st Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho! Come on, “ dun ” is the color of a timid mouse. You’re being as timid as a patrolman on night duty. If you’re a stick stuck in the mud, we’ll pull you out—pardon me for being rude— out of the love in which you’re stuck up to your ears. Come on, we’re wasting daylight. Nay, that’s not so. No, that’s wrong—it’s night. I mean, sir, in delay. We waste our lights in vain, like lights by day. Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits Five times in that ere once in our five wits. I mean, sir, that by delaying we’re wasting our torches, which is like wasting the sunshine during the day. Show your good judgment by taking what I say the way I mean it, which is five times more important than literally trusting your five senses. And we mean well in going to this mask, But ’tis no wit to go. We mean well by going to this party, but it’s not smart of us to go. Why, may one ask? Why, may I ask? I dreamt a dream tonight. I dreamed a dream last night. And so did I. Well, what was yours? What was your dream? That dreamers often lie. I dreamed that dreamers often lie. In bed asleep while they do dream things true. They lie in bed while dreaming about true things. Oh, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. Oh, then I see Queen Mab has visited you. Queen Mab, what’s she? Queen Mab? Who’s she? She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate stone On the forefinger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomi Over men’s noses as they lie asleep. Her wagon spokes made of long spinners’ legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, Her traces of the smallest spider’s web, Her collars of the moonshine’s watery beams, Her whip of cricket’s bone, the lash of film, Her wagoner a small gray-coated gnat, Not half so big as a round little worm Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid. Her chariot is an empty hazelnut Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, Time out o’ mind the fairies’ coachmakers. And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love; On courtiers’ knees, that dream on curtsies straight; O’er lawyers’ fingers, who straight dream on fees; O’er ladies’ lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. Sometime she gallops o’er a courtier’s nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit. And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig’s tail Tickling a parson’s nose as he lies asleep, Then he dreams of another benefice. Sometime she driveth o’er a soldier’s neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fathom deep, and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two And sleeps again. This is that very Mab That plaits the manes of horses in the night And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes. This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage. This is she— She’s the fairies’ midwife, and is no bigger than the stone on the ring of a city councilman. She rides her carriage, which is pulled by tiny little creatures, over men’s noses as they lie sleeping. The wheel spokes of her carriage are made of spiders’ legs; its cover is made of grasshopper wings; and its harnesses are made of the smallest spiderwebs. The horse collars are made from moonbeams, while her whip is a single cobweb attached to a cricket bone. Her wagon driver is a tiny gnat wearing a gray coat that is not even half as large as a little round worm that comes from the finger of a lazy young girl. Her carriage is an empty hazelnut, made by a squirrel and an old worm, which have been the fairies’ carriage-builders for countless years. With this magnificent carriage she rides each night through the brains of lovers, who then dream about love. She rides across courtiers’ knees, who then dream about bowing and curtsying. She rides over lawyers’ fingers, who then dream about their fees. She rides over ladies’ lips, and they immediately dream of kisses. But Queen Mab often puts blisters on their lips because their breath smells of candy, which angers her. Sometimes she rides over a courtier’s nose, and he dreams of sniffing out a way to make some money. Sometimes she tickles a priest’s nose with the tail of pig given as a tithe to the church, and he dreams of getting a high-paid church position. Sometimes she drives over a soldier’s neck, and he dreams of cutting the throats of foreigners, of breaking through fortifications, of ambushes, of the finest-quality Spanish swords, and of huge mugs of alcohol before suddenly waking, frightened, by the sound of drums in his ears. Then he says a prayer or two and goes back to sleep. Mab is the one who tangles the hair of horses’ manes at night and then hardens the tangles in the foul, dirty hairs; tangles which, if you undo them, bring bad luck. Mab is the hag who gives dreams of sex to virgins and teaches them how to bear the weight of a lover and to bear a child. She’s the one— Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Thou talk’st of nothing. Calm down, calm down! Mercutio, be calm. You’re talking about nothing. True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air And more inconstant than the wind, who woos Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being angered, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. True. I’m talking about dreams, which are produced by a brain that’s doing nothing. Dreams are born of no more than empty fantasy, which lack substance like air, and are more unpredictable than the wind, which can blow on the frozen north and then suddenly get angry and blow south. This wind you talk of, blows us from ourselves. Supper is done, and we shall come too late. This wind you’re talking about is blowing us off course. Dinner is already over. We’re going to get there too late. I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels, and expire the term Of a despisèd life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death. But he that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen. I fear we’re going to arrive too early. I have a feeling this party tonight is fated to set in motion some awful destiny that will result in my own untimely death. But whoever’s in charge of my fate can steer me where they want. Let’s go, my lusty friends! Strike, drum. Bang the drum! March about the stage and exit. They march around the stage and exit.   StageMilk / Monologues Unpacked / Mercutio Monologue (Act 1, Scene 4)  Mercutio Monologue (Act 1, Scene 4)Romeo, with his closest friends Mercutio and Benvolio are on their way to the house of Capulet to attend a masked party. Neither Romeo or Benvolio are invited and intend to sneak in, which is an incredibly dangerous move considering the recent flare up in the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. After spending the first act in a state of unrequited love for Rosaline, a somewhat depressed Romeo is very reluctant to go. Benvolio spends his opening scenes with Romeo, persuading him to attend the party so that he may “examine other Beauties” and “forget to think” of Rosaline. When his attempts seem to fail: Enter Mercutio; cousin to Prince Escalus of Verona. Mercutio is of royal blood. Mercutio, unlike his friends, is invited to the party and so you can imagine is very keen to go: “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance”! Mercutio gently taunts Romeo, provoking him about his mood and his ideas of ‘love’: “You are a lover, borrow Cupid’s wings and soar with them above a common bound”! Finally Romeo confesses that he thinks it is unwise to attend the party because of a dream he had… To really grasp the context of this monologue, I think it’s important to understand why Mercutio starts speaking in the first place. Taken as a whole, the monologue may appear like a wildly impulsive rant. If we break it down, however, we can learn that although wild and certainly spontaneous, it is also a carefully constructed response to Romeo’s belief about the truth of dreams. Romeo : I dreamt a dream tonight. Mercutio : And so did I. Romeo : Well, what was yours? Mercutio : That dreamers often lie. Romeo : In bed asleep, while they do dream things true. Mercutio : O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you… But before we get stuck in, let’s talk about breaking down the thoughts first. Thought BreakdownIf we break down the monologue into smaller beats and thoughts, we are able to gain real clarity on what Mercutio is saying and find key indicators into what state of mind he is in. For this monologue, look at how many thought changes are noted. What clue does the give you about Mercutio’s character and his state of mind? It was only through breaking it down into bite size pieces that I began to see more clearly how deftly Mercutio is able to move from one thought to another. (You’ll note the Space between “And sleeps again” and “This is that very Mab”. This is deliberate as it is the only internal full stop in the monologue. It is perhaps an indication of the wild nature of Mercutio’s dazzling thought pattern by this point. He has barely finished one sentence before leaping onto the next idea.) Thought Change= / Beat Change= Space O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you: / She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate stone On the forefinger of an alderman, / Drawn with a team of little atomies Over men’s noses as they lie asleep: / Her wagon spokes made of long spinners’ legs, / The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers, / Her traces, of the smallest spider web, / Her collars, of the moonshine’s wat’ry beams, / Her whip, of cricket’s bone, the lash, of film; / Her wagoner, a small grey-coated gnat, / Not half so big as a round little worm, / Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid; / Her chariot is an empty hazelnut, / Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, / Time out o’ mind the fairies’ coachmakers. / And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love; / O’er courtiers’ knees, that dream on curtsies straight; / O’er lawyers’ fingers, who straight dream on fees; / O’er ladies’ lips, who straight on kisses dream, / Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. / Sometimes she gallops o’er a courtier’s nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; / And sometimes comes she with a tithe-pig’s tail Tickling a parson’s nose as ‘a lies asleep, / Then dreams he of another benefice. / Sometimes she driveth o’er a soldier’s neck, / And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, / Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, / Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two And sleeps again. / This is that very Mab That plats the manes of horses in the night And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, Which once untangled much misfortune bodes. / This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage: / This is she! / Modern TranslationHere’s Mercutio’s monologue again, translated into modern english to further your understanding of the text. Oh, now I see Queen Mab has been with you: She is the midwife of fairies and she comes In shape, no bigger than a stone made of agate On the forefinger of a councilman, Pulled by a team of atom sized creatures Across men’s noses as they lie asleep: Her wagon’s spokes are made of long spiders legs, The wagon cover is made of grasshoppers wings, Her straps are made of the smallest spiders web, Her creature’s collar straps are made of pale watery moonbeams, Her whip is made from the bone a cricket and a transparent thread, Her wagon driver is a small bug wearing a grey coat, Not even half the size of a small round worm, Bred from the fingers of a lazy maid. Her carriage is an empty hazel nut, Made by the carpenter squirrel or old larvae insect, For as long as anyone can remember they’ve been the coach makers for fairies. And in this royal coach she gallops, every night, Through the brains of lovers and makes them dream of love. Over people that go to royal court, who dream about curtsying, Over lawyers fingers who straight away dream about making money, Over ladies lips, who straight away dream about kissing, But often the angry Mab infects their lips with blisters, Because their breath has been polluted by confectionary. Sometimes she gallops across the nose of a man who attends a royal court, And then he dreams of seeking out some one who will pay a fee for his services. And sometimes she comes with the tail of a pig, gifted to the Church, Tickling the nose of a clergyman as he lies asleep, Then he dreams of an high-paying Church position. Sometimes she drives over a soldiers neck, And then he dreams of cutting enemy throats, Of holes in fortifications, ambushes, Spanish blades, Making toasts, drinking from an extremely deep glass, and then shortly, She drums in his ear, and immediately he wakes in shock, And being so scared, he prays once or twice Then falls asleep again. This is that very same Mab That plaits the manes of horses in the night, And stiffens the elven-made locks in gross filthy hairs, Which once untangled, brings a lot of bad fortune. This is that evil spirit, when virgins lie down on their backs, Causes them sexual nightmares and teaches them how to bear the weight of a lover, Making them good at bearing children: This is she- Unfamiliar Words/PhrasesMany of the ideas, words and phrases possess double meanings. Usually sexual with dark undertones. Examining them closely reveals aspects about Mercutio’s views on humanity, particularly women. Queen Mab: A tiny creature. In later literature, she was known as Queen of the fairies. Agate stone: An ornamental stone, like quartz. Alderman: Wealthy or influential member of a local council. Atomies : Creatures as small as atoms. Spinners : Spiders Cover : The cover of the wagon. Traces : The straps. Collar : The collar of the creature that is connected by the straps to the wagon. Lash of film : Thin, transparent cord. Perhaps like a spiders web. Gnat : A small bug or two winged fly, like a mosquito. Lazy finger of a maid : Proverbially, Maid worms would breed in the fingers of lazy maids. Sexual connotation: Lazy women using their fingers. Joiner : Carpenter. One who joins wood together. Old grub : Old larvae-like insect that bores holes. Courtiers : One who attends royal court. Suit : A deal that one may earn money from. Tithe-pig : A pig offering made to the Church as part of the tithe (one tenth of one’s annual earnings to support the Church). Sweatmeats : Confectionary or candy. Sexual connotation: The sweet meat between ones legs. Parson : A member of the clergy, a vicar. Benefice : A Church position that entitles the recipient to income and property. Breaches : Holes in fortifications. Ambuscadoes : Ambushes. Healths : Toasts, as in to ‘cheers’ some one. Anon : Presently. Elflocks : Tangles of hair, superstitiously believed to be tangled by elves. Foul sluttish hairs : Sexual connotation: Referring to region around female genitalia. Hag: Evil spirit in the form of a woman. Learns: Teaches. Queen Mab is entirely Shakespeare’s invention and therefore the invention of Mercutio in the moment. He is discovering all of the thoughts and images as he says them. This is the essence of his quick wit. The monologue is tricky because of its density of imagery and double meanings. But that is what also makes it extraordinarily enjoyable to watch or perform. I would encourage an actor to focus on one thought at a time and let the piece grow and build on itself. Some experts have regarded Mercutio as the character that Shakespeare was writing in preparation for Hamlet. Some have noted that Shakespeare had to kill Mercutio off otherwise his energy and bravado very well may take over the rest of the play! On the surface it may appear that Mercutio is simply a ranting lunatic. There have certainly been many portrayals of him in this light. While every interpretation is valid, for me, a maniac who rants for the sake of ranting misses the mark. I’d bet my life on it that Shakespeare wasn’t letting a character just rant for the sake of it. If you look at the context scene as a whole, there’s a very specific point that this mercurial character is making. Mercutio uses Queen Mab as the vehicle that delivers to sleeping people, their deepest desires in the form of dreams. But all dreams, perhaps being too good to be true, must come to an end. No matter the dreamer; everyone must eventually wake to discover that they are neither a valiant hero, rich courtiers, or kissing beautiful women, but snivelling wrecks, poor and diseased or simply themselves. Mercutio only stops himself when Romeo can’t take any more and interjects, trying to calm him down, saying: “Peace, peace good Mercutio peace. Thou talk’st of nothing. To which Mercutio replies: “True, I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy”. In essence, Mercutio’s point is that dreams mean nothing – they aren’t reality. A point that he becomes desperately intent on making. We later find out that Romeo fears going to the party because he’s afraid that if he does, that he might die. Which, in a sense, turns out to be true. About the Author Damien Strouthos is an actor, writer and director. A WAAPA graduate from 2012, over the past decade he has worked professionally for Bell Shakespeare, Belvoir Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company. Some of his Film and Television credits include, I am Woman (2019), Frayed ABC (2018) and Wonderland (Channel 10 (2013)). Damien's greatest passion is the process of creating and telling stories. You might also enjoyViola Monologue (Act 2, Scene 2) Gratiano Monologue (Act 1, Scene 1) Romeo Monologue (Act 3, Scene 3) Ophelia Monologue (Act 3, Scene 1) Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Please enter an answer in digits: 14 − ten =
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(Click to see in context) | | | | Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling;
Being but heavy, I will bear the light. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. | | | | | Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes
With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings,
And soar with them above a common bound. | | | | | I am too sore enpierced with his shaft
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. And, to sink in it, should you burden love;
Too great oppression for a tender thing. | | | | | Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn. If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
Give me a case to put my visage in:
A visor for a visor! what care I
What curious eye doth quote deformities?
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me. | | | | | A torch for me: let wantons light of heart
Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels,
For I am proverb'd with a grandsire phrase;
I'll be a candle-holder, and look on.
The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done. Tut, dun's the mouse, the constable's own word:
If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire
Of this sir-reverence love, wherein thou stick'st
Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho! | | | | | Nay, that's not so. I mean, sir, in delay
We waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day.
Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits
Five times in that ere once in our five wits. | | | | | And we mean well in going to this mask;
But 'tis no wit to go. Why, may one ask? | | | | | I dream'd a dream to-night. And so did I. | | | | | Well, what was yours? That dreamers often lie. | | | | | In bed asleep, while they do dream things true. O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep;
Her wagon-spokes made of long spiders' legs,
The cover of the wings of grasshoppers,
The traces of the smallest spider's web,
The collars of the moonshine's watery beams,
Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film,
Her wagoner a small grey-coated gnat,
Not so big as a round little worm
Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid;
Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut
Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub,
Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers.
And in this state she gallops night by night
Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love;
O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight,
O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees,
O'er ladies ' lips, who straight on kisses dream,
Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues,
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are:
Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose,
And then dreams he of smelling out a suit;
And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail
Tickling a parson's nose as a' lies asleep,
Then dreams, he of another benefice:
Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,
Of healths five-fathom deep; and then anon
Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,
And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two
And sleeps again. This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horses in the night,
And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs,
Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes:
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
That presses them and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage:
This is she— | | | | | Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!
Thou talk'st of nothing. True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
Which is as thin of substance as the air
And more inconstant than the wind, who wooes
Even now the frozen bosom of the north,
And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence,
Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. | | | | | Romeo! my cousin Romeo! He is wise;
And, on my lie, hath stol'n him home to bed. | | | | | He ran this way, and leap'd this orchard wall:
Call, good 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 nick-name for her purblind son and heir,
Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so trim,
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! | | | | | And if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him. 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, and in his mistress' name
I conjure only but to raise up him. | | | | | Come, he hath hid himself among these trees,
To be consorted with the humorous night:
Blind is his love and best befits the dark. 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.
Romeo, that she were, O, that she were
An open et caetera, 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? | | | | | Where the devil should this Romeo be?
Came he not home to-night? | | | | | Not to his father's; I spoke with his man. Ah, that same pale hard-hearted wench, that Rosaline.
Torments him so, that he will sure run mad. | | | | | Tybalt, the kinsman of old Capulet,
Hath sent a letter to his father's house. A challenge, on my life. | | | | | Romeo will answer it. Any man that can write may answer a letter. | | | | | Nay, he will answer the letter's master, how he
dares, being dared. Alas poor Romeo! he is already dead; stabbed with a
white wench's black eye; shot through the ear with a
love-song; the very pin of his heart cleft with the
blind bow-boy's butt-shaft: and is he a man to
encounter Tybalt? | | | | | Why, what is Tybalt? More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O, he is
the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as
you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and
proportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and
the third in your bosom: the very butcher of a silk
button, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the
very first house, of the first and second cause:
ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso! the
hai! | | | | | The what? The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting
fantasticoes; these new tuners of accents! 'By Jesu,
a very good blade! a very tall man! a very good
whore!' Why, is not this a lamentable thing,
grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with
these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these
perdona-mi's, who stand so much on the new form,
that they cannot at ease on the old bench? O, their
bones, their bones! | | | | | Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo. Without his roe, like a dried herring: flesh, flesh,
how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers
that Petrarch flowed in: Laura to his lady was but a
kitchen-wench; marry, she had a better love to
be-rhyme her; Dido a dowdy; Cleopatra a gipsy;
Helen and Hero hildings and harlots; Thisbe a grey
eye or so, but not to the purpose. Signior
Romeo, bon jour! there's a French salutation
to your French slop. You gave us the counterfeit
fairly last night. | | | | | Good morrow to you both. What counterfeit did I give you? The ship, sir, the slip; can you not conceive? | | | | | Pardon, good Mercutio, my business was great; and in
such a case as mine a man may strain courtesy. That's as much as to say, such a case as yours
constrains a man to bow in the hams. | | | | | Meaning, to court'sy. Thou hast most kindly hit it. | | | | | A most courteous exposition. Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy. | | | | | Pink for flower. Right. | | | | | Why, then is my pump well flowered. Well said: follow me this jest now till thou hast
worn out thy pump, that when the single sole of it
is worn, the jest may remain after the wearing sole singular. | | | | | O single-soled jest, solely singular for the
singleness. Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits faint. | | | | | Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I'll cry a match. Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have
done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of
thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five:
was I with you there for the goose? | | | | | Thou wast never with me for any thing when thou wast
not there for the goose. I will bite thee by the ear for that jest. | | | | | Nay, good goose, bite not. Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting; it is a most
sharp sauce. | | | | | And is it not well served in to a sweet goose? O here's a wit of cheveril, that stretches from an
inch narrow to an ell broad! | | | | | I stretch it out for that word 'broad;' which added
to the goose, proves thee far and wide a broad goose. Why, is not this better now than groaning for love?
now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo; now art
thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature:
for this drivelling love is like a great natural,
that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole. | | | | | Stop there, stop there. Thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the hair. | | | | | Thou wouldst else have made thy tale large. O, thou art deceived; I would have made it short:
for I was come to the whole depth of my tale; and
meant, indeed, to occupy the argument no longer. | | | | | A sail, a sail! | | | | | My fan, Peter. Good Peter, to hide her face; for her fan's the
fairer face. | | | | | God ye good morrow, gentlemen. God ye good den, fair gentlewoman. | | | | | Is it good den? 'Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the
dial is now upon the prick of noon. | | | | | You say well. Yea, is the worst well? very well took, i' faith;
wisely, wisely. | | | | | She will indite him to some supper. A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! so ho! | | | | | What hast thou found? No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a lenten pie,
that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent.
An old hare hoar,
And an old hare hoar,
Is very good meat in lent
But a hare that is hoar
Is too much for a score,
When it hoars ere it be spent.
Romeo, will you come to your father's? we'll
to dinner, thither. | | | | | I will follow you. Farewell, ancient lady; farewell,
'lady, lady, lady.' | | | | | I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. Thou art like one of those fellows that when he
enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword
upon the table and says 'God send me no need of
thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws
it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need. | | | | | Am I like such a fellow? Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as
any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as
soon moody to be moved. | | | | | And what to? Nay, an there were two such, we should have none
shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,
thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more,
or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou
wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no
other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what
eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?
Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of
meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as
an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a
man for coughing in the street, because he hath
wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun:
didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing
his new doublet before Easter? with another, for
tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou
wilt tutor me from quarrelling! | | | | | An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man
should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter. The fee-simple! O simple! | | | | | By my head, here come the Capulets. By my heel, I care not. | | | | | Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you. And but one word with one of us? couple it with
something; make it a word and a blow. | | | | | You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you
will give me occasion. Could you not take some occasion without giving? | | | | | Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,— Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an
thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but
discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall
make you dance. 'Zounds, consort! | | | | | We talk here in the public haunt of men:
Either withdraw unto some private place,
And reason coldly of your grievances,
Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us. Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I. | | | | | Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man. But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery:
Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.' | | | | | I do protest, I never injured thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devise,
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
And so, good Capulet,—which name I tender
As dearly as my own,—be satisfied. O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
Alla stoccata carries it away.
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? | | | | | What wouldst thou have with me? Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine
lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you
shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the
eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher
by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your
ears ere it be out. | | | | | Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. Come, sir, your passado. | | | | | I am hurt.
A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.
Is he gone, and hath nothing? | | | | | What, art thou hurt? Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.
Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon. | | | | | Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I
am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o'
both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a
cat, to scratch a man to death! a braggart, a
rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of
arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I
was hurt under your arm. | | | | | I thought all for the best. Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!
They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,
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Not to criticize Shakespeare , but the play Romeo and Juliet should feature a little less Friar Lawrence and a little more Mercutio. You could argue that this funny, furious character should have gotten his very own play, but instead, he gets killed off (spoiler!) at the beginning of Act Three! Still, we can rejoice in the few excellent Mercutio moments and monologues. The Queen Mab MonologueIn Mercutio's best and lengthiest monologue, often called "The Queen Mab Speech," the jovial supporting character chides Romeo , claiming that he has been visited by a fairy queen, one that makes men desire things best left unattained. In Romeo's case, he is still pining for Rosaline. Little does he realize that he will soon fall for Juliet . When performing the following monologue , actors often begin very playfully, but as the speech continues, touching upon corruption and war, Mercutio becomes more frenzied and intense. MERCUTIO: O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate stone On the forefinger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Over men's noses as they lie asleep; Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs, The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers; Her traces, of the smallest spider web; Her collars, of the moonshine's wat'ry beams; Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lash, of film; Her wagoner, a small grey-coated gnat, Not half so big as a round little worm Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid; Her chariot is an empty hazelnut, Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers. And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love; O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on curtsies straight; O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees; O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. Sometimes she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And sometimes comes she with a tithe-pig's tail Tickling a parson's nose as 'a lies asleep, Then dreams he of another benefice. Sometimes she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two And sleeps again. This is that very Mab That plats the manes of horses in the night And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, Which once untangled much misfortune bodes. This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage. This is she! (Romeo interrupts, and then the monologue concludes:) True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air And more inconstant than the wind, who woos Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. Mercutio Describes TybaltIn this scene, Mercutio explains the personality and combat techniques of Tybalt, Juliet's deadly cousin . By the end of the speech, Romeo walks in, and Mercutio begins to chastise the young man. MERCUTIO: More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O, he is the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and proportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and the third in your bosom: the very butcher of a silk button, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the very first house, of the first and second cause: ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso! the hai! The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting fantasticoes; these new tuners of accents! 'By Jesu, a very good blade! a very tall man! a very good whore!' Why, is not this a lamentable thing, grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these perdona-mi's, who stand so much on the new form, that they cannot at ease on the old bench? O, their bones, their bones! Without his roe, like a dried herring: flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in: Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench; marry, she had a better love to be-rhyme her; Dido a dowdy; Cleopatra a gypsy; Helen and Hero hildings and harlots; Thisbe a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose. Signior Romeo, bon jour! there's a French salutation to your French slop. You gave us the counterfeit fairly last night. Mercutio and BenvolioIn this next scene, Mercutio demonstrates his genius for mockery. Everything he complains about regarding his friend Benvolio's character does not apply to the young man. Benvolio is agreeable and good-natured throughout the play. Mercutio is the one most likely to pick a quarrel for no good reason! Some might say that Mercutio is actually describing himself. MERCUTIO: Thou art like one of those fellows that when he enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword upon the table and says 'God send me no need of thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need. BENVOLIO: Am I like such a fellow? MERCUTIO: Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved. BENVOLIO: And what to? MERCUTIO: Nay, an there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more, or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel? Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in the street, because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun: didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before Easter? with another, for tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling! - 128 Unforgettable Quotes From Shakespeare's Macbeth
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In this speech from Act 1, Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio tells of Queen Mab, a fairy who stirs dreams. While the speech starts in good fun, Mercutio's language and tone take a dark turn.
Learn about Queen Mab, the fairy queen of English folklore, and Mercutio's humorous description of her in Shakespeare's play. Read the original text of the Queen Mab speech and watch a video of the scene.
Mercutio teases Romeo about his dream of Queen Mab, a fairy who visits people in their sleep and fulfills their desires. He describes her in detail and compares her to a tiny horse-drawn carriage.
Mercutio mocks Romeo's love-sickness by describing Queen Mab, a fairy who causes dreams and punishes sinners. Learn about the origin, meaning and function of this famous speech in Shakespeare's play.
Mercutio. Why, may one ask? Romeo. I dream'd a dream to-night. Mercutio. And so did I. Romeo. Well, what was yours? 550; Mercutio. That dreamers often lie. Romeo. In bed asleep, while they do dream things true. Mercutio. O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate ...
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me. BENVOLIO. Come, knock and enter; and no sooner in, But every man betake him to his legs. ROMEO. A torch for me: let wantons light of heart. Tickle the ...
Notes on Queen Mab... Mercutio jests with Romeo, musing that Mab, the bringer of dreams, has visited his lovesick friend. At the beginning of Mercutio's speech Mab seems a whimsical creation, much like the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream. But we soon realize that Mercutio's Queen Mab is a malevolent hag.
MERCUTIO Why, may one ask? ROMEO I dream'd a dream to-night. MERCUTIO And so did I. ROMEO Well, what was yours? MERCUTIO That dreamers often lie. ROMEO In bed asleep, while they do dream things true. MERCUTIO O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
Act 1, scene 4. Romeo and Benvolio approach the Capulets' party with their friend Mercutio and others, wearing the disguises customarily donned by "maskers.". Romeo is anxious because of an ominous dream. Mercutio mocks him with a speech about a dream-giving queen of fairies. Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or six other.
Mercutio says he had a dream the night before, too—he and Romeo have both been visited by "Queen Mab." Benvolio asks who Queen Mab is, and Mercutio, in a lengthy speech, spins a fanciful tale about the "fairies' midwife" who comes to people while they sleep on her hazelnut chariot to make them dream of sweet things and to play little pranks on those who make her jealous or cross.
Mercutio teasingly thinks his dream is the result of a visit from Queen Mab. She's the miniature "fairies' midwife," who visits people in their sleep and fulfills their desires (however good or bad) in dreams. After his speech, Mercutio points out to Romeo that dreams are "nothing but vain fantasy."
Mercutio's famous "Queen Mab" speech is movtivated by Romeo's stubborn refusal to join in the fun that Benvolio and Mercutio have planned. In Franco Zeferelli's often-shown film version, Mercutio delivers the speech as though he were afflicted with some sort of deep personal hysteria. This delivery makes for an interesting effect, but it ...
this speech: i.e., a written speech. 2. ... Queen Mab: 54. midwife: She assists in the birth of men's dreams. 55. ... MERCUTIO 53 O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. 54 She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes 55 In shape no bigger than an agate-stone 56 On the fore-finger of an alderman, 57. ...
MERCUTIO. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate stone On the forefinger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomi Over men's noses as they lie asleep. Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, Her traces of the smallest spider's web, Her collars of the moonshine's watery beams, Her whip of ...
Mercutio uses Queen Mab as the vehicle that delivers to sleeping people, their deepest desires in the form of dreams. But all dreams, perhaps being too good to be true, must come to an end. No matter the dreamer; everyone must eventually wake to discover that they are neither a valiant hero, rich courtiers, or kissing beautiful women, but ...
Mercutio. O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep; Her wagon-spokes made of long spiders' legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers,
Mercutio (Fisayo Akinade) teases Romeo (Josh O'Connor) for his love sickness over Rosaline in Shakespeare's famous Queen Mab speech. Mercutio, Romeo and Benv...
The Queen Mab speech that Mercutio adds to the play points towards the way in which Mercutio is used by Shakspeare to provide a counterpoint to the overwhelming theme of romantic love that is ...
Queen Mab Description. Mercutio's speech appears in Act 1, Scene 4 of "Romeo and Juliet" when he learns that Romeo takes his dreams as the truth. They are about to gatecrash the party organized by ...
The Queen Mab Monologue. In Mercutio's best and lengthiest monologue, often called "The Queen Mab Speech," the jovial supporting character chides Romeo, claiming that he has been visited by a fairy queen, one that makes men desire things best left unattained. In Romeo's case, he is still pining for Rosaline. Little does he realize that he will ...
Certainly, the Queen Mab speech seems to reveal Mercutio's imaginative powers. He is clever and creative and dramatic. Romeo tells Mercutio that he had a dream which made him feel as though it ...
In Act I, Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio tells Romeo that Queen Mab has visited Romeo in his sleep.Queen Mab is a curious creature who is "no bigger than an agate stone/ On the forefinger ...