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Romeo and Juliet

Chapter 4 - ACT II

Enter Chorus. CHORUS. Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie, And young affection gapes to be his heir; That fair for which love groan’d for and would die, With tender Juliet match’d, is now not fair.

Now Romeo is belov’d, and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks; But to his foe suppos’d he must complain, And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks: Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear; And she as much in love, her means much less To meet her new beloved anywhere.

But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, Tempering extremities with extreme sweet. [Exit. ] Enter Romeo. ROMEO. Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out. [He climbs the wall and leaps down within it. ] Enter Benvolio and Mercutio. BENVOLIO.

Romeo! My cousin Romeo! Romeo! MERCUTIO. He is wise, And on my life hath stol’n him home to bed. BENVOLIO. He ran this way, and leap’d 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 ‘Ah 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 trim When King Cophetua lov’d 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

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