PROLOGUE-Whole Cast

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

Whole misadventured piteous overthrows

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.

The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,

And the continuance of their parents' rage,

Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,

Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;

The which if you with patient ears attend,

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. SCENE I. Verona. A public place. Enter PROFESSOR FLITWICK and PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL, of the house of Weasley, armed with wands and bucklers PROFESSOR FLITWICK Professor Mogonagal, o' my word, we'll not carry coals. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL No, for then we should be colliers. PROFESSOR FLITWICK I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar. PROFESSOR FLITWICK I strike quickly, being moved. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL But thou art not quickly moved to strike. PROFESSOR FLITWICK A dog of the house of Malfoy moves me. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:

therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away. PROFESSOR FLITWICK A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will

take the wall of any man or maid of Mr. Malfoy's. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall. PROFESSOR FLITWICK True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,

are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Malfoy's men from the wall, and thrust his maids

to the wall. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL The quarrel is between our masters and us their men. PROFESSOR FLITWICK 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I

have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the

maids, and cut off their heads. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL The heads of the maids? PROFESSOR FLITWICK Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;

take it in what sense thou wilt. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL They must take it in sense that feel it. PROFESSOR FLITWICK Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and

'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL 'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou

hadst been poor Flitwick. Draw thy tool! here comes

two of the house of the Malfoys. PROFESSOR FLITWICK My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL How! turn thy back and run? PROFESSOR FLITWICK Fear me not. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL No, marry; I fear thee! PROFESSOR FLITWICK Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as

they list. PROFESSOR FLITWICK Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them;

which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it. Enter WORMTAIL and DOBBY WORMTAIL Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? PROFESSOR FLITWICK I do bite my thumb, sir. WORMTAIL Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? PROFESSOR FLITWICK [Aside to PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL] Is the law of our side, if I say

ay? PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL No. PROFESSOR FLITWICK No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I

bite my thumb, sir. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL Do you quarrel, sir? WORMTAIL Quarrel sir! no, sir. PROFESSOR FLITWICK If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you. WORMTAIL No better. PROFESSOR FLITWICK Well, sir. PROFESSOR MOGONAGAL Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinsmen. PROFESSOR FLITWICK Yes, better, sir. WORMTAIL You lie. PROFESSOR FLITWICK Draw, if you be men. Professor Mogonagal, remember thy swashing blow. They fight Enter GOYLE GOYLE Part, fools!

Put up your wands; you know not what you do. Beats down their wands Enter RON WEASLEY RON WEASLEY What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Goyle, look upon thy death. GOYLE I do but keep the peace: put up thy wand,

Or manage it to part these men with me. RON WEASLEY What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,

As I hate hell, all Malfoys, and thee:

Have at thee, coward! They fight Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Pavarti, Lavander and Neville, with clubs Pavarti Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!

Down with the Weasleys! down with the Malfoys! Enter MR. WEASLEY in his gown, and MRS. WEASLEY MR. WEASLEY What noise is this? Give me my long wand, ho! MRS. WEASLEY A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a wand? MR. WEASLEY My wand, I say! Old Mr. Malfoy is come,

And flourishes his blade in spite of me. Enter MR. MALFOY and MRS. MALFOY MR. MALFOY Thou villain Mr. Weasley,--Hold me not, let me go. LADY MR. MALFOY Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe. Enter CORNELIUS FUDGE, with Shemaus and Dean CORNELIUS FUDGE Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,

Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--

Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,

That quench the fire of your pernicious rage

With purple fountains issuing from your veins,

On pain of torture, from those bloody hands

Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,

And hear the sentence of your moved Cornelius Fudge.

Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,

By thee, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Malfoy,

Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,

And made Verona's ancient citizens

Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,

To wield old partisans, in hands as old,

Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:

If ever you disturb our streets again,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.

For this time, all the rest depart away:

You Mr. Weasley; shall go along with me:

And, Mr. Malfoy, come you this afternoon,

To know our further pleasure in this case,

To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.

Once more, on pain of death, all men depart. Exeunt all but MR. MALFOY, MRS. MALFOY, and GOYLE MR. MALFOY Who set this ancient quarrel new approach?

Speak, nephew, were you by when it began? GOYLE Here were the servants of your adversary,

And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:

I drew to part them: in the instant came

The fiery Ron Weasley, with his wand prepared,

Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,

He swung about his head and cut the winds,

Who nothing hurt withal hiss'd him in scorn:

While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,

Came more and more and fought on part and part,

Till the Cornelius Fudge came, who parted either part. MRS. MALFOY O, where is Draco? Saw you him to-day?

Right glad I am he was not at this fray. GOYLE Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun

Peered forth the golden window of the east,

A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad;

Where, underneath the grove of sycamore

That westward routed from the city's side,

So early walking did I see your son:

Towards him I made, but he was ware of me

And stole into the covert of the wood:

I, measuring his affections by my own,

That most are busied when they're most alone,

Pursued my humor not pursuing his,

And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me. MR. MALFOY Many a morning hath he there been seen,

With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.

Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;

But all so soon as the all-cheering sun

Should in the furthest east begin to draw

The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,

Away from the light steals home my heavy son,

And private in his chamber pens himself,

Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out

And makes himself an artificial night:

Black and portentous must this humor prove,

Unless good counsel may the cause remove. GOYLE My noble uncle, do you know the cause? MR. MALFOY I neither know it nor can learn of him. GOYLE Have you importuned him by any means? MR. MALFOY Both by myself and many other friends:

But he, his own affections' counselor,

Is to himself--I will not say how true--

But to himself so secret and so close,

So far from sounding and discovery,

As is the bud bit with an enviousworm,

Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,

Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.

Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow.

We would as willingly give cure as know. Enter DRACO GOYLE See, where he comes: so please you, step aside;

I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. MR. MALFOY I would thou wert so happy by thy stay,

To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let's away. Exeunt MR. MALFOY and MRS. MALFOY GOYLE Good-morrow, cousin. DRACO Is the day so young? GOYLE But new struck nine. DRACO Ay me! sad hours seem long.

Was that my father that went hence so fast? GOYLE It was. What sadness lengthens Draco's hours? DRACO Not having that, which, having, makes them short. GOYLE In love? DRACO Out-- GOYLE Of love? DRACO Out of her favour, where I am in love. GOYLE Alas, that love, so gentle in his view,

Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! DRACO Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,

Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!

Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?

Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.

Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!

O any thing, of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness! serious vanity!

Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire,

sick health!

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Dost thou not laugh? GOYLE No, coz, I rather weep. DRACO Good heart, at what? GOYLE At thy good heart's oppression. DRACO Why, such is love's transgression.

Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,

Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest

With more of thine: this love that thou hast shown

Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.

Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs;

Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes;

Being vex'd a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears:

What is it else? a madness most discreet, A choking gall and a preserving sweet. Farewell, my coz. GOYLE Soft! I will go along;

An if you leave me so, you do me wrong. DRACO Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here;

This is not Draco, he's some other where. GOYLE Tell me in sadness, who is that you love. DRACO What, shall I groan and tell thee? GOYLE Groan! why, no.

But sadly tell me who. DRACO Bid a sick man in sadness make his will:

Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill!

In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. GOYLE I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved. DRACO A right good mark-man! And she's fair I love. GOYLE A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. DRACO Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit

With Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian's wit;

And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd,

From love's weak childish bow she lives unharm'd.

She will not stay the siege of loving terms,

Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,

Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:

O, she is rich in beauty, only poor,

That when she dies with beauty dies her store. GOYLE Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste? DRACO She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste,

For beauty starved with her severity

Cuts beauty off from all posterity.

She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair,

To merit bliss by making me despair:

She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow

Do I live dead that live to tell it now. GOYLE Be ruled by me, forget to think of her. DRACO O, teach me how I should forget to think. GOYLE By giving liberty unto thine eyes;

Examine other beauties. DRACO 'Tis the way

To call hers exquisite, in question more:

These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows

Being black put us in mind they hide the fair;

He that is strucken blind cannot forget

The precious treasure of his eyesight lost:

Show me a mistress that is passing fair,

What doth her beauty serve, but as a note

Where I may read who pass'd that passing fair?

Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget. GOYLE I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt. Exeunt