Comparing William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

No Fear Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet (by SparkNotes)

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Prologue
Enter CHORUS CHORUS 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. 5 From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love 10 And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children’s end, naught 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
ROMEO Is it that early in the day? BENVOLIO It’s only just now nine o'clock. ROMEO Oh my, time goes by slowly when you’re sad. Was that my father who left here in such a hurry? BENVOLIO It was. What’s making you so sad and your hours so long? ROMEO I don’t have the thing that makes time fly. BENVOLIO You’re in love? ROMEO Out. BENVOLIO Out of love? ROMEO I love someone. She doesn’t love me. BENVOLIO It’s sad. Love looks like a nice thing, but it’s actually very rough when you experience it. ROMEO What’s sad is that love is supposed to be blind, but it can still make you do whatever it wants. So, where should we eat? (seeing blood) Oh my! What fight happened here? No, don’t tell me—I know all about it. This fight has a lot to do with hatred, but it has more to do with love. O brawling love! O loving hate! Love that comes from nothing! Sad happiness! Serious foolishness! Beautiful things muddled together into an ugly mess! Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake—it’s everything except what it is! This is the love I feel, though no one loves me back. Are you
195 In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. BENVOLIO I aimed so near when I supposed you loved. ROMEO A right good markman! And she’s fair I love. BENVOLIO A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. ROMEO Well, in that hit you miss. She’ll not be hit 200 With Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit. And, in strong proof of chastity well armed From love’s weak childish bow, she lives uncharmed. She will not stay the siege of loving terms, 205 Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold. Oh, she is rich in beauty, only poor That when she dies, with beauty dies her store. BENVOLIO Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste? ROMEO She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, ROMEO You wouldn’t tell a sick man he “seriously” has to make his will—it would just make him worse. Seriously, cousin, I love a woman. BENVOLIO I guessed that already when I guessed you were in love. ROMEO Then you were right on target. The woman I love is beautiful. BENVOLIO A beautiful target is the one that gets hit the fastest. ROMEO Well, you’re not on target there. She refuses to be hit by Cupid’s arrow. She’s as clever as Diana, and shielded by the armor of chastity. She can’t be touched by the weak and childish arrows of love. She won’t listen to words of love, or let you look at her with loving eyes, or open her lap to receive gifts of gold. She’s rich in beauty, but