(re)creation of an excerpt from Act III, scene 5
edited from Shakespeare’s Quarto 1 of 1597, Quarto 2 of 1599, and Folio 1 of 1623, by Catharina Bates
Do ebbe and flow with tears
“For still thy eyes, which I may call the Sea,
do ebb and flow with tears” ~Wm Shakespeare
Juliet and Lady Capulet, talking Jul: Now by Saint Peter's Church, and Peter too, He shall not make me there a joyful Bride. Are these the news you had to tell me of?1 I wonder at this haste, that I must wed, Ere he that should be Husband comes to woo.2 Marry, these are news indeed. I pray you tell my Lord and Father, Madam, I will not marry yet, and when I do, I swear It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, Than Countie3 Paris whom I cannot love.4 L.Cap: Here comes your Father, tell him so yourself, And see how he will take it at your hands. Enter Capulet and Nurse Cap: When the Sun sets, the earth doth drizzle dew But for the sunset of my Brother's Son, It rains downright. How now, a conduit girl? What still in tears? Evermore showering in one little body? Thou counterfeits5 a Sea, a Bark, a Wind: For still thy eyes, which I may call the Sea, Do ebb and flow with tears; the Bark thy body is Sailing in this salt flood; the Winds thy sighs, Who raging with the tears and they with them, Without a sudden calm will over set Thy tempest tossed body. How now wife? Have you delivered to her our decree? L.Cap: I have, But she will none, she gives you thanks. Would God6 the fool were married to her grave. Cap: Soft, take me with you, take me with you wife - How, will she none? Doth she not give us thanks? Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blest - Unworthy as she is - that we have wrought So worthy a Gentleman to be her Bridegroom? Jul: Not proud you have, But thankful that you have; Proud can I never be of what I hate7 But thankful even for hate, that is meant Love. Cap: How, how, how, how? Chopped logic! What is this? Proud and I thank you, and I thank you not, And yet not proud, mistress minion8 you?! Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds, But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next, To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church - Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither! Out, you green sickness carrion! Out, you baggage! You tallow face! L.Cap: Fie, fie, what are you mad?! Jul: Good Father, I beseech you on my knees. Hear me with patience, but to speak a word. Cap: Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what - get thee to Church a-Thursday, Or never after look me in the face! Speak not! Reply not! Do not answer me! My fingers itch, wife! We scarce thought us blest, That God had lent us but this only child - But now I see this one is one too much, And that we have a curse in having her! Out on her, hilding!9 Nur: God in heaven bless her! You are to blame, my Lord, to rate her so! Cap: And why, my Lady Wisdom? Hold your tongue! Good Prudence, smatter with your gossips - go! Nur: Why, my Lord? I speak no treason! Cap: Oh godigoden!10 Nur: May not one speak? Cap: Peace! You mumbling fool - Utter your gravity o'er a gossip's bowl, For here we need it not!
1. Line only found in Quarto 1 (Q1)
2. Folio 1 (F1) has “woe”
3. “Countie” only found in Q1; a title lends distance and formality
4. “whom I cannot love” only in Q1
5. OED: To make an imitation of, imitate (with intent to deceive).
6. Quarto 2 (Q2) and F1 : “I would”
7. F1 has “have” instead of “hate”
8. Only in Q2; OED: (frequently derogatory): a man or woman kept for sexual favours; a mistress or paramour.
9. OED: 1. A worthless or vicious beast 2. A contemptible, worthless person of either sex; a good-for-nothing.
10. Q1 attributed to Nurse ; OED: a customary expression of good wishes on meeting or parting. NB Cap. uses ironically
Editor’s Note
In editing this edition of an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet’s Act III, scene 5, I consulted Quarto 1 of 1597, Quarto 2 of 1599, and Folio 1 of 1623, with Quarto 1 being the earliest known edition. Overall, I modernized the spelling for today’s audiences, yet retained the old language. Although I used Quarto 2 as my copy-text, it was most enjoyable to pick and choose my edits from the three editions. As to the glosses, I prioritized giving the reader notice of variants, and where they could find more information, such as other editions, should they so choose. Secondly, I gave some definitions, but felt that limit of ten most painfully.
My foremost objective while editing was to amplify Juliet’s agency in stating, “I will not marry yet,” while coming against the extreme severity of the patriarchal culture in which she lives. Juliet is robbed of her voice in this scene, and so her lines, melded from Quartos 1 and 2, were of utmost importance. I tried to keep the actor in mind, as ultimately this is a play to be performed, not read. When Juliet states she will not be made a happy bride at St. Peter’s church, and then asks her mother, “Are these the news you had to tell me of?” she is buying time to process this new information. I love the play-on-words of woo/woe. In fact, Folio 1 uses “woe” which bends the image of husband toward Romeo. I ultimately chose woo, because that is the stage Paris should be at, all things being equal, and I think it is easier to hear woe from woo, than the other way around. “Marry, these are news indeed” is my favorite line of Juliet’s. It is at this moment she realizes she has to stand up to her father, and of course, the play on “marry” is genius. I chose to have Juliet say, “Proud can I never be of that I hate,” from Q2, whereas the F1 uses, “of that I have.” Again, I want to give her the most potent words possible.
Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, is also a product of this patriarchal culture, which claimed (and still claims) to be an order created by God. No mother, not even a less-than-loving one, should say, “I would the fool were married to her grave,” as in Q2 and F1. Drawing on the Q1 version, “Would God that she were married to her grave,” at least I could implicate God, albeit in a small way, in the whole debacle, while still retaining the mother’s harshness.
In stark contrast to Juliet’s silent strength, I wanted to accentuate Capulet’s unhinged noise. Capulet’s line “How, how, how, how” is from Quarto 2, and allows the actor to build up anger in the repetition of the same word. Folio 1 uses “How now? How now?” which isn’t remotely comparable in my estimation. In waxing anger, we see him as someone who is overcome by emotion and relies on the innate power of systemic patriarchy and the hegemony it affords him. Only Q2 has the nasty epithet “mistress minion” which I think is fitting for Capulet’s diatribe, and I readily used it. I replaced some of the commas with dashes in Capulet’s lines, because the comma is too refined for what is going on here. The dash is more abrupt and more clearly shows the disjointedness of his thought process as he descends into fury and abuse.
As for publication, I felt very restricted and frustrated by the Hamilton theme of this blog, which I can’t help but think was entirely intentional. A fascinating lesson, indeed.
-Catharina Bates, ed.
Bibliography
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. An Excellent Conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet as it Hath been often (with Great Applause) Plaid Publiquely, by the Right Honourable the L. of Hunsdon His Seruants, G4v-H1r, London, Printed by Iohn Danter and Edward Allde?], 1597. STC 22322 http://ezproxy.trincoll.edu
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. “The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet” in Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies Published According to the True Originall Copies, 69-70 (image 345-346), London, Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount at the charges of W. Iaggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke, and W. Aspley], 1623. STC 22273 http://ezproxy.trincoll.edu
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. The most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedie, of Romeo and Iuliet. Newly Corrected, Augmented, and Amended: As it Hath Bene Sundry Times Publiquely Acted, by the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine His Seruants, H4v-I1r, London, Printed by Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, and are to be sold at his shop neare the Exchange, 1599. STC 22323 http://ezproxy.trincoll.edu
OED Online. March 2022. Oxford University Press. https://www-oed-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu