Romeo and Juliet

Act 4, Scene 4

Enter LADY CAPULET and NURSE

LADY CAPULET and the NURSE enter.

LADY CAPULET

Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, Nurse.

LADY CAPULET

Wait. Take these keys and get more spices, Nurse.

NURSE

They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.

NURSE

They’re calling for dates and quinces in the pastry kitchen.

Enter CAPULET

CAPULET enters.

CAPULET

Come, stir, stir, stir! The second cock hath crowed.

The curfew bell hath rung. ’Tis three o’clock.—

Look to the baked meats, good Angelica.

Spare not for the cost.

CAPULET

Come on, wake up, wake up, wake up! The second cock crowed. The curfew-bell rang. It’s three o’clock. Go get the baked meats, good Angelica. Don’t worry about the cost.

NURSE

Go, you cot-quean, go.

Get you to bed, faith. You’ll be sick tomorrow

For this night’s watching.

NURSE

Go, you old housewife, go. Go to bed, dear. You’ll be sick tomorrow because you’ve stayed up all night.

CAPULET

No, not a whit, what. I have watched ere now

All night for lesser cause, and ne’er been sick.

CAPULET

No, not at all. What? I’ve stayed up all night many times before for less important matters, and I’ve never gotten sick.

LADY CAPULET

Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time,

But I will watch you from such watching now.

LADY CAPULET

Yes, you’ve been a ladies’ man in your time. But I’ll make sure you don’t stay up any later now.

Exeunt LADY CAPULET and NURSE

LADY CAPULET and the NURSE exit.

CAPULET

A jealous hood, a jealous hood!

CAPULET

A jealous woman, a jealous woman!

Enter three or four SERVINGMEN with spits and logs and baskets

Three or four SERVINGMEN enter with spits, logs, and baskets.

Now, fellow,

What is there?

Now, fellow, what have you got there?

FIRST SERVINGMAN

Things for the cook, sir, but I know not what.

FIRST SERVINGMAN

Things for the cook, sir. But I don’t know what they are.

CAPULET

Make haste, make haste, sirrah.

CAPULET

Hurry up, hurry up.

Exit FIRST SERVINGMAN

The FIRST SERVINGMAN exits.

(to SECOND SERVINGMAN) Fetch drier logs.

Call Peter. He will show thee where they are.

(to SECOND SERVINGMAN) You, fetch logs that are drier than these. Call Peter, he’ll show you where they are.

SECOND SERVINGMAN

I have a head, sir, that will find out logs,

And never trouble Peter for the matter.

SECOND SERVINGMAN

I’m smart enough to find the logs myself without bothering Peter.

Exit SECOND SERVINGMAN

The SECOND SERVINGMAN exits.

CAPULET

Mass, and well said. A merry whoreson, ha!

Thou shalt be loggerhead.—Good faith, ’tis day.

The county will be here with music straight,

For so he said he would. I hear him near.—

CAPULET

Right, and well said. That guy’s funny. He’s got a head full of logs. Goodness, it’s daylight. The count will be here soon with music. At least he said he would. I hear him coming near.

Music plays within

Music plays offstage.

Nurse! Wife! What, ho? What, Nurse, I say!

Nurse! Wife! What? Hey, Nurse!

Enter NURSE

The NURSE returns.

Go waken Juliet. Go and trim her up.

I’ll go and chat with Paris. Hie, make haste,

Make haste. The bridegroom he is come already.

Make haste, I say.

Go wake Juliet. Go and get her dressed. I’ll go and chat with Paris. Hey, hurry up, hurry up! The bridegroom is already here. Hurry up, I say.

Exeunt

They exit.