AcT 1, ScEnE 3 NuRsE


An honour! Were not I thine only nurse, I would say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat.28


70


LaDy CaPuLeT Well, think of marriage now. Younger than you,


Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,29 Are made already mothers. By my count, I was your mother much upon these years That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.


NuRsE A man, young lady! Lady, such a man


As all the world – why, he’s a man of wax.30


LaDy CaPuLeT Verona’s summer hath not such a flower.


NuRsE Nay, he’s a flower. In faith, a very flower. LaDy CaPuLeT


80


What say you? Can you love the gentleman? This night you shall behold him at our feast. Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face, And find delight writ there with beauty’s pen. Examine every married lineament,31 And see how one another lends content32 And what obscured33


Find written in the margent35 90


in this fair volume34 of his eyes.


To beautify him, only lacks a cover.37 The fish lives in the sea,38


lies This precious book of love, this unbound36 lover, and ’tis much pride


For fair without the fair within to hide.39 That book in many’s eyes doth share the glory, That in gold clasps locks in the golden story. So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him, making yourself no less.40


NuRsE No less? Nay, bigger! Women grow41 by men.


LaDy CaPuLeT Speak briefly, can you like of Paris’ love?


37 41 30


man of wax: a perfectly formed man, i.e. a perfect male


29 28


Were not I thine…thy teat: If I wasn’t the only woman who breastfed you, I would have said you sucked wisdom from the nipple


ladies of esteem: well-regarded women


31


every married lineament: every feature of his face (lineament), perfectly combined (married)


32


And see…content: and observe how they (the features) complement one another 33 obscured: unknowable


34


fair volume: beautiful book, i.e. Paris’s face


35 margent: margin 36


unbound: unmarried. This is a pun as Paris’ face is imagined as a book


37 cover: i.e. a wife 38


39


The fish…sea: i.e. the fish knows its place


For fair without…hide: a book’s beautiful contents should be matched by a beautiful cover


40


So shall…no less: i.e. by marrying Paris you will have a share in his wealth and high esteem


grow: 1. are enhanced 2. become pregnant


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224