IMMORTAL PHRASES FROM SHAKESPEARE

Compiled by Amal HEWAVISSENTI

The story continued from last week...

The tragedy draws to an end....

Romeo, who is currently in Mantua is waiting impatiently for news of Juliet. A messenger brings him the false news that Juliet has been dead and been buried in the Vault. Heart broken Romeo decides at once on suicide and buys poison from a Chemist's shop. He reaches Verona late in the night and enters the church yard. Desperately he breaks open the Vault where Juliet's body lies motionless and is spotted by Count Paris who is guarding Juliet's grave. Count Paris comes to fight with Romeo because he thinks that Romeo, being a montaque, has come to harm Juliet's body. Count Paris is killed in the fight and Romeo is frustrated at what he has done. He carries the body of Count Paris to the tomb and places the body next to Juliet. Romeo begs pardon of Tybalt's body for having killed him. He watches Juliet's face and then turns to Tybalt's body and says "O cousin, I'll avenge your death by killing your enemy - that is me." Romeo kisses Juliet and drinks the poison. He falls dead next to her. By now the Friar learns that his messenger has not gone to Mantua to deliver the message to Romeo that he should return to Verona at once. The Friar hurries to the tomb as it is time for Juliet to wake up. His plan is to take Juliet to his home and hide her there till Romeo could come to take her with him. When he goes to the tomb, Juliet is waking up and she asks "O gentle Friar! Where is my husband?"

(Romeo is in Mantua waiting to come to Verona. Balthasar comes to him with false news of Juliet's death)

Romeo: If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep,

My dreams presage some joyful news at hand,

My bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne,

And all this day an unaccustomed spirit

Lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts.

I dreamt my lady came and found me dead.

.........................................

News from Verona! How now Balthasar?

Dost thou not bring me letters from the Friar?

How doth my lady? Is my father well?

How doth my lady Juliet? That I ask again,

For nothing can be ill if she be well.

(In current English)

"If I'm to believe in the honeyed words of dreams (dreams flatter us)

My dreams foretell a happy news coming to me.

My heart is happy in its place of my bosom.

Throughout the day, an unusual feeling.

Is keeping me high with happy moods.

I dreamed that Juliet came and saw me dead.

..........................................

Are you bringing news from Verona? How's everything Balthasar?

Aren't you bringing any message from the Friar?

How's Juliet? Is my father alright?

How's my love Juliet? I ask it again,

Because everything will be OK if she is happy".

(When Romeo hears the false news of Juliet's death, he goes to a poor Chemist to buy a poison. The chemist refuses to sell poison to Romeo. However he manages to get a bottle of poison.)

Romeo: There is thy gold - worse poison to men's souls,

Doing more murder in this loathsome world,

Than these poor compounds that thou mayst no sell;

I sell thee poison. Thou has sold me none.

........................

(In current English)

"Here is your money. That is the biggest poison for people's minds.

Money kills our minds.

That is a murder in this disgusting world.

Money is more dangerous than this poison which you don't like to sell.

It is I who sells you poison (money).

You have sold nothing to me."

(The Friar Lawrence decides to awake Juliet and sends a message to Romeo to come back to Verona.)

Friar: Now I must to the monument alone

Within this three hours will fair Juliet awake.

She will be shrew me much that Romeo.

Hath had no notice of these accidents.

But I will write again to Mantua.

And keep her at my cell till Romeo comes.

Poor living corse, closed in a dead man's tomb!

(In current English)

"Now I must go to the tomb alone.

After these three hours, beautiful Juliet will get up.

She will curse me very much if Romeo.

Is not informed of all these plans.

But I should send a message to Mantua.

And I should keep Juliet in my room till Romeo comes.

The innocent lady, locked up in a dead man's tomb!"

(Count Paris comes to Juliet's tomb and laments her death.)

Paris: Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew -

O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones -

Which with sweet water nightly I will dew;

Or, wanting that, with tears distilled by moans.

The obsequies that I for thee will keep

Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.

(In current English)

"O Juliet, I'll scatter your bridal bed with flowers.

Alas! the covering of your bed of death is only dust and stones.

I'll wet your bed with scented water every night;

Or without it, I'll wet it with my tears of sorrow.

The funeral rites that I perform for you.

Will be to shed my tears on your grave and weep every night."

(Romeo is lamenting over the (supposedly dead) body of Juliet and is about to commit suicide.)

Romeo: How oft when men are at the point of death

Have they been merry! Which their keepers call

A lightning before death. O How may I

Call this a lightning? O my love, my wife!

Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,

Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.

Thou art not conquered. Beauty's ensign yet

Is crimson, in thy lips and in thy cheeks,

And death's pale flag is not advanced there.

..............................

Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe

That unsubstantial death is amorous,

And that lean abhorred monster keeps

Thee here in dark to be his paramour?

For fear of that I still will stay with thee

And never from this palace of dim night

Depart again. Here, here will I remain

With worms that are thy chambermaids. O here

Will I set up my everlasting rest

.............

........ Eyes! Look your last!

Arms, take your last embrace! and lips O you

The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss

A dateless bargain to engrossing death!

Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide!

(In current English)

"Most often, when people are about to die,

Strange happiness comes to them. Nurses around a dying person

Say it is a kind of lighting before death. But how can I

Say this happiness in her face is a lightning? Alas! you're my love, my wife!

Death has stopped your breathing,

But it has not been able to remove the beauty of your face!

You are not under power of death. (You have a life like appearance!)

The sign of beauty that is the red colour is still alive in your lips and cheeks.

The death has not been able to make your face pale.

.......................

O Juliet! Why are you so beautiful? A thought comes to my mind

That the intangible death is love-sick.

And that disgusting monster is having

You with him in the dark as his secret lover girl?

I'm afraid that it is so. So I will be with you as a guard,

And I will never leave you in his dark tomb.

Here I will remain.

With the worms of your body. (They are your chambermaids)

Here I will rest in death.

....................

This is the last moment I can use my eyes to see (Juliet)

This is the last moment I can use my arms to embrace her.

This is the last chance to use my lips to seal her face with a kiss.

It is a everlasting agreement with the dangerous death!

O death, come to me! Unpleasant guide - death come to me!"