Romeo and Juliet — Act 1, Scene 2in modern English, side by side

A Street · Capulet, Paris, Servant, Benvolio, Romeo, Chorus

Paris asks Capulet for permission to marry his daughter Juliet, and Capulet, though hesitant because she is not yet fourteen, invites Paris to a feast that night to win her over; a servant sent to deliver the guest list, unable to read, runs into Romeo and Benvolio, who learn that Rosaline will be at the party and decide to crash it uninvited.

Confused by a different line? Paste any Shakespeare — any play, any edition — and get it in modern English.

Matching colours pair each sentence with its translation. Hover (or tap) any word to light up the words that match it on the other side — archaic words show their meaning.

Enter Capulet, Paris and Servant

Capulet

But Montague is bound as well as I,

In penalty alike; and ’tis not hard, I think,

For men so old as we to keep the peace.

But Montague is bound by the same penalty as I am, and it isn't hard, I'd think, for men as old as us to keep the peace.

Paris

Of honourable reckoning are you both,

And pity ’tis you liv’d at odds so long.5

You're both men of honorable reputation, and it's a shame you've been at odds for so long.

But now my lord, what say you to my suit?

But now, my lord, what do you say to my proposal?

Capulet

But saying o’er what I have said before.

I can only repeat what I've already said.

My child is yet a stranger in the world,

She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;

My daughter is still new to the world — she hasn't even turned fourteen yet.

Let two more summers wither in their pride10

Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Let two more summers pass before we consider her ready to be a bride.

Paris

Younger than she are happy mothers made.

Girls younger than her have happily become mothers.

Capulet

And too soon marr’d are those so early made.

And those married off too young are ruined too soon.

The earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she,

She is the hopeful lady of my earth:15

The earth has swallowed all my other children — she's the only hope I have left.

But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,

My will to her consent is but a part;

But go ahead and court her, gentle Paris, win her heart — my approval is only part of it.

And she agree, within her scope of choice

Lies my consent and fair according voice.

If she agrees, then within the choice that's hers to make, you'll have my consent and my blessing as well.

This night I hold an old accustom’d feast,20

Whereto I have invited many a guest,

Such as I love, and you among the store,

One more, most welcome, makes my number more.

Tonight I'm holding my usual feast, and I've invited many guests I care for — you'll be one more welcome face among them.

At my poor house look to behold this night

Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light:25

At my humble house tonight, you'll see beautiful young women who light up the dark sky like stars underfoot.

Such comfort as do lusty young men feel

When well apparell’d April on the heel

Of limping winter treads, even such delight

Among fresh female buds shall you this night

Inherit at my house.30

You'll feel the same delight among these fresh young beauties that young men feel when well-dressed April follows on the heels of limping winter.

Hear all, all see,30

And like her most whose merit most shall be:

Listen to them all, look at them all, and favor whichever one deserves it most.

Which, on more view of many, mine, being one,

May stand in number, though in reckoning none.

My own daughter may be among them for you to consider, one among many, though to me she outshines them all.

Come, go with me.

Come along with me.

Go, sirrah, trudge about

Through fair Verona; find those persons out35

Whose names are written there, [_gives a paper_] and to them say,

My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

— Go on, fellow, hurry through fair Verona; find the people whose names are written here, and tell them my house and my welcome await them.

_Exeunt Capulet and Paris._

Servant

Find them out whose names are written here!

Find the people whose names are written here!

It is written that the

shoemaker should meddle with his yard and the tailor with his last, the

fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am sent to40

find those persons whose names are here writ, and can never find what

names the writing person hath here writ.

It's said the shoemaker should stick to his measuring stick and the tailor to his shoe form, the fisherman to his brush and the painter to his nets — but here I am, sent to find people by name when I can't even make out what names this writer has written.

I must to the learned.

I need to find someone educated.

In good

time!

Ah, good timing!

Enter Benvolio and Romeo

Benvolio

Tut, man, one fire burns out another’s burning,

One pain is lessen’d by another’s anguish;45

Come on, man — one fire burns out another's flame; one pain is eased by another's suffering.

Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;

If you're dizzy, spin the other way to cure it.

One desperate grief cures with another’s languish:

One desperate grief is cured by another's anguish.

Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

And the rank poison of the old will die.

Catch some new infection in your eye, and the lingering poison of the old one will die off.

Romeo

Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.50

Your plantain leaf is great for that.

Benvolio

For what, I pray thee?

For what, may I ask?

Romeo

For your broken shin.

For your scraped shin.

Benvolio

Why, Romeo, art thou mad?

Why, Romeo, are you out of your mind?

Romeo

Not mad, but bound more than a madman is:

Shut up in prison, kept without my food,55

Whipp’d and tormented and—

Not mad — but bound up tighter than a madman is: locked in a prison, denied food, whipped and tormented, and —

God-den, good fellow.

good evening, good fellow.

Servant

God gi’ go-den.

Good evening to you too.

I pray, sir, can you read?

Tell me, sir, can you read?

Romeo

Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.

Yes — my own fortune, in my misery.

Servant

Perhaps you have learned it without book.

Maybe you learned that without needing to read it.

But I pray, can you read anything you see?60

But tell me, can you read anything put in front of you?

Romeo

Ay, If I know the letters and the language.

Yes, if I know the letters and the language.

Servant

Ye say honestly, rest you merry!

Well said — good day to you!

Romeo

Stay, fellow; I can read.

Wait, fellow — I can read.

_He reads the letter._

Romeo

_Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;

Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;

County Anselmo and his beauteous sisters;65

Count Anselmo and his lovely sisters;

The lady widow of Utruvio;

the widow of Utruvio;

Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces;

Signior Placentio and his charming nieces;

Mercutio and his brother Valentine;

Mercutio and his brother Valentine;

Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters;

my uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters;

My fair niece Rosaline and Livia;70

my fair niece Rosaline and Livia;

Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt;

Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt;

Lucio and the lively Helena. _

Lucio and lively Helena.

A fair assembly. [_Gives back the paper_]

— A fine group of guests.

Whither should they come?

Where are they supposed to come?

Servant

Up.

Up to the house.

Romeo

Whither to supper?75

Up to supper?

Servant

To our house.

To our house.

Romeo

Whose house?

Whose house?

Servant

My master’s.

My master's.

Romeo

Indeed I should have ask’d you that before.

I really should have asked that before.

Servant

Now I’ll tell you without asking.80

I'll tell you without you even asking.

My master is the great rich Capulet,80

and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray come and crush a

cup of wine.

My master is the great, wealthy Capulet — and if you're not from the house of Montague, please come and share a cup of wine with us.

Rest you merry.

Good day to you.

_Exit._

Benvolio

At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s

Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lov’st;

With all the admired beauties of Verona.85

At this same long-standing Capulet feast, the beautiful Rosaline you love so much will be dining, along with all the most admired beauties of Verona.

Go thither and with unattainted eye,

Compare her face with some that I shall show,

And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Go there, and with an unbiased eye, compare her face to a few others I'll point out, and I'll have you thinking your swan is really just a crow.

Romeo

When the devout religion of mine eye

Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fire;90

And these who, often drown’d, could never die,

Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars.

If my eyes — which worship her with religious devotion — could ever be shown to be lying like that, then let my tears turn to fire, and let these eyes, which have drowned so often in tears without ever dying, be burned alive as obvious liars.

One fairer than my love?

A woman more beautiful than my love?

The all-seeing sun

Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.

The all-seeing sun has never seen her equal since the world began.

Benvolio

Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,95

Herself pois’d with herself in either eye:

Come on — you only thought she was beautiful because there was no one else there to compare her to, weighing her only against herself in each eye.

But in that crystal scales let there be weigh’d

Your lady’s love against some other maid

That I will show you shining at this feast,

And she shall scant show well that now shows best.100

But put her in the same scale as another woman I'll show you at this feast, someone truly dazzling, and your love will barely hold up — the one who seems best now will hardly seem to shine at all.

Romeo

I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown,

But to rejoice in splendour of my own.

I'll come along — not to see any such rival beauty, but just to enjoy the brilliance of my own love.

_Exeunt._

Confused by a different line? Paste any Shakespeare — any play, any edition — and get it in modern English.

Studying the language itself? Our Shakespearean English course teaches thou/thee, the verbs, and the meter — free through Unit 2. Or try the Shakespearean English translator.