Romeo and Juliet — Act 3, Scene 4

original text and modern English, side by side

A Room in Capulet’s House · Capulet, Paris, Lady Capulet

Capulet, grieving over Tybalt and unaware his daughter is secretly already married to Romeo, decides on the spot to marry Juliet to Paris and rushes the wedding to Thursday, just days away. This impulsive decision, made without consulting Juliet, sets up the crisis that will force her to fake her death.

Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet and Paris

Capulet

Things have fallen out, sir, so unluckily

That we have had no time to move our daughter.

Things have turned out so unluckily, sir, that we haven't had time to speak with our daughter about your proposal.

Look you, she lov’d her kinsman Tybalt dearly,

And so did I.

Look, she loved her cousin Tybalt dearly, and so did I.

Well, we were born to die.

Well, we were all born to die eventually.

’Tis very late; she’ll not come down tonight.

It's very late — she won't come down tonight.

I promise you, but for your company,

I would have been abed an hour ago.

I promise you, if it weren't for your company, I would have gone to bed an hour ago.

Paris

These times of woe afford no tune to woo.

These sorrowful times don't leave room for courting.

Madam, good night.

Madam, good night

Commend me to your daughter.

— give my regards to your daughter.

Lady Capulet

I will, and know her mind early tomorrow;

I will, and I'll learn her feelings first thing tomorrow morning.

Tonight she’s mew’d up to her heaviness.

Tonight she's shut herself away with her grief.

Capulet

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender

Of my child’s love.

Sir Paris, I'll take a bold risk on my daughter's behalf.

I think she will be rul’d

In all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not.

I think she'll do as I say in every respect — in fact, I'm sure of it.

Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed,

Wife, go to her before you go to bed.

Acquaint her here of my son Paris’ love,

Tell her about my son Paris's love,

And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next,

and tell her, listen carefully, that next Wednesday

But, soft, what day is this?

— wait, what day is it today?

Paris

Monday, my lord.

Capulet

Monday! Ha, ha!

Well, Wednesday is too soon,

A Thursday let it be;

Well, Wednesday's too soon — let's make it Thursday.

a Thursday, tell her,

She shall be married to this noble earl.

Tell her she'll be married to this noble earl on Thursday.

Will you be ready?

Do you like this haste?

Do you like this speed?

We’ll keep no great ado,—a friend or two,

For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late,

It may be thought we held him carelessly,

Being our kinsman, if we revel much.

We won't make a big fuss about it — just a friend or two, because, listen, since Tybalt was killed so recently, people might think we didn't care much about him, being our relative, if we celebrated too much.

Therefore we’ll have some half a dozen friends,

And there an end.

So we'll have about half a dozen friends, and that will be that.

But what say you to Thursday?

But what do you say to Thursday?

Paris

My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.

My lord, I wish Thursday were tomorrow.

Capulet

Well, get you gone.

Well, off you go then.

A Thursday be it then.

Thursday it is.

Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed,

Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day.

Go to Juliet before you go to bed, wife, and prepare her for this wedding day.

Farewell, my lord.

—Light to my chamber, ho!

Someone light my way to my room!

Afore me, it is so very very late that we

May call it early by and by.

It's gotten so very, very late that we might as well call it early morning already.

Good night.

Exeunt.

Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 4 summary

Who appears in this scene

Capulet, Paris, Lady Capulet — A Room in Capulet’s House.

Keep reading

About this translation: the original text follows the public-domain Project Gutenberg Globe edition; the modern English translation was written in-house for Polytranslator and is reviewed on an ongoing basis (last revised August 2026). Free to print and photocopy for classroom use. Cite as: “Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 4. Polytranslator side-by-side translation, polytranslator.com/shakespeare/romeo-and-juliet/act-3-scene-4.”

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.