Romeo and Juliet - Tybalt's Death

ACT III

SCENE I. A public place.

Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, and Servants

BENVOLIO

I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,

MERCUTIO

O simple!

BENVOLIO

By my head, here come the Capulets.

MERCUTIO

By my heel, I care not.

Enter TYBALT and others

TYBALT

Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.

MERCUTIO

And but one word with one of us?

TYBALT

Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo,--

MERCUTIO

Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels?

Enter ROMEO

TYBALT

Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.

ROMEO

Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee

Doth much excuse the rage: villain am I none;

TYBALT

Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.

ROMEO

I do protest, I never injured thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devise,

MERCUTIO

O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!

Draws

Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

TYBALT

I am for you.

Drawing

ROMEO

Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier away.

They fight

ROMEO

Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!
Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!

TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs MERCUTIO, and flies with his followers

MERCUTIO

I am hurt.
A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.

BENVOLIO

What, art thou hurt?

MERCUTIO

Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; Go, fetch a surgeon.

Exit Page

ROMEO

Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

MERCUTIO

No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

ROMEO

I thought all for the best.

MERCUTIO

Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!
They have made worms' meat of me.

Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO

ROMEO

My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf; my reputation stain'd
With Tybalt's slander.

Re-enter BENVOLIO

BENVOLIO

O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead!

ROMEO

This day's black fate on more days doth depend;
This but begins the woe, others must end.

BENVOLIO

Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.

ROMEO

Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain!

Re-enter TYBALT

Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again,
Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.

TYBALT

Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
Shalt with him hence.

ROMEO

This shall determine that.

They fight; TYBALT falls

BENVOLIO

Romeo, away, be gone!
The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.
Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death,
If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!

ROMEO

O, I am fortune's fool!

Exit ROMEO