Romeo and Juliet
1.Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
【简介与赏析】
威廉·莎士比亚（William Shakespeare，1564—1616），英国文艺复兴时期伟大的剧作家、诗人，生于英格兰沃里克郡斯特拉福镇。少时就读于一所文法学校，后游历伦敦，做过剧院杂役、演员等。1588年左右开始戏剧改编、创作，剧作有历史剧、悲剧、喜剧等37部。
莎翁创作早期属伊丽莎白一世统治时期，国势鼎盛，故剧作多历史剧、喜剧，歌颂英国历史与开明君主，表现市民生活，彰显人文理想，笔调轻快、情致乐观。名作有历史剧《理查三世》（1592），《亨利四世》（上下集，1597—1598）和《亨利五世》（1599），喜剧《仲夏夜之梦》（1596），《威尼斯商人》（1597），《温莎的风流娘儿们》（1598），《无事生非》（1599）和《第十二夜》（1600）等。中期正值17世纪初，王权交替，社会矛盾激化，丑恶日显，故剧作多表现为现实主义悲剧，揭露社会腐败现象，批判社会黑暗。名作有四大悲剧《哈姆雷特》（1601）、《奥赛罗》（1604）、《李尔王》（1606）、《麦克白》（1606），笔调阴郁、感情悲愤，但形象丰满、语言纯熟。1608年后，进入创作晚期，转写传奇剧，以梦幻世界寄寓人文理想，浪漫情调浓郁，名作有《暴风雨》（1611）等。莎翁还写过154首十四行诗、2首长诗。
莎翁被公誉为“英国戏剧之父”、“人类文学奥林匹斯山上的宙斯”，著名戏剧家本·琼森称其为“时代的灵魂”，马克思称其为“人类最伟大的天才之一”。另外，其诞辰与逝世日（同为4月23日）被确定为世界图书与版权日。
《罗密欧与朱丽叶》
《罗密欧与朱丽叶》（1597，创作于1591至1595年间）是莎翁著名爱情悲剧，全名为The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet，改编自意大利民间故事。在莎翁之前已有Arthur Brooke的诗作The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet（1562）与William Painter的小说Palace of Pleasure（1582）。讲述维罗纳城中蒙太古与凯普莱特两大家族世代为仇，但其儿女罗密欧与朱丽叶却一见钟情，后双双殉情的故事。两人迫于家族仇恨，秘密举行了婚礼。后罗密欧因替友复仇刺死了朱丽叶的表哥而被放逐，朱丽叶被逼婚，遂服药装死。罗密欧赶回，不明真相，自杀殉情。朱丽叶苏醒后，见爱人已死，也在悲痛中结束了自己的生命。本书所选第三幕第五场是罗密欧被放逐前一晚潜入朱丽叶闺房的场景。
莎翁在本剧中运用了转换悲喜剧、穿插次要情节等戏剧手法，以凸显戏剧张力。全剧主要以素体诗（blank verse，一称无韵诗）写成，但根据人物性格、剧情发展使用了彼特拉克十四行诗（Petrarchan sonnet）、莎士比亚十四行诗（Shakespearean sonnet）、颂歌（epithalamium）、挽歌（elegy）、狂歌（rhapsody）等诗体，并大量使用双关（pun）以增强幽默效果。对于本剧主题，评论家意见不一，但本剧主要探讨了爱情、命运、时间等主题。相比其中后期剧作，本剧人物形象不够丰满，剧情亦不甚严谨，悲剧归于偶然而非必然。另外，本剧与《哈姆雷特》同为莎翁的上演次数最多的剧作，自问世以来曾无数次被改编成歌剧、交响曲、芭蕾舞剧、电影及电视作品、动画等。
【剧本选读】
Characters
Romeo：the son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague，ayoung man of about sixteen
Juliet：the daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet，a beautiful thirteen－year－old girl
The Nurse：Juliet’s nurse，the woman who breast－fed Juliet when she was a baby and will care for Juliet in her entire life
Lady Capulet：Juliet’s mother，Capulet’s wife
Capulet：the patriarch of the Capulet family，father of Juliet，husband of Lady Capulet，and enemy，for unexplained reasons，of Montague
ACTⅢ SCENEⅤ
Capulet’s Orchard.
Enter ROMEO and JULIET aloft［with the ladder of cords］
JULIET
Wilt thou be gone？It is not yet near day.
It was the nightingale，and not the lark，
That pierced the fear－full hollow of thine ear.
Nightly she sings on yon pom’granate tree.
Believe me，love，it was the nightingale.①
ROMEO
It was the lark，the herald of the morn，
No nightingale.look，love，what envious streaks
Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east.
Night’s candles are burnt out，and jocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
I must be gone and live，or stay and die.②
JULIET
Yon light is not day light；I know it，I.
It is some meteor that the sun exhaled
To be to thee this night a torch bearer
And light thee on thy way to Mantua.
Therefore stay yet，thou need’st not to be gone.③
ROMEO
Let me be ta’en，let me be put to death.
I am content，so thou wilt have it so.
I’ll say yon grey is not the morning’s eye，
’Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia’s brow；
Nor that is not the lark whose notes do beat
The vaulty heaven so high above our heads.
I have more care to stay than will to go.
Come，death，and welcome；Juliet wills it so.
How is’t，my soul？let’s talk.It is not day.④
JULIET
It is，it is.Hie hence，be gone，away.
It is the lark that sings so out of tune，
Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps.
Some say the lark makes sweet division；
This doth not so，for she divideth us.
Some say the lark and loathèd toad change eyes.
O，now I would they had changed voices，too，
Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray，
Hunting thee hence with hunt’s－up to the day.
O，now be gone！more light and light it grows.⑤
ROMEO
More light and light，more dark and dark our woes.
Enter NURSE hastily
NURSE
Madam.
JULIET
Nurse.
NURSE
Your lady mother is coming to your chamber.
The day is broke；be wary，look about.
Exit
JULIET
Then，window，let day in，and let life out.
ROMEO
Farewell，farewell！One kiss，and I’ll descend.
He［lets down the ladder of cords and］goes down
JULIET
Art thou gone so，love，lord，my husband，friend？
I must hear from thee every day in the hour，
For in a minute there are many days.
O，by this count I shall be much in years
Ere I again behold my Romeo.⑥
ROMEO
Farewell.
I will omit no opportunity
That may convey my greetings，love，to thee.
JULIET
O，think’st thou we shall ever meet again？
ROMEO
I doubt it not，and all these woes shall serve
For sweet discourses in our time to come.
JULIET
O God，I have an ill－divining soul！
Methinks I see thee，now thou art so low，
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.
Either my eyesight fails，or thou look’st pale.⑦
ROMEO
And trust me，love，in my eye so do you.
Dry sorrow drinks our blood.Adieu，adieu.
Exit
JULIET［pulling up the ladder and weeping］
O fortune，fortune，all men call thee fickle.
If thou art fickle，what dost thou with him
That is renowned for faith？Be fickle，fortune，
For then I hope thou wilt not keep him long，
But send him back.⑧
Enter［LADY CAPULET below］
LADY CAPULET
Ho，daughter，are you up？
JULIET
Who is’t that calls？is it my lady mother？
Is she not down so late，or up so early？
What unaccustomed cause procures her hither？⑨
She goes down［and enters below］
LADY CAPULET
Why，how now，Juliet！
JULIET
Madam，I am not well.
LADY CAPULET
Evermore weeping for your cousin’s death？
What，wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears？
An if thou couldst，thou couldst not make him live，
Therefore have done.Some grief shows much of love，
But much of grief shows still some want of wit.⑩
JULIET
Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss.
LADY CAPULET
So shall you feel the loss，but not the friend
Which you so weep for.
JULIET
Feeling so the loss，
I cannot choose but ever weep the friend.
LADY CAPULET
Well，girl，thou weep’st not so much for his death
As that the villain lives which slaughtered him.
JULIET
What villain，madam？
LADY CAPULET
That same villain Romeo.
JULIET
［aside］Villain and he be many miles asunder—
［To her mother］God Pardon him—I do，with all my heart，
And yet no man like he doth grieve my heart.
LADY CAPULET
That is because the traitor murderer lives.
JULIET
Ay，madam，from the reach of these my hands.
Would none but I might venge my cousin’s death！
LADY CAPULET
We will have vengeance for it，fear thou not.
Then weep no more.I’ll send to one in Mantua，
Where that same banished runagate doth live，
Shall give him such an unaccustomed dram
That he shall soon keep Tybalt company；
And then I hope thou wilt be satisfied.
JULIET
Indeed，I never shall be satisfied
With Romeo till I behold him，dead，
Is my poor heart so for a kinsman vexed.
Madam，if you could find out but a man
To bear a poison，I would temper it
That Romeo should，upon receipt thereof，
Soon sleep in quiet.O，how my heart abhors
To hear him named and cannot come to him
To wreak the love I bore my cousin
Upon his body that hath slaughtered him！
LADY CAPULET
Find thou the means，and I’ll find such a man.
But now I’ll tell thee joyful tidings，girl.
JULIET
And joy comes well in such a needy time.
What are they，I beseech your ladyship？
LADY CAPULET
Well，well，thou hast a careful father，child；
One who，to put thee from thy heaviness，
Hath sorted out a sudden day of joy
That thou expect’st not，nor I look’d not for.
JULIET
Madam，in happy time.What day is that？
LADY CAPULET
Marry，my child，early next Thursday morn
The gallant，young，and noble gentleman
The County Paris at Saint Peter’s Church
Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.
JULIET
Now，by Saint Peter’s Church，and Peter too，
He shall not make me there a joyful bride.
I wonder at this haste，that I must wed
Ere he that should be husband comes to woo.
I pray you，tell my lord and father，madam，
I will not marry yet；and when I do，I swear
It shall be Romeo—whom you know I hate—
Rather than Paris.These are news indeed.
LADY CAPULET
Here comes your father.Tell him so yourself，
And see how he will take it at your hands.
Enter CAPULET and NURSE
CAPULET
When the sun sets，the earth doth drizzle dew，
But for the sunset of my brother’s son
It rains downright.
How now，a conduit，girl？what，still in tears？
Evermore show’ring？In one little body
Thou counterfeit’st a barque，a sea，a wind，
For still thy eyes—which I may call the sea—
Do ebb and flow with tears.the barque thy body is，
Sailing in this salt flood；the winds thy sighs，
Who，raging with thy tears and they with them，
Without a sudden calm will overset
Thy tempest－tossèd body.—How now，wife？
Have you delivered to her our decree？
LADY CAPULET
Ay，sir，but she will none，she gives you thanks.
I would the fool were married to her grave.
CAPULET
Soft，take me with you，take me with you，wife.
How！will she none？Doth she not give us thanks？
Is she not proud？Doth she not count her blest，
Unworthy as she is，that we have wrought
So worthy agentleman to be her bridegroom？
JULIET
Not proud you have，but thankful that you have.
Proud can I never be of what I hate，
But thankful even for hate that is meant love.
CAPULET
How，how，how，how，—chopped logic？What is this？
‘Proud’，and‘I thank you’，and‘I thank you not’，
And yet‘not proud’？Mistress minion，you，
Thank me no thankings，nor proud me no prouds，
But fettle your fine joints’gainst Thursday next
To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church，
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.
Out，you green－sickness carrion！Out，you baggage，
You tallow－face！
LADY CAPULET
Fie，fie，what，are you mad？
JULIET［kneels down］
Good father，I beseech you on my knees，
Hear me with patience but to speak a word.
CAPULET
Hang thee，young baggage，disobedient wretch！
I tell thee what：get thee to church o’Thursday，
Or never after look me in the face.
Speak not，reply not，do not answer me.
［JULIET rises］
My fingers itch.Wife，we scarce thought us blest
That God had lent us but this only child，
But now I see this one is one too much，
And that we have a curse in having her.
Out on her，hilding！
NURSE
God in heaven bless her！
You are to blame，my lord，to rate her so.
CAPULET
And why，my lady Wisdom？Hold your tongue，
Good Prudence.Smatter with your gossips，go！
NURSE
I speak no treason.
CAPULET
O，God－i’－good－e’en！
NURSE
May not one speak？
CAPULET
Peace，you mumbling fool，
Utter your gravity o’er a gossip’s bowl，
For here we need it not.
LADY CAPULET
You are too hot.
CAPULET
God’s bread，it makes me mad.
Day，night；work，play；
Alone，in company，still my care hath been
To have her matched；and having now provided
A gentleman of noble parentage，
Of fair demesnes，youthful，and nobly lined，
Stuffed，as they say，with honourable parts，
Proportioned as one’s thought would wish a man—
And then to have a wretched puling fool，
A whining maumet，in her fortune’s tender，
To answer‘I’ll not wed，I cannot love；
I am too young，I pray you pardon me’！
But an you will not wed，I’ll pardon you！
Graze where you will，you shall not house with me.
Look to’t，think on’t.I do not use to jest.
Thursday is near.Lay hand on heart.Advise.
An you be mine，I’ll give you to my friend.
An you be not，hang，beg，starve，die in
the streets，
For，by my soul，I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee，
Nor what is mine shall never do thee good.
Trust to’t，bethink you.I’ll not be forsworn.
Exit
【注释】
①Are you going？It’s not morning yet.
It was the nightingale，and not the lark，
That you heard；
Nightly she sings on that pomegranate tree.
Believe me，love，it was the nightingale.
②It was the lark，the messenger that says it’s morning，
No nightingale.Look，love，what jealous streaks of sunlight
Lace the parting clouds over there in the east.
Night’s candles are burned out，and the joyful day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
I have to go and live，or stay and die.
③That light is not daylight，I just know it.
It is some meteor that the sun spits out
To be a torch bearer for you tonight
And light your way to Mantua.
Therefore stay a bit longer，you don’t need to go.
④Let me be taken prisoner，let me be put to death.
I am content，so you will have it so.
I’ll say that that gray streak is not the morning sun，
It’s only the pale reflection of Cynthia’s brow；
And that’s not the lark whose notes hit
The high ceiling of heaven so high above our heads.
I have more care to stay than will to go.
Come，death，and welcome！Juliet wills it so.
How is it，my soul？Let’s talk.It is not day.
⑤It is，it is！Go quickly！Get going！Leave！
It is the lark that sings so out of tune，
Straining to sing horrible songs and unpleasing notes.
Some say the lark makes sweet division in its songs；
This isn’t true，because she divides us.
Some say the lark and hated toad change eyes；
O，now I wish that they had changed voices too！
Since that military voice frightens us，
They’ll be hunting you here with an early morning song today.
O，now get going！It’s getting lighter and lighter.
⑥Are you going so soon，My lord，my love，my friend？
I must hear from you every hour of the day，
Because there are many days in just one minute.
O，by this count I’ll be very old
Before I see my Romeo again.
⑦O God！I have a soul that predicts bad things！
I think I see you，now you are below me，
Looking like someone dead in the bottom of a tomb.
Either my eyesight fails，or you look pale.
⑧O Lady Luck！all men say you are changeable.
If you are so fickle，what do you want with a guy
Who is known for his faith？Be changeable，Luck，
Because then，I hope，you won’t keep him long，
But send him back to me.
⑨Who’s calling me？Is it my lady mother？
Isn’t she down so late，or up so early？
What unusual reason brings her here？
⑩Endless weeping for your cousin’s death？
What，will you wash him from his grave with tears？
And if you could，you couldn’t bring him back to life，
Therefore，stop grieving.A little grief shows much love，
But too much of grief shows a little craziness.
We will have vengeance for it，don’t worry about that.
So stop crying.I’ll send a messenger to someone in Mantua，
Where that same banished runaway lives，
And he shall give him such an unusual vial of medicine
That he will soon keep Tybalt company，
And then I hope you’ll be satisfied.
Indeed I’ll never be satisfied
With Romeo till I see him dead.
My poor heart is so aggravated for a kinsman，
Madam，that if you could only find a man
To bear a poison，I would help to mix it，
So that Romeo should，when he gets it，
Soon sleep in quiet.O，how my heart hates
To hear his name，and I can’t present myself to him，
To vent the love I had for my cousin Tybalt
Upon the body of the man that has slaughtered him！
Now by Saint Peter’s Church，and Peter too，
He shall not“make me there a joyful bride”.
What’s the rush that I must wed
Before a husband－to－be comes to court me？
Please tell my lord and father，madam，
I will not marry yet.And when I do，I swear
It shall be Romeo，whom you know I hate，
Rather than Paris.This is news indeed！
So that’s how it is now，arguing with choppy reasoning？What is this？
“Proud”，and“I thank you”，and“I thank you not”，
And yet“not proud”？Mistress Darling，you—
Thank me no thankings，nor proud me no prouds，
But get your fine joints ready for next Thursday
To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church，
Or I will drag you there on a cart made for traitors going to execution.
Get out，you green，diseased dead meat！Out，you bag of garbage！
You pale，ugly face！
God’s bread！It makes me angry.
Day，night，work，play，
Alone，or in company，still my main concern has been
To have her matched to a good man，and now having provided
A gentleman of noble parentage，
Of beautiful lands and estates，youthful，and with noble manners，
Stuffed，as they say，with honourable parts，
Proportioned as woman’s heart would wish a man to be built，
And then to have a wretched fool，crying like a baby，
A whining child，in her luck’s best offer，
To answer，“I’ll not wed，I cannot love，
I am too young，I pray you pardon me.”
But，if you will not wed，I’ll pardon you.
Eat where you can，you won’t live with me.
Look to it.Think on it，I’m not joking.
Thursday is near；swear to me，tell me.
If you are mine，I’ll give you to my friend；
If you aren’t，go hang yourself，beg，starve，die in the streets，
Because，by my soul，I’ll never acknowledge you exist，
And you will cut off from your inheritance.
Trust to it.Think about it.You won’t make a liar out of me.
【讨论题】
1.Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet.
2.How does Shakespeare treat death in Romeo and Juliet？Frame your answer in terms of legal，moral，and personal issues.
3.What’s the major theme of the play？