Romeo and Juliet

Share
First folio
Modern text

Definitions

Key line

Enter Iuliet and Nurse.Enter Juliet and Nurse RJ IV.iii.1.1
Iul. JULIET 
I those attires are best, but gentle NurseAy, those attires are best. But, gentle Nurse,attire (n.)
head-dress
RJ IV.iii.1
gentle (adj.)
courteous, friendly, kind
I pray thee leaue me to my selfe to night:I pray thee leave me to myself tonight. RJ IV.iii.2
For I haue need of many Orysons,For I have need of many orisonsorison (n.)

old form: Orysons
prayer, plea
RJ IV.iii.3
To moue the heauens to smile vpon my state,To move the heavens to smile upon my state, RJ IV.iii.4
Which well thou know'st, is crosse and full of sin.Which, well thou knowest, is cross and full of sin.cross (adj.)

old form: crosse
perverse, contrarious, contradictory
RJ IV.iii.5
Enter Mother.Enter Lady Capulet RJ IV.iii.6
Mo. LADY CAPULET 
What are you busie ho? need you my help?What, are you busy, ho? Need you my help? RJ IV.iii.6
Iul. JULIET 
No Madam, we haue cul'd such necessariesNo, madam. We have culled such necessariescull (v.)

old form: cul'd
select, pick out, choose
RJ IV.iii.7
As are behoouefull for our state to morrow:As are behoveful for our state tomorrow.state (n.)
ceremony, celebration
RJ IV.iii.8
behoveful, behoofeful (adj.)

old form: behoouefull
needful, necessary, useful
So please you, let me now be left alone;So please you, let me now be left alone, RJ IV.iii.9
And let the Nurse this night sit vp with you,And let the Nurse this night sit up with you. RJ IV.iii.10
For I am sure, you haue your hands full all,For I am sure you have your hands full all RJ IV.iii.11
In this so sudden businesse.In this so sudden business. RJ IV.iii.12.1
Mo. LADY CAPULET 
Goodnight.Good night. RJ IV.iii.12.2
Get thee to bed and rest, for thou hast need. Go thee to bed, and rest. For thou hast need. RJ IV.iii.13
Exeunt.Exeunt Lady Capulet and Nurse RJ IV.iii.13
Iul. JULIET 
Farewell: / God knowes when we shall meete againe.Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again. RJ IV.iii.14
I haue a faint cold feare thrills through my veines,I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veinsfaint (adj.)
faint-hearted, timorous, fearful
RJ IV.iii.15
thrill (v.)
pass like a shiver, tremble
That almost freezes vp the heate of fire:That almost freezes up the heat of life. RJ IV.iii.16
Ile call them backe againe to comfort me.I'll call them back again to comfort me. RJ IV.iii.17
Nurse, what should she do here?Nurse! – What should she do here? RJ IV.iii.18
My dismall Sceane, I needs must act alone:My dismal scene I needs must act alone.dismal (adj.)

old form: dismall
disastrous, calamitous, devastating
RJ IV.iii.19
Come Viall,Come, vial.vial (n.)

old form: Viall
phial, small bottle, flask
RJ IV.iii.20
what if this mixture do not worke at all?What if this mixture do not work at all? RJ IV.iii.21
Shall I be married then to morrow morning?Shall I be married then tomorrow morning? RJ IV.iii.22
No, no, this shall forbid it. Lie thou there,No, no! This shall forbid it. Lie thou there. RJ IV.iii.23
She lays down a knife RJ IV.iii.24
What if it be a poyson which the FrierWhat if it be a poison which the Friar RJ IV.iii.24
Subtilly hath ministred to haue me dead,Subtly hath ministered to have me dead,subtly, subtilly (adv.)
deceitfully, treacherously, deceptively
RJ IV.iii.25
Least in this marriage he should be dishonour'd,Lest in this marriage he should be dishonoured RJ IV.iii.26
Because he married me before to Romeo?Because he married me before to Romeo? RJ IV.iii.27
I feare it is, and yet me thinkes it should not,I fear it is. And yet methinks it should not,methinks(t), methought(s) (v.)

old form: me thinkes
it seems / seemed to me
RJ IV.iii.28
For he hath still beene tried a holy man.For he hath still been tried a holy man.still (adv.)
constantly, always, continually
RJ IV.iii.29
try (v.)
prove, ascertain, find out
How, if when I am laid into the Tombe,How if, when I am laid into the tomb, RJ IV.iii.30
I wake before the time that RomeoI wake before the time that Romeo RJ IV.iii.31
Come to redeeme me? There's a fearefull point:Come to redeem me? There's a fearful point! RJ IV.iii.32
Shall I not then be stifled in the Vault?Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, RJ IV.iii.33
To whose foule mouth no healthsome ayre breaths in,To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, RJ IV.iii.34
And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes.And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? RJ IV.iii.35
Or if I liue, is it not very like,Or, if I live, is it not very likelike (adv.)
likely, probable / probably
RJ IV.iii.36
The horrible conceit of death and night,The horrible conceit of death and night,conceit (n.)
imagining, brooding, fanciful thought
RJ IV.iii.37
Together with the terror of the place,Together with the terror of the place – RJ IV.iii.38
As in a Vaulte, an ancient receptacle,As in a vault, an ancient receptaclereceptacle (n.)
repository, storehouse, receiving chamber
RJ IV.iii.39
Where for these many hundred yeeres the bonesWhere for this many hundred years the bones RJ IV.iii.40
Of all my buried Auncestors are packt,Of all my buried ancestors are packed; RJ IV.iii.41
Where bloody Tybalt, yet but greene in earth,Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth,green (adj.)

old form: greene
fresh, recent, new
RJ IV.iii.42
Lies festring in his shrow'd, where as they say,Lies festering in his shroud; where, as they say,fester (v.)

old form: festring
corrupt, putrify, rot
RJ IV.iii.43
At some houres in the night, Spirits resort:At some hours in the night spirits resort – RJ IV.iii.44
Alacke, alacke, is it not like that IAlack, alack, is it not like that I, RJ IV.iii.45
So early waking, what with loathsome smels,So early waking – what with loathsome smells, RJ IV.iii.46
And shrikes like Mandrakes torne out of the earth,And shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth,mandrake (n.)
variety of poisonous plant [thought to emit a lethal shriek when pulled from the ground]
RJ IV.iii.47
That liuing mortalls hearing them, run mad.That living mortals, hearing them, run mad – RJ IV.iii.48
O if I walke, shall I not be distraught,O, if I wake, shall I not be distraught, RJ IV.iii.49
Inuironed with all these hidious feares,Environed with all these hideous fears,environ (v.)

old form: Inuironed
surround, envelop, encircle, engulf
RJ IV.iii.50
And madly play with my forefathers ioynts?And madly play with my forefathers' joints, RJ IV.iii.51
And plucke the mangled Tybalt from his shrow'd?And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud, RJ IV.iii.52
And in this rage, with some great kinsmans bone,And, in this rage, with some great kinsman's bonerage (n.)
madness, insanity, derangement
RJ IV.iii.53
As (with a club) dash out my desperate braines.As with a club dash out my desperate brains? RJ IV.iii.54
O looke, me thinks I see my Cozins Ghost,O, look! Methinks I see my cousin's ghostmethinks(t), methought(s) (v.)

old form: me thinks
it seems / seemed to me
RJ IV.iii.55
Seeking out Romeo that did spit his bodySeeking out Romeo, that did spit his body RJ IV.iii.56
Vpon my Rapiers point: stay Tybalt, stay;Upon a rapier's point. Stay, Tybalt, stay!stay (v.)
stop, halt, come to a standstill
RJ IV.iii.57
rapier (n.)
light sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting
Romeo, Romeo, Romeo,Romeo, Romeo, Romeo. RJ IV.iii.58
here's drinke: I drinke to thee.Here's drink. I drink to thee. RJ IV.iii.59
She falls upon her bed within the curtains RJ IV.iii.59
 Previous Act IV, Scene III Next  
x

Jump directly to