Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO.
BENVOLIO
Mercutio, I think we ha’ mistook
Rosaline for the jewel[1] of Romeo’s eye
He hath a different air about him now,
And it foretells of danger that may come.
MERCUTIO
He hath his pride and manhood[2]. With his sword,
His skill, and his wit will all serve[3] him well,
Though mine be more esteemed. Whatsomever[4],
That which mought[5] befall him cannot kill.
BENVOLIO
What of Tybalt’s wrath[6]?
MERCUTIO
His weapon[7] is small,
And his wrath lacking. I myself will close[8]
With Tybalt if indited[9].
BENVOLIO
I fear not.
Of thy bravery I have no doubt.
MERCUTIO
You shouldst becalm.
BENVOLIO
Romeo is my heart[10].
My concern is just. What men doth turn to
Abandon their friends during turmoil, strife,
And pain? My honor comes from more than I.
Trust is my reputation[11] and without,
I am not thus. If I am not to be
Esteemed by others, what then is my face?
The native hue[12] of my heart is light cast;
I follow Romeo so as to attend
On my honest form. If I might keep him
From the dark, and place myself thus, mark me,
It will be so.
MERCUTIO
You speak as a handfast[13]
Whose new-betrothed colt[14] hath run apace.
If Romeo does not heed thy warnings,
His fate is only his own. Thy honor
Is not conditional to his deafness.
BENVOLIO
Yet his honor maught be conditional
To mine?
MERCUTIO
Nay, but thy happiness maught be.
BENVOLIO
What though,
I will endeavor to keep Romeo’s side.
MERCUTIO
I swoon on sight of such a chamberer[15].
BENVOLIO
I have said. That woman sought Romeo
For a matter of friendliness, but n’er
Mine eyes hath seen her prior to this day.
MERCUTIO
Let Romeo keep his secrets.
BENVOLIO
Nay, nay,
If his secrecy ‘chould[16] be self-slaughter?
MERCUTIO
Good, and what of it? If he hath committed the act of a fool, such as made the daughter of his great enemy his dove[17], what say you? Slaughter the families? My royal cousin hath forbid such violence upon the streets of Verona. Whilst my weapon is marvelous strong, of ye I am not cock-sure. You art a pacifist, he a poet. And Tybalt hath a powerful wrath. If we shouldst cross, the event may be fatal. It is probably that Romeo hat been to bed. You doth worry for naught.
BENVOLIO
My mind is still not at ease.
MERCUTIO
Romeo will present himself at dinner. We shall entreat him then. Food and wine make fools and princes of men. If love be enough for man to live on, then Romeo would be full up, but instead he starves. He feeds his eyes on women’s bodies, on the blacks of their hair and reds of their lips, on the beautiful and rare, and forgoes life’s sweet pleasures aside from that which involves bedding beauty. Yet it is not only Romeo himself who is starved, and to sate his hunger requires an aversion of his eyes from the pie-corner[18], from the dates[19] and porridge[20], and to return those orbs to pursue that which he may obtain within his life. Once this: the goose chase[21] runs rampant with his wit, and should he lose it, his manhood shall be undone.
BENVOLIO
I warrant you, your wisdom aims true. Thy rapier hath a sharp point.
MERCUTIO
My whetstone hath been well used. We shall to Romeo’s hall, and there an end.
Exeunt
[1] jewel As Romeo calls Juliet (1.5.45)
[2] pride… manhood; sword euphemisms for penis
[3] serve him play on “serve him sexually”
[4] whatsomever whatever
[5] mought in the sense of could
[6] wrath
[7] weapon another euphemism for penis
[8] close with fight, or embrace sexually
[9] indited i.e. invited
[10] heart meaning good friend; an intimate expression. Romeo to Benvolio (1.1.182)
[11] reputation Othello, 2.3.182
[12] native hue Hamlet, 3.1.92
[13] handfast to join in an agreement; a marriage contract (like Juliet and Paris)
[14] colt a young or unexperienced person; a lascivious fellow
[15] chamberer a manservant responsible for the personal appearance of his master; a concubine
[16] ‘chould dialect for “should
[17] dove an appellation of affection; associated with innocence and purity
[18] pie-corner area in London famous for prostitution; pie and corner are both slang for vagina
[19] dates fruit/age/penis
[20] porridge plays on the sense of vagina
[21] goose chase goose refers to a foolish person, or a prostitute. Mercutio is saying that Romeo
is going on a foolhardy errand, and once again refers back to the sexual theme
of the conversation
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