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ROMEO AND JULIET
[ACT V.
O, what more favour can I do to thee
Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain
To sunder his that was thine[C 1] enemy?100
Forgive me, cousin!—Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet so fair? shall I believe[C 2]
That unsubstantial Death is amorous,[E 1]
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour?105
For fear of that I still[E 2] will stay with thee,
And never from this palace[C 3] of dim night
Depart again:[E 3] here, here will I remain
With worms that are thy chambermaids; O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest,[E 4]110
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh.—Eyes,[E 5] look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you,
- ↑ 103. Death is amorous] Malone compares Daniel's Complaint of Rosamond (1592), lines 841–845:"Ah, how me thinkes I see Death dallying seekes,
To entertaine it selfe in Loves sweet place.
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And ugly Death sits faire within her face." - ↑ 106. still] constantly, as often in Shakespeare.
- ↑ 108. Depart again] Following line 107 and preceding line 108 Qq 2, 3 and Ff read:"Depart againe, come lye thou in my arme, (armes Ff)
Heer's to thy health, where ere thou tumblest in.
O true Appothecarie!
Thy drugs are quicke. Thus with a kisse I die."Qq 4, 5 omit these lines; Daniel supposes that they are a shortened version of the speech intended for the stage and by accident printed. Where ere thou tumblest in, he adds, "may possibly be a corruption of a stage-direction to the actor to fall into the tomb." The words may only be a grim way of saying, "Wherever thy grave may be." - ↑ 110. set … rest] See note on [[../../Act 4/Scene 5|IV. v. 6]].
- ↑ 112–118. Eyes … bark] Whiter notes the coincidence that in Romeo's speech [[../../Act 1/Scene 4|I. iv. 106]] of ominous premonition, ideas drawn from the stars, the land, the sea succeed one another as here.
