ACT I
PROLOGUE

    Two households, both alike in dignity,
    In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
    From ancient [bad word] break to new mutiny,
    Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
    From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
    pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
    Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
    Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
    The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
    And the continuance of their parents' rage,
    Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
    Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
    The which if you with patient ears attend,
    What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

SCENE I. Verona. public place.

    Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords and bucklers 

SAMPSON

    Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.

GREGORY

    No, for then we should be colliers.

SAMPSON

    I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.

GREGORY

    Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.

SAMPSON

    I strike quickly, being moved.

GREGORY

    But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

SAMPSON

    dog of the house of Montague moves me.

GREGORY

    To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:
    therefore, if thou art moved, [bad word] #39;st away.

SAMPSON

    dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will
    take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.

GREGORY

    That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes
    to the wall.

SAMPSON

    [bad word]  and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,
    are ever [bad word] to the wall: therefore I will push
    Montague's men from the wall, and [bad word] his maids
    to the wall.

GREGORY

    The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.

SAMPSON

    'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I
    have fought with the men, I will be [bad word] with the
    maids, and cut off their heads.

GREGORY

    The heads of the maids?

SAMPSON

    Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;
    take it in what sense thou wilt.

GREGORY

    They must take it in sense that feel it.

SAMPSON

    Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and
    'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.

GREGORY

    'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou
    hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! [bad word] 
    two of the house of the Montagues.

SAMPSON

    My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.

GREGORY

    How! turn thy back [bad word] 

SAMPSON

    Fear me not.

GREGORY

    No, marry; I fear thee!

SAMPSON

    Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

GREGORY

    I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as
    they list.

SAMPSON

    Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them;
    which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

    Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR

ABRAHAM

    Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

SAMPSON

    I do bite my thumb, sir.

ABRAHAM

    Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

SAMPSON

    [Aside to GREGORY] Is the law of our side, if I say
    ay?

GREGORY

    No.

SAMPSON

    No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I
    bite my thumb, sir.

GREGORY

    Do you quarrel, sir?

ABRAHAM

    Quarrel sir! no, sir.

SAMPSON

    If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.

ABRAHAM

    No better.

SAMPSON

    Well, sir.

GREGORY

    Say 'better:' [bad word] one of my master's kinsmen.