Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene 4

Romeo and Juliet
Act III, Scene 4

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A room in Capulet's house.
Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET,
and PARIS
CAPULET
Things have fall'n out, sir, so unluckily,
That we have had no time to move our daughter:
Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly,
And so did I; --Well, we were born to die.
'Tis very late, she'll not come down to-night:
I promise you, but for your company,
I would have been a-bed an hour ago.

It is now that very evening, very late. (Note: this is day two, and things are moving a bit more quickly now...) At the Capulet’s house, Paris (remember him?) has come back to try again to get permission to marry the young Juliet. Apparently, he was unable to find anyone else at the party. Capulet tells him that this is not a good time (after all, they have the corpse of Tybalt to worry about).

PARIS
These times of woe afford no time to woo.
Madam, good night: commend me to your daughter.
Paris understands, and says that these times of "woe" (sadness) do not allow any time to "woo" (pursue a mate).

LADY CAPULET
I will, and know her mind early to-morrow;
To-night she is mew'd up to her heaviness.
Lady Capulet promises to speak with Juliet "tomorrow" about Paris' request.

CAPULET
Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender
Of my child's love: I think she will be ruled
In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not.
Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed;
Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love;
And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next--
But, soft! what day is this?

PARIS
Monday, my lord,

Paris is about to leave, when Capulet suddenly has a “change of mind.” (I told you so, I told you so!) Capulet gives permission for the marriage. He has no idea that what he is proposing is bigamy, of course. He sets the time for the blessed event, on Wednesday.

CAPULET
Monday! ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon,
O' Thursday let it be: o' Thursday, tell her,
She shall be married to this noble earl.
Will you be ready? do you like this haste?
We'll keep no great ado,--a friend or two;
For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late,
It may be thought we held him carelessly,
Being our kinsman, if we revel much:
Therefore we'll have some half a dozen friends,
And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?

PARIS
My lord, I would that Thursday were to-morrow.

CAPULET
Well get you gone: o' Thursday be it, then.

Next, Capulet changes his mind -- AGAIN! He decides to hold the wedding on Thursday. Tybalt was just murdered, this afternoon. It might not look good to have a wedding and a funeral, all on the same date. What would the neighbors think?

According to scholars, the word "revel" means to "party," or "celebrate" or to get rip roaring drunk. I have this on very good authority.

[Speaking to his wife.]
Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed,
Prepare her, wife, against this wedding-day.
Then, Capulet asks his wife to go upstairs, and talk to Juliet. Uh-oh... Juliet is upstairs at this very moment, and (if you recall) so is Romeo. Hmmm...

Farewell, my lord. Light to my chamber, ho!
Afore me! it is so very very late,
That we may call it early by and by.
Good night.

Exeunt

He instructs her to “prepare her, wife, against this wedding day.” (Line 33). Can’t you just feel the suspense?

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Shakespeare for Scholars:	Shakespeare for Everyone Else:
A room in Capulet's house. Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and PARIS CAPULET Things have fall'n out, sir, so unluckily, That we have had no time to move our daughter: Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly, And so did I; --Well, we were born to die. 'Tis very late, she'll not come down to-night: I promise you, but for your company, I would have been a-bed an hour ago.	It is now that very evening, very late. (Note: this is day two, and things are moving a bit more quickly now...) At the Capulet’s house, Paris (remember him?) has come back to try again to get permission to marry the young Juliet. Apparently, he was unable to find anyone else at the party. Capulet tells him that this is not a good time (after all, they have the corpse of Tybalt to worry about).
PARIS These times of woe afford no time to woo. Madam, good night: commend me to your daughter.	Paris understands, and says that these times of "woe" (sadness) do not allow any time to "woo" (pursue a mate).
LADY CAPULET I will, and know her mind early to-morrow; To-night she is mew'd up to her heaviness.	Lady Capulet promises to speak with Juliet "tomorrow" about Paris' request.
CAPULET Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender Of my child's love: I think she will be ruled In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not. Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed; Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love; And bid her, mark you me, on Wednesday next-- But, soft! what day is this? PARIS Monday, my lord,	Paris is about to leave, when Capulet suddenly has a “change of mind.” (I told you so, I told you so!) Capulet gives permission for the marriage. He has no idea that what he is proposing is bigamy, of course. He sets the time for the blessed event, on Wednesday.
CAPULET Monday! ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon, O' Thursday let it be: o' Thursday, tell her, She shall be married to this noble earl. Will you be ready? do you like this haste? We'll keep no great ado,--a friend or two; For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late, It may be thought we held him carelessly, Being our kinsman, if we revel much: Therefore we'll have some half a dozen friends, And there an end. But what say you to Thursday? PARIS My lord, I would that Thursday were to-morrow. CAPULET Well get you gone: o' Thursday be it, then.	Next, Capulet changes his mind -- AGAIN! He decides to hold the wedding on Thursday. Tybalt was just murdered, this afternoon. It might not look good to have a wedding and a funeral, all on the same date. What would the neighbors think? According to scholars, the word "revel" means to "party," or "celebrate" or to get rip roaring drunk. I have this on very good authority.
[Speaking to his wife.] Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed, Prepare her, wife, against this wedding-day.	Then, Capulet asks his wife to go upstairs, and talk to Juliet. Uh-oh... Juliet is upstairs at this very moment, and (if you recall) so is Romeo. Hmmm...
Farewell, my lord. Light to my chamber, ho! Afore me! it is so very very late, That we may call it early by and by. Good night. Exeunt	He instructs her to “prepare her, wife, against this wedding day.” (Line 33). Can’t you just feel the suspense?