Original: What say you? can you love the gentleman?
Modern: What do you think? Could you love this young man?

Original: This night you shall behold him at our feast;
Modern: Tonight you’ll see him at our party;

Original: Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face,
Modern: Look at young Paris’s face like you’re reading a book,

Original: And find delight writ there with beauty’s pen;
Modern: And find pleasure written there by beauty itself;

Original: Examine every married lineament,
Modern: Study every feature that works perfectly with the others,

Original: And see how one another lends content
Modern: And see how each part of his face makes the others more attractive

Original: And what obscured in this fair volume lies
Modern: And whatever might be hidden in this beautiful book

Original: Find written in the margent of his eyes.
Modern: You’ll find written in the margins of his eyes.

Original: This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
Modern: This precious book of love, this unmarried suitor,

Original: To beautify him, only lacks a cover:
Modern: Only needs a cover to make him complete:

Original: The fish lives in the sea, and ‘tis much pride
Modern: A fish lives in the sea, and it’s a great honor

Original: For fair without the fair within to hide:
Modern: For outer beauty to protect inner beauty:

Original: That book in many’s eyes doth share the glory,
Modern: A book gets much of its glory in people’s eyes

Original: That in gold clasps locks in the golden story;
Modern: From the gold binding that holds the precious story inside;

Original: So shall you share all that he doth possess,
Modern: So you will share everything he owns,

Original: By having him, making yourself no less.
Modern: By marrying him, without losing anything of yourself.

In Act I, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet, Lady Capulet seeks a private audience with her daughter Juliet to discuss an important matter, though she initially calls for the Nurse to leave, then asks her to stay as a witness to their conversation. Lady Capulet informs Juliet that the County Paris has expressed interest in marrying her, describing him as a worthy and handsome gentleman who will be attending the Capulet feast that evening. She encourages Juliet to look favorably upon Paris and consider him as a potential husband, using elaborate metaphors comparing him to a beautiful book that lacks only a cover, which Juliet herself could provide as his wife.

Juliet responds with measured obedience, telling her mother that she will look upon Paris with an eye toward liking him, but will not allow herself to fall deeper in love than her parents’ consent would permit. The Nurse enthusiastically supports the match, praising Paris and making several bawdy jokes about the wedding night and future children. The scene concludes when a servant arrives to announce that the guests have arrived, supper is served, and Juliet is specifically requested to attend the feast, prompting Lady Capulet to hurry Juliet along to join the celebration where she will encounter Paris.

“Romeo and Juliet” tells the story of two young lovers from feuding families in Verona. Romeo Montague attends a Capulet feast in disguise, where he meets and instantly falls in love with Juliet Capulet. They meet secretly that night on her balcony and decide to marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agrees to perform the ceremony, hoping their union might end the family feud.

After the secret wedding, Romeo encounters Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who challenges him to a duel. When Romeo refuses to fight, his friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed by Tybalt. In revenge, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona by Prince Escalus. Meanwhile, Juliet’s parents, unaware of her secret marriage, arrange for her to wed Count Paris.

Desperate to avoid this second marriage, Juliet seeks help from Friar Lawrence, who gives her a potion that will make her appear dead. The plan is for Romeo to return and take her away when she awakens in the Capulet tomb. However, Romeo never receives the friar’s message explaining the scheme. Believing Juliet truly dead, he purchases poison and drinks it beside her tomb.

Juliet awakens to find Romeo’s lifeless body and, in despair, kills herself with his dagger. The tragic deaths of their children finally reconcile the Montague and Capulet families, who vow to end their ancient hatred. Prince Escalus concludes that all are punished by this sorrowful outcome of the families’ bitter feud.