Original: The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Modern: The grey morning dawn smiles down on the dark, gloomy night,

Original: Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light,
Modern: Creating a checkerboard pattern in the eastern clouds with streaks of light,

Original: And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels
Modern: And the spotted darkness stumbles away like a drunk person

Original: From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels:
Modern: From the path of the day and the sun’s blazing chariot:

Original: Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
Modern: Now, before the sun rises with its hot rays,

Original: The day to cheer and night’s dank dew to dry,
Modern: To brighten the day and dry up the night’s wet dew,

Original: I must up-fill this osier cage of ours
Modern: I must fill up this willow basket of mine

Original: With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.
Modern: With poisonous plants and flowers with valuable juices.

Original: The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb;
Modern: The earth that gives birth to all nature is also its grave;

Original: What is her burying grave that is her womb,
Modern: What serves as nature’s burial place also serves as its birthplace,

Original: And from her womb children of divers kind
Modern: And from the earth’s womb, children of many different types

Original: We sucking on her natural bosom find,
Modern: We find nourished by the earth’s natural breast,

Original: Many for many virtues excellent,
Modern: Many plants are excellent for their various good qualities,

Original: None but for some and yet all different.
Modern: Each one is good for something, yet they’re all different.

Original: O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
Modern: Oh, great is the powerful goodness that exists

Original: In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
Modern: In herbs, plants, stones, and their natural properties:

Original: For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
Modern: For nothing is so disgusting that lives on the earth

Original: But to the earth some special good doth give,
Modern: That it doesn’t give some special benefit to the earth,

Original: Nor aught so good but strain’d from that fair use
Modern: Nor is anything so good that when twisted from its proper use

Original: Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:
Modern: Doesn’t rebel against its true purpose, falling into misuse:

Original: Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;
Modern: Even good things become bad when they’re used wrongly;

Original: And vice sometimes by action dignified.
Modern: And bad things are sometimes made respectable by how they’re used.

Original: Within the infant rind of this small flower
Modern: Within the young skin of this little flower

Original: Poison hath residence and medicine power:
Modern: Both poison and healing power live together:

Original: For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
Modern: When you smell it, that quality refreshes every part of the body;

Original: Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.
Modern: But when you taste it, it kills all your senses along with your heart.

Original: Two such opposed kings encamp them still
Modern: Two such opposite forces always set up camp

Original: In man as well as herbs, grace and rude will;
Modern: In people just like in plants—goodness and evil desire;

Original: And where the worser is predominant,
Modern: And wherever the worse force is stronger,

Original: Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.
Modern: Very soon a cancerous death destroys that plant.

In Act II, Scene 3 of “Romeo and Juliet,” Friar Lawrence appears alone in his cell at dawn, gathering herbs and flowers while reflecting on their dual nature as both medicines and poisons. He philosophizes about how plants, like people, contain both good and evil properties, noting that virtue can become vice through misuse, while vice can sometimes serve virtuous purposes. Romeo enters and greets the Friar, who is surprised to see the young man awake so early and assumes he has not yet been to bed, suggesting he has been with Rosaline.

Romeo reveals that he has forgotten Rosaline entirely and is now in love with Juliet Capulet, requesting that Friar Lawrence marry them that very day. The Friar is astonished by Romeo’s sudden change of heart, chiding him for the fickleness of his affections and questioning how quickly his supposed deep love for Rosaline has vanished. Despite his reservations about Romeo’s inconstant nature, Friar Lawrence agrees to perform the marriage ceremony, hoping that the union between a Montague and a Capulet might help reconcile the feuding families and bring peace to Verona. The scene ends with the two men departing together to carry out the secret wedding plans.

“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.