Original: God’s bread! it makes me mad:
Modern: By God, this makes me furious!

Original: Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play,
Modern: Every moment—day, night, all the time, whether working or relaxing—

Original: Alone, in company, still my care hath been
Modern: Whether I’m alone or with others, my constant concern has been

Original: To have her match’d: and having now provided
Modern: To find her a good husband, and now that I’ve found

Original: A gentleman of noble parentage,
Modern: A gentleman from a noble family,

Original: Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly train’d,
Modern: Who owns fine estates, is young, and well-educated,

Original: Stuff’d, as they say, with honourable parts,
Modern: Filled with good qualities and virtues, as people say,

Original: Proportion’d as one’s thought would wish a man;
Modern: As perfectly built as anyone could imagine a man to be—

Original: And then to have a wretched puling fool,
Modern: And then to have this miserable whining idiot,

Original: A whining mammet, in her fortune’s tender,
Modern: This crying puppet, when good fortune is offered to her,

Original: To answer ‘I’ll not wed; I cannot love,
Modern: Respond with “I won’t marry him; I can’t love him,

Original: I am too young; I pray you, pardon me.’
Modern: I’m too young; please, forgive me.”

Original: But, as you will not wed, I’ll pardon you:
Modern: Well, since you won’t marry, I’ll excuse you all right:

Original: Graze where you will you shall not house with me:
Modern: Go eat wherever you want, but you won’t live in my house anymore.

Original: Look to’t, think on’t, I do not use to jest.
Modern: Pay attention and think carefully—I’m not joking about this.

Original: Thursday is near; lay hand on heart, advise:
Modern: Thursday is coming soon; put your hand on your heart and think seriously:

Original: An you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend;
Modern: If you’re my daughter, I’ll give you in marriage to my friend;

Original: And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,
Modern: And if you’re not, then go hang yourself, beg for food, starve, die in the streets—

Original: For, by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee,
Modern: Because I swear on my soul, I’ll never recognize you as my daughter,

Original: Nor what is mine shall never do thee good:
Modern: And nothing I own will ever benefit you.

Original: Trust to’t, bethink you; I’ll not be forsworn.
Modern: Believe it, think about it carefully; I won’t break this promise.

Romeo and Juliet — Act III, Scene v

The scene opens at dawn in Juliet’s chamber, where Romeo and Juliet share their final moments together following their secret wedding night. Juliet attempts to convince Romeo that the bird they hear is the nightingale rather than the lark, hoping to delay his necessary departure, but Romeo ultimately acknowledges the morning light and the danger his presence in Verona poses to his life. The Nurse arrives to warn Juliet that her mother is approaching, prompting a sorrowful farewell between the two. Romeo descends from Juliet’s window, and the two exchange parting words below, with Juliet expressing a dark premonition that she sees Romeo as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Romeo departs for Mantua, and Lady Capulet enters to find Juliet weeping.

Lady Capulet mistakes Juliet’s grief for mourning over Tybalt’s death, and informs her of plans to have Romeo poisoned in Mantua. She then delivers the news that Capulet has arranged for Juliet to marry Paris on Thursday. When Juliet firmly refuses the match, Capulet enters and erupts in a furious rage upon hearing her refusal, threatening to disown her entirely if she will not comply. Juliet turns to her mother and then to the Nurse for support, but both women urge her to accept the marriage to Paris. Left alone after they depart, a devastated Juliet resolves to seek counsel from Friar Lawrence, declaring that if he cannot help her, she has the power to take her own fate into her hands.

“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.