Shakespeare Portal

Act 2, Scene 3

A Room in a prison.

  1. [Enter DUKE, habited like a Friar, and PROVOST.]
  2. Duke Vincentio
  3. 893 Hail to you, provost! so I think you are.
  4. Provost
  5. 894 I am the provost. What's your will, good friar?
  6. Duke Vincentio
  7. 895 Bound by my charity and my bless'd order,
  8. 896 I come to visit the afflicted spirits
  9. 897 Here in the prison: do me the common right
  10. 898 To let me see them, and to make me know
  11. 899 The nature of their crimes, that I may minister
  12. 900 To them accordingly.
  13. Provost
  14. 901 I would do more than that, if more were needful.
  15. [Enter JULIET.]
  16. Provost
  17. 902 Look, here comes one; a gentlewoman of mine,
  18. 903 Who, falling in the flaws of her own youth,
  19. 904 Hath blister'd her report. She is with child;
  20. 905 And he that got it, sentenc'd: a young man
  21. 906 More fit to do another such offence
  22. 907 Than die for this.
  23. Duke Vincentio
  24. 908 When must he die?
  25. Provost
  26. 909 As I do think, to-morrow.—
  27. [To JULIET.]
  28. Provost
  29. 910 I have provided for you; stay awhile
  30. 911 And you shall be conducted.
  31. Duke Vincentio
  32. 912 Repent you, fair one, of the sin you carry?
  33. Juliet
  34. 913 I do; and bear the shame most patiently.
  35. Duke Vincentio
  36. 914 I'll teach you how you shall arraign your conscience,
  37. 915 And try your penitence, if it be sound
  38. 916 Or hollowly put on.
  39. Juliet
  40. 917 I'll gladly learn.
  41. Duke Vincentio
  42. 918 Love you the man that wrong'd you?
  43. Juliet
  44. 919 Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him.
  45. Duke Vincentio
  46. 920 So then, it seems, your most offenceful act
  47. 921 Was mutually committed.
  48. Juliet
  49. 922 Mutually.
  50. Duke Vincentio
  51. 923 Then was your sin of heavier kind than his.
  52. Juliet
  53. 924 I do confess it, and repent it, father.
  54. Duke Vincentio
  55. 925 'Tis meet so, daughter: but lest you do repent
  56. 926 As that the sin hath brought you to this shame,—
  57. 927 Which sorrow is always toward ourselves, not heaven,
  58. 928 Showing we would not spare heaven as we love it,
  59. 929 But as we stand in fear,—
  60. Juliet
  61. 930 I do repent me as it is an evil,
  62. 931 And take the shame with joy.
  63. Duke Vincentio
  64. 932 There rest.
  65. 933 Your partner, as I hear, must die to-morrow,
  66. 934 And I am going with instruction to him.—
  67. 935 Grace go with you!
  68. Duke Vincentio
  69. 936 Benedicite!
  70. [Exit.]
  71. Juliet
  72. 937 Must die to-morrow! O, injurious law,
  73. 938 That respites me a life whose very comfort
  74. 939 Is still a dying horror!
  75. Provost
  76. 940 'Tis pity of him.
  77. [Exeunt.]