Becca Brummett - Benvolio's Speech to The Prince

Early Modern English Text Comparison

In this Early Modern English text comparison I examined three different editions of Benvolio’s speech to the Prince describing the fight between Mercutio, Tybalt, and Romeo at the end of Act 3, scene 1. The first edition I used was a 1622 quarto titled: The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy, of Romeo and Juliet as it hath been sundry times publicly acted, by The King’s Majesties Servants at the Globe to be printed by William Standsby and sold by John Smithwick at his shop in Saint Dunstan’s churchyard in Fleet Street. The second edition I used for this comparison was the sixth edition of David Bevington’s Complete Work of Shakespeare printed in 2008.And finally, the third version of this speech I used in my analysis was the Wells and Taylor Complete Works of Shakespeare: Original-Spelling Edition printed in 1986.
              The biggest differences between the three editions were spelling and punctuation, with very rare added, changed, or lost words. However, once I modernized and standardized all the spellings the only significant difference was the addition, loss, or changing of punctuation. Although, one stand out variance was the use of either “agile”, “agent”, or “aged” arm when describing Romeo’s physical interference in the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. While I ruled out “aged” as a possibility when discussing a teenager’s arm, the meaning of the phrase does change when examining the use of “agile” or the use of “agent” when recounting Romeo’s intervention.

Transcription from 1622 Quarto:

Tybalt here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay,
Romeo that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Your high displeasure all this uttered.
With gentle breath, clam look, knees humbly bowed
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,
Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And with a Martial scorn, with one hand bears
Cold death aside, and with the other sends,
It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
Retorts it, Romeo he cries aloud,
Hold friends, friends part, and swifter then his tongue,
His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
And twixt them rushes, underneath whose arm,
An envious thrust from Tybalt, hit the life
Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled,
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertained revenge,
And too’t they go like lightning, for ere I
Could draw to part them, stout Tybalt slain,
And as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly,
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

Bevington Edition:

Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay.
Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Your high displeasure. All this – uttered
With gentle breath, clam look, knees humbly bowed –
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,
Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside and with the other sends
It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
Retorts it. Romeo he cries aloud,
“Hold friends! Friends, part!” and swifter then his tongue
His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
And twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertained revenge,
And to’t they go like lightning, for, ere I
Could draw to part them was stout Tybalt slain,
And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly.
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

Transcription from 1622 Quarto:

Tybalt here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay,
Romeo that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Your high displeasure all this uttered.
With gentle breath, clam look, knees humbly bowed
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,
Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And with a Martial scorn, with one hand bears
Cold death aside, and with the other sends,
It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
Retorts it, Romeo he cries aloud,
Hold friends, friends part, and swifter then his tongue,
His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
And twixt them rushes, underneath whose arm,
An envious thrust from Tybalt, hit the life
Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled,
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertained revenge,
And too’t they go like lightning, for ere I
Could draw to part them, stout Tybalt slain,
And as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly,
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

Transcription from Wells and Taylor Complete Works Edition:

Tybalt here slain, who Romeo’s hand did slay,
Romeo that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Your high displeasure: all this uttered,
With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio’s breast,
Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And with a Martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside, and with the other sends
It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity
Retorts it, Romeo he cries aloud,
Hold friends, friends part, and swifter than his tongue,
His agent arm beats down their fatal points,
And twixt them rushes, underneath whose arm,
An envious thrust from Tybalt, hit the life
Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled,
But by and by comes back to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertained revenge,
And too it they go like lightning, for ere I
Could draw to part them, was stout Tybalt slain:
And as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly,
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.

Works Cited:

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. “The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Sixth Edition.” Ed. David Bevington. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 1009-1050. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. “The Complete Works: Original-Spelling Edition.” Ed. Wells, Stanley and Taylor, Gary. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986. 377-412. Print.

Shakespeare, William. The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy, of Romeo and Juliet as it hath been sundry times publicly acted, by The King’s Majesties Servants at the Globe. Printed by Standsby, William. Sold by Smithwick, John at his shop in Saint Dunstan’s churchyard in Fleet Street. 1622. Web.