Verona, Italy

ROMEO
Dear Benvolio, I beg of thee to restrain me.
Mars pokes his sword into mine spine, pushing me to a violence mine conscience doth disapprove of. Fury rising as the smoke from a house ablaze, I despise that tyrant standing there with his crime unpunished.
O gallant Mercutio!
I entreat thee to pardon me.
Thy soul hath not left us yet, but I cannot bring justice here.
BENVOLIO
Please, Romeo,
The watchmen shall apprehend him. Thou must not commit to rash ideas.
Re-enter Tybalt
TYBALT
Romeo! Thou scoundrel, thy friend hath ascended,
Awaiting a travelling partner, will thou not join him?
ROMEO
Trust mine words, Tybalt, I desire nothing more in this moment,
For mine hand rests upon mine sword-hilt, twitching at the promise of vengeance.
A vile rogue such as thou deserves no mercy. However, I rest easy; the cold law shall show thee his ugly wrath,
Rendering thee a corpse-in-waiting ‘till thy day and hour,
That only Heaven knows!
TYBALT
For wiping filth from Verona, I cannot be tried.
By my rapier, thou-
CITIZEN OF THE WATCH
Halt! Halt!
Tybalt, the murder of Mercutio is on thy hands, sir, go with me;
I charge thee in the Prince’s name, obey.
Enter Prince, attended; Montague, Capulet, their Wives, and others.
PRINCE
Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
BENVOLIO
O noble prince, I can discover all
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
There stands the man,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
PRINCE
Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?
BENVOLIO
Tybalt, here whom Romeo that spoke him fair,
Bade him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Your high displeasure: all this uttered
With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd,
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 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 entertain'd revenge,
Restrained himself to wait for authority, fearing
Punishment of law.
This is the truth, or let Benvolio die.
ROMEO
Benvolio tells the truth.
LADY CAPULET
He is a kinsman to the Montague.
Affection makes him false. He speaks not true.
Tybalt could not have committed this awful murder.
MONTAGUE
To not resort to bloodshed, Romeo did well.
‘Tis a shame for Mercutio, may Tybalt pay the price of his dear blood.
PRINCE
And for that offence
Immediately we do exile him hence:
I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,
My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;
But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine
That you shall all repent the loss of mine:
I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;
Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:
Therefore use none:
Tybalt hence in haste, else, when thou art found,
That hour shall be thy last.
Bear hence this body and attend our will:
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.
TYBALT
This cannot be!
Romeo! Montague scum!
I shall hunt thee down for every word thou uttered!
Away from Verona I withdraw, losing my essence as a Capluet,
While I never shall let thee leave my memory.
Exeunt