Romeo and Juliet. Othello / Ромео и Джульетта. Отелло - стр. 2

“Do you know the cause of his sadness, uncle?” asked Benvolio.

“No,” said Montague, “though I have asked him and his friends; but he keeps his sorrows to himself so close and secretly that we can neither find the cause.”

At this they saw Romeo himself slowly coming towards them. So Montague and his wife, hoping that perhaps a young friend might succeed where parents had failed, went into the house, leaving Benvolio to speak with their son.

Benvolio soon discovered Romeo’s trouble: he was in love.

“Why, then,” said Benvolio, “forget to think of her.”

He was trying to persuade Romeo to forget Rosaline.

“Teach me how to forget,” answered Romeo pitifully.

“Look at other ladies,” said Benvolio. “Think about other faces.”

But Romeo refused. Benvolio was still trying to lift him out of his melancholy mood when a servant accosted them. He was carrying invitations to a grand party which his master was going to give.

“I pray you, sir,” said he to Romeo, “can you read anything you see?”

“Yes,” replied Romeo, “if I know the letters and the language.”

So the man handed Romeo a paper. It was a list of names, which Romeo read out for him.

“‘Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;

County Anselmo and his beauteous sisters;

The lady widow of Utruvio;

Signior Placentio and his lovely nieces;

Mercutio and his brother Valentine;

Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters;

My fair niece Rosaline and Livia;

Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt;

Lucio and the lively Helena’.

To what feast are these invited?” he asked

“To supper,” said the man.

“Where?” asked Romeo.

“To master’s house,” said the man. “My master is the great rich Capulet, and if you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray come and crush a cup of wine.”

But the man was indeed speaking with the only son of Montague himself.

“The fair Rosaline,” said Benvolio, “whom you love so, is going to this feast, with all the beauties of Verona. Go yourself; compare her face with some others that I’ll show you, and your lady will seem like a crow beside a swan. You’ll see many beautiful women there and then perhaps you’ll forget your Rosaline.”

Romeo would not believe it, but he consented to go:

“Oh no, I can never forget her, but I’ll go to that party because I’ll see my beloved Rosaline there!”

Meanwhile in old Capulet’s house all was bustle and excitement, and not only because of the feast. Capulet had only one child, a daughter called Juliet; and Count Paris[7], a very suitable young nobleman, approached Capulet to ask that Juliet might be his wife.