O Juliet, I already know thy grief.

It strains me past the compass of my wits.

I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it,

50On Thursday next be married to this county.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

Oh, Juliet, I already know about your sad situation. It’s a problem too hard for me to solve. I hear that you must marry this count on Thursday, and that nothing can delay it.

JULIET 

Tell me not, Friar, that thou hear’st of this,

Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it.

If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help,

Do thou but call my resolution wise,

55And with this knife I’ll help it presently.

(shows him a knife)

God joined my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands.

And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo sealed,

Shall be the label to another deed,

60Or my true heart with treacherous FRIAR LAWRENCE

70Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope,

Which craves as desperate an execution

As that is desperate which we would prevent.

If, rather than to marry County Paris,

Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,

75Then is it likely thou wilt undertake

A thing like death to chide away this shame,

That copest with death himself to ’scape from it.

An if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy.