In Romeo and Juliet, the emotions of love and hate are the lifeblood of the play. Everything that happens seems to be caused by one, or both, of these two forces. Shakespeare frequently puts them side by side: ‘Here’s much to do with love but more with hate’, ‘my only love sprung from my only hate’.
Full Answer
What are the most important quotes in Romeo and Juliet?
10 Famous Quotations From Romeo And Juliet With Explanation
- “What’s in a name? One of Shakespeare’s most quoted quotations in which Juliet is saying that name is just a meaningless convention and a rose by any other name ...
- “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” In one of Shakespeare’s best known lines, Juliet is asking why Romeo has to be ...
- “Good Night, Good night! ...
What are some Shakespeare quotes?
Top 10 William Shakespeare Quotes
- We know what we are, but know not what we may be. Share this Top 10 list!
- Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
- All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, ...
Why does Shakespeare use hyperbole in Romeo and Juliet?
Hyperbole can be used to emphasize a point or for comedic effect. In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare uses hyperbole to convey the depth of Romeo and Juliet's love, the hatred between the two families ...
Why does Shakespeare include cupid in Romeo and Juliet?
While Shakespeare portrays her love for Romeo as beginning with physical attraction, just like Romeo's love for her, unlike Romeo, her love does not remain a form of infatuation. Instead, her love matures into a conscious choice, which is real love.
What were Shakespeare's intentions with Romeo and Juliet?
Well, the answer to this question is that Shakespeare wanted couples to appreciate their love together. People complain how they face problems that ruin their relationships that force them to separate from each other. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet to explain the worst possible lovers can find themselves in.
What is Shakespeare saying about love in Romeo and Juliet?
Juliet, perhaps, most perfectly describes her love for Romeo by refusing to describe it: “But my true love is grown to such excess / I cannot sum up some of half my wealth” (3.1. 33–34). Love, in other words, resists any single metaphor because it is too powerful to be so easily contained or understood.
Why did Shakespeare write Romeo and Juliet and what is the context surrounding it?
Shakespeare was writing following 'The Reformation' and this was when England became a Protestant nation, having broken away from the control of the Catholic Church. In this Protestant society, life became more open and less oppressed. Family The father was the head of the household in this patriarchal society.
What is Juliet's famous line?
“Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” Juliet speaks these lines at the end of a long scene in which they confess their love but now have to part.
What is Shakespeare's most famous line?
"To be, or not to be: that is the question." Perhaps the most famous of Shakespearean lines, the anguished Hamlet ponders the purpose of life and suicide in this profound soliloquy.
What is the most important quote from Romeo and Juliet?
“Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
What is the real story of Romeo and Juliet?
The story is, indeed, based on the life of two real lovers who lived and died for each other in Verona, Italy in 1303. Shakespeare is known to have discovered this tragic love story in Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem entitled “The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet”.
How did Romeo and Juliet influence the world?
Romeo and Juliet has left a vast legacy in film and art. The play has influenced many playwrights to write tragedies and comedies. Shakespeare developed the “greatest love story ever, written in Romeo and Juliet, which introduced films into being more tragic, dramatic and exaggerated” (Carreño et al.).
What is the feminism of Romeo and Juliet?
In this play, Juliet bears the spirit of feminism because she is different from other female characters in the play that are very passive and obedient to men. Juliet prefers to fight for her right and refuse to be controlled by her father.
What is the most romantic line in Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.
What is the last sentence of Romeo and Juliet?
Who says the last line in Romeo and Juliet? The Prince of Verona speaks this final line in Romeo and Juliet: "For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
What are 4 key quotes from Juliet?
Romantic Love for Juliet 1.5 O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! 2.2 Juliet is the sun 2.2 The brightness of those cheeks would shame those stars 2.2 Bright angel 2.2 With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls 2.6 Love devouring death do what he dare, It is enough I may but call her mine.
What is the significance of Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet, in particular, is a crucial play in the evolution of Shakespeare’s tragic vision, in his integration of poetry and drama, and in his initial exploration of the connection between love and tragedy that he would continue in Troilus and Cressida, Othello, and Antony and Cleopatra. Romeo and Juliet is not only one ...
What is the sense of loss in Juliet and Romeo?
For never was a story of more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. The sense of loss Verona and the audience feels at the lovers’ deaths is a direct result of Shakespeare’s remarkable ability to conjure love in all its transcendent power, along with its lethal risks.
What does Romeo say about beauty?
Romeo claims that he “ne’er saw true beauty till this night,” and by the force of that beauty, he casts off his former melancholic self-absorption. Juliet is no less smitten. Sending her nurse to learn the stranger’s identity, she worries, “If he be married, / My grave is like to be my wedding bed.”.
How old is Juliet in Romeo and Juliet?
There Romeo sees Juliet, Capulet’s not-yet 14-year-old daughter. Her parents are encouraging her to accept a match with Count Paris for the social benefit of the family. Love as affectation and love as advantage are transformed into love as all-consuming, mutual passion at first sight.
How does Romeo react to his wife?
Reversing his earlier claim of being “fortune’s fool,” Romeo reacts by declaring, “Then I defy you, stars,” rushing to his wife and breaking society’s rules by acquiring the poison to join her in death. Reaching the tomb Romeo is surprised to find Paris on hand, weeping for his lost bride.
What is Shakespeare's triumph?
Shakespeare’s triumph here is to make us care that adolescent romance matters—emotionally, psychologically, and socially—and that the premature and unjust death of lovers rival in profundity and significance the fall of kings. Romeo and Juliet Oxford Lecture by Emma Smith.
What are the three plays that Shakespeare wrote?
Then, around 1595, Shakespeare composed three extraordinary plays—R ichard II, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet —in three different genres—history, comedy, and tragedy—signalling a new mastery, originality, and excellence. With these three plays Shakespeare emerged from the shadows of his influences and initiated a period ...
Entire Play
The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters “star-crossed lovers”—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers….
Act 1, scene 1
A street fight breaks out between the Montagues and the Capulets, which is broken up by the ruler of Verona,…
Act 1, scene 2
In conversation with Capulet, Count Paris declares his wish to marry Juliet. Capulet invites him to a party that night….
Act 1, scene 3
Lady Capulet informs Juliet of Paris’s marriage proposal and praises him extravagantly. Juliet says that she has not even dreamed…
Act 1, scene 4
Romeo and Benvolio approach the Capulets’ party with their friend Mercutio and others, wearing the disguises customarily donned by “maskers.”…
Act 1, scene 5
Capulet welcomes the disguised Romeo and his friends. Romeo, watching the dance, is caught by the beauty of Juliet. Overhearing…
Act 2, scene 1
Romeo finds himself so in love with Juliet that he cannot leave her. He scales a wall and enters Capulet’s…
Why are Romeo and Juliet sentences so complicated?
Finally, in Romeo and Juliet, as in other of Shakespeare’s plays, sentences are sometimes complicated not because of unusual structures or interruptions but because Shakespeare omits words and parts of words that English sentences normally require. (In conversation, we, too, often omit words.
Why did Shakespeare use omissions in Romeo and Juliet?
In Romeo and Juliet omissions are few and seem to result from the poet’s wish to create regular iambic pentameter lines.
What is the significance of Puns in Romeo and Juliet?
Puns are so important in this play that a section of one very crucial scene ( 3.5) is built around very serious punning as Juliet, on the surface, expresses anger that Romeo has killed her cousin, while , with the same words, she expresses her grief at being separated from Romeo: JULIET. God pardon him.
What is the language of Romeo and Juliet?
Furthermore, Romeo and Juliet introduces us to a poetic language by means of which its characters shape their world. This is the language of love poetry ...
What does the word "envious" mean in Romeo and Juliet?
In Romeo and Juliet, as in all of Shakespeare’s writing, more problematic are the words that we still use but that now have different meanings. In the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet, for example, the word heavy has the meaning of “sorrowful,” the word envious is used where we would say “malicious,” sadly where we would use “gravely” ...
What language do you read Shakespeare?
Reading Shakespeare’s Language: Romeo and Juliet. Reading Shakespeare’s Language: Romeo and Juliet. For many people today, reading Shakespeare’s language can be a problem—but it is a problem that can be solved. Those who have studied Latin (or even French or German or Spanish) and those who are used to reading poetry will have little difficulty ...
What are some unfamiliar words in Shakespeare's play?
Some are unfamiliar simply because we no longer use them. In the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet, for example, you will find the words misadventured (i.e., unlucky), an (i.e., if), marry (an old oath “by the Virgin Mary,” which had by Shakespeare’s time become a mere interjection, like “indeed”), and soft (an interjection that means “hold,” “enough,” or “wait a minute”). Words of this kind will become familiar the more of Shakespeare’s plays you read.
How does Shakespeare present conflict in Romeo and Juliet?
In conclusion, Shakespeare presents conflict in “Romeo and Juliet” by showing how the conflict between characters can affects events in the play. The family feud between the Capulets and the Montagues is the main reason for all the conflict and is responsible for six deaths in the span of five days.
What is the conflict in Romeo and Juliet?
As one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays out of thirty-eight, it tells of the tragedy of two star-crossed lovers who meet and fall in love.
Why does Shakespeare use verbal conflict in Act 3?
Therefore, Shakespeare presents conflict in Act 3 scene 1 as verbal conflict due to the brawl between Mercutio and Tybalt in an attempt to damage each other’s Hubris. Alternatively, In Act 3 scene 1, Shakespeare presents conflict through the Irony and Humour of Mercutio.
Why does Mercutio fight Tybalt?
Mercutio tries to protect Romeo’s pride by challenging Tybalt to a duel. Although the brawl between Tybalt and Mercutio is to demean each other’s pride, the main reason is to stand up for Romeo, Mercutio’s friend.
What is the conflict in Shakespeare's play?
Conflict is an important theme in the play as it creates drama to keep the audience interested. Many of the scenes contain various conflicts such as Act 3 scene 1, Act 3 scene 2, Act 4 scene 2 and Act 5 scene 3. In Act 3 scene 1, Shakespeare explores the nature and aftermath of conflict through Mercutio and Tybalt hubris showing it has an effect ...
Why did Shakespeare use iambic pentameter?
Shakespeare writes his plays using blank verse and iambic pentameter because it was the trend in Elizabethan times. To make his sentence iambic pentameter he needed an extra syllable so he put an accent on the “e” to make it unstressed. Alternatively, the word “banishèd” makes Juliet confused.
Why does Juliet use "thy"?
In modern English “Thy” means “your”. Juliet is using direct address to strengthen her insult, causing Juliet to forgive Romeo. The effect on the audience is it adds pathos to the scene.
What is the purpose of the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet?
The obvious function of the Prologue as introduction to the Verona of Romeo and Juliet can obscure its deeper, more important function. The Prologue does not merely set the scene of Romeo and Juliet, it tells the audience exactly what is going to happen in the play. The Prologue refers to an ill-fated couple with its use ...
What is the chorus in the play "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes"?
. . . As a prologue to the play, the Chorus enters. In a fourteen-line sonnet, the Chorus describes two noble households (called “houses”) in the city of Verona. The houses hold an “ancient grudge” (Prologue.2) against each other that remains a source ...
What are some of the themes that Shakespeare explored in Romeo and Juliet?
Regarded as one of the most significant and widely read playwrights, Shakespeare has skillfully explored diverse themes such as loyalty, the dichotomy of love and hate, violence, greed, and insanity in his tragedies. “Romeo and Juliet” is perhaps Shakespeare's most significant contribution with various themes.
What is the moral of Romeo and Juliet?
The moral of Romeo and Juliet is one of letting old family wounds go, and not letting your emotions rule your life. The Montague and the Capulets have let an old family rivalry take over their lives. They refuse to have anything to with each other. Secondly, what are 3 themes in Romeo and Juliet?
What is the romantic love in Romeo and Juliet?
The play focuses on romantic love, specifically the intense passion that springs up at first sight between Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that supersedes all other values, loyalties, and emotions.
What is the message of the Montagues and Capulets?
The main message is “love conquers all.”. The Montagues and Capulets have been fighting within Verona for generations in a feud so old the cause has been forgotten, or at least is left conspicuously unstated. Click to see full answer.
What is the epidemic in Shakespeare's speech?
Lord, have mercy on us! In Shakespeare, epidemic disease is present for the most part as a steady, low-level undertone, surfacing in his characters’ speeches most vividly in metaphorical expressions of rage and disgust.
What does "modern" mean in Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well"?
In Shakespeare’s English, the word “modern” meant something like trivial, as when a character in “All’s Well That Ends Well” muses that “They say miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons, to make modern and familiar, things supernatural and causeless.
Where did Shakespeare live?
Shakespeare lived his entire life in the shadow of bubonic plague. On April 26, 1564, in the parish register of Holy Trinity Church, in Stratford-upon-Avon, the vicar, John Bretchgirdle, recorded the baptism of one “ Gulielmus filius Johannes Shakspere .”. A few months later, in the same register, the vicar noted the death of Oliver Gunne, ...
Did Shakespeare write about the plague?
It is all the more striking, then, that in his plays and poems Shakespeare almost never directly represents the plague. He did not write anything remotely like, let alone as powerful as, his contemporary Thomas Nashe’s haunting “A Litany in Time of Plague”: Rich men, trust not in wealth, Gold cannot buy you health;
Is the plague a common emotion?
So, for a people afflicted by the plague, violent sorrow comes to seem a commonplace emotion, a “modern ecstasy.”. Extreme suffering has become so familiar that it is banal—precisely the accommodation to the recurrent epidemics that we have noted through much of Shakespeare’s work.
Did Romeo and Juliet die from the plague?
This tangle of unfortunate circumstances leads to the suicides of both Romeo and Juliet. The plague, which is hardly represented in the play, does not cause their deaths, but the profound social disruption it brings in its wake—conveyed in the rush of seemingly irrelevant details—plays an oddly significant role.
Is the plague in Shakespeare's plays?
The plague as an actual event figures prominently in only one of Shakespeare’s plays. Friar Laurence in “Romeo and Juliet” has asked a fellow friar to deliver a crucial message to the exiled Romeo in Mantua, informing him about the clever drug that is going to make Juliet appear to have died.
Overview
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
Characters
• Prince Escalus is the ruling Prince of Verona.
• Count Paris is a kinsman of Escalus who wishes to marry Juliet.
• Mercutio is another kinsman of Escalus, a friend of Romeo.
• Capulet is the patriarch of the house of Capulet.
Synopsis
The play, set in Verona, Italy, begins with a street brawl between Montague and Capulet servants who, like the masters they serve, are sworn enemies. Prince Escalus of Verona intervenes and declares that further breach of the peace will be punishable by death. Later, Count Paris talks to Capulet about marrying his daughter Juliet, but Capulet asks Paris to wait another two years and invites hi…
Sources
Romeo and Juliet borrows from a tradition of tragic love stories dating back to antiquity. One of these is Pyramus and Thisbe, from Ovid's Metamorphoses, which contains parallels to Shakespeare's story: the lovers' parents despise each other, and Pyramus falsely believes his lover Thisbe is dead. The Ephesiaca of Xenophon of Ephesus, written in the 3rd century, also contains several similarities to the play, including the separation of the lovers, and a potion that induces …
Date and text
It is unknown when exactly Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Juliet's Nurse refers to an earthquake she says occurred 11 years ago. This may refer to the Dover Straits earthquake of 1580, which would date that particular line to 1591. Other earthquakes—both in England and in Verona—have been proposed in support of the different dates. But the play's stylistic similarities with A Midsu…
Themes and motifs
Scholars have found it extremely difficult to assign one specific, overarching theme to the play. Proposals for a main theme include a discovery by the characters that human beings are neither wholly good nor wholly evil, but instead are more or less alike, awaking out of a dream and into reality, the danger of hasty action, or the power of tragic fate. None of these have widespr…
Criticism and interpretation
The earliest known critic of the play was diarist Samuel Pepys, who wrote in 1662: "it is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life." Poet John Dryden wrote 10 years later in praise of the play and its comic character Mercutio: "Shakespear show'd the best of his skill in his Mercutio, and he said himself, that he was forc'd to kill him in the third Act, to prevent being killed by …
Legacy
Romeo and Juliet ranks with Hamlet as one of Shakespeare's most performed plays. Its many adaptations have made it one of his most enduring and famous stories. Even in Shakespeare's lifetime, it was extremely popular. Scholar Gary Taylor measures it as the sixth most popular of Shakespeare's plays, in the period after the death of Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd but before the a…