1

CONTENTS:
Part 1: The Origins of the Play………………………………………………………………………………7

Part 2: Translating the Prologue………………………………………………………………………………8

Part 3: Analysing the Prologue………………………………………………………………………………9

Part 4: Translating Act 1 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………12

Part 5: Analysing Act 1 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………30

Part 6: Translating Act 1 Scene 2………………………………………………………………………………32

Part 7: Analysing Act 1 Scene 2………………………………………………………………………………40

Part 8: Translating Act 1 Scene 3………………………………………………………………………………41

Part 9: Analysing Act 1 Scene 3………………………………………………………………………………50

Part 10: Translating Act 1 Scene 4………………………………………………………………………………52

Part 11: Analysing Act 1 Scene 4………………………………………………………………………………61

Part 12: Translating Act 1 Scene 5………………………………………………………………………………63

Part 13: Analysing Act 1 Scene 5………………………………………………………………………………77

Part 14: Translating Act 2 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………80

Part 15: Analysing Act 2 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………86

Part 16: Translating Act 2 Scene 2……………………………………………………………………………88

Part 17: Analysing Act 2 Scene 2………………………………………………………………………………105

Part 18: Translating Act 2 Scene 3……………………………………………………………………………107

Part 19: Analysing Act 2 Scene 3……………………………………………………………………………115

Part 20: Translating Act 2 Scene 4……………………………………………………………………………117

Part 21: Analysing Act 2 Scene 4……………………………………………………………………………136

Part 22: Translating Act 2 Scene 5……………………………………………………………………………138

Part 23: Analysing Act 2 Scene 5………………………………………………………………………………145

Part 24: Translating Act 2 Scene 6……………………………………………………………………………147

Part 25: Analysing Act 2 Scene 6………………………………………………………………………………151

2
Part 26: Translating Act 3 Scene 1……………………………………………………………………………153

Part 27: Analysing Act 3 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………172

Part 28: Translating Act 3 Scene 2……………………………………………………………………………176

Part 29: Analysing Act 3 Scene 2………………………………………………………………………………188

Part 30: Translating Act 3 Scene 3……………………………………………………………………………190

Part 31: Analysing Act 3 Scene 3………………………………………………………………………………206

Part 32: Translating Act 3 Scene 4…………………………………………………………………………208

Part 33: Analysing Act 3 Scene 4………………………………………………………………………………212

Part 34: Translating Act 3 Scene 5……………………………………………………………………………214

Part 35: Analysing Act 3 Scene 5………………………………………………………………………………235

Part 36: Translating Act 4 Scene 1……………………………………………………………………………237

Part 37: Analysing Act 4 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………247

Part 38: Translating Act 4 Scene 2…………………………………………………………………………249

Part 39: Analysing Act 4 Scene 2………………………………………………………………………………254

Part 40: Translating Act 4 Scene 3…………………………………………………………………………256

Part 41: Analysing Act 4 Scene 3………………………………………………………………………………261

Part 42: Translating Act 4 Scene 4…………………………………………………………………………263

Part 43: Analysing Act 4 Scene 4………………………………………………………………………………266

Part 44: Translating Act 4 Scene 5…………………………………………………………………………267

Part 45: Analysing Act 4 Scene 5………………………………………………………………………………280

Part 46: Translating Act 5 Scene 1……………………………………………………………………………282

Part 47: Analysing Act 5 Scene 1………………………………………………………………………………289

Part 48: Translating Act 5 Scene 2…………………………………………………………………………291

Part 49: Analysing Act 5 Scene 2………………………………………………………………………………294

Part 50: Translating Act 5 Scene 3…………………………………………………………………………295

Part 51: Analysing Act 5 Scene 3………………………………………………………………………………320

3
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4
DEDICATION:

I would like to start this eBook by thanking those who have helped and
supported along the way:

My wife, Claire, who patiently lost me to the laptop for the duration of writing.

Hannah and Molly Payne: two awesome girls who inspire me with their love of
learning.

Sunny Ratilal, who designed the front cover of this and my previous eBook.

Joan Waters, who helped me out tremendously with proof reading.

And to those who helped out financially by pre-ordering the book before it was
complete:

Andy Pealing, Craig Farr, Laura Driggers, Abir Wahich, Tomas Rafter, Caroline
Tetley, Ronald Ani-Adeji, Lydia Oliver, Ntobeko Ndlovu, Mark Blything, Anne
Cook, Rachel Reid, Judy Bundy, Charles Goss, Katherine Gregory, Marina
Jeffery, Joan Waters, Judith Blake, Andrew Cartwright, Alison Shea, Kathy
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MacSween, Sonia Wilkes, Yvonne Schofield, Beverley Smith, Madeleine Stewart,
Aphrodite Kokosioulis, Lousie Dodd, Hilary Holden, Lauren Adamson, Stephen
Grist, John Reid, Kay Patterson and the wonderful Annemarie Payne.

5
Introduction

William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of the most widely studied
texts in the world. However, despite its popularity, very few students are able
to understand the text in its entirety; Shakespeare’s use of language was
extremely complex and this makes his work both a challenge and a huge reward
for those who study it. Many teenagers will fall in love with literature through
studying Shakespeare’s work, but for others it will be the final nail in the coffin
that turns them away from reading for pleasure. My aim for this eBook is to
show you the beauty of Shakespeare’s writing.

In this revision guide I translate the complete text into modern English. This
means taking all 25,000 words and re-writing them in a way that would be easy
to understand for a modern teenager or young adult. Many people tell me that
the success of my YouTube videos (over 1 million views and counting) is due
largely to the way I make complex concepts easy to understand. In this eBook I
use that skill-set to re-write the play in a way that will allow anyone to grasp
what is going on. However, I don’t stop there. For every scene, I analyse key
elements of language, structure and form, which are the key assessment foci of
all GCSE and A-Level English Literature courses. Perhaps most exciting of all,
the writing is interspersed with links to dozens of videos where I analyse the
text. This gives you the unique opportunity to choose between reading my work,
listening to it or watching it take place via video.

If you find this revision guide useful then please visit [Link]/mrbruff
where you will find hundreds of videos focusing on English and English
Literature. My videos have been viewed over 1 million times across 198 nations –
I’d love you to join in.

I have also written a bestselling eBook revision guide for GCSE English and
English Literature, which can be bought at both [Link]
and [Link]

If you wish to get in touch with me then please do email me at abruff@[Link]

Andrew Bruff
March 2014

6
PART 1: THE ORIGINS OF THE PLAY

Based on the video [Link]

Although many students assume that William Shakespeare created the storyline
of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the truth is that it was someone else who came up with
the original plot.

The Italian writer Matteo Bandello (1480-1562) is the original creator of what
we now know as ‘Romeo and Juliet’. He wrote the short story ‘Giullette e Romeo’,
supposedly based on a true life story which had taken place in his home country
of Italy (hence the Italian setting of Shakespeare’s play). In 1562 the English
poet Arthur Brooke translated the short story into a poem (along with some
small plot changes which affected minor characters such as the Nurse and the
Friar). Brooke died a year after publication and the now classic tale was picked
up by the English novelist William Painter, who adapted it into a novel entitled
‘The Palace of Pleasure’ (1567). Finally, around the year 1590, William
Shakespeare adapted the story for the stage, writing the play ‘Romeo and
Juliet’. In the 400+ years that followed, the play would go on to become one of
the best known stories in the world.

7
Part 2: TRANSLATING THE PROLOGUE

Based on the video [Link]

ORIGINAL TEXT: MODERN TRANSLATION:

The Prologue (An introductory speech)

Two households, both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally good & honourable,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, In the Italian city of Verona, where the play

takes place,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, An old resentment will once again start up,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. Where the public will end up joining in the

fight.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes From the children of these two enemy

families

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Two fated lovers will kill themselves;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Following the events which keep them apart

Do with their death bury their parents' strife. The lovers’ deaths bring the families

together.

The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, The events which lead to the lovers’ suicide,

And the continuance of their parents' rage, And the war between the families,

Which, but their children's end, nought could Which only stopped when the lovers died,

remove,

Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; Is what this two hour play is all about;

The which if you with patient ears attend, If you listen carefully,

8
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to Anything you’ve missed from this

mend. introduction will be explained to you.

PART 3: FORM ANALYSIS: PROLOGUE AS SONNET

Based on the video [Link]

Understanding what we are being told in the prologue is just one part of the
puzzle; the next challenge is to examine the form in which it is written.

THE SONNET FORM:

The sonnet is a genre of love poetry which originated in Italy in the 13th
Century. The 14th Century poet Petrarch is the most recognised Italian
sonneteer. Falling in love with a woman known only as ‘Laura’, he wrote 366
sonnets to her.

The Italian sonnet follows a strict form:

 14 lines
 The first 8 lines (known as the octave) present a problem
 The last 6 lines (known as the sestet) present a solution to the problem
 Line 9 (known as the Volta) introduces a sharp twist, or turn, which brings
about the move to the resolution
 ABBA ABBA rhyme scheme.

THE SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET

In the 16th Century, the sonnet made its way into English poetry. Sir Philip
Sidney developed it, but it came to be known as the Shakespearean sonnet
(after Shakespeare made it truly famous). This form is quite different to the
Petrarchan sonnet:

 It is written in iambic pentameter (lines of 10 syllables, with alternating

stressed and unstressed syllables).
 It is divided into 3 verses of four lines each, known as ‘quatrains’, and
finished with a rhyming couplet which also served as the Volta.
 Its rhyme scheme is also different: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

A close look at the prologue will reveal that it is, in fact, a Shakespearean
sonnet:

9
The prologue is The Prologue The prologue is
divided into 3 written in
verses of four Two households, both alike in dignity,
iambic
lines each, known pentameter
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
as ‘quatrains’, and (lines of 10
finished with a From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, syllables, with
rhyming couplet alternating
which also served Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. stressed and
as the Volta. unstressed
syllables).

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.

The words
highlighted
yellow are words
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
we would expect
to see in a love And the continuance of their parents' rage,
poem: the The

language of prologue
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
romance. has the
rhyme
scheme:
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; ABAB CDCD
EFEF GG
The which if you with patient ears attend,

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

10
Analysis

Although Shakespeare adopted the form of a romantic love poem, he filled it

with the language of hate and conflict (see the words highlighted in green) to
symbolise how the play was to be a mixture of both love and conflict. Perhaps
the intertwining of the two symbolises the idea that it is impossible to have the
one without the other: Shakespeare seems to be suggesting that love and hate
are joined together. This interpretation would tie in with many critics who see
the major theme of the whole play as being a reflection of how humans are
neither wholly good nor wholly bad, but a complex mix of the two. Whatever the
reason, it is no coincidence that Shakespeare, only two minutes into the play, is
intelligently mixing form with language to present his theme.

11
PART 4: TRANSLATING ACT 1 SCENE 1

Based on the video [Link]

ORIGINAL TEXT MODERN TRANSLATION

Scene 1. Verona. A public place. Scene 1. A public area in the Italian city of

Verona.

Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the SAMPSON and GREGORY, two of the Capulet
house of Capulet, armed with swords and men, enter armed with weapons.
bucklers.
SAMPSON SAMPSON

Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals. Gregory, we will not put up with insults.

GREGORY GREGORY

No, for then we should be colliers. No, for that would make us worthless (like

coal-miners).

SAMPSON SAMPSON

I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. If I am angered I will pull my sword out.

GREGORY GREGORY

Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' Yes, but you should try to avoid conflict.

the collar.

SAMPSON SAMPSON:

I strike quickly, being moved. If I am angered I will attack quickly.

GREGORY GREGORY:

But thou art not quickly moved to strike. But you don’t quickly get angry.

SAMPSON: SAMPSON:

A dog of the house of Montague moves Those idiot Montagues make me angry.

12
me.

GREGORY GREGORY:

To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to By being moved to action you are backing off

stand: therefore, if thou art moved, thou and running away. Brave people just stand still

runn'st away. and unafraid.

SAMPSON SAMPSON:

A dog of that house shall move me to Any of those stupid Montagues will make me

stand: I will take the wall of any man or fight. I will treat the Montagues as inferior by

maid of Montague's. taking the wall with their men (taking the

superior position when walking down the

street).
GREGORY GREGORY:

That shows thee a weak slave; for the Well then you are weak, as only weak people go

weakest goes to the wall. to the wall (this is a pun on how women are

pushed up against walls to have sex).

SAMPSON SAMPSON:

True; and therefore women, being the You’re right; women are always being pushed up

weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the against the wall, so I will push Montague’s men

wall: therefore I will push Montague's away from the wall and have sex with his

men from the wall, and thrust his maids women up against it.

to the wall.

GREGORY GREGORY:

The quarrel is between our masters and The argument is between the men of the

us their men. families- leave the women out of it.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: It’s all the same - I will fight the men and take

when I have fought with the men, I will be the virginity of the women.

13
cruel with the maids, and cut off their

heads.

GREGORY GREGORY

The heads of the maids? Take their lives?

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Ay, the heads of the maids, or their Yes, their lives or their virginities - take it how

maidenheads; take it in what sense thou you like it.

wilt.

GREGORY GREGORY

They must take it in sense that feel it. It’s the women who must take it.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Me they shall feel while I am able to The women will feel me for as long as I can

stand: and 'tis known I am a pretty piece keep it up. Everyone knows I am well endowed.

of flesh.

GREGORY GREGORY

'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, It’s good you are not a fish. If you were you

thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! would be salted and dried. Get your weapon

here comes two of the house of the out! Here come two of the Montagues.

Montagues.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will My sword is out: fight, I’ve got your back..

back thee.

GREGORY GREGORY

How! turn thy back and run? How! By running away?

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Fear me not. No need to worry about me.

GREGORY GREGORY

14
No, marry; I fear thee! No, I am afraid of you!

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Let us take the law of our sides; let them Let’s keep it lawful; let’s provoke them to start

begin. the fight so that we can’t be blamed for it.

GREGORY GREGORY

I will frown as I pass by, and let them I will pull a stupid face at them as they go by,

take it as they list. and let’s see how they react.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at No, I will bite my thumb at them (a modern

them; which is a disgrace to them, if they equivalent would be somewhere along the lines
bear it. of ‘sticking your fingers up’ at someone,
although this original insult is very sexual). If
they don’t react then it will show them up.

Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR

ABRAHAM ABRAHAM

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Are you making an insulting gesture at me?

SAMPSON SAMPSON

I do bite my thumb, sir. I am making a gesture.

ABRAHAM ABRAHAM

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Is it directed at us?

SAMPSON SAMPSON

[Aside to GREGORY] Is the law of our (quietly to Gregory) If I say ‘yes’ will we still

side, if I say ay? be able to escape blame if this ends up in a

fight?

GREGORY GREGORY

No. No.

15
SAMPSON SAMPSON

No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, No. I am making a gesture but it is not

but I bite my thumb, sir. directed at you.

GREGORY GREGORY

Do you quarrel, sir? Do you want a fight?

ABRAHAM ABRAHAM

Quarrel sir! no, sir. Fight! No.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as I am quite happy to fight if you want to - my

good a man as you. boss is just as great as yours.

ABRAHAM ABRAHAM

No better. No better.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Well, sir. Well.

GREGORY GREGORY

Say 'better:' here comes one of my Say our boss is better; here comes one of our

master's kinsmen. men.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Yes, better, sir. Our boss is better than yours.

ABRAHAM ABRAHAM

You lie. You are a liar.

SAMPSON SAMPSON

Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember Pull your sword out and fight if you are brave

thy swashing blow. enough. Gregory, remember your special sword

attack.

They fight They fight.

16
Enter BENVOLIO Enter BENVOLIO
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Part, fools! Put up your swords; you know Break it up, idiots! Put your swords away; you

not what you do. don’t know what you are doing.

Beats down their swords Hits their swords down with his own.
Enter TYBALT Enter TYBALT.
TYBALT TYBALT

What, art thou drawn among these You’ve got your sword out among these girly

heartless hinds? weaklings?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death. Turn around, Benvolio, I am going to kill you.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

I do but keep the peace: put up thy I am just trying to calm it down: put your

sword, Or manage it to part these men sword away, or use it to split these men up.

with me.

TYBALT TYBALT

What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate You have your sword out and you’re talking

the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, about peace! I hate the word, just like I hate

and thee: Have at thee, coward! hell, the Montague family and you: take this!

They fight They fight

Enter, several of both houses, who join Enter men from both sides who join the fight,
the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs then Citizens of Verona who also join in
First Citizen First Citizen

Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat Hit them with whatever you’ve got!

them down!

Down with the Capulets! down with the Down with the Capulets! Down with the

17
Montagues! Montagues!

Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY Enter CAPULET and his wife.
CAPULET
CAPULET CAPULET

What noise is this? Give me my long What is happening? Give me my sword!

sword, ho!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a A sword? You need a crutch old man!

sword?

CAPULET CAPULET

My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, I want my sword! Old Montague is here and has

And flourishes his blade in spite of me. his sword out too.

Enter MONTAGUE and LADY Enter Montague and his wife.

MONTAGUE
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

Thou villain Capulet,--Hold me not, let me You criminal Capulet - don’t hold me back.

go.

LADY MONTAGUE LADY MONTAGUE

Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe. You will not get involved in this fight.

Enter PRINCE, with Attendants Enter PRINCE, with Attendants

PRINCE PRINCE

Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Defiant subjects, haters of peace,

Profaners of this neighbour-stained Disrespectful misusers of weapons,--

steel,--

Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, Are they not listening? You wild animals,

you beasts,

18
That quench the fire of your pernicious That put out the fire of your anger

rage

With purple fountains issuing from your with blood pouring out of you,

veins,

On pain of torture, from those bloody Unless you want to be tortured,

hands

Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the

drop your weapons
ground,

And hear the sentence of your moved And I will tell you my decision on how to deal
prince. with you.

Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, Three times you’ve disrupted our city with big

By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, fights, started by a silly comment from you

Capulet, and you Montague.

Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our Three times you’ve disrupted the quiet

streets, streets,

And made Verona's ancient citizens And made the city’s old people,

Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, Pull out their old swords (which are now just

ornaments),

To wield old partisans, in hands as old, To fight, in their old hands,

Canker'd with peace, to part your Their old swords are rusted because they’ve

canker'd hate: not needed to use them for so long, and now

they use them to stop the hate which has

ruined your families.

If ever you disturb our streets again, If you ever have another fight in public,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the You will be killed.
peace.

19
For this time, all the rest depart away: For now, everyone else go away:

You Capulet; shall go along with me: Capulet come with me:

And, Montague, come you this afternoon, Montague, come and see me this afternoon,

To know our further pleasure in this case, To find out what I want to do with you,

To old Free-town, our common judgment- To Free-town, our court-house.

place.

Once more, on pain of death, all men Again, everyone leave, else you will be put to

depart. death.

Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY Exit all but Montague, his wife and Benvolio
MONTAGUE, and BENVOLIO
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

Who set this ancient quarrel new Who re-started this old battle?

abroach?

Speak, nephew, were you by when it Tell me, nephew, were you here when it

began? started?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Here were the servants of your Capulet’s servants were here,

adversary,

And yours, close fighting ere I did And your servants too, fighting when I arrived:

approach:

I drew to part them: in the instant came I pulled my sword out to stop them fighting:

The fiery Tybalt, with his sword then hot-headed Tybalt arrived with his sword

prepared, out.

Which, as he breathed defiance to my He was saying nasty things to me,

ears,

He swung about his head and cut the He swished his sword around in the air,

winds,

20
Who nothing hurt withal hiss'd him in His sword hit nothing but the air which made a

scorn: hissing noise as he hit it:

While we were interchanging thrusts and While we were fighting;

blows,

Came more and more and fought on part More and more people turned up and started

and part, fighting too,

Till the prince came, who parted either Until the prince arrived, and he stopped it.

part.

LADY MONTAGUE LADY MONTAGUE

O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day? Where is Romeo? Have you seen him today?

Right glad I am he was not at this fray. I am glad he wasn’t involved in this fight.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd Madam, an hour before sunrise,

sun

Peer'd forth the golden window of the

east,

A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad; I was stressed out and decided to go for a

walk;

Where, underneath the grove of Where, under a tree

sycamore

That westward rooteth from the city's At the west of the city

side,

So early walking did I see your son: I saw Romeo:

Towards him I made, but he was ware of I went towards him but he saw me

me

And stole into the covert of the wood: And ran off into the woods:

I, measuring his affections by my own, I, thinking he was like me,

21
That most are busied when they're most Who likes to think on my own,

alone,

Pursued my humour not pursuing his, Did not chase after him,

And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from But let him run away.

me.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

Many a morning hath he there been seen, We have seen him there many mornings,

With tears augmenting the fresh morning Crying.

dew.

Adding to clouds more clouds with his Adding to the clouds with his unhappy sighs;

deep sighs;

But all so soon as the all-cheering sun But as soon as the sun

Should in the furthest east begin to draw Comes up

The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,

Away from the light steals home my heavy He runs home,

son,

And private in his chamber pens himself, And locks himself in his room,

Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight Shuts the windows to block out the sun

out

And makes himself an artificial night: And makes it look like night in there:

Black and portentous must this humour This seems to be worryingly significant,

prove,

Unless good counsel may the cause Unless someone can work out what is wrong and

remove. help him out.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

My noble uncle, do you know the cause? Good uncle, do you know why he is upset?

22
MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

I neither know it nor can learn of him. I don’t know and he won’t tell me.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO:

Have you importuned him by any means? Have you tried to find out?

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE:

Both by myself and many other friends: I have, and many friends have too:

But he, his own affections' counsellor, But he keeps himself to himself,

Is to himself--I will not say how true--

But to himself so secret and so close,

So far from sounding and discovery,

As is the bud bit with an envious worm, Romeo is like a flower which won’t open up to

Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the the world because it has been poisoned before

air, it can truly live,

Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.

Could we but learn from whence his If we could learn why he is sad.

sorrows grow.

We would as willingly give cure as know. We could try and help him get better.

Enter ROMEO Enter Romeo

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

See, where he comes: so please you, step Here he comes: please go away;

aside;

I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. I’ll find out why he is sad.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE:

I would thou wert so happy by thy stay, I hope you find out why he is so upset.

To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let's Come on wife, let’s go.

away.

Exeunt MONTAGUE and LADY Exit Montague and his wife.

23
MONTAGUE
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Good-morrow, cousin. Good morning, cousin.

ROMEO ROMEO

Is the day so young? Is it still so early as to be morning?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

But new struck nine. It’s just past nine AM.

ROMEO ROMEO

Ay me! sad hours seem long. Time goes slowly when you are sad.

Was that my father that went hence so Was that my dad who just ran off?

fast?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's Yes it was. What sad thing makes your time go

hours? so slowly?

ROMEO ROMEO

Not having that, which, having, makes Not having the thing that, if I had it, would

them short. make time go quickly.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

In love? Are you in love?

ROMEO ROMEO

Out-- Out—

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Of love? Of love?

ROMEO ROMEO

Out of her favour, where I am in love. She doesn’t love me, the one who I love.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Shame, love looks so simple

24
Should be so tyrannous and rough in But when you are in love it is so rough!

proof!

ROMEO ROMEO

Alas, that love, whose view is muffled Shame, that love which is supposed to be blind,

still,

Should, without eyes, see pathways to his Even without eyes can make you do whatever it

will! likes!

Where shall we dine? O me! What fray Where shall we go and eat? Oh no! You’ve been

was here? in a fight.

Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. Don’t even tell me, I’ve heard it all before.

Here's much to do with hate, but more This fight is to do with hating, but also loving.

with love.

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! Why, hate filled love! Oh love filled hate!

O any thing, of nothing first create! Love that comes from nothing!

O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Depressing happiness! Serious stupidity!

Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Beautiful things mixed up in chaos!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, Light and heavy, hot and cold, sick and well!

sick health!

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! Being awake and asleep, that’s not what love is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this. I feel love, but no-one loves me.

Dost thou not laugh? Are you laughing?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

No, coz, I rather weep. No, cousin. I am crying.

ROMEO ROMEO

Good heart, at what? Good man, what are you crying at?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

At thy good heart's oppression. At how depressed you are feeling.

25
ROMEO ROMEO

Why, such is love's transgression. That is what love is like.

Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, I feel very unhappy.

Which thou wilt propagate, to have it And you will add to it by making me feel

prest sympathy

With more of thine: this love that thou For your own unhappiness: the love you have

hast shown shown me

Doth add more grief to too much of mine Makes me even sadder than I already was.

own.

Love is a smoke raised with the fume of Love is like smoke made up of unhappy sighs;

sighs;

Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' A fire which burns in your lovers’ eyes;

eyes;

Being vex'd a sea nourish'd with lovers' Unhappiness in love can fill a sea with tears:

tears:

What is it else? a madness most discreet, What else is love? It’s madness most

intelligent.

A choking gall and a preserving sweet. A sweet which you choke on.

Farewell, my coz. Goodbye, cousin.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Soft! I will go along; Hang on! I will come with you;

An if you leave me so, you do me wrong. And if you leave me that’s unfair.

ROMEO ROMEO

Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here; I am lost; I am not here;

This is not Romeo, he's some other where. This isn’t the real Romeo, he is somewhere

else.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

26
Tell me in sadness, who is that you love. Tell me, who is it that you love?

ROMEO ROMEO

What, shall I groan and tell thee? Shall I groan and tell you?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Groan! why, no. No don’t groan.

But sadly tell me who. Just tell me who it is.

ROMEO ROMEO

Bid a sick man in sadness make his will: Tell a sick man to make his will:

Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill! It would not help the situation.

In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. Seriously, cousin, I love a woman.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

I aim'd so near, when I supposed you I was right then, when I guessed you were in

loved. love.

ROMEO ROMEO

A right good mark-man! And she's fair I A good guess! And she is beautiful.

love.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. Beautiful women fall in love quickly.

ROMEO ROMEO

Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit Well you are wrong there: she doesn’t want to

With Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian's wit; fall in love; she’s not into sleeping around;

And, in strong proof of chastity well And will not have sex with me,

arm'd,

From love's weak childish bow she lives She isn’t charmed by my childish love for her,

unharm'd.

She will not stay the siege of loving She will not listen to my loving words,

terms,

27
Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes, Or let me look at her with admiring eyes,

Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold: Or let me have sex with her:

O, she is rich in beauty, only poor, She is pretty but poor,

That when she dies with beauty dies her When she dies her beauty will die with her.

store.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Then she hath sworn that she will still live Has she taken an oath to remain a virgin?

chaste?

ROMEO ROMEO

She hath, and in that sparing makes huge She has, and that is a massive waste,

waste,

For beauty starved with her severity Because she is so beautiful and will never pass

Cuts beauty off from all posterity. that beauty onto her own children.

She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, She is too pretty and clever,

To merit bliss by making me despair: To be blessed by making me so upset:

She hath forsworn to love, and in that She has made a vow never to fall in love, and

vow because of that promise

Do I live dead that live to tell it now. I am dead inside.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Be ruled by me, forget to think of her. Let me tell you what to do: forget her!

ROMEO ROMEO

O, teach me how I should forget to think. Teach me how to forget.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

By giving liberty unto thine eyes; By letting your eyes;

Examine other beauties. Look at other beautiful women.

ROMEO ROMEO

'Tis the way That is the way

28
To call hers exquisite, in question more: To make me think she is even more beautiful:

These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' Masks on women’s faces

brows

Being black put us in mind they hide the Which are black, make us just wonder what

fair; their faces are like underneath;

He that is strucken blind cannot forget A man who goes blind cannot forget

The precious treasure of his eyesight What it was like to see before he lost his

lost: sight:

Show me a mistress that is passing fair, Show me a fairly pretty woman,

What doth her beauty serve, but as a Her love is like a letter which tells me

note

Where I may read who pass'd that Where to find a real beauty.

passing fair?

Farewell: thou canst not teach me to Goodbye: you can’t make me forget this woman.

forget.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt. I will make you forget, even if I die before

having achieved it.

Exeunt Exit

29
PART 5: CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF ROMEO IN A1S1

BASED ON THE VIDEO: HTTP://[Link]/M1G_OP-5JE4

Towards the end of Act 1 Scene 1 the audience gets to meet the first of the title
characters: Romeo. As many of you will be writing about him in controlled
assessments or essays, let's take a look at how Shakespeare presents our tragic
hero in this scene.

Before we meet Romeo he is talked about by Montague, Lady Montague and

Benvolio. All three present him as a quiet and shy character, seen when Benvolio
explains that Romeo 'was ware of me and stole into the covert of the wood' (saw
me and ran off into the woods to be alone). This suggests that Romeo has a
reclusive personality, which is further backed up when Montague confirms that
Romeo has been seen there many times 'with tears', before running home and
locking himself away in 'his chamber' (his bedroom). We know from the prologue
that this is the same Romeo who will take his own life, and get the sense that
perhaps he is well on the way to doing so already.

In the opening of the scene, Sampson and Gregory gave us a very sexual view of
love through their constant use of innuendo and double entendres such as "my
naked weapon is out". Their conversation presents love as a wholly sexual thing and
the audience, upon meeting Romeo, may expect his experience of love to be far
more romantic.

Romeo begins by explaining that "sad hours seem long", meaning that time passes by
slowly when you are unhappy in love. There is plenty of classical imagery, such as
the references to "Cupid" and "Diana", and all the dramatic exaggeration and
hyperbole audiences would expect from someone deeply in love, such as "Love is a
smoke made with the fume of sighs". Romantic poetry in Elizabethan England often
focused on how a man suffered when in love, and audiences would feel that Romeo
was fitting the mould perfectly so far; up until this point Romeo seems to be a far
more romantic character.

However, this romantic view of Romeo soon changes as he reveals that he is so

upset because the woman he loves will not "ope her lap to saint-seducing gold".
What does this mean? It means that the woman he loves will not open her legs and
have sex with him, despite his best efforts. "Saint-seducing gold" could be a
metaphor for Romeo's manhood, suggesting that his genitalia are so perfect that he
could seduce a saint. Alternatively, it could suggest that he has gone so far as to

30
offer the woman gold to get her to sleep with him. Either way, he has been
unsuccessful.

So what do we think of Romeo now? Just like Sampson, it seems that Romeo's ideas
about love and women are entirely based on sex - surely not the best first
impression for our main character to make?

The Greek philosopher Aristotle, around the year 335 BC, wrote 'Poetics’, a book
which included theories on narrative structure. He analysed Greek tragedy as a
genre and defined some of the main characteristics which he felt were essential in
tragedy. The one I want to focus on here is 'hubris'.

Aristotle suggested that all tragedy focuses on a man of high social standing who
meets his death because of his hubris - arrogance or excessive pride in some area.
Tragic heroes are good people who have just one area of weakness that leads to
their deaths; Romeo certainly fits this model. Could it be that Romeo's hubris is his
inability to escape falling in love with every woman that he sets eyes on? This
certainly fits in with the picture painted so far and the events which unfold later in
the tale. Yes, it seems that Romeo is a well-liked guy who is respected by many, but
he just can't keep clear of the ladies. Today he would undoubtedly end up on an
episode of the 'Jeremy Kyle' show as the man who couldn't stop falling in love. This
idea is backed up by the fact that the woman Romeo is currently lovesick over is
not even Juliet! Surely Shakespeare starts the play with Romeo being lovesick over
a different woman to suggest that Romeo is just this sort of person - he falls in
love all of the time. So, Shakespeare is following the generic conventions of Greek
tragedy by presenting a tragic hero whose hubris is, perhaps, his obsession with
women and falling in love. Some critics have suggested that Romeo's hubris is his
fearlessness about death. Either way, Romeo is tragically flawed from the start.

31
PART 6: TRANSLATING ACT 1 SCENE 2

BASED ON THE VIDEO: HTTP://[Link]/ZXHGLKM6240

Act 1,Scene 2 Act 1, Scene 2

A street. Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and

A street. Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and
Servant
Servant

CAPULET CAPULET

But Montague is bound as well as I, But Montague is stuck like I am,

In a similar punishment; and it’s easy, I

In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I
think,
think,
For old men like the two of us to be

For men so old as we to keep the friends.

peace.

PARIS PARIS

Of honourable reckoning are you both; You are both good men;

And it’s a shame you were enemies for

And pity 'tis you lived at odds so long.
so long.

But anyway, what do you say about my

offer?
But now, my lord, what say you to my

suit?

CAPULET CAPULET

Just the same as I told you before:

32
But saying o'er what I have said My child is young;

before: My child is yet a stranger in

the world; She is not even yet fourteen years old,

She hath not seen the change of

Let her get a couple of years older,
fourteen years,

Let two more summers wither in their Before she is ready to marry.
pride,

Ere we may think her ripe to be a

bride.
PARIS
PARIS
Girls younger than her have had
Younger than she are happy mothers
children of their own.
made.

CAPULET
CAPULET
And those young girls have their lives
And too soon marr'd are those so early
ruined.
made.
All of my hope has gone apart from
The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes
her,
but she,
She is so important to me:
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
But seek her affection, Paris, make her
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her
fall in love with you,
heart,
My saying you can marry her is only
My will to her consent is but a part;
part of it;

If she chooses to marry you

An she agree, within her scope of
I will let it happen.
choice Lies my consent and fair

according voice.

33
This night I hold an old accustom'd Tonight I am holding a party,

feast,

Whereto I have invited many a guest, Where I’ve invited many people to

come,

Such as I love; and you, among the People I love; and you are invited,

store,

One more, most welcome, makes my One extra is most welcome.

number more.

At my poor house look to behold this Come to my house tonight

night Earth-treading stars that make Stars will be there:

dark heaven light:

Such comfort as do lusty young men Men love to see beautiful women.

feel When well-apparell'd April on the

heel

Of limping winter treads, even such

delight

Among fresh female buds shall you this You will see so many pretty women

night tonight

Inherit at my house; hear all, all see, Come to my house; take a look around

And like her most whose merit most And see who you like:

shall be:

Which on more view, of many mine When you’ve seen lots of women,

being one

May stand in number, though in my daughter may not seem so

reckoning none, important.

Come, go with me. Come with me.

34
(To Servant, giving a paper) (To a servant, giving him a paper)

Go, sirrah, trudge about Go on, walk around

Through fair Verona; find those Through Verona; find the people

persons out

Whose names are written there, and to on this guest list, and tell them,

them say,

My house and welcome on their My house and I welcome them tonight.

pleasure stay.

Exeunt CAPULET and PARIS Exit CAPULET and PARIS

Servant Servant

Find them out whose names are written Find the names written here!

here! It is written, that the shoemaker It is written that people should try out

should meddle with his yard, and the different things

tailor with his last, the fisher with his

pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am sent to find these people

but I am sent to find those persons written here

whose names are here writ, and can

and I cannot even read!
never find what names the writing

person hath here writ. I must to the I must find someone who can read so

learned.--In good time. they can help me.

Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO

Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Tut, man, one fire burns out another's

Mate, you can stop one fire out by
burning,
starting another,
One pain is lessen'd by another's

anguish; Turn giddy, and be holp by We forget our pain when hurt again;

35
backward turning; If you get dizzy, you can spin back

One desperate grief cures with round the other way and stop the

another's languish: dizziness.

Take thou some new infection to thy

Focus on some new poison
eye, And the rank poison of the old will

die. And the old poison you were looking at

will go away.

ROMEO
ROMEO
Your plaintain-leaf is excellent for

that. Your sticking plaster is good for that.

BENVOLIO
BENVOLIO
For what, I pray thee?
For what?

ROMEO
ROMEO
For your broken shin.
For your broken shin. (A plaintain leaf

was a medical plaster of its day. Here

Romeo is saying that a plaster cannot

be used to mend a broken bone).

BENVOLIO
BENVOLIO

Why, Romeo, art thou mad?

Romeo are you mad?
ROMEO
ROMEO
Not mad, but bound more than a mad-
Not mad, but tied up more than a mad-
man is;
man is;
Shut up in prison, kept without my
Locked up, starved, abused and
food,
tortured.
Whipp'd and tormented and--God-den,

36
good fellow. Hello, friend.

Servant Servant

God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you Hello. Can you read?

read?

ROMEO ROMEO

Ay, mine own fortune in my misery. Yes, I can read my own fortune and it’s

bad.

Servant Servant

Perhaps you have learned it without You may have learned to do that

book: but, I pray, can you read without reading: can you read words?

anything you see?

ROMEO ROMEO

Ay, if I know the letters and the Yes, if I know the language.

language.

Servant Servant

Ye say honestly: rest you merry! That’s the truth. Have a good day!

ROMEO ROMEO

Stay, fellow; I can read. Stop, friend; I can read.

Reads Reads

'Signior Martino and his wife and ‘Mr Martino and his wife and

daughters; daughters;

County Anselme and his beauteous County Anselme and his beautiful

sisters; the lady widow of Vitravio; sisters; the widow of Vitravio, Mr

Signior Placentio and his lovely Placentio and his nieces;

nieces; Mercutio and his brother Mercutio and his brother Valentine;

Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife my uncle Capulet, his wive and

37
and daughters; daughters;

my fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior my lovely niece Rosaline; Livia; Mr

Valentio and his cousin Valentino and his cousin

Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena.' A Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena.’ A

fair assembly: whither should they good group: where should they go?

come?

Servant Servant

Up. Up.

ROMEO ROMEO

Whither? Where?

Servant Servant

To supper; to our house. To eat supper; at our house.

ROMEO ROMEO

Whose house? Whose house?

Servant Servant

My master's. My boss’s.

ROMEO ROMEO

Indeed, I should have ask'd you that Obviously, I should have asked that

before. before.

Servant Servant

Now I'll tell you without asking: my Now I will tell you without you even

master is the great rich Capulet; and if asking: my boss is the fantastic rich

you be not of the house of Montagues, Capulet; and if you are not one of the

I pray, come and crush a cup of wine. Montague family, come and have a

drink at the party yourself.

Rest you merry! Have a nice day!

38
Exit Exit

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

At this same ancient feast of At this party of Capulet’s

Capulet's

Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so Eats the lovely Rosaline who you are in

lovest, love with,

With all the admired beauties of Along with all the pretty women of the

Verona: city:

Go thither; and, with unattainted eye, Go there; and objectively,

Compare her face with some that I Compare her to some other women I

shall show, will show you,

And I will make thee think thy swan a And I will make you think Rosaline is

crow. ugly.

ROMEO ROMEO

When the devout religion of mine eye When my eyes

Maintains such falsehood, then turn Lie to me like this, then let my tears

tears to fires; turn to fire;

And these, who often drown'd could And these eyes which often cry,

never die, Transparent heretics, be Should be burnt up for lying!

burnt for liars!

One fairer than my love! the all-seeing One more lovely than Rosaline! The sun

sun itself

Ne'er saw her match since first the Never saw anyone as beautiful as her

world begun. since the world began.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

39
Tut, you saw her fair, none else being You thought she was pretty, because

by, no-one else was there,

Herself poised with herself in either You just had her to look at:

eye:

But in that crystal scales let there be But if you compare her

weigh'd

Your lady's love against some other To some other pretty women

maid That I will show you shining at That I will show you at the party,

this feast, And she shall scant show She will not look so impressive.

well that now shows best.

ROMEO ROMEO

I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, I will come along, not to see these

other women,

But to rejoice in splendor of mine own. But to enjoy looking at Rosaline.

Exeunt Exit

40
PART 7: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS – A1S2

Based on the video [Link]

After the intensity and drama of Act 1 Scene 1, this following scene is relatively
short and uneventful. In it we are introduced to Paris, a young man who is keen
to marry Capulet’s daughter Juliet. We learn that Juliet has ‘not seen the
change of fourteen years’, meaning she is only thirteen years old. In
Shakespeare’s time the legal age from which a female could get married was
just twelve years of age, although most women got married in their twenties
just like today (in 2013 the average UK age of marriage is 28 for a woman,
whereas in 1590 it was 27). However, a special exception was sometimes made
for rich and noble families, who would often marry off their young children for
reasons of property and family alliance. If your family had money and my family
had land, our parents may want us to marry so that, through linking the families
with our marriage, they have both money and land.

What is most interesting in this scene is how Paris is in an almost identical

situation to that of Romeo in the previous scene. In Act 1 Scene 1, Benvolio tells
Romeo that he should look at other beautiful women to take his mind off
Rosaline, and here in Act 2 Scene 2 we see Capulet doing the same with Paris.
Because Capulet thinks Juliet is too young to marry, he tells Paris to come to
the party and look at other beautiful women to take his mind off Juliet. The
meaning here is clear: Shakespeare is setting up the play so that Romeo and
Paris are reflections of each other. Very soon we will see that both want Juliet,
and therefore both are heading for the same outcome. Without giving anything
away, we shall also see that the ending for both is very similar (despite the fact
that the DiCaprio film doesn’t show how the story ends for Paris).

The scene with the servant who cannot read is placed here for two reasons.
Firstly, it is a plot device used to get Romeo to the Capulet party. Secondly, it is
a moment of light humour following what has been a very heavy opening scene.
Shakespeare is aiming to please everyone in the crowd: those who like action and
violence, those who like romance and those who like humour.

Finally, why did Shakespeare call this character ‘Paris’? In Greek mythology,
Paris was the son of Priam. Invited to a great feast by Zeus, Paris was asked to
look at all the beautiful goddesses and choose the most beautiful of them all:
sound familiar? This classical myth reflects the current situation in ‘Romeo and

41
Juliet’. Just like the mythological Paris, Paris is invited to a feast to survey the
beautiful and choose his favourite. Who will he choose? Let’s read on and see!
PART 8: TRANSLATING ACT 1 SCENE 3

BASED ON THE VIDEO: HTTP://[Link]/BGPJPROK74G

Act 1, Scene 3 Act 1, Scene 3

A room in Capulet’s house. A room in Capulet’s house.

Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse Enter Lady Capulet and Nurse.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Nurse, where’s my daughter? Call her Nurse, where is my daughter? Call her

forth to me. to come to me.

Nurse Nurse

Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year I swear by the fact I was a virgin at

old, the age of twelve,

I bade her come. What, lamb! What, I already told her to come.

ladybird!

God forbid! Where’s this girl? What, Where is she?

Juliet! Juliet!

Enter JULIET ENTER JULIET

JULIET JULIET

How now! Who calls? What? Who is calling?

Nurse Nurse

Your mother. Your mother.

JULIET JULIET

Madam, I am here. Mother, I am here.

What is your will? What do you want?

42
LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

This is the matter:--Nurse, give leave This is the issue:--Nurse, leave us

awhile, alone for a bit,

We must talk in secret:--nurse, come We must have a secret chat:--nurse,

back again; come back again;

I have remember’d me, thou’s hear our You can hear our secrets.

counsel.

Thou know’st my daughter’s of a pretty You know my daughter is of a young

age. age.

Nurse Nurse

Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Yes, I know her age exactly.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

She’s not fourteen. She isn’t yet fourteen.

Nurse Nurse

I’ll lay fourteen of my teeth,-- I would bet with fourteen of my

And yet, to my teeth be it spoken, I teeth,--

have but four— Except I only have four of them--

She is not fourteen. How long is it now She is not fourteen. How long is it until

To Lammas-tide? August first?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

A fortnight and odd days. About two weeks.

Nurse Nurse

Even or odd, of all days in the year, Close or not close,

Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be On August first she shall be fourteen.

fourteen.

Susan and she—God rest all Christian Susan-- God rest her departed soul!

souls!—

43
Were of an age: well, Susan is with Was about the age: well, Susan is dead

God; now;

She was too good for me: but, as I She was too good to remain on earth:

said, but, as I was saying,

On Lammas-eve at night shall she be On August first she shall be fourteen;

fourteen;

That shall she, marry; I remember it That she will; I can remember it very

well. well.

‘Tis since the earthquake now eleven Eleven years have passed since the

years; earthquake;

And she was wean’d,--I never shall And she stopped breastfeeding--I will

forget it,-- never forget it,

Of all the days of the year, upon that Of all the days to stop, she stopped on

day: that day:

For I had then laid wormwood to my For I had put a bitter herb on my

dug, nipple,

Sitting in the sun under the dove- Sitting in the sun under the dove-

house wall; house wall;

My lord and you were then at Mantua:- You and Lord Capulet were at Mantua:

Nay, I do bear a brain:--but, as I said, What a memory I have: but, as I was

saying,

When it did taste the wormwood on When she tasted the herb on my nipple

the nipple

Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty And tasted that it was bitter

fool,

To see it tetchy and fall out with the She fell out of love with my breast!

44
dug!

Shake quoth the dove-house: ‘twas no Then the earthquake shook the dove-

need, I trow, house: there was no need,

To bid me trudge: To tell me to get out:

And since that time it is eleven years; And since then it’s been eleven years;

For then she could stand alone; nay, by She could stand up on her own,

the rood,

She could have run and waddled all She could run around.

about;

For even the day before, she broke Even the day before, she cut her

her brow: forehead:

And then my husband—God be with his And my husband, also dearly departed,

soul!

A’ was a merry man—took up the child: He was a happy man--he picked her up,

‘Yea,’ quoth he, ‘dost thou fall upon thy “Oh,” he said, “did you fall on your

face? face?

Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast You will fall backwards when you’re a

more wit; bit older;

Wilt thou not, Jule?’ and, by my Won’t you, Julie?” and, I swear,

holidame,

The pretty wretch left crying and said The little baby stopped crying and said

‘Ay.’ “Yes.”

To see, now, how a jest shall come What a joke!

about!

I warrant, an I should live a thousand I promise, I could live a thousand more

years, years,

I never should forget it: ‘Wilt thou I never will forget it: “Won’t you

45
not, Jule?’ quoth he; Julie?” he said;

And, pretty fool, it stinted and said And the pretty baby stopped crying

‘Ay.’ and said,“Yes”.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy Enough of this story; be quiet for a

peace. bit.

Nurse Nurse

Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but Yes, madam: but I can’t help but laugh,

laugh,

To think it should leave crying and say To think she stopped crying and

‘Ay.’ said,”Yes”.

And yet, I warrant, it had upon its And yet, I’ll bet, upon her forehead

brow

A bump as big as a young cockerel’s was a huge bump;

stone;

A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly: A massive knock; and she cried loudly:

‘Yea,’ quoth my husband,’fall’st upon “Oh,” said my husband, “did you fall on

thy face?’ your face?

Thou wilt fall backward when thou You will fall backwards when you

comest to age; become a woman

Wilt thou not, Jule?’ it stinted and Will you not, Julie?” She stopped

said ‘Ay.’ crying and said, “Yes”.

JULIET JULIET

And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, And you stop too, please, Nurse, I say.

say I.

Nurse Nurse

46
Peace, I have done. God mark thee to Calm down, I am finished.

his grace!

Thou wast the prettiest babe that e’er You were the prettiest baby I ever

I nursed: breastfed:

An I might live to see thee married And if I live to see you married,

once,

I have my wish. I shall have my wish.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Marry, that ‘marry’ is the very theme Marriage is the very topic

I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter I came to talk about. Tell me Juliet,

Juliet,

How stands your disposition to be How do you feel about getting

married? married?

JULIET JULIET

It is an honour that I dream not of. It is something special that I do not

even think about.

Nurse Nurse

An honour! Were not I thine only Something special! If I wasn’t the only

nurse, one who breastfed you,

I would say thou hadst suck’d wisdom I would say you had sucked wisdom out

from thy teat. of the nipple.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Well, think of marriage now; younger Well, start thinking about marriage

than you, now; younger than you,

Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Here in this city, posh ladies,

Are made already mothers: by my Already have kids: as I remember,

count,

47
I was your mother much upon these I gave birth to you around your age

years

That you are now a maid. Thus then in And you are still a virgin. Let me be

brief: quick:

The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. Paris wants to marry you.

Nurse Nurse

A man, young lady! Lady, such a man He’s an amazing man! He’s so stunning

As all the world—why, he’s a man of it’s like he is a sculpture.

wax.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Verona’s summer hath not such a The city’s summer isn’t as hot as he is!

flower.

Nurse Nurse

Nay, he’s a flower; in faith, a very No, he’s an amazing flower.

flower.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

What say you? Can you love the What do you think? Can you love him?

gentleman?

This night you shall behold him at our Tonight he is coming to the party at

feast; our house;

Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ Have a good look at his face;

face,

And find delight writ there with And see how beautiful he is;

beauty’s pen;

Examine every married lineament, Look at every bit of his features,

And see how one another lends content And see how they complement each

other

48
And what obscured in this fair volume And what you can’t work out

lies

Find written in the margent of his Find it in his eyes.

eyes.

This precious book of love, this This amazing man is like a book without

unbound lover, a cover,

To beautify him, only lacks a cover: To perfect him he needs that cover:

The fish lives in the sea, and ‘tis much The fish live in the sea, and that is

pride, right,

For fair without the fair within to It would be wrong for you to hide from

hide: a great man like him:

That book in many’s eyes doth share Paris is admired by many,

the glory,

That in gold clasps locks in the golden

story;

So shall you share all that he doth And you will be too,

possess,

By having him, making yourself no less. If you marry him.

Nurse Nurse

No less! Nay, bigger; women grow by

You will become even more perfect if
men.
you marry him.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Speak briefly, can you like of Paris’ Tell me quickly, can you fall in love with

love? him?

JULIET JULIET

I’ll look to like, if looking liking move: I’ll try to,

49
But no more deep will I endart mine But I won’t fall any more deeply in love

eye

Than your consent gives strength to Than you let me.

make it fly.

Enter a Servant Enter a servant

Servant Servant

Madam, the guests are come, supper Madam, the guests are here, food is

served up, you called, my young lady dished up, you are wanted, Juliet is

asked for, the nurse cursed in the wanted, people are moaning about the

pantry, and everything in extremity. I nurse.

must hence to wait; I beseech you, Please, come with me.

follow straight.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

We follow thee. We are coming.

Exit Servant Exit Servant

Juliet, the county stays. Juliet, Paris is waiting for you.

Nurse Nurse

Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy Go on, girl. Keep your eye out for a man

days. who will give you happy nights.

Exeunt Exit

50
PART 9: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS A1S3

Based on the video [Link]

Similar to the previous scene, Act 1 Scene 3 offers a welcome dose of comedy
to the play. The Nurse is a fantastic character with a bawdy, sexual sense of
humour that is just as funny as that of Sampson and Gregory. Whereas the
servant in Act 1 Scene 2 offered some light comedy, the Nurse is all out
slapstick in this scene. Perhaps the funniest part of this scene is where she
tells a long anecdote from Juliet’s childhood:

“For even the day before, she broke her brow:

And then my husband—God be with his soul!

A’ was a merry man—took up the child:

‘Yea,’ quoth he, ‘dost thou fall upon thy face?

Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit”.

After telling this long story the Nurse, proving she is a forgetful woman,
repeats the whole thing once more! The juxtaposition of the uninhibited Nurse
and the reserved Lady Capulet and Juliet makes the comic effect even more
powerful.

However, this scene also offers an insight into the role of women in
Shakespeare’s time. When the baby Juliet falls over onto her face, the Nurse’s
husband remarks ‘Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age’. The
meaning of this line is clear: when you grow into a woman you will fall onto your
back to have sex. To a modern audience this line may seem shocking - the
Nurse’s husband is talking to a baby girl about the sexual future that awaits
her. However, an Elizabethan audience would see nothing odd here.

In Shakespeare’s time, women were seen as little more than mothers and
objects of male desire. Most women were denied anything beyond a basic
schooling. Even when girls did go to grammar schools, many classes had ‘male
only’ signs on the doors; girls would only be taught the most basic subjects.
Upper class families (like Juliet’s) would hire tutors to teach their children, but
even then the prospects for an educated woman were very slim: women could not
enter any profession or even vote, but instead were being prepared for

51
domestic lives. Upper class girls were taught how to cook, sew, play instruments
and do anything else which might be seen to make domestic life more attractive.

The only option for a woman was to get married and to run the household. With
this in mind, we can see that the Nurse’s husband was right: Juliet (and all
women of the time) was fated to end up being attached to a man. Today women
have no need to marry, but failure to find a husband in Shakespeare’s time
meant a desperate life.

Females could only survive through the men who provided for them. As children,
girls would rely on their father for financial support and protection. When
married, this responsibility passed onto the husband. It was almost unheard of
not to marry - if a woman didn’t wed there were only two other options
available: become a nun or become a prostitute. This shocking contextual detail
helps up to see the situation Juliet is in here.

At the time ‘Romeo and Juliet was written it was illegal to marry without
parental consent, meaning you needed Mum and Dad’s permission to get married.
Juliet’s mother and father want her to marry Paris, an eligible bachelor. It is an
example of dramatic irony (where the audience know more than the characters
on the stage) that we already know Juliet is fated to be with Romeo, not Paris.
The tension is building as we approach the party scene which will finish this
first act. We know that Romeo and Juliet will be there, but so will Rosaline and
Paris. How will it all unfold? Let’s read on and find out!

52
PART 10: TRANSLATING ACT 1 SCENE 4

BASED ON THE VIDEO: HTTP://[Link]/PG5ZIPXVSTY

Act 1, Scene 4 Act 1, Scene 4

SCENE IV. A street. A street.

Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO,

with five or six Maskers, Torch-bearers, BENVOLIO, with five or six

and others MASKERS, Torch-bearers, and others

ROMEO ROMEO

What, shall this speech be spoke for our What excuse shall we give for being

excuse? here?

Or shall we on without a apology? Or shall we just go in without an

explanation?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

The date is out of such prolixity: It’s unfashionable to give long

explanations:

We'll have no Cupid hoodwink'd with a We won’t have our dance introduced by

scarf, having someone dress up as characters,

Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, Carrying a bow,

Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper; Scaring the ladies.

Nor no without-book prologue, faintly And we’re not going to have a long

spoke speech planned,

53
After the prompter, for our entrance: When we arrive:

But let them measure us by what they will; But let them think of us what they like:

We'll measure them a measure, and be We’ll have a bit of a dance, then leave.

gone.

ROMEO ROMEO

Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling; Give me a light: I don’t want to dance

at this party;

Being but heavy, I will bear the light. I’m too depressed, so I will be the one

who carries the light.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you No, Romeo, you must dance.

dance.

ROMEO ROMEO

Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes Not me: you are the one with dancing

With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead shoes on,

So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. My unhappiness means I cannot move.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings, You are in love, so borrow the wings of

And soar with them above a common Cupid, and fly with them.

bound.

ROMEO ROMEO

I am too sore enpierced with his shaft I am too wounded from Cupid’s arrow,

To soar with his light feathers, and so To fly, so I am stuck,

bound,

I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe: I cannot move much at all:

Under love's heavy burden do I sink. Under the sadness of love which

54
weighs me down.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

And, to sink in it, should you burden love; And, by sinking, you are pulling love

down;

Too great oppression for a tender thing. Love should not be weighed down.

ROMEO ROMEO

Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Is love tender? It’s rough,

Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like rude and very painful.

thorn.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

If love be rough with you, be rough with If love is rough, be rough back;

love;

Prick love for pricking, and you beat love Prick love if it pricks you, and beat love

down. down.

Give me a case to put my visage in: Give me a mask to cover my face:

A visor for a visor! what care I Another mask to go over that mask!

What curious eye doth quote deformities? What do I care if people see the real

me?

Here are the beetle brows shall blush for This mask will blush for me.

me.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Come, knock and enter; and no sooner in, Come on, knock on the door and go in,

But every man betake him to his legs. As soon as we get in, start dancing.

ROMEO ROMEO

A torch for me: let wantons light of heart Give me a light: let people who are

Tickle the senseless rushes with their happy, dance

heels,

55
For I am proverb'd with a grandsire Like the old saying goes, you can’t lose

phrase; if you don’t play the game;

I'll be a candle-holder, and look on. I’ll hold the light and watch.

The game was ne'er so fair, and I am It looks like fun.

done.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Tut, dun's the mouse, the constable's own You’re as gloomy as a policeman:

word:

If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the If you are gloomy, we’ll pull you out of

mire it

Of this sir-reverence love, wherein thou Out of love where you are stuck,

stick'st

Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, Up to your ears. Come on, we’re wasting

ho! time.

ROMEO ROMEO

Nay, that's not so. That’s not true.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

I mean, sir, in delay I mean by delaying going in,

We waste our lights in vain, like lamps by We waste our lights, like burning a

day. candle in the daytime,

Take our good meaning, for our judgment Understand what I mean, rather than

sits

Five times in that ere once in our five try to think of some clever meaning.

wits.

ROMEO ROMEO

56
And we mean well in going to this mask; We’re going to this party with good

intentions,

But 'tis no wit to go. But it’s not a good idea.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Why, may one ask? Why?

ROMEO ROMEO

I dream'd a dream to-night. I had a dream tonight.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

And so did I. Me too.

ROMEO ROMEO

Well, what was yours? What was your dream?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

That dreamers often lie. That dreamers often lie.

ROMEO ROMEO

In bed asleep, while they do dream things When sleeping in bed, their dreams

true. often come true.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with Oh, then I see you’ve been with Queen

you. Mab.

She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes She is midwife for the fairies. And she

In shape no bigger than an agate-stone is very small.

On the fore-finger of an alderman,

She is pulled along by tiny atoms

Drawn with a team of little atomies

Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep; Along sleeping men’s noses;

In a wagon with wheel spokes made of

57
Her wagon-spokes made of long spiders' spider legs

legs,

A cover made of grasshopper wings,

The cover of the wings of grasshoppers,
Harnesses made of tiny bits of spider
The traces of the smallest spider's web,
web,

The collars of the moonshine's watery Collars made of moonshine.

beams,

A whip made of bone,

Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of

film,

Her wagoner a small grey-coated gnat, Her driver is a tiny gnat wearing a grey

coat,
Not so big as a round little worm
Smaller than the worm
Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid;
Which comes from a lazy girl’s finger;
Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut
Her chariot is a nutshell
Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub,
Made by a squirrel or old grubworm,
Time out o' mind the fairies'
They’ve made coaches for fairies for
coachmakers.
as long as can be remembered.

And in this state she gallops night by night

And like this she gallops around every

night
Through lovers' brains, and then they
Through the brains of lovers, and then
dream of love;
they dream of love;
O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on
She rides over the knees of courtiers,
court'sies straight,
who dream of curtsying,
O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream
Over lawyers’ fingers, who dream of
on fees,
the money they can make,

58
O'er ladies ' lips, who straight on kisses Over ladies’ lips, who dream of kissing,

dream,

Which oft the angry Mab with blisters Often Mab angrily puts blisters on

plagues, their lips,

Because their breaths with sweetmeats Because their breath stinks:

tainted are:

Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's Sometimes she rides over a courtier’s

nose, nose,

And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And he dreams of smelling out a

lawsuit;

And sometime comes she with a tithe- And sometimes she comes with a tiny

pig's tail pig’s tail

Tickling a parson's nose as a' lies asleep, Tickling a vicar’s nose as he sleep,

Then dreams, he of another benefice: Then dreams he of a large donation:

Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's Sometimes she drives over a soldier’s

neck, neck,

And then dreams he of cutting foreign And then he dreams about cutting

throats, enemy soldiers’ throats,

Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish Of breaking down walls, Spanish

blades, swords,

Of healths five-fathom deep; and then Of huge alcoholic drinks; and then

anon

Drums in his ear, at which he starts and hears drums in his ear, at which he

wakes, wakes up,

And being thus frighted swears a prayer And being afraid he prays

or two

And sleeps again. This is that very Mab And falls asleep again. This is Mab

59
That plats the manes of horses in the That plaits horses’ manes in the night,

night,

And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish And makes the tangles hard,

hairs, so that if untangled it brings a curse

Which once untangled, much misfortune on the person who untangles them,

bodes:

This is the hag, when maids lie on their She is the hag, when virgins have sex,

backs,

That presses them and learns them first That teaches them how to take a man

to bear, and

Making them women of good carriage: how to have babies:

This is she— That is her.

ROMEO ROMEO

Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Enough, enough, Mercutio, please!

Thou talk'st of nothing. You are talking rubbish.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

True, I talk of dreams, True, I talk about dreams,

Which are the children of an idle brain, Which only take place in brains which

do nothing,

Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Dreams are just silly ideas,

Which is as thin of substance as the air Which are made up of nothing

And more inconstant than the wind, who And which change more quickly than

wooes the wind, which blows

Even now the frozen bosom of the north, Even now cold from the north,

And, being anger'd, puffs away from And then gets angry and,

60
thence,

Turning his face to the dew-dropping Blows hot from the south.

south.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

This wind, you talk of, blows us from This wind you are talking about blows

ourselves; us away from our plan;

Supper is done, and we shall come too late. The food will soon be gone, and we will

arrive too late.

ROMEO ROMEO

I fear, too early: for my mind misgives I am afraid we will arrive too early, for

I fear

Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Something bad is fated to happen

Shall bitterly begin his fearful date It shall begin today

With this night's revels and expire the With this party and end

term

Of a despised life closed in my breast In my own death

By some vile forfeit of untimely death. But whoever is in charge of my life

But He, that hath the steerage of my

course,

Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen. Take me where you want. Let’s go, men.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Strike, drum. Bang the drum.

Exeunt
Exit

61
PART 11: ANALYSING ACT 1 SCENE 4

BASED ON THE VIDEO HTTP://[Link]/I4B2ONMMQAI

For the first time in the play we have a scene which seems unnecessary. Act 1
Scene 4 basically tells us things we already know: Romeo and his friends are
heading to Capulet’s party, but Romeo is not in the mood to go. Didn’t we learn
all of this in Act 1 Scene 2? The answer is yes!

However, the character of Mercutio is developed in this scene. His long winded
speech about ‘Queen Mab’ may initially seem to be unimportant, but it reveals a
lot about the character which will prove important further into the play.

The Queen Mab speech starts off like a child’s fairytale, with images as
innocent as a chariot made of ‘an empty hazel-nut’. This story begins in light-
hearted, fairytale-like humour. However, as the tale goes on the images get
darker and darker, moving from ‘lovers’ brains’ to soldiers ‘cutting foreign
throats’ and finishing with ‘maids’ being taught how to have sex. There is a
frenzied chaos to the speech, and the darkening imagery is used to symbolise
the darkness and chaos that is so key to the character of Mercutio. Put simply,
this speech warns us “this bloke is trouble, keep an eye on him later”.

Mercutio is also used to juxtapose the views of love expressed by Romeo.

Romeo’s unrealistic and romantic view of love causes him to moan: ‘under love’s
heavy burden do I sink’. Mercutio, on the other hand, offers a much more sexual
view of love. In fact, every time Romeo says something, Mercutio turns it into a
sexual joke. When Mercutio answers Romeo by telling him to “prick love for
pricking”, he is punning on the word ‘prick’ as a slang term for ‘penis’. Once again,
the two views of love: romantic or purely sexual, are contrasted in this scene. In
the following scene our two title characters shall meet, and we will see which
type of love wins out between the two.

It is worth noting that Shakespeare created the Queen Mab character; she did
not appear in any of the earlier versions of the story of Romeo and Juliet. After
her appearance in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Queen Mab has gone on to appear in a wide
variety of literature. It is a sign of Shakespeare’s popularity that Mab makes an
appearance in the 17th Century poetry of Ben Johnson. She re-appears in the
1813 poem ‘Queen Mab’ by Percy Shelley:

62
Behold the chariot of the Fairy Queen!
Celestial coursers paw the unyielding air;
Their filmy pennons at her word they furl,
And stop obedient to the reins of light;
These the Queen of Spells drew in;
She spread a charm around the spot,
And, leaning graceful from the ethereal car,
Long did she gaze, and silently,
Upon the slumbering maid.

More famously, Queen Mab is the name of the 31st chapter of Herman Melville’s
‘Moby Dick’ (1851) and the character even appears to Peter Pan in J.M Barrie’s
‘The Little White Bird’ (1902):

‘To Peter's bewilderment he every fairy he met fled from him of workmen who
were sawing down rushed away leaving their them A milkmaid turned upside
down and hid in it Soon were in an uproar Crowds were running this way and that
each other stoutly who was afraid were extinguished doors barricaded from the
grounds of Queen Mab's the rub a dub of drums showing royal guard had been
called out of Lancers came charging Broad Walk armed with holly leaves which
they jag the enemy horribly.’

This is just one example of how Shakespeare’s work has influenced the literary
world that followed him. Whilst we may count Queen Mab as being of little or no
consequence in the play, her influence beyond it has been anything but small.

63
PART 12: TRANSLATING ACT 1 SCENE 5

BASED ON THE VIDEO: HTTP://[Link]/C5CUWUEG9O4

Act 1, Scene 5 Act 1, Scene 5

SCENE V. A hall in Capulet's house. Scene V. A hall in Capulet’s house.

Musicians waiting. Enter Servingmen with Musicians are standing waiting.

napkins Waiters enter with napkins.

First Servant First Servant

Where's Potpan, that he helps not to Where’s Potpan, why isn’t he clearing

take away? tables?

He shift a trencher? he scrape a He should be tidying dishes and

trencher! washing them up!

Second Servant Second Servant

When good manners shall lie all in one or When there are only one or two good

two men's hands mannered people,

and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing. And they’re dirty too, it’s a bad

thing.

First Servant First Servant

Away with the joint-stools, remove the Put the stools away, remove

court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good the plates.

thou,

save me a piece of marchpane; and, as Save me a piece of marzipan if you

64
thou lovest me, love me,

let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and let Susan Grindstone and Nell in.

Nell.

Antony, and Potpan! Antony, and Potpan!

Second Servant Second Servant

Ay, boy, ready. Yes, boy, I’m ready.

First Servant First Servant

You are looked for and called for, asked You are wanted in the great chamber

for and sought for, in the great chamber. room.

Second Servant Second Servant

We cannot be here and there too. We can’t be everywhere at once.

Cheerly, boys; be Cheers, boys; be

brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all. quick and the oldest take everything.

Enter CAPULET, with JULIET and others Enter CAPULET, JULIET and others,

of his house, meeting the Guests and meeting the Guests and Maskers

Maskers

CAPULET CAPULET

Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have Welcome, men! Ladies that have

their toes toes that are healthy will dance with

Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you.

you.

Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all Ha ha, my women! Which of you all

Will now deny to dance? she that makes Will say no to a dance now? The

65
dainty, woman that does,

She, I'll swear, hath corns; am I come She, I promise, has corns on her

near ye now? feet; am I right?

Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day Welcome, men! When I was younger

That I have worn a visor and could tell I could wear a mask and tell

A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear, A flirtatious story to a woman by

Such as would please: 'tis gone, 'tis gone, whispering in her ear.

'tis gone: Now those days are gone:

You are welcome, gentlemen! come, You are welcome, men! Come,

musicians, play. musicians, play.

A hall, a hall! give room! and foot it, girls. A hall, make room in the hall! Dance,

girls.

Music plays, and they dance Music plays, and they dance.

More light, you knaves; and turn the Make it lighter in here, you servants;

tables up, and move the tables out of the way,

And quench the fire, the room is grown And cool down the fire, it’s too hot in

too hot. this room.

Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes Ah, sir, this unexpected fun is great.

well.

Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet; No, sit down, cousin Capulet;

For you and I are past our dancing days: For you and I are too old to dance:

How long is't now since last yourself and How long is it now since we were both

I Were in a mask? masked up at a ball like this?

Second Capulet Second Capulet

By'r lady, thirty years. Thirty years.

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CAPULET CAPULET

What, man! 'tis not so much, 'tis not so What, man! It’s not that long:

much:

'Tis since the nuptials of Lucentio, It’s since Lucentio got married,

Come pentecost as quickly as it will, Let time fly as fast as it likes,

Some five and twenty years; and then we It’s only twenty five years since we

mask'd. were masked.

Second Capulet Second Capulet

'Tis more, 'tis more, his son is elder, sir; It’s more, it’s more. His son is older

than that.

His son is thirty. His son is thirty.

CAPULET CAPULET

Will you tell me that? What are you saying?

His son was but a ward two years ago. His son was still a child a couple of

years ago.

ROMEO ROMEO

[To a Servingman] What lady is that, (to a servant) Who is that lady,

which doth enrich the hand who holds the hand

Of yonder knight? of that knight over there?

Servant Servant

I know not, sir. I don’t know, sir.

ROMEO ROMEO

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O, she doth teach the torches to burn Oh, she shines so brightly she is

bright! teaching the lights how to do it!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of She stand out against the night

night

Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; Like a bright jewel in a black person’s

ear;

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too Too beautiful for love, too amazing

dear! for earth!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with Like a white bird among black ones,

crows,

As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. She stands out among the other

women.

The measure done, I'll watch her place of When the dance is over, I’ll watch

stand, where she stands,

And, touching hers, make blessed my rude And touch her hand with mine.

hand.

Did my heart love till now? forswear it, Did I ever love until now? No I did

sight! not!

For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night. I’ve never seen true beauty until now.

TYBALT TYBALT

This, by his voice, should be a Montague. This man, by the sound of his voice,

is a Montague.

Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the Get me my sword, servant. How dare

slave that slave

Come hither, cover'd with an antic face, come here, with a mask on his face,

To fleer and scorn at our solemnity? To mock us in our celebration?

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Now, by the stock and honour of my kin, No, I swear on my family,

To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin. I will kill him, and not regret it.

CAPULET CAPULET

Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm How are you, relative! Where are you

you so? going so angrily?

TYBALT TYBALT

Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, Uncle, this man is a Montague, our

enemy,

A villain that is hither come in spite, A criminal come here to mock us,

To scorn at our solemnity this night. To laugh at our seriousness tonight.

CAPULET CAPULET

Young Romeo is it? Young Romeo is it?

TYBALT TYBALT

'Tis he, that villain Romeo. Yes it is, that villain Romeo.

CAPULET CAPULET

Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone; Calm down, cousin, leave him alone;

He bears him like a portly gentleman; He is behaving himself,

And, to say truth, Verona brags of him And the city loves him

To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth: As a good and well behaved youth:

I would not for the wealth of all the town I do not want, for anything, for him

Here in my house do him disparagement: to be cast in a bad light in my house:

Therefore be patient, take no note of Be patient, ignore him:

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him:

It is my will, the which if thou respect, It is my decision, if you respect it,

Show a fair presence and put off these That you stop looking angry

frowns,

And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast. A bad look for a party.

TYBALT TYBALT

It fits, when such a villain is a guest: It’s the right look when a criminal

I'll not endure him. like him is here: I won’t put up with

it.

CAPULET CAPULET

He shall be endured: He will be put up with:

What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to; What, little boy! I tell you he shall.

Go away.

Am I the master here, or you? go to. Am I the boss or you? Go away.

You'll not endure him! God shall mend my You’ll not put up with it! I am in

soul! shock!

You'll make a mutiny among my guests! You’ll cause a war among my guests!

You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the You’ll cause chaos! It’ll be your fault!

man!

TYBALT TYBALT

Why, uncle, 'tis a shame. Uncle, it’s a shame.

CAPULET CAPULET

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Go to, go to; Go away.

You are a saucy boy: is't so, indeed? You are a cocky boy, aren’t you?

This trick may chance to scathe you, I This will come back to haunt you, I

know what: know what:

You must contrary me! marry, 'tis time. You want to contradict me! It’s time

Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; (to others) Well said, my guests! You

go: are an idiot. Go:

Be quiet, or--More light, more light! For Shut up, or--more light in here, more

shame! light! How embarrassing.

I'll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my Or I will make you shut up. Keep

hearts! having fun, my guests.

TYBALT TYBALT

Patience perforce with wilful choler Being patient whilst so angry

meeting

Makes my flesh tremble in their Makes me shake.

different greeting.

I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall I will back off: but this intrusion

Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall. Which now seems so good will end

badly.

Exit Exit

ROMEO ROMEO

[To JULIET] If I profane with my (to Juliet) If I show disrespect to a

unworthiest hand sacred thing by putting my unholy

hand,

This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: In your holy hand, the punishment is

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this:

My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand My two shy lips, like two men on a

To smooth that rough touch with a tender religious journey, are ready

kiss. To kiss you.

JULIET JULIET

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too Good man on a religious journey, you

much, criticise your hand too severely,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this; What you do is fine;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' For people on a pilgrimage touch the

hands do touch, hands of holy statues,

And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. And putting two hands together is

kind of like a kiss.

ROMEO ROMEO

Have not saints lips, and holy palmers Don’t saints and pilgrims have lips?

too?

JULIET JULIET

Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in Yes, pilgrim, lips to use for praying.

prayer.

ROMEO ROMEO

O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands Oh then, let my lips do what hands

do; do;

They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to Let my lips be pressed against yours,

despair. or else I will become sad.

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JULIET JULIET

Saints do not move, though grant for Saints don’t move, even when they

prayers' sake. answer prayers.

ROMEO ROMEO

Then move not, while my prayer's effect Then don’t move, while I kiss you.

I take.

Kisses her Kisses her

Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is As I put my lips on yours, I am made

purged. pure.

JULIET JULIET

Then have my lips the sin that they have Then do my lips now have the

took. impurity from yours?

ROMEO ROMEO

Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly Impurity on your lips? What you say

urged! makes me want to do this bad thing

again!

Give me my sin again. Give me my impurity back.

JULIET JULIET

You kiss by the book. You’re an amazing kisser.

Nurse Nurse

Madam, your mother craves a word with Lady, your mum wants to speak to

you. you.

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ROMEO ROMEO

What is her mother? Who is her mum?

Nurse Nurse

Marry, bachelor, Young man,

Her mother is the lady of the house, Her mum is the owner of this house,

And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous A good woman, clever and honest.

I nursed her daughter, that you talk'd I breastfed her daughter, the one

withal; you just talked to;

I tell you, he that can lay hold of her I tell you, the man that marries her

Shall have the chinks. will become very rich.

ROMEO ROMEO

Is she a Capulet? Is she from the Capulet family?

O dear account! my life is my foe's debt. Oh what a costly thing! My life is now

in my enemy’s hand.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Away, begone; the sport is at the best. Let’s go; the fun is at its height.

ROMEO ROMEO

Ay, so I fear; the more is my unrest. Yes, I am afraid it is; I am in a mess.

CAPULET CAPULET

Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone; No, men, don’t get ready to leave;

We have a trifling foolish banquet We have some pudding coming along.

towards.

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Is it e'en so? why, then, I thank you all Is that right? Why then, thank you

I thank you, honest gentlemen; good all, thank you good men, good night.

night.

More torches here! Come on then, let's to Make it lighter here! Come on then,

bed. let’s go to bed.

Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late: Ah, it’s getting late.

I'll to my rest. I’m off to bed.

Exeunt all but JULIET and Nurse Exit all but Juliet and Nurse.

JULIET JULIET

Come hither, nurse. What is yond Come here, Nurse. Who is that man

gentleman? over there?

Nurse Nurse

The son and heir of old Tiberio. The son of Tiberio.

JULIET JULIET

What's he that now is going out of door? Who is he that is walking out now?

Nurse Nurse

Marry, that, I think, be young Petrucio. That is young Petrucio.

JULIET JULIET

What's he that follows there, that would Who is he following, the one who

not dance? would not dance?

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Nurse Nurse

I know not. I don’t know.

JULIET JULIET

Go ask his name: if he be married. Go and find out who he is: if he’s

married.

My grave is like to be my wedding bed. I will die a single woman.

Nurse Nurse

His name is Romeo, and a Montague; His name is Romeo, and he’s a

Montague;

The only son of your great enemy. The son of your great enemy.

JULIET JULIET

My only love sprung from my only hate! The only one I love comes from the

only one I hate!

Too early seen unknown, and known too I saw him before I knew it, and now I

late! know it, it’s too late!

Prodigious birth of love it is to me, Love is a monster to me,

That I must love a loathed enemy. Making me fall in love with my enemy.

Nurse Nurse

What's this? what's this? What are you saying?

JULIET JULIET

A rhyme I learn'd even now Just a song I learned

Of one I danced withal. From someone I danced with at the

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party.

One calls within 'Juliet.' Someone calls ‘Juliet.’

Nurse Nurse

Anon, anon! Right now, right now!

Come, let's away; the strangers all are Come on, let’s go. The guests have all

gone. left.

Exeunt Exit

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PART 13: CHARACTER ANALYSIS: ACT 1 SCENE 5

BASED ON THE VIDEO HTTP://[Link]/LE8VAOIZ2XU

Act 1 Scene 5 is the final scene of the first act. In this scene, Romeo and Juliet
meet for the first time. Of course, we knew from the prologue that the two
were going to fall in love, but we are still keen to see how it will happen.

Romeo experiences love at first sight the instant he sees Juliet from across the
room. In that instant he forgets Rosaline, questioning “Did my heart love till
now?” Although we have no doubt that Romeo has fallen in love, we are reminded
of how similar his words here are to those he spoke of Rosaline in Act 1 Scene 1:
“this love feel I”. Shakespeare presents Romeo as a fickle character, one whose
mind and opinions will change in an instant. This instantaneous love for Juliet
once again backs up the hypothesis that Romeo’s hubris is his inability to escape
falling in love. However, there are some major differences in the way Romeo
talks to and about Juliet.

In Act 1 Scene 1, we saw the source of Romeo’s unhappiness was that he could
not get Rosaline to have sex with him. The bawdy language our hero used left us
in no doubt that he simply wanted to sleep with her. In contrast to this, let’s
look at the language Romeo uses when he first talks to Juliet:

ROMEO
If I profane with my unworthiest hand,
This holy shrine; the gentle fine is this;
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

ROMEO

Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

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JULIET

Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROMEO

O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;

They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

JULIET

Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

ROMEO

Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

As you can see, both Romeo and Juliet use the language of religion to discuss
their love. On top of this, Romeo is only asking to hold hands and kiss - a stark
contrast to his earlier requests for sex from Rosaline. Shakespeare is changing
the vocabulary of Romeo in this scene to show that his feelings for Juliet are
pure and holy. But there is more than this. Take a closer look at the following
(minus the names):
3 verses of four lines
If I profane with my unworthiest hand each, known as ‘quatrains’,
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: and finished with a
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
rhyming couplet which
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
also serves as the Volta.

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Iambic pentameter
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, (lines of 10 syllables,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. with alternating
stressed and
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? unstressed syllables).
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
rhyme
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
scheme:
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. ABAB CDCD
EFEF GG
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Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

Yes, as you can see from my annotations, this is a Shakespearean sonnet! The
combined conversation between the two joins together to complete a perfect
sonnet. Sonnets are a form of love poetry which have fourteen lines of iambic
pentameter, with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Shakespeare’s
employment of form is here used to symbolise that the couple are perfect for
each other, and complete each other. Only when united together do their words
create a sonnet, symbolising how they can only find true love when joined
together. The audience would feel delighted that these two, both so clearly
unhappy with the way their lives were heading, have found perfect happiness.

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Part 14: TRANSLATING Act 2 Prologue and Scene 1
Based on the video: [Link]

Act 2 Act 2

Prologue Prologue

Enter Chorus Enter Chorus

Chorus Chorus

Now old desire doth in his death-bed Now Romeo’s old feelings are dying away,

lie,

And young affection gapes to be his And new love wants to take their place;

heir;

That fair for which love groan'd for For Rosaline he said he would die,

and would die,

With tender Juliet match'd, is now But compared to Juliet, Rosaline is

not fair. nothing.

Now Romeo is beloved and loves again, Now Romeo is newly in love and loved

back,

Alike betwitched by the charm of Both of them fell in love with each

looks, other’s looks,

But to his foe supposed he must But this is his enemy he has to talk to,

complain,

And she steal love's sweet bait from And she’s fallen in love with someone she

fearful hooks: should fear:

Being held a foe, he may not have Because he is thought of as an enemy, he

access may not be able to get near her

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To breathe such vows as lovers use to to say the sorts of things a lover says;

swear;

And she as much in love, her means And she is in love too, but is even less

much less able

To meet her new-beloved any where: To go anywhere to see the one she loves;

But passion lends them power, time But their passion gives them power and

means, to meet time to meet

Tempering extremities with extreme Making this dangerous time extremely

sweet. pleasant.

Exit EXIT

SCENE I. A lane by the wall of SCENE 1. A lane by the wall of

Capulet's orchard. Capulet’s orchard.

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

ROMEO ROMEO

Can I go forward when my heart is Can I leave when my heart is here?

here?

Turn back, dull earth, and find thy I have to turn back to where my heart is.

centre out.

He climbs the wall, and leaps down He climbs the wall, and leaps down within
within it it.
Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Romeo! my cousin Romeo! Romeo! Cousin Romeo!

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

He is wise; He’s a clever lad;

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And, on my lie, hath stol'n him home I bet he just went home to bed.

to bed.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

He ran this way, and leap'd this He ran over here, and jumped over the

orchard wall: orchard wall:

Call, good Mercutio. Shout for him, Mercutio.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Nay, I'll conjure too. No, I’ll conjure him up like a spirit.

Romeo! humours! madman! passion! Romeo! Madman! Passion! Lover!

lover!

Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh: Appear as a sigh:

Speak but one rhyme, and I am Speak in rhyme just once, and I will be

satisfied; happy;

Cry but 'Ay me!' pronounce but 'love' Shout just ‘ah me!’ say just ‘love’ and

and 'dove;' ‘dove;’

Speak to my gossip Venus one fair Say just one nice thing to Venus,

word,

One nick-name for her purblind son One mention of Cupid’s nick-name.

and heir,

Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so The one who shot arrows so well

trim,

When King Cophetua loved the In the classic love story!

beggar-maid!

He heareth not, he stirreth not, he He cannot hear, he’s not interested;

moveth not;

The ape is dead, and I must conjure Silly Romeo is dead; I must conjure his

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him. spirit.

I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright I conjure you by Rosaline’s beautiful

eyes, eyes,

By her high forehead and her scarlet By her forehead and her lips,

lip,

By her fine foot, straight leg and Her lovely feet, straight leg and shaking

quivering thigh thighs

And the demesnes that there And the area just next to her thigh,

adjacent lie,

That in thy likeness thou appear to us! Appear to us!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

And if he hear thee, thou wilt anger If he hears you, you’re going to annoy

him. him.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

This cannot anger him: 'twould anger This won’t annoy him: it would make him

him angry

To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle To raise a spirit to have sex with his

Of some strange nature, letting it woman

there stand

Till she had laid it and conjured it

down;

That were some spite: my invocation That would annoy him: what I am doing

Is fair and honest, and in his mistres Is fair and honest, and I only mention

s' name Rosaline’s name

I conjure only but to raise up him. To get his attention.

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BENVOLIO BENVOLIO:

Come, he hath hid himself among Come on, he’s hidden in the trees,

these trees, To be alone with the night:

To be consorted with the humorous His love is blind so it fits in best in the

night: dark.

Blind is his love and best befits the

dark.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

If love be blind, love cannot hit the If love is blind, it cannot hit its target.

mark.

Now will he sit under a medlar tree, Now he’ll sit under a tree which looks like

a woman’s genitalia

And wish his mistress were that kind And wish his woman was like that fruit

of fruit

As maids call medlars, when they

laugh alone.

Romeo, that she were, O, that she Romeo, I wish she were one of those

were fruits

An open et caetera, thou a poperin And you could pop into it!

pear!

Romeo, good night: I'll to my truckle- Romeo, good night: I’m going to bed;

bed;

This field-bed is too cold for me to It’s too cold for me to sleep out here:

sleep:

Come, shall we go? Come on, shall we go?

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BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Go, then; for 'tis in vain Go, then, it’s pointless

To seek him here that means not to Looking for him here when he doesn’t

be found. want to be found.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 15: A2S1 ANALYSIS
Based on the video: [Link]

The scene begins with the return of the prologue. Once again, this is a
Shakespearean sonnet:

Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,

And young affection gapes to be his heir;

That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
Iambic pentameter (lines
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair. of 10 syllables, with
alternating stressed and
unstressed syllables).
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,

Alike betwitched by the charm of looks,

But to his foe supposed he must complain, Divided into 3 verses of

four lines each, known as
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks:
‘quatrains’, and finished
with a rhyming couplet
Being held a foe, he may not have access which also served as the

To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear; Volta.

And she as much in love, her means much less

The prologue has the
To meet her new-beloved any where:
rhyme scheme: ABAB
CDCD EFEF GG
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet

Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.

As we found at the very start of the play, here is a poem written in the form of
a love poem but containing lots of language associated with death: ‘Death-bed’,’
die’ and ‘groan’d’ are perhaps the most obvious. Although language of death also
has a double meaning associated with sex (more on that later), this prologue
once again mixes form and language to foreshadow how Romeo and Juliet’s love
for each other will ultimately bring about their deaths.

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In this scene we see a return of the bawdy, sexual humour that was missing
from Act 1 Scene 5. Once again, Mercutio leads the way with his remarks about
Romeo sitting under a ‘medlar tree’. Taking the form of a large shrub or small
tree, the medlar has been farmed since Roman times. The root (no pun intended)
of Mercutio’s comment concerns the appearance of the fruit that comes from
the medlar tree. A quick search for the tree on Google Images will show you
what he had in mind with his comment, as the fruit from a medlar is thought to
represent the look of a woman’s genitalia.

Shakespeare was not the first to use the medlar as a symbol of sexual imagery.
Chaucer, in the prologue of the Reeve’s Tale (1475), refers to the medlar as a
symbol of prostitution. This symbolism links not only to the genitalia-like look of
the fruit, but also to the fact that the medlar fruit is rotten before it is ripe.
In farming terms, it is eaten when ‘bletted’ (brown with rot). For Chaucer, the
idea of a fruit spoiled before ripe has the sexual connotation of a woman who
has had sex too early in life. Both meanings are effective in helping the
audience to understand that Mercutio sees Romeo’s romance as a desire for sex
and nothing else.

The effect of this bawdy language is all the more powerful when juxtaposed
with that of the previous scene. Up to this point, the entire play has been filled
with sexual banter and innuendo. From Sampson and Gregory at the start, to
Romeo’s anger at Rosaline’s closed ‘lap’, to the Nurse’s swearing by her childhood
virginity, the language has been highly sexual. However in Act 1 Scene 5, as we
saw previously, the language was religious and pure. By following that scene with
this – another highly sexualised scene, Shakespeare is using structure to show
just how pure and perfect the love of Romeo and Juliet is.

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Part 16: Translating A2s2

Based on the video: [Link]

SCENE 2. Capulet’s orchard. SCENE 2. Capulet’s orchard.

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

ROMEO ROMEO

He jests at scars that never felt a Mercutio winds me up about things that

wound. he’s never experienced himself.

JULIET appears above at a window JULIET appears at a window

But, soft! what light through yonder But, shh! What light shines at that

window breaks? window?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. It is Juliet, like the sun rising from the

east.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious Rise, sun, kill the jealous moon,

moon,

Who is already sick and pale with Who is already sick and pale with

grief, sadness,

That thou her maid art far more fair That you are more beautiful than her:

than she:

Be not her maid, since she is envious; Don’t be hers anymore, since she is

jealous;

Her vestal livery is but sick and green She looks sick because she is still a virgin

And none but fools do wear it; cast it And only fools keep their virginity; get

89
off. rid of it.

It is my lady, O, it is my love! It is my lady, oh, the one I love!

O, that she knew she were! I wish she knew I loved her!

She speaks yet she says nothing: what She is speaking but is not saying

of that? anything: what does that matter?

Her eye discourses; I will answer it. Her eyes are speaking; I will answer.

I am too bold, 'tis not to me she I am too cocky, it’s not me she’s speaking

speaks: to:

Two of the fairest stars in all the Two of the prettiest stars in the sky,

heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her Had to go away for work, and asked her

eyes eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they To shine in their place until they come

return. back.

What if her eyes were there, they in If her eyes were in the sky and the stars

her head? were in her face,

The brightness of her cheek would The stars would look dull compared to

shame those stars, her shining cheeks,

As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in As the sun outshines a lamp; her eyes in

heaven the sky

Would through the airy region stream Would be so bright

so bright

That birds would sing and think it That birds would sing in the night-time,

were not night. thinking it was still day.

See, how she leans her cheek upon See how she is leaning her cheek on her

her hand! hand!

O, that I were a glove upon that hand, Oh, I would love to be a glove on that

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hand.

That I might touch that cheek! So I could touch her cheek too!

JULIET JULIET

Ay me! Oh my!

ROMEO ROMEO

She speaks: She speaks:

O, speak again, bright angel! for thou O, speak again, bright angel! For you are

art

As glorious to this night, being o'er As amazing

my head

As is a winged messenger of heaven As an angel

Unto the white-upturned wondering That appears to

eyes

Of mortals that fall back to gaze on Humans who are awe-struck

him

When he bestrides the lazy-pacing When he walks along the sky

clouds

And sails upon the bosom of the air. And flies around in the air.

JULIET JULIET

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Oh Romeo, Romeo! Why do you have to be

Romeo? Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Abandon your family and your family

name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my Or, if you won’t, just tell me you love me,

love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet. And I will leave the Capulet family.

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ROMEO ROMEO

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I (quietly) Shall I carry on listening, or

speak at this? shall I say something?

JULIET JULIET

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Only your family name of Montague is my

enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a You’d still be you, if you weren’t a

Montague. Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor What is Montague? It’s not hand or foot,

foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Or arm, face or any other bit

Belonging to a man. O, be some other Of a man’s body. Oh, be from another

name! family!

What's in a name? that which we call What is important about a name? If a

a rose rose

By any other name would smell as Was called something else it would still

sweet; smell just as great;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo Romeo is the same - if he wasn’t a

call'd, Montague,

Retain that dear perfection which he He’d still keep the perfection he now has

owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy Without that surname. Romeo, abandon

name, your name.

And for that name which is no part of And to replace your name which is

thee unimportant

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Take all myself. Take all of me.

ROMEO ROMEO

I take thee at thy word: I will trust what you are saying:

Call me but love, and I'll be new Call me your love, and I’ll change my

baptized; name;

Henceforth I never will be Romeo. From now on I won’t be Romeo.

JULIET JULIET

What man art thou that thus Who are you, that listens to my private

bescreen'd in night So stumblest on thoughts?

my counsel?

ROMEO ROMEO

By a name My name

I know not how to tell thee who I am: I can’t tell you who I am:

My name, dear saint, is hateful to My name is something I myself hate,

myself,

Because it is an enemy to thee; Because it makes me your enemy;

Had I it written, I would tear the If I had it written down, I would tear it

word. up.

JULIET JULIET

My ears have not yet drunk a hundred I have heard only a few lines from you

words

Of that tongue's utterance, yet I yet I know who you are:

know the sound:

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Art thou not Romeo and a Montague? Aren’t you Romeo of the Montague

family?

ROMEO ROMEO

Neither, fair saint, if either thee I will be neither if you don’t like it.

dislike.

JULIET JULIET

How camest thou hither, tell me, and How did you get here? Tell me, and why?

wherefore?

The orchard walls are high and hard The orchard walls are high up and

to climb, difficult to climb up.

And the place death, considering who And this place will be your death, when

thou art, you think about who you are,

If any of my kinsmen find thee here. If any of my people find you here.

ROMEO ROMEO

With love's light wings did I o'er- Love helped me fly over the walls;

perch these walls;

For stony limits cannot hold love out, Stony walls can’t hold love out,

And what love can do that dares love And love makes a man be able to do

attempt; anything;

Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to So your men don’t worry me.

me.

JULIET JULIET

If they do see thee, they will murder If they see you they will kill you.

thee.

ROMEO ROMEO

Alack, there lies more peril in thine There is more danger in a bad look from

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eye you

Than twenty of their swords: look Than twenty of their swords: if you look

thou but sweet, sweetly at me,

And I am proof against their enmity. I will be invincible to their attacks.

JULIET JULIET

I would not for the world they saw I really don’t want them to see you here.

thee here.

ROMEO ROMEO

I have night's cloak to hide me from The darkness of night keeps me hidden:

their sight;

And but thou love me, let them find And if you don’t love me, let them find

me here: me:

My life were better ended by their I’d rather they killed me,

hate,

Than death prorogued, wanting of thy Than die slowly with you not loving me.

love.

JULIET JULIET

By whose direction found'st thou out Who showed you how to get here?

this place?

ROMEO ROMEO

By love, who first did prompt me to Love showed me; he made me want to

inquire; come;

He lent me counsel and I lent him He gave me advice and showed me the

eyes. way to go.

I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far I am not a sailor; but even if you were as

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far away

As that vast shore wash'd with the As the furthest sea could take you,

farthest sea,

I would adventure for such I’d risk the journey to get to you.

merchandise.

JULIET JULIET

Thou know'st the mask of night is on You know the dark of night hides my

my face, face,

Else would a maiden blush bepaint my Else you’d see that I am blushing

cheek

For that which thou hast heard me For what you heard me say earlier.

speak to-night

Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain I would (for good manners)pretend I had

deny not said

What I have spoke: but farewell What I said: but forget manners!

compliment!

Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt Do you love me? I know you will say ‘yes’

say 'Ay,'

And I will take thy word: yet if thou And I will believe you: if you promise,

swear'st,

Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' You may prove to be lying; at lovers’ lies,

perjuries

Then say, Jove laughs. O gentle They say the King of the Gods laughs. Oh

Romeo, Romeo,

If thou dost love, pronounce it If you do love me, tell me honestly:

faithfully:

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Or if thou think'st I am too quickly Or if you think I have fallen for you too

won, easily,

I'll frown and be perverse an say thee I’ll play hard to get,

nay,

So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the So you will have to woo me; but otherwise

world.

In truth, fair Montague, I am too The truth is, I love you too much,

fond,

And therefore thou mayst think my And so you may think I am too easily won:

'havior light:

But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove But honestly, I will prove to be more

more true faithful

Than those that have more cunning to Than girls who pretend one thing and act

be strange. another.

I should have been more strange, I I should have been more reserved, it’s

must confess, true

But that thou overheard'st, ere I was But I didn’t know you were listening to

ware, me.

My true love's passion: therefore My true love is you; so forgive me.

pardon me,

And not impute this yielding to light And do not assume because I love you so

love, easily, that my love isn’t real.

Which the dark night hath so

discovered.

ROMEO ROMEO

Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear Lady, by the moon I promise

That tips with silver all these fruit- That covers the tree tops in silver light.

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tree tops--

JULIET JULIET

O, swear not by the moon, the Oh, don’t promise by the moon, which

inconstant moon, goes away,

That monthly changes in her circled Changes and moves in her orbit,

orb,

Lest that thy love prove likewise Let your love not be like that.

variable.

ROMEO ROMEO

What shall I swear by? What shall I promise by?

JULIET JULIET

Do not swear at all; Don’t promise at all:

Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious Or if you will, promise by yourself,

self,

Which is the god of my idolatry, Which is the thing I worship.

And I'll believe thee. And I will believe you.

ROMEO ROMEO

If my heart's dear love— If my heart’s dear love…

JULIET JULIET

Well, do not swear: although I joy in Well, do not swear at all: although you

thee, make me joyful,

I have no joy of this contract to- A vow of love tonight will not:

night:

It is too rash, too unadvised, too It is too soon, too unprepared;

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sudden;

Too like the lightning, which doth Too much like lightning, which disappears

cease to be

Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, As soon as a person sees it. Darling, good

good night! night!

This bud of love, by summer's This tiny flower bud of love, with time

ripening breath,

May prove a beauteous flower when May grow into a beautiful flower when we

next we meet. see each other again.

Good night, good night! as sweet Good night, good night! Enjoy a rest as

repose and rest peaceful and sweet

Come to thy heart as that within my As the feelings within my heart!

breast!

ROMEO ROMEO

O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Oh, will you leave me like this,

unsatisfied?

JULIET JULIET

What satisfaction canst thou have to- What satisfaction can you have tonight?

night?

ROMEO ROMEO

The exchange of thy love's faithful For you to tell me that you love me.

vow for mine.

JULIET JULIET

I gave thee mine before thou didst I loved you before you even asked:

request it:

And yet I would it were to give again If I could take it back I would.

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.

ROMEO ROMEO

Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what You would take it back? Why?

purpose, love?

JULIET JULIET

But to be frank, and give it thee So I could give it to you again.

again.

And yet I wish but for the thing I Yet I wish for the thing I have:

have:

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My generosity towards you is as huge as

the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to My love is as deep; the more love I give

thee, you,

The more I have, for both are The more I have, for my love is never

infinite. ending.

Nurse calls within Nurse calls from within the house

I hear some noise within; dear love, I hear noise within the house: lover,

adieu! goodbye!

Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, Ok, Nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.

be true.

Stay but a little, I will come again. Stay here a minute, I will come back.

Exit, above Juliet exits above

ROMEO ROMEO

O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard. O blessed night! I am afraid;

Being in night, all this is but a dream, Because it is night, all this is just a

dream.

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Too flattering-sweet to be It’s too flattering to be real.

substantial.

Re-enter JULIET, above JULIET comes back, above

JULIET JULIET

Three words, dear Romeo, and good Three words, Romeo, and I am going for

night indeed. real.

If that thy bent of love be If your love for me is real,

honourable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word And you want to marry me, send a

to-morrow, message tomorrow,

By one that I'll procure to come to By someone I will send to you,

thee,

Where and what time thou wilt Tell me the time and place our marriage

perform the rite; will take place;

And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll And I will give you everything I have

lay

And follow thee my lord throughout And follow you as my leader throughout

the world. the whole world.

Nurse Nurse

[Within] Madam! (inside) Madam!

JULIET JULIET

I come, anon.--But if thou mean'st I am coming...but if you mean to trick me,

not well,

I do beseech thee-- I beg you…

Nurse Nurse

[Within] Madam! (within) Madam!

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JULIET JULIET

By and by, I come:-- I am coming…

To cease thy suit, and leave me to my Stop your pursuit of me, and leave me to

grief: be upset:

To-morrow will I send. Tomorrow I will send someone.

ROMEO ROMEO

So thrive my soul— My soul depends on it…

JULIET JULIET

A thousand times good night! A thousand times good night!

Exit, above Exit, above

ROMEO ROMEO

A thousand times the worse, to want It’s a thousand times worse to be

thy light. without you than with you.

Love goes toward love, as schoolboys Going to one you love, is like school kids

from their books, running away from their school work,

But love from love, toward school with But leaving the one you love, is as hard as

heavy looks. going back to school.

Retiring Going away

Re-enter JULIET, above Re-enter JULIET above

JULIET JULIET

Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's Psst! Romeo, psst! Oh, for a special

voice, whistle,

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To lure this tassel-gentle back again! To bring my bird back again!

Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak I’m trapped here so cannot be loud;

aloud;

Else would I tear the cave where Otherwise I would shout my head off,

Echo lies, And the echo would sound for ages,

And make her airy tongue more Its voice would get worn out,

hoarse than mine,

Repeating Romeo’s name.
With repetition of my Romeo's name.

ROMEO ROMEO

It is my soul that calls upon my name: My name is being called - it is my soul

that does it:

How silver-sweet sound lovers' The sound of lovers’ voices is so sweet,

tongues by night, Like the softest music in my ears!
Like softest music to attending ears!
JULIET
JULIET
Romeo!
Romeo!
ROMEO
ROMEO
My love?
My dear?
JULIET
JULIET
What time tomorrow
At what o'clock to-morrow
Shall I send someone to you?
Shall I send to thee?
ROMEO
ROMEO
At nine o clock.
At the hour of nine.
JULIET
JULIET
I will do it, although it feels years away.
I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till

then.
I forget why I called you back.

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I have forgot why I did call thee

back.

ROMEO ROMEO

Let me stand here till thou remember I will wait here until you remember.

it.

JULIET JULIET

I shall forget, to have thee still stand I will forget on purpose, so you stand

there, there,

Remembering how I love thy company. I love spending time with you.

ROMEO ROMEO

And I'll still stay, to have thee still And I will stay here,

forget,

Forgetting any other home but this. Forgetting everything but this moment.

JULIET JULIET

'Tis almost morning; I would have It’s almost morning; I want you to go:

thee gone:

And yet no further than a wanton's But not too far away, like a pet bird;

bird;

Who lets it hop a little from her So I can let you hop a little distance,

hand,

Like a poor prisoner in his twisted Like a prisoner in chains,

gyves,

And with a silk thread plucks it back And then pull you back again,

again,

So loving-jealous of his liberty. Jealous of your freedom.

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ROMEO ROMEO

I would I were thy bird. I wish I was your bird.

JULIET JULIET

Sweet, so would I: So do I:

Yet I should kill thee with much But I would kill you with much love, by

cherishing. squashing you.

Good night, good night! parting is such Good night, good night! Going away is so

sweet sorrow, sad,

That I shall say good night till it be I shall say goodbye but see you

morrow. tomorrow.

Exit above Exit

ROMEO ROMEO

Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in Sleep come to you, heart be at peace!

thy breast!

Would I were sleep and peace, so I wish I was sleep and peace, so I could

sweet to rest! lie on you!

Hence will I to my ghostly father's I will go to the priest

cell,

His help to crave, and my dear hap to asking for his help.

tell.

Exit Exit

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Part 17: Analysis of A2s2

Based on the video: [Link]

In this scene, Romeo professes his love for Juliet in a very poetic manner.

Shakespeare uses the form of a 'blason', where various parts of a woman's body

are described using a range of grand metaphors. This was a very popular form of

love poetry in Shakespeare's time, and Elizabethan audiences would have

instantly recognised it when Romeo proclaims such lines as 'Juliet is the sun'. At

first glance, it may seem that Romeo is truly in love with Juliet. However,

knowing Shakespeare's wider body of work leads us to question the sincerity of

this scene.

Shakespeare did not just write plays; he also wrote 154 sonnets. In Sonnet 130,

he famously rejects the blazon form by writing a love poem which attacks the

suggestion that women are so perfect:

SONNET 130

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:

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And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.

In this poem, Shakespeare is essentially saying "My woman is not surreal and

perfect, like the blazon form of poetry implies. She is a normal woman who has

wiry hair and bad breath, and yet I am still madly in love with her". The sonnet

criticises the poetic form of the blason by suggesting it is too idealistic and

unrealistic, painting women as objects of perfection that they really cannot be

compared to. The sonnet concludes that real love is love which accepts the

other's imperfections. With this in mind, what are we to make of Romeo's words

in this scene?

It is highly likely that Shakespeare gives Romeo the language of the blason in

this scene to highlight how his feelings for Juliet are idealistic and unrealistic.

To suggest that Juliet 'is the sun' is such an outrageously exaggerated

statement, it indicates that Romeo is not in his right mind. Shakespeare is

showing us the unrealistic nature of Romeo's love; just like with Rosaline, this

young boy has fallen head over heels in love. In this case, with Juliet, we know

that he hadn't even spoken to her before he was professing his love for her.

Once again, the presentation of Romeo suggests that he is fickle. His use of the

blason further backs up the analysis of his hubris: he simply cannot help himself

from falling in love.

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Part 18: Translating A2s3

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 3. Friar Laurence’s cell. Scene 3. Friar Laurence’s room.

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE, with a Enter FRIAR LAURENCE, carrying a

basket basket

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

The grey-eyed morn smiles on the The happy morning is arriving and

frowning night, replacing the frowning night,

Chequering the eastern clouds with The darkness is streaked with

streaks of light, sunlight,

And flecked darkness like a drunkard And darkness stumbles away

reels

From forth day's path and Titan's From the sunlight

fiery wheels:

Now, ere the sun advance his burning Now, before the sun rises fully,

eye,

The day to cheer and night's dank dew And dries up the wetness on the

to dry, ground,

I must up-fill this osier cage of ours I must fill up this basket

With baleful weeds and precious- With poisonous weeds and medicinal

juiced flowers. flowers.

The earth that's nature's mother is The earth, where nature lives and dies;

her tomb;

What is her burying grave that is her Both buries and gives birth to her,

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womb,

And from her womb children of divers And from the womb of nature

kind

We sucking on her natural bosom find, We find lots of nourishment,

Many for many virtues excellent, Many things for good purposes,

None but for some and yet all Some are for very bad purposes.

different.

O, mickle is the powerful grace that Oh, there is great power

lies

In herbs, plants, stones, and their true In herbs and plants:

qualities:

For nought so vile that on the earth For there is nothing alive on earth

doth live

But to the earth some special good That cannot be used for good,

doth give,

Nor aught so good but strain'd from Or anything that can also be used for

that fair use bad

Revolts from true birth, stumbling on Misused,

abuse:

Virtue itself turns vice, being good things turn bad,

misapplied;

And vice sometimes by action and bad things turn good.

dignified.

Within the infant rind of this small Inside this tiny flower

flower

Poison hath residence and medicine Poison lives, but also powerful

power: medicine:

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For this, being smelt, with that part If you smell it, it makes you feel

cheers each part; better;

Being tasted, slays all senses with the If you eat it, it kills you.

heart.

Two such opposed kings encamp them Two opposing forces live together

still

In man as well as herbs, grace and In humans as well as in plants;

rude will;

And where the worser is predominant, And where the evil is strongest,

Full soon the canker death eats up that Death will win.

plant.

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

ROMEO ROMEO

Good morrow, father. Good morning, Father.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Benedicite! God bless you!

What early tongue so sweet saluteth Who welcomes me so early in the

me? morning?

Young son, it argues a distemper'd Young son, it suggests you are in

head trouble

So soon to bid good morrow to thy To get up so early out of your bed:

bed:

Care keeps his watch in every old All old men have their own troubles,

man's eye,

And where care lodges, sleep will never And therefore do not sleep much;

lie;

But where unbruised youth with But when a young, care-free youth

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unstuff'd brain

Doth couch his limbs, there golden Does go to bed, there he sleeps

sleep doth reign: peacefully:

Therefore thy earliness doth me Therefore the fact that you are up so

assure early tells me

Thou art up-roused by some You are in some sort of trouble;

distemperature;

Or if not so, then here I hit it right, Or if that is not the case then how

about this,

Our Romeo hath not been in bed to- You haven’t even gone to bed tonight.

night.

ROMEO ROMEO

That last is true; the sweeter rest was That last bit was right, although I still

mine. had sweet rest.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

God pardon sin! wast thou with God forgive you! Have you spent the

Rosaline? night with Rosaline?

ROMEO ROMEO

With Rosaline, my ghostly father? no; With Rosaline, my shocked priest? No;

I have forgot that name, and that I have forgotten her and everything

name's woe. about her.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

That's my good son: but where hast That’s good; but where have you been

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thou been, then? then?

ROMEO ROMEO

I'll tell thee, ere thou ask it me again. I’ll tell you, before you ask me again.

I have been feasting with mine enemy, I have been eating with my enemy,

Where on a sudden one hath wounded Where one of them wounded me,

me,

That's by me wounded: both our And I wounded them: to heal both of

remedies us

Within thy help and holy physic lies: Your help is needed:

I bear no hatred, blessed man, for, lo, I have no hate, blessed man, because,

My intercession likewise steads my My request will help my enemy too.

foe.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Be plain, good son, and homely in thy Speak normally, son, and quickly tell

drift; me;

Riddling confession finds but riddling Speaking in riddles does no-one any

shrift. good.

ROMEO ROMEO

Then plainly know my heart's dear love The plain truth is that I am in love

is set

On the fair daughter of rich Capulet: With the daughter of Lord Capulet:

As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine; I love her and she loves me;

And all combined, save what thou must And altogether, save us

combine

112
By holy marriage: when and where and By marrying us; when and where and

how how

We met, we woo'd and made exchange We met, flirted and fell in love,

of vow,

I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I I’ll tell you in a bit, but this please do,

pray,

That thou consent to marry us to-day. Promise you will marry us today.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Holy Saint Francis, what a change is Holy Saint Francis, here is a huge

here! change!

Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so Is Rosaline, whom you did love so much,

dear,

So soon forsaken? young men's love So quickly forgotten? Young men’s love

then lies then lives

Not truly in their hearts, but in their Not in their hearts but in their eyes.

eyes.

Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine Jesus and Mary, how many tears

Hath wash'd thy sallow cheeks for Did you cry for Rosaline?

Rosaline!

How much salt water thrown away in How many salty tears were shed in

waste, waste,

To season love, that of it doth not To season a love which you never did

taste! eat!

The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven The sun hasn’t yet burnt up all your

clears, sighs,

Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient Your previous groaning still rings in my

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ears; ears;

Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth And here on your cheek there is still a

sit stain

Of an old tear that is not wash'd off Of a tear cried for Rosaline:

yet:

If e'er thou wast thyself and these If ever you were yourself and these

woes thine, sadnesses yours,

Thou and these woes were all for They were sadnesses just for Rosaline:

Rosaline:

And art thou changed? pronounce this Have you changed? Repeat after me

sentence then, then:

Women may fall, when there's no Women can’t be expected to be

strength in men. faithful, when men are so weak.

ROMEO ROMEO

Thou chid'st me oft for loving You were always telling me off for

Rosaline. loving Rosaline.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. For obsessing about her, not loving

her.

ROMEO ROMEO

And bad'st me bury love. And you told me to kill off my love

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Not in a grave, Not to bury it,

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To lay one in, another out to have. And to replace it with another one.

ROMEO ROMEO

I pray thee, chide not; she whom I love I beg you, don’t tell me off, she whom

now I now love

Doth grace for grace and love for love Loves me too;

allow;

The other did not so. Rosaline did not.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

O, she knew well Oh, she knew very well

Thy love did read by rote and could not Your love was not real.

spell.

But come, young waverer, come, go But come on, come with me,

with me,

In one respect I'll thy assistant be; I will help you;

For this alliance may so happy prove, For this marriage may be a good thing,

To turn your households' rancour to To turn the two enemy families to

pure love. friendship.

ROMEO ROMEO

O, let us hence; I stand on sudden Oh hurry up then; I need to hurry.

haste.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Wisely and slow; they stumble that run Slow down, those who run fast trip

fast. over.

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Exeunt Exit

Part 19: Analysing A2S3

Based on the video [Link]

Shakespeare uses the literary device of foreshadowing to hint at future events

which are yet to come in the play. The scene begins with Friar Laurence carrying

a basketful of plants. He explains that these plants have a multitude of uses:

some are medicinal and others, ‘being tasted, slay all senses within the heart.’ It

is no co-incidence that the Friar talks of poisonous plants that cause death

when tasted. If you don’t know the ending of the play then please skip the rest

of this paragraph. For those who do, this talk of poison foreshadows how Romeo

will take his life in Act 5 Scene 3. In fact, the play is packed full of

foreshadowing, to the point that it is often so blatant and obvious it comes

across as laughable. There are two major purposes of this foreshadowing. On

the one hand, it makes later events easier to understand for those in the

audience who struggle to follow the plot. Secondly, and perhaps most

importantly, it ties into the theme of fate.

Those who believe in fate believe that the events of their lives are pre-

determined and set – there is nothing that can be done to avoid them. We know

from the prologue that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a play which revolves around the

theme of ‘star-cross’d lovers’. The meaning of the term ‘star-cross’d’ can be

translated as ‘fated’. So, if the events in the play are fated to take place, the

foreshadowing of poison as a cause of death seen is this scene is a small hint

that everything which is to come is already predetermined. Romeo’s suicide by

poisoning is foreshadowed here, and is a reminder that fate controls everything

in the play.

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When Romeo visits the Friar and tells him how he has not slept all night, the

Friar wrongly guesses: ‘Was thou with Rosaline?’ It is clear from this quotation

that the Friar knows Romeo well and also knows of his previous love for Rosaline.

He even challenges Romeo, asking if Rosaline is ‘so soon forsaken’. The audience

sees that the Friar seems to have the true measure of Romeo as a fickle youth,

which makes it doubly confusing when the Friar agrees to marry Romeo and

Juliet in Act 2 Scene 6. A detailed character analysis of the Friar shall be

completed later in this guide.

When Romeo explains to the Friar that he was only sad over Rosaline because

she did not return his love, the Friar responds with ‘She knew well, thy love did

read by rote and could not spell’. What he is saying here is that Rosaline knew

that Romeo’s love was not real – he was just ‘trying it on’. What does this tell us

about Romeo? Was he deliberately aiming to mislead Rosaline into believing he

loved her so that he could have sex with her? The alternative interpretation is

that Rosaline knew Romeo’s feelings were not genuine, even though Romeo

himself thought they were. Either presentation doesn’t exactly paint Romeo in

strong colours.

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Part 20: Translating A2S4

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 4. A street Scene 4. A street

Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO Enter BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Where the devil should this Romeo be? Where is Romeo?

Came he not home to-night? Did he not come home tonight?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Not to his father's; I spoke with his Not to his dad’s house; I spoke with

man. one of the men there.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Ah, that same pale hard-hearted Ah, that tough woman, Rosaline,

wench, that Rosaline.

Torments him so, that he will sure run Upsets him so much, he will become

mad. mad.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Tybalt, the kinsman of old Capulet, Tybalt, the relative of Lord Capulet.

Hath sent a letter to his father's Has sent a letter to Romeo’s dad’s

house. house.

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MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

A challenge, on my life. A challenge to fight, I bet.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Romeo will answer it. Romeo will answer it.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Any man that can write may answer a Any man who can write can answer a

letter. letter.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Nay, he will answer the letter's No, he will answer Tybalt by fighting

master, how he him.

dares, being dared.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Alas poor Romeo! he is already dead; Ah, poor Romeo! He is already dead;

stabbed with a white wench's black Stabbed with a woman’s eye; shot

eye; shot through the ear with a through the ear with a love song; his

love-song; the very pin of his heart heart broken by an arrow from Cupid’s

cleft with the blind bow-boy's butt- bow. And is he brave enough to fight

shaft: and is he a man to encounter Tybalt?

Tybalt?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Why, what is Tybalt? Why, what’s so special about Tybalt?

119
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

More than prince of cats, I can tell More than the legend from whom he

you. O, he is takes his name, I can tell you

the courageous captain of compliments. He is courageous.

He fights as He fights very well

you sing prick-song, keeps time, Like a dance.

distance, and

proportion; rests me his minim rest, He rests

one, two, and one, two and

the third in your bosom: the very at the third one you are stabbed in the

butcher of a silk heart

button, a duellist, a duellist; a He is a fighter, a student of the

gentleman of the best school of duelling, he knows

very first house, of the first and

second cause:

ah, the immortal passado! the punto the forward thrust! The backward

reverso! the thrust! and

hai! the thrust which goes right through

you!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

The what? The what?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

The pox of such antic, lisping, I hate these silly men who talk in the

affecting latest

fantasticoes; these new tuners of fashionable ways and with silly accents!

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accents! 'By Jesu, ‘By Jesus,

a very good blade! a very tall man! a a very good blade! a very tall man! a

very good very good

whore!' Why, is not this a lamentable whore!’ Isn’t it sad,

thing,

grandsire, that we should be thus that people speak in such stupid ways,

afflicted with

these strange flies, these fashion- to be fashionable,

mongers, these

perdona-mi's, who stand so much on they copy the latest fashions,

the new form,

that they cannot at ease on the old sitting back on an old bench they cry

bench? O, their O, their aching bones.

bones, their bones!

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo. Here comes Romeo, here comes Romeo.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Without his roe, like a dried herring: Like a dried fish, without his eggs,

flesh, flesh,

how art thou fishified! Now is he for Now he’s ready

the numbers For Petrarch’s love poetry: Laura

that Petrarch flowed in: Laura to his (whom Petrarch loved) when compared

lady was but a to his lady was just a

kitchen-wench; marry, she had a kitchen slave. Admittedly, she had a

121
better love to better love to

be-rhyme her; Dido a dowdy; write poems for her; Dido was a

rubbish dresser;

Cleopatra a gipsy; Helen and Hero Cleopatra a gypsy; Helen and Hero

hildings and harlots; Thisbe a grey were sluts and prostitutes; This be

eye or so, but not to the purpose. might have had a blue eye or two, but

it doesn’t matter.

Signior Mister

Romeo, bon jour! there's a French Romeo, hello! There’s a French hello

salutation

to your French slop. You gave us the to your French outfit. You cheated us

counterfeit

fairly last night. last night.

ROMEO ROMEO

Good morrow to you both. What Good morning to both of you. How did I

counterfeit did I give you? cheat you?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

The ship, sir, the slip; can you not You disappeared, don’t you remember?

conceive?

ROMEO ROMEO

Pardon, good Mercutio, my business Sorry, Mercutio, I had something

was great; and in important to do; and in

such a case as mine a man may strain such a situation like mine it is OK to

courtesy. forget politeness.

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MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

That's as much as to say, such a case You’re saying that important business

as yours

constrains a man to bow in the hams. was to go and have sex, shaking your

buttocks.

ROMEO ROMEO

Meaning, to court'sy. Shaking my buttocks by doing a

curtsey.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Thou hast most kindly hit it. You got it right.

ROMEO ROMEO

A most courteous exposition. What a polite explanation.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy. I am the pink flower of politeness.

ROMEO ROMEO

Pink for flower. Pink flower as in a woman’s genitalia.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Right. Right.

ROMEO ROMEO

Why, then is my pump well flowered. Well then my penis has seen many pink

flowers.

123
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Well said: follow me this jest now till Well said: this joke has

thou hast

worn out thy pump, that when the worn you out, when the joke is over

single sole of it

is worn, the jest may remain after the You have nothing left.

wearing sole singular.

ROMEO ROMEO

O single-soled jest, solely singular for Oh what a bad joke; this is all just

the singleness. stupidity.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Come between us, good Benvolio; my Come and break this up, Benvolio, I am

wits faint. losing this battle.

ROMEO ROMEO

Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or Carry on, else I shall declare myself

I'll cry a match. the winner.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose No, if this carries on,

chase, I have I am done for

done, for thou hast more of the wild- You have more humour than me.

goose in one of

thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my

whole five:

was I with you there for the goose? Was I even close to being equal to

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you?

ROMEO ROMEO

Thou wast never with me for any thing You were never with me.

when thou wast

not there for the goose.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

I will bite thee by the ear for that I’ll get you for that joke.

jest.

ROMEO ROMEO

Nay, good goose, bite not. No, please don’t bite me, goose.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting; it is Your humour is hurtful; it’s hard to

a most sharp sauce. take.

ROMEO ROMEO

And is it not well served in to a sweet It’s a good sauce to serve with a sweet

goose? goose like you.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

O here's a wit of cheveril, that Oh now you’re stretching the joke too

stretches from an far and too thin!

inch narrow to an ell broad!

ROMEO ROMEO

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I stretch it out for that word 'broad;' I will stretch it out further, goose.

which added

to the goose, proves thee far and wide

a broad goose.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Why, is not this better now than Now, isn’t this banter much better

groaning for love? than being upset and depressed in

love?

now art thou sociable, now art thou You are now fun to be around, Romeo;

Romeo; now art

thou what thou art, by art as well as by You are now what nature made you to

nature: be:

for this drivelling love is like a great For this depressing love is like an idiot,

natural,

that runs lolling up and down to hide Who runs up and down a hill looking to

his bauble in a hole. hide his toy in a hole.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Stop there, stop there. Stop there, stop there.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Thou desirest me to stop in my tale You want me to stop in my story

against the hair. before it’s finished.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Thou wouldst else have made thy tale Else it would be too long.

large.

126
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

O, thou art deceived; I would have O you have got it wrong; I would have

made it short: made it short:

for I was come to the whole depth of For I had already told the whole story;

my tale; and and

meant, indeed, to occupy the argument meant to say no more.

no longer.

ROMEO ROMEO

Here's goodly gear! Here’s something good.

Enter Nurse and PETER Enter Nurse and PETER

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

A sail, a sail! Here comes a ship! A ship!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Two, two; a shirt and a smock. Two of them, a man and a woman.

Nurse Nurse

Peter! Peter!

PETER Peter

Anon! I am here!

Nurse Nurse

My fan, Peter. Give me my fan, Peter.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Good Peter, to hide her face; for her Good Peter, the fan is to hide her face

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fan's the fairer face. as the fan looks nicer.

Nurse Nurse

God ye good morrow, gentlemen. Good morning, men.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

God ye good den, fair gentlewoman. Good afternoon, lady.

Nurse Nurse

Is it good den? Is it afternoon?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

'Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy It is now, for the aroused hand of the

hand of the clock is erect at noon. (a sexual joke).

dial is now upon the prick of noon.

Nurse Nurse

Out upon you! what a man are you! Get out of it! What kind of man are

you!

ROMEO ROMEO

One, gentlewoman, that God hath made One, lady, that God has made for

for himself tomar. himself to ruin.

Nurse Nurse

By my troth, it is well said; 'for You are telling the truth; ‘for himself

himself to mar,' to ruin’

quoth a'? Gentlemen, can any of you Men, can any of you tell me

tell me where I where I

may find the young Romeo? can find young Romeo?

ROMEO ROMEO

I can tell you; but young Romeo will be I can tell you, but young Romeo will be

older when older

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you have found him than he was when When you have found him than when he

you sought him: was looked for:

I am the youngest of that name, for I am Romeo, for better or worse.

fault of a worse.

Nurse Nurse

You say well. You speak well.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Yea, is the worst well? very well took, Is the worst well?

i' faith; wisely, wisely.

Nurse Nurse

if you be he, sir, I desire some If you are him, I would like to speak to

confidence with you alone.

you.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

She will indite him to some supper. She will invite him to a meal.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! so ho! A pimp! a pimp! I’ve worked it out.

ROMEO ROMEO

What hast thou found? What have you worked out?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a She’s not a prostitute - she’s too ugly.

lenten pie,

129
that is something stale and hoar ere it

be spent.

Sings sings
An old hare hoar, Old rabbit meat,

And an old hare hoar, Old rabbit meat,

Is very good meat in lent Is good to eat if it’s all you can get,

But a hare that is hoar But old rabbit meat,

Is too much for a score, Is no good,

When it hoars ere it be spent. When it rots before you eat it.

Romeo, will you come to your father's? Romeo, will you come to your dad’s?

we'll to dinner, thither. We’ll eat dinner there.

ROMEO ROMEO

I will follow you. I will come after you.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, Bye, old lady, bye.

Singing Singing
'lady, lady, lady.' ‘lady, lady, lady.’

Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO Exit MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO

Nurse Nurse

Marry, farewell! I pray you, sir, what Goodbye! Please tell me, which rude

saucy

merchant was this, that was so full of man was this, so full of himself?

his ropery?

ROMEO ROMEO

130
A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear A man, Nurse, that loves to listen to

himself talk, himself talk,

and will speak more in a minute than he and will say more in a minute than he

will stand actually does

to in a month. in a whole month.

Nurse Nurse

An a' speak any thing against me, I'll If he says anything bad about me, I’ll

take him take him

down, an a' were lustier than he is, and down, even if he were stronger than he

twenty such is, and had twenty men with him

Jacks; and if I cannot, I'll find those If I cannot take him down, I’ll find

that shall. people who can.

Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirt- Dirty animal! I am not one of his

gills; I am none of his skains-mates. hussies; I am not one of his mates.

And thou must stand by too, and And you just stand there and let them

suffer every knave to use me at his be rude to me?

pleasure?

PETER PETER

I saw no man use you a pleasure; if I I didn’t see anyone be rude to you; if I

had, my weapon had, my sword

should quickly have been out, I warrant would have been quickly out, I promise:

you: I dare I shall

draw as soon as another man, if I see pull my sword out, if I see the

occasion in a opportunity

good quarrel, and the law on my side. for a fight with the law on my side.

131
Nurse Nurse

Now, afore God, I am so vexed, that Now, I promise, I am so stressed that

every part about I am shaking.

me quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, sir, Dirty animal! Please, sir, a word with

a word: you:

and as I told you, my young lady bade As I told you, my young lady asked me

me inquire you to find you and the message I am to

out; what she bade me say, I will keep give you I shall keep secret:

to myself:

but first let me tell ye, if ye should But first let me say, if you are winding

lead her into her up

a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a Making promises you won’t keep, it is a

very gross very bad thing to do,

kind of behavior, as they say: for the

gentlewoman

is young; and, therefore, if you should the lady is young, and therefore if you

deal double are trying to trick her

with her, truly it were an ill thing to be it would be very bad of you.

offered

to any gentlewoman, and very weak

dealing.

ROMEO ROMEO

Nurse, commend me to thy lady and Nurse, speak well of me to Juliet.

mistress. I protest unto thee— I promise you…

132
Nurse NURSE

Good heart, and, i' faith, I will tell her OK I will tell her:

as much:

Lord, Lord, she will be a joyful woman. She is a very happy girl.

ROMEO ROMEO

What wilt thou tell her, nurse? thou What will you tell her? You do not

dost not mark me. listen to me.

Nurse Nurse

I will tell her, sir, that you do protest; I will tell her, that you do protest to

which, as her (the nurse means to use the word

I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer. ‘propose’ here). It is an honourable

offer.

ROMEO ROMEO

Bid her devise Ask her to make up

Some means to come to shrift this Some reason to go to confession this

afternoon; afternoon;

And there she shall at Friar Laurence' And there, at Friar Laurence’s,

cell

Be shrived and married. Here is for She shall be married. Here’s some

thy pains. money for your efforts.

Nurse Nurse

No truly sir; not a penny. No, honestly I don’t want a penny.

ROMEO ROMEO

Go to; I say you shall. Go on, I say you shall have it.

133
Nurse Nurse

This afternoon, sir? well, she shall be This afternoon? She shall be there.

there.

ROMEO ROMEO

And stay, good nurse, behind the And you stay behind the church wall,

abbey wall: Nurse:

Within this hour my man shall be with Within an hour my friend shall come to

thee you

And bring thee cords made like a With a rope ladder;

tackled stair;

Which to the high top-gallant of my Which I can climb up to Juliet with

joy

Must be my convoy in the secret night. at night.

Farewell; be trusty, and I'll quit thy Goodbye, be honest and I will repay

pains: you:

Farewell; commend me to thy mistress. Goodbye, speak well of me to Juliet.

Nurse Nurse

Now God in heaven bless thee! Hark Now, God bless you! Listen, sir.

you, sir.

ROMEO ROMEO

What say'st thou, my dear nurse? What do you want to say?

Nurse Nurse

Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear Can your friend keep a secret? Did you

say, never hear it said,

134
Two may keep counsel, putting one two can plan the ruin of one?

away?

ROMEO ROMEO

I warrant thee, my man's as true as I promise, he’s trustworthy.

steel.

NURSE NURSE

Well, sir; my mistress is the sweetest Well, sir, Juliet is the sweetest girl,

lady--Lord,

Lord! when 'twas a little prating thing:- Oh, when she was a baby...

-O, there Oh there

is a nobleman in town, one Paris, that is a man in town, Paris, that would like

would fain

lay knife aboard; but she, good soul, to marry her. But she doesn’t want to

had as lief marry [Link] would rather

see a toad, a very toad, as see him. I look at a toad than him.

anger her I make her angry

sometimes and tell her that Paris is Sometimes by saying that Paris is

the properer better

man; but, I'll warrant you, when I say looking than you, but when I say it she

so, she looks goes so pale.

as pale as any clout in the versal world.

Doth not Doesn’t Rosemary (a symbol of

rosemary and Romeo begin both with a remembrance for the dead and for

letter? loved ones) and Romeo begin with the

same letter.

ROMEO ROMEO

Ay, nurse; what of that? both with an Yes, but so what? They both begin

135
R. with the letter ‘R’.

Nurse Nurse

Ah. mocker! that's the dog's name; R is Ah, joker! That’s the dog’s name. R is

for for the…

the--No; I know it begins with some No, I know it’s some other letter…

other

letter:--and she hath the prettiest and she says the nicest things about

sententious of you

it, of you and rosemary, that it would

do you good You would love to hear it.

to hear it.

ROMEO ROMEO

Commend me to thy lady. Speak well of me to Juliet.

Nurse Nurse

Ay, a thousand times. Yes, a thousand times.

Exit Romeo Exit Romeo

Peter! Peter!

PETER PETER

Anon! I am ready!

Nurse Nurse

Peter, take my fan, and go before and Take my fan and walk before me.

apace. Exit
Exeunt

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Part 21: Analysing A2S4

Based on the video [Link]

As in the previous scene, there is a strong sense of foreshadowing in Act 2

Scene 4. Mercutio tells Benvolio: ‘Alas poor Romeo! he is already dead’. He is

talking in jest about Romeo being dead in love, but of course what he says will

soon come true. Once again this heavy reliance on foreshadowing backs up the

major theme of fate – that the events in the play are pre-determined and set.

Perhaps sensing that the plot was becoming too serious, Shakespeare introduces

humour through the Nurse’s use of malapropisms. A malapropism is the misuse

of a word for humorous effect. The word which is used sounds similar to the

correct word but has a very different meaning. When the Nurse tells Romeo ‘I’ll

tell her that you do protest; which, as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer’, she

makes an error in her use of the word ‘protest’. What she means to say is ‘I will

tell her that you propose, which is gentlemanlike offer’. As you can see, the

undesired meaning is the complete opposite of what was meant: a funny moment

when you add it together with the other examples we see from the nurse in this

scene.

Time plays a key role in Act 2 Scene 4. Romeo tells the Nurse that Juliet should

meet him at the Church ‘this afternoon’ to be married. Having met the previous

evening, Romeo and Juliet will be married within 24 hours of meeting. From

their initial meeting to their marriage they will speak only a thousand or so

words each. The audience is surely left wondering how real this love can be. In

the previous scene Friar Laurence scolded Romeo’s professions of love for

Rosaline by telling him ‘Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.’ It seems

Rosaline knew that Romeo’s love for her was not real, but thirteen year old

137
Juliet is bewitched by him. Is this a true example of love at first sight, or is our

tragic hero Romeo once again exhibiting his hubris by falling in love once more?

Of course, there are many who believe that Romeo is truly in love. It is possible

that Romeo, now reformed from his previous wicked ways, is devoted to Juliet in

all sincerity. This has certainly been the traditional interpretation of the

character over the years. However, if you are studying this text for an

assessment of some kind, it is always useful to offer alternative

interpretations. This means that you take a quotation and offer more than one

possible meaning. At the end of the day, none of us knows exactly what

Shakespeare meant through his presentation of Romeo, but an open mind to a

variety of interpretations will help you improve your grade.

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Part 22: Translating A2S5

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 5. Capulet’s orchard. Scene 5, Capulet’s orchard.

Enter JULIET Enter Juliet

JULIET JULIET

The clock struck nine when I did It was nine o’clock when I sent the Nurse;

send the nurse;

In half an hour she promised to She said she’d be back within half an hour.

return.

Perchance she cannot meet him: Maybe she did not meet him:

that's not so. that’s not true.

O, she is lame! love's heralds should Oh, she is slow! Love’s messengers should

be thoughts, be like thoughts,

Which ten times faster glide than Ten times faster than the speed of light,

the sun's beams,

Driving back shadows over louring Pushing back shadows over dark hills:

hills:

Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves That’s how love should travel,

draw love,

And therefore hath the wind-swift And that’s why Cupid has wings to fly.

Cupid wings.

Now is the sun upon the highmost Now it’s midday

hill

139
Of this day's journey, and from nine And from nine till twelve

till twelve

Is three long hours, yet she is not Is three whole hours, yet she isn’t here.

come.

Had she affections and warm If she was young and in love,

youthful blood,

She would be as swift in motion as a She would be super quick;

ball;

My words would bandy her to my My words would bounce her to Romeo,

sweet love,

And his to me: And his words bounce her back to me:

But old folks, many feign as they But old people, many act like they are

were dead; dead;

Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as Slow, laborious, heavy and pale.

lead.

O God, she comes! Oh God, here she comes!

Enter Nurse and PETER Enter Nurse and PETER

O honey nurse, what news? Oh lovely Nurse, what news do you have?

Hast thou met with him? Send thy Have you met him? Send Peter away.

man away.

Nurse Nurse

Peter, stay at the gate. Peter, wait at the gate.

Exit PETER Exit Peter

JULIET JULIET

Now, good sweet nurse,--O Lord, Sweet Nurse...why do you look sad?

why look'st thou sad?

140
Though news be sad, yet tell them Even if your news is sad, tell me with a

merrily; smile;

If good, thou shamest the music of If the news is good, you ruin it

sweet news

By playing it to me with so sour a with a sad face like that.

face.

Nurse Nurse

I am a-weary, give me leave awhile: I am tired, give me a minute:

Fie, how my bones ache! what a jaunt Oh, my bones ache! What a walk I’ve had!

have I had!

JULIET JULIET

I would thou hadst my bones, and I I wish you had my bones, and I had your

thy news: news:

Nay, come, I pray thee, speak; good, Come on, tell me, good, good Nurse. Tell

good nurse, speak. me.

Nurse

Jesu, what haste? can you not stay Nurse

awhile? Jesus, what a hurry? Can you not wait a

Do you not see that I am out of minute?

breath? Can’t you see that I am out of breath?

JULIET

How art thou out of breath, when JULIET

thou hast breath How can you be out of breath, when you

To say to me that thou art out of have enough breath

breath? to tell me you are out of breath?

The excuse that thou dost make in

this delay Your excuse that you make in this delay

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Is longer than the tale thou dost

excuse. Takes longer to make than the message

Is thy news good, or bad? answer to itself.

that; Is your news good or bad? Tell me that;

Say either, and I'll stay the

circumstance: Say either one and I will wait for the

Let me be satisfied, is't good or details:

bad? Satisfy me, is it good or bad?

Nurse

Well, you have made a simple choice; Nurse

you know not You’ve made a silly choice; you don’t know

how to choose a man: Romeo! no, not

he; though his how to choose a man: Romeo! No, not he;

face be better than any man's, yet

his leg excels though he is good looking,

all men's; and for a hand, and a foot,

and a body,

though they be not to be talked on,

yet they are

past compare: he is not the flower

He is not very polite.
of courtesy,

but, I'll warrant him, as gentle as a

lamb. Go thy But he is gentle. Do what you like.

ways, wench; serve God. What, have

you dined at home?

Have you had lunch?

JULIET

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No, no: but all this did I know JULIET

before. No. Everything you just said I already

What says he of our marriage? what knew.

of that? What did he say about getting married?

Nurse

Lord, how my head aches! what a Nurse

head have I! Oh my head hurts! What a headache I

It beats as it would fall in twenty have!

pieces. It batters my head so bad I think it will

My back o' t' other side,--O, my fall into pieces.

back, my back! My back, on the other side, oh my back,

Beshrew your heart for sending me my back!

about, Shame on you for sending me out,

To catch my death with jaunting up

and down! To become so unwell whilst traipsing

around.

JULIET

I' faith, I am sorry that thou art JULIET

not well. Honestly, I am sorry you are not well.

Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me,

what says my love? Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what

did Romeo say?

Nurse

Your love says, like an honest Nurse

gentleman, and a He says, like an honest man,

courteous, and a kind, and a

handsome, and, I polite, kind, good looking and

143
warrant, a virtuous,--Where is your

mother? good...where is your mum?

JULIET

Where is my mother! why, she is JULIET

within; Where is my mum? She is indoors;

Where should she be? How oddly

thou repliest! Where should she be? How stupid your

'Your love says, like an honest reply!

gentleman, ‘Your love says like an honest man where is

Where is your mother?' your mum’?

Nurse

O God's lady dear! Nurse

Are you so hot? marry, come up, I Oh Mary mother of Jesus!

trow; Are you so impatient? Come on,

Is this the poultice for my aching

bones? Is this going to make my aching bones

Henceforward do your messages better?

yourself. From now on take your own messages.

JULIET

Here's such a coil! come, what says JULIET

Romeo? You’re moaning too much. What did Romeo

say?

Nurse

Have you got leave to go to shrift Nurse

to-day? Do you have permission to go to confession

today?

144
JULIET

I have. JULIET

Nurse Yes.

Then hie you hence to Friar Nurse

Laurence' cell; Then go to Friar Laurence’s place;

There stays a husband to make you a

wife: There is a husband to make you a wife:

Now comes the wanton blood up in

your cheeks, Now the blood rushes to your cheeks,

They'll be in scarlet straight at any

news. Any news makes you blush.

Hie you to church; I must another

way, Go to church; I have somewhere else to

To fetch a ladder, by the which your go,

love To get a ladder, with which your love

Must climb a bird's nest soon when

it is dark: Will climb up to see you at night:

I am the drudge and toil in your

delight, I do all this hard work for your happiness,

But you shall bear the burden soon

at night. But you shall do the hard work at night.

Go; I'll to dinner: hie you to the cell.

Go; I’ll go to dinner; get to the Friar’s.

JULIET

Hie to high fortune! Honest nurse, JULIET

farewell. Wish me luck! Thank you, Nurse.

145
Exeunt

Exit

Part 23: Analysing A2S5

Based on the video [Link]

At first glance it is possible to see this scene as nothing more than a comic

interlude in the plot. It is true that the conversation between Juliet and her

Nurse is highly amusing, with the Nurse essentially winding Juliet up by delaying

the news of Romeo’s wedding proposal. However, there is more to it than that.

Following the romance which has blossomed between Romeo and Juliet at

shocking speed, this scene deliberately slows things down to add tension and

suspense before building up to the wedding scene. Dramatic structure is

explored elsewhere in this book, but it is true to say that Shakespeare was a

master of pace and structure; he knew that it would be an overload of emotion

to have fighting, romance, love and death in every scene. Because of this, he

occasionally intersperses the action with scenes that slow down the pace and

give the audience time to calm down (and to take stock of everything that has

just happened). If you are at the theatre and need a toilet break, this might be

the time to take it!

What is striking in this short scene is the immaturity of Juliet, who becomes an

impatient child in this interchange. She is rude and demanding of the Nurse: ‘Is

they news good, or bad? Answer to that’. This is a direct contrast to the Juliet

who so eloquently and romantically confessed her love to Romeo. Perhaps

Shakespeare is reminding the audience that Juliet is only thirteen years old –

just a child. If she is so emotional that she has these kinds of childish

146
outbursts at the woman who has raised her, can we really trust her feelings of

the love that she has for Romeo? It is also a sign that the relationship between

Juliet and her nurse continues to grow apart. Juliet, who doted on her nurse at

the start of the play, is becoming a woman and moving beyond such childish

things as needing what is essentially a full time babysitter. She is approaching

that period of her life to which the Nurse’s husband so crudely alluded ; she is

coming to a time in her life when she will ‘fall backward’ for her lover. As a

result, she is starting to distance herself from the people she associates with

childhood. Juliet and the Nurse will continue to grow apart throughout the play;

it is a topic I shall revisit later.

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Part 24: Translating Act 2 Scene 6

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 6. Friar Laurence’s Cell. Scene 6. Friar Laurence’s.

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and ROMEO Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and ROMEO

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

So smile the heavens upon this holy I hope the heavens are happy with this

act, marriage,

That after hours with sorrow chide us So that bad things do not come of it!

not!

ROMEO ROMEO

Amen, amen! but come what sorrow I agree, I agree! But whatever bad

can, thing comes,

It cannot countervail the exchange of It can’t outdo the happiness

joy

That one short minute gives me in her That I feel after seeing Juliet for one

sight: minute:

Do thou but close our hands with holy Join us together in marriage,

words,

Then love-devouring death do what he And death can do what it likes;

dare;

It is enough I may but call her mine. As long as she is mine I am happy.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

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These violent delights have violent Sudden happiness has a sudden ending

ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and And dies away like gunpowder and

powder, flame,

Which as they kiss consume: the Which meet like a kiss and explode:

sweetest honey the sweetest honey

Is loathsome in his own deliciousness Is horrible if you eat too much

And in the taste confounds the And will make you sick

appetite:

Therefore love moderately; long love Therefore love in moderation, long

doth so; lasting love does this;

Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. Love that is too quick is just as bad as

love that is too slow.

Enter JULIET Enter JULIET

Here comes the lady: O, so light a foot Here comes the lady: Oh she walks so

lightly

Will ne'er wear out the everlasting She’ll never survive the difficult road

flint: of life:

A lover may bestride the gossamer Those in love can walk on spider-web

That idles in the wanton summer air, That floats in the summer air,

And yet not fall; so light is vanity. And not fall; that’s how surreal love is.

JULIET JULIET

Good even to my ghostly confessor. Good evening, my confessor.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for Romeo shall be grateful enough for

149
us both. both of us.

JULIET JULIET

As much to him, else is his thanks too I shall be grateful too, so he doesn’t

much. thank too much.

ROMEO ROMEO

Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy Ah, Juliet, if the amount of joy you

Be heap'd like mine and that thy skill have is as big as mine, and you are

be more

To blazon it, then sweeten with thy better with words, then tell me

breath

This neighbour air, and let rich music's Speak out

tongue

Unfold the imagined happiness that How happy we will be in marriage.

both

Receive in either by this dear

encounter.

JULIET JULIET

Conceit, more rich in matter than in My imagination is bigger than my

words, words,

Brags of his substance, not of

ornament:

They are but beggars that can count

their worth;

But my true love is grown to such But the love within me is so huge I

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excess cannot express even half of it.

I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Come, come with me, and we will make Come, come with me, and we will do

short work; this quickly,

For, by your leaves, you shall not stay I will not leave you alone

alone

Till holy church incorporate two in one. until you are married.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 25: Analysing Act 2 Scene 6

Based on the video [Link]

Act 2 Scene 6 begins with yet more foreshadowing, as Friar Laurence hopes

that the heavens will ‘smile’ upon the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. He worries

that they ‘chide us not’, foreshadowing the tragic events that will follow in just

the next scene. Romeo takes it one step further with the challenge ‘love-

devouring death do what he dare’ (death can do what it likes). Finally, the Friar

foreshadows Juliet’s death when he comments that ‘so light a foot will ne’er

wear out the everlasting flint’. His words suggest that Juliet is too dainty to

survive the difficult road of life. Shakespeare’s use of structure means that

this is the perfect place to foreshadow the doom that will soon fall on our title

characters.

Aristotle (see page 30) came up with some of the earliest ideas about dramatic

structure in dramatic tragedy. He felt that drama fell into three pieces. In the

19th Century, building on the work of Aristotle, the German novelist Gustav

Freytag proposed that all five act plays follow the same format:

Climax – The main

character comes face
to face with a
Rising action – problem. They have a
A series of choice to make. Falling Action – the
events to keep problem unravels
the reader and the hero either
interested. wins or loses.

Exposition – Introduces the Denouement – The fallout from

setting and main characters. the way the characters deal with
A the climax.
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Freytag’s theory was that all plays dedicated one act to each of the above. If

we apply this to what we have already seen in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the analysis

would be as follows:

Act 1: Exposition – The audience discover that the Montague and Capulet

families are enemies. They fight.

Act 2: Rising Action – Romeo and Juliet fall in love and get married.

Act 3: Climax – about to happen!

With this in mind, we know that the climax of the play is coming in the very next

scene. Tension is high, and Shakespeare uses the literary device of

foreshadowing prior to this major act to increase the tension even further.

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Part 26: Translating A3S1

Based on the video [Link]

Act 3 Scene 1. A Public place. Act 3 Scene 1. A public place.

Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page, Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Page,

and Servants and Servants
BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's I beg you, Mercutio, let’s leave:

retire:

The day is hot, the Capulets abroad, It’s a hot day, the Capulets are around,

And, if we meet, we shall not scape a And, if we meet them, we won’t escape

brawl; a fight;

For now, these hot days, is the mad For in this hot weather, people become

blood stirring. hot-headed.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Thou art like one of those fellows that You are like one of those people that,

when he when he

enters the confines of a tavern claps walks into a pub, slaps his

me his sword sword

upon the table and says 'God send me onto the table and says, ‘Don’t let me

no need of need to use you!’

thee!' and by the operation of the But by the second pint,

second cup draws pulls his sword out on the barman when

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it on the drawer, when indeed there is there really is

no need. no need to.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Am I like such a fellow? Am I like that?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in Come on, you are as hot-headed as

thy mood as anyone in this country, and so easily

any in Italy, and as soon moved to be wound up,

moody, and as that when you want to be angry you

soon moody to be moved. find something to get angry about.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

And what to? So what?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Nay, an there were two such, we If there were two men like you, there

should have none would soon be none

shortly, for one would kill the other. because you’d kill each other. You!

Thou! why,

thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath You’d argue with a man over having one

a hair more, more

or a hair less, in his beard, than thou or one less hair in his beard, than you

hast: thou have

wilt quarrel with a man for cracking You would argue with a man for

nuts, having no cracking nuts,

155
other reason but because thou hast Just because your eyes were the same

hazel eyes: what colour as those nuts

eye but such an eye would spy out such That’s the kind of trouble seeking

a quarrel? person you are.

Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an Your head is full of anger like an egg is

egg is full of full of

meat, and yet thy head hath been yolk, and yet your head has been

beaten as addle as beaten

an egg for quarrelling: thou hast just like a scrambled egg. You have

quarrelled with a fought

man for coughing in the street, with a man for coughing in the street,

because he hath because he

wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep woke up a dog which was sleeping in the

in the sun: sun:

didst thou not fall out with a tailor for Didn’t you fall out with a tailor for

wearing wearing his clothes outside of the

his new doublet before Easter? with fashionable time? With someone else

another, for for tying his new shoes up with old

tying his new shoes with old riband? laces?

and yet thou And yet you try to teach me not to

wilt tutor me from quarrelling! fight!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

An I were so apt to quarrel as thou If I were so keen on fighting as you

art, any man are,

should buy the fee-simple of my life My life insurance rates would be very

for an hour and a quarter. high.

156
MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

The fee-simple! O simple! That’s silly!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

By my head, here come the Capulets. Oh no, here come the Capulets.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

By my heel, I care not. I don’t care.

Enter TYBALT and others Enter TYBALT and others

TYBALT TYBALT

Follow me close, for I will speak to Back me up, I am going to speak to

them. them.

Gentlemen, good den: a word with one Men, good afternoon: I want a word

of you. with one of you.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

And but one word with one of us? Just one word? Put it together with

couple it with something; say a word and a blow.

something; make it a word and a blow.

TYBALT TYBALT

You shall find me apt enough to that, I am up for doing that,

sir, an you will give me occasion. Just give me a reason.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

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Could you not take some occasion Can’t you find a reason without

without giving? me giving it?

TYBALT TYBALT

Mercutio, thou consort'st with Mercutio, you hang out with Romeo..

Romeo,--

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Consort! what, dost thou make us ‘Hang out’? Are you calling us

minstrels? an musicians?

thou make minstrels of us, look to hear You make musicians of us and you’ll

nothing but hear

discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's noise. Here’s my instrument (touches

that shall his sword), it will make you dance!

make you dance. 'Zounds, consort! ‘Hang out’!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

We talk here in the public haunt of We are talking here in public,

men:

Either withdraw unto some private Either come somewhere quiet,

place,

And reason coldly of your grievances, And we will talk about this,

Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on Or leave; everyone is looking at us.

us.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Men's eyes were made to look, and let That’s what eyes are for, let them

158
them gaze; look;

I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I’m not going anywhere.

I.

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

TYBALT TYBALT

Well, peace be with you, sir: here Calm down, sir: here comes the person

comes my man. I am looking for.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your I’ll be dead, if he’s your man,

livery:

Marry, go before to field, he'll be your If you run away, he will follow you.

follower;

Your worship in that sense may call him In that way you could call him your

'man.' man.

TYBALT TYBALT

Romeo, the hate I bear thee can Romeo, the hate I have for you can

afford express itself

No better term than this,--thou art a no better than this: you are a villain.

villain.

ROMEO ROMEO

Tybalt, the reason that I have to love Tybalt, the reason I have to love you

thee

Doth much excuse the appertaining Excuses the anger

159
rage

To such a greeting: villain am I none; I feel at your greeting; I am not a

villain;

Therefore farewell; I see thou So goodbye; it’s clear you don’t know

know'st me not. me.

TYBALT TYBALT

Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries Boy, this does not make up for the

That thou hast done me; therefore insults you have inflicted on me;

turn and draw. turn around and pull out your sword.

ROMEO ROMEO

I do protest, I never injured thee, I tell you, I never wronged you,

But love thee better than thou canst But actually love you more than you can

devise, know,

Till thou shalt know the reason of my Until you know why I love you:

love:

And so, good Capulet,--which name I So, good Capulet - a name I love

tender

As dearly as my own,--be satisfied. As much as my own name..be satisfied.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Giving in like this is pathetic!

Alla stoccata carries it away. A swipe of my sword will stop it.

Draws Pulls out sword

Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? Tybalt, you scumbag, will you fight me?

160
TYBALT TYBALT

What wouldst thou have with me? What do you want with me?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Good king of cats, nothing but one of King of cats, I want one of your nine

your nine

lives; that I mean to make bold withal, lives; I am planning on taking it, and

and as you

shall use me hereafter, drybeat the how you treat me afterwards, shall

rest of the decide what happens to the other

eight. Will you pluck your sword out of eight. Will you pull out you sword?

his pitcher

by the ears? make haste, lest mine be Do it quickly, else mine will be

about your at your

ears ere it be out. head before you get yours out.

TYBALT TYBALT

I am for you. I will fight you.

Drawing Pulling out his sword

ROMEO ROMEO

Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. Mercutio, put your sword away.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Come, sir, your passado. Come on, show me your forward stab.

They fight They fight

161
ROMEO ROMEO

Draw, Benvolio; beat down their Pull out your sword, Benvolio; hit their

weapons. weapons down.

Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this Men, stop this!

outrage!

Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly Tybalt, Mercutio, the Prince

hath has

Forbidden bandying in Verona streets: outlawed fighting in the streets of

this city:

Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio! Stop, Tybalt! Mercutio!

TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs TYBALT stabs MERCUTIO whilst

MERCUTIO, and flies with his ROMEO is holding him back. TYBALT

followers and his men run off.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

I am hurt. I am hurt.

A plague o' both your houses! I am Both of your families be cursed. I’m

sped. done.

Is he gone, and hath nothing? Did he get away unhurt?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

What, art thou hurt? Are you hurt?

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis Just a scratch, but it’s enough.

162
enough.

Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a Where is my servant? Go, get a doctor.

surgeon.

Exit Page Exit Page.

ROMEO ROMEO

Courage, man; the hurt cannot be Be brave, it can’t be too bad.

much.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so No, it’s not as deep as a well or wide as

wide as a a

church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill church-door, but it’s enough. It will do;

serve: ask for ask for

me to-morrow, and you shall find me a me tomorrow and you will find I am

grave man. I dead.

am peppered, I warrant, for this world. I am done for this world. Both of your

A plague o' families be cursed!

both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a That pathetic animal,

rat, a mouse, a

cat, to scratch a man to death! a scratched me to death!

braggart, a

rogue, a villain, that fights by the book He learnt how to fight through reading

of about it in a book!

arithmetic! Why the devil came you Why did you get in-between us?

between us? I

was hurt under your arm. He stabbed me when you held me back.

163
ROMEO ROMEO

I thought all for the best. I thought it was the right thing to do -

to try to stop the fight.

MERCUTIO MERCUTIO

Help me into some house, Benvolio, Help me into some house, Benvolio,

Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your Or I shall faint. Cursed be both of

houses! your families!

They have made worms' meat of me: I They have turned me into worm food: I

have it, am done for. A curse on both Capulets

And soundly too: your houses! and Montagues.

Exeunt MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO Exit MERCUTIO and BENVOLIO

ROMEO ROMEO

This gentleman, the prince's near ally, This man, Mercutio, a close friend of

the Prince and

My very friend, hath got his mortal My good friend, has taken a wound

hurt which will kill him

In my behalf; my reputation stain'd All for me; to protect my reputation

With Tybalt's slander,--Tybalt, that Which Tybalt was ruining - Tybalt,

an hour that only for an hour

Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet, Has been my relative! Oh sweet Juliet,

Thy beauty hath made me effeminate Your beauty has made me weak

And in my temper soften'd valour's And made my bravery go soft.

steel!

164
Re-enter BENVOLIO Re-enter BENVOLIO

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's Oh Romeo, Romeo, Mercutio is dead!

dead!

That gallant spirit hath aspired the That brave man has gone to heaven,

clouds,

Which too untimely here did scorn the He was too young to die.

earth.

ROMEO ROMEO

This day's black fate on more days The horrible events of today will

doth depend; affect the future;

This but begins the woe, others must The trouble that starts today will end

end. in the future.

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Here comes the furious Tybalt back Here comes Tybalt back again.

again.

ROMEO ROMEO

Alive, in triumph! and Mercutio slain! Alive and celebrating! With Mercutio

dead!

Away to heaven, respective lenity, Goodbye, mercy,

And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now! Anger take over me now!

165
Re-enter TYBALT Re-enter TYBALT

Now, Tybalt, take the villain back Now, Tybalt, call me villain again,

again,

That late thou gavest me; for Like earlier;

Mercutio's soul Mercutio’s spirit

Is but a little way above our heads, Has only just begun its journey to

heaven,

Staying for thine to keep him company: Waiting for yours to join it:

Either thou, or I, or both, must go with Either you, or I, or both of us, must

him. die.

TYBALT TYBALT

Thou, wretched boy, that didst You idiot boy, you hung around with him

consort him here, here,

Shalt with him hence. And shall join him soon.

ROMEO ROMEO

This shall determine that. This fight will decide that.

They fight; TYBALT falls They fight, ROMEO kills TYBALT

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Romeo, away, be gone! Romeo, get away, leave!

The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. The public are up, and Tybalt is dead.

Stand not amazed: the prince will doom Don’t stand there, the Prince will have

thee death, you killed,

If thou art taken: hence, be gone, If he catches you: so, go away!

166
away!

ROMEO ROMEO

O, I am fortune's fool! My luck is so bad!

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Why dost thou stay? Why are you staying here?

Exit ROMEO Exit ROMEO

Enter Citizens Enter Citizens

First Citizen First Citizen

Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? Which way did he run who killed

Mercutio?

Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran Which way did Tybalt, the murderer,

he? run?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

There lies that Tybalt. There is Tybalt.

First Citizen First Citizen

Up, sir, go with me; Get up, man;

I charge thee in the princes name, In the Prince’s name, do as I say.

obey.

Enter Prince, attended; MONTAGUE, Enter Prince, MONTAGUE, CAPULET,

CAPULET, their Wives, and others their Wives and others

PRINCE PRINCE

167
Where are the vile beginners of this Where are those who started this

fray? fight?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

O noble prince, I can discover all Prince, I can tell you all

The unlucky manage of this fatal About how this deadly fight took

brawl: place:

There lies the man, slain by young There is the body of one killed by

Romeo, Romeo,

That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio. Who killed my friend, brave Mercutio.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's Tybalt, my cousin! Oh, my brother’s

child! child!

O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the Oh Prince! Oh cousin! Husband! Oh, the

blood is spilt blood is spilt

O my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art of my nephew! Prince, you are honest,

true,

For blood of ours, shed blood of For this murder, kill a Montague.

Montague.

O cousin, cousin! Cousin, cousin!

PRINCE PRINCE

Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? Benvolio, who started this fight?

BENVOLIO BENVOLIO

Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand Tybalt, who lies here dead, who was

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did slay; then killed by Romeo;

Romeo that spoke him fair, bade him Romeo; who spoke nicely to him, made

bethink him think

How nice the quarrel was, and urged How silly the fight was, and begged

withal him to avoid

Your high displeasure: all this uttered your disapproval. He said all this

With gentle breath, calm look, knees calmly and gently, humbly

humbly bow'd,

Could not take truce with the unruly But could not calm down

spleen

Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he Tybalt, who was wild, and stabbed

tilts

With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's his sword at brave Mercutio’s chest,

breast,

Who all as hot, turns deadly point to Mercutio, angered, fought back,

point,

And, with a martial scorn, with one And tried to

hand beats

Cold death aside, and with the other

sends kill Tybalt.

It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity, Tybalt fought back.

Retorts it: Romeo he cries aloud, Romeo shouted out,

'Hold, friends! friends, part!' and, “Stop friends, split it up!” and, quicker

swifter than than

his tongue, his tongue,

His agile arm beats down their fatal His arm beat down their swords.

points,

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And 'twixt them rushes; underneath He got between them: under his arm

whose arm

An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the Tybalt stabbed to death

life

Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt Mercutio, and then Tybalt ran away;

fled;

But by and by comes back to Romeo, But after a while came back to Romeo,

Who had but newly entertain'd Who was now looking for revenge.

revenge,

And to 't they go like lightning, for, And they fought, before I

ere I

Could draw to part them, was stout Could get between them. Strong

Tybalt slain. Tybalt was killed.

And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly. And, as he died, Romeo ran away.

This is the truth, or let Benvolio die. This is the truth, I swear my life on it.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

He is a kinsman to the Montague; He is a relative of Montague;

Affection makes him false; he speaks His love for Montagues will make him

not true: tell lies;

Some twenty of them fought in this Around twenty men fought in this

black strife, battle,

And all those twenty could but kill one And it took all twenty to kill Tybalt.

life.

I beg for justice, which thou, prince, I ask for justice, Prince, and you must

must give; give it;

Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not Romeo killed Tybalt, so Romeo must

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live. die.

PRINCE PRINCE

Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio; Romeo killed Tybalt, Tybalt killed

Who now the price of his dear blood Mercutio;

doth owe? Who is now to blame?

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's Not Romeo, Prince, he was Mercutio’s

friend; friend;

His fault concludes but what the law He did what the law would have done

should end,

The life of Tybalt. by killing Tybalt.

PRINCE PRINCE

And for that offence For that crime

Immediately we do exile him hence: He is exiled from this moment:

I have an interest in your hate's I am involved in this battle,

proceeding,

My blood for your rude brawls doth lie Mercutio was my relative,

a-bleeding;

But I'll amerce you with so strong a I will punish you so severely

fine

That you shall all repent the loss of You shall be sorry for my loss:

mine:

I will be deaf to pleading and excuses; I will not listen to begging or excuses;

Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase Not tears or prayers shall get you out

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out abuses: of this:

Therefore use none: let Romeo hence So use none: let Romeo get away

in haste, quickly,

Else, when he's found, that hour is his

last. Else, when he’s found, he shall die.

Bear hence this body and attend our

will: Take this body away:

Mercy but murders, pardoning those

that kill. Showing mercy to killers, only ends up

with more murder.

Exeunt
Exit

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Part 27: Analysing A3S1

Based on the video [Link]

Following his secret marriage to Juliet in the previous scene, Romeo is instantly

forced to face the reality of the fact that he has married a Capulet. In Act 3

Scene 1, Tybalt is hunting for Romeo; he wants to punish him for sneaking into

the Capulet family party. Now that he has married into the Capulet family,

Romeo wants to avoid a fight. He uses language that seems more fitting for his

previous conversations with Juliet, telling Tybalt that he does ‘love thee better

than thou canst devise’. This line is very similar to his previous comments about

Juliet in Act 2 Scene 2, where Romeo proclaims ‘It is my love! O, that she knew

she were.’ In both examples, Romeo loves someone who doesn’t know that they

are loved. This mirroring of language is used to show what a dramatic change

Romeo has undertaken. His bawdy banter has gone, his anger towards the

Capulets has gone; now all he feels is love.

Blank verse, prose and rhyming verse are used for effect in this scene. Before I

analyse them, let me give you a simple definition of each one:

Blank verse: Does not rhyme, but follows a regular pattern of rhythm. Lines of

blank verse contain ten syllables per line.

Prose: We may refer to this as ‘ordinary written language’. There is no rhyme

scheme or metrical structure.

Rhyming verse: Lines which rhyme (often rhyming couplets where the final word

of a pair of lines rhymes).

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In Act 3 Scene 1, Shakespeare uses a mixture of blank verse, prose and rhyming

verse to convey meaning. Firstly, most characters speak in blank verse, as seen

when the scene opens with Benvolio’s plea to Mercutio:

I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:

The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,

And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

These lines are ordered and tightly controlled – a reflection of the character of

Benvolio who is the same.

The character of Mercutio, on the other hand, always speaks in prose:

Thou art like one of those fellows that when he

enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword

upon the table and says 'God send me no need of

thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws

it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.

As you can see from this example, Mercutio’s lines are not only different to

everyone else’s, they are uncontrolled and follow no rules or regulations.

Shakespeare is cleverly using prose for Mercutio to mirror his character; just

like blank verse, he is uncontrolled and follows no rules or regulations. He is

unpredictable unlike any other character: just like prose.

Finally, Montague, Prince and Lady Capulet speak in rhyming verse in this scene:

LADY CAPULET

He is a kinsman to the Montague;

Affection makes him false; he speaks not true:

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Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,

And all those twenty could but kill one life.

I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give;

Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.

PRINCE

Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;

Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?

MONTAGUE

Not Romeo, prince, he was Mercutio's friend;

His fault concludes but what the law should end,

This use of rhyming verse shows how these characters are separate from the

others. Also, Shakespeare often uses rhyming verse when his characters are

delivering advice or pointing out a moral; this is exactly what is happening in this

scene.

As you can see, Shakespeare’s use of blank verse, prose and rhyming verse is

used to symbolise different aspects of each character’s personality. Look out

for its use in other scenes.

This is a very tense scene, made more powerful by the manner in which

Shakespeare structures it. At first Romeo tries to stop the fighting between

Mercutio and Tybalt, asking his kinsman to ‘put thy rapier up’. In terms of

dramatic tension, the audience would feel a sense of disappointment at this –

many would want to shout out, “Go on, Romeo, kill him!” This makes the latter

part of the scene even more satisfying. Having spent the earlier moments trying

to unsuccessfully split up the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt, Romeo then

contradicts himself and asks Tybalt to fight. As an audience we understand that

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Romeo is distraught at Mercutio’s death; clearly ‘fire-eyed fury’ has taken over

him.

As Mercutio is dying, he delivers one of the most famous lines from the play,

calling for ‘a plague on both your houses’. Again, this is an example of

Shakespeare foreshadowing the end of the play where indeed a disaster will

come upon both the Capulets and Montagues.

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Part 28: Translating Act 3 Scene 2

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 2. Capulet’s orchard. Scene 2. Capulet’s orchard.

Enter JULIET Enter JULIET

JULIET JULIET

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Hurry away, sun,

Towards Phoebus' lodging: such a Towards your home for the night: the

wagoner mythological

As Phaethon would whip you to the west, Phaethon would drive you fast,

And bring in cloudy night immediately. And bring the night in right away.

Spread thy close curtain, love- Come and cover the sky, night,

performing night,

That runaway's eyes may wink and So that Romeo

Romeo

Leap to these arms, untalk'd of and Can jump into my arms, hidden from

unseen. everyone.

Lovers can see to do their amorous rites Lovers can make love

By their own beauties; or, if love be in the dark; or if love is blind,

blind,

It best agrees with night. Come, civil It’s best to do it at night. Come, night,

night,

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Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, widow dressed in black,

And learn me how to lose a winning And I will submit to Romeo,

match,

Play'd for a pair of stainless And lose my virginity,

maidenhoods:

Hood my unmann'd blood, bating in my Let the shyness which makes me blush

cheeks, be

With thy black mantle; till strange love, covered with you darkness, until sex

grown bold, becomes natural,

Think true love acted simple modesty. So I can do it honestly.

Come, night; come, Romeo; come, thou Come night, come Romeo, my daytime

day in night; in the night;

For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night You will lie upon the night

Whiter than new snow on a raven's back. Like snow on a raven’s back.

Come, gentle night, come, loving, black- Come, night, come, loving,

brow'd night, dark and black night,

Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall Give me Romeo, and when he dies,

die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars, Make him into little stars

And he will make the face of heaven so And he will make the night sky look

fine beautiful

That all the world will be in love with So all the world will be in love with the

night night

And pay no worship to the garish sun. And hate the sun.

O, I have bought the mansion of a love, Oh, I have bought a whole house of

love,

But not possess'd it, and, though I am But not yet stepped foot in it; I am

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sold, sold,

Not yet enjoy'd: so tedious is this day But not yet enjoyed; so boring is today

As is the night before some festival Just like the night before Christmas

To an impatient child that hath new For an impatient child that has new

robes clothes

And may not wear them. O, here comes and isn’t allowed to wear them. Oh,

my nurse, here comes the Nurse,

And she brings news; and every tongue And she brings news, and everyone

that speaks who speaks

But Romeo's name speaks heavenly Romeo’s name is heavenly.

eloquence.

Enter Nurse, with cords Enter Nurse, with the rope ladder
Now, nurse, what news? What hast thou Now, Nurse, what news? What have

there? the cords you there? The rope ladder that

That Romeo bid thee fetch? Romeo wanted you to get?

Nurse Nurse

Ay, ay, the cords. Yes, the rope ladder.

Throws them down Throws it down

JULIET JULIET

Ay me! what news? why dost thou wring What news? Why are you looking

thy hands? tense?

Nurse Nurse

Ah, well-a-day! he's dead, he's dead, He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!

he's dead!

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We are undone, lady, we are undone! It has ruined us, ruined us!

Alack the day! he's gone, he's kill'd, What a terrible day! He has gone, he’s

he's dead! killed, he’s dead!

JULIET JULIET

Can heaven be so envious? Can heaven be so jealous?

Nurse Nurse

Romeo can, Romeo can be hateful,

Though heaven cannot: O Romeo, Romeo! But heaven can’t. Oh Romeo, Romeo!

Who ever would have thought it? Romeo! Who would have thought it would be

Romeo!

JULIET JULIET

What devil art thou, that dost torment How evil are you, that you pick on me

me thus? like this?

This torture should be roar'd in dismal This is the torture of hell.

hell.

Hath Romeo slain himself? say thou but Has Romeo killed himself? Say ‘yes’,

'I,'

And that bare vowel 'I' shall poison And I will turn more poisonous

more

Than the death-darting eye of than the deadly snake:

cockatrice:

I am not I, if there be such an I; I will not exist if Romeo has killed

Or those eyes shut, that make thee himself.

answer 'I.' Just tell me yes or no.

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If he be slain, say 'I'; or if not, no:

Brief sounds determine of my weal or Say it briefly so I will know if I am

woe. happy or sad.

Nurse Nurse

I saw the wound, I saw it with mine I saw the wound, I saw it myself..

eyes,--

God save the mark!--here on his manly God bless that wound! Here on his

breast: Chest:

A piteous corse, a bloody piteous corse; A horrible wound, a bloody wound;

Pale, pale as ashes, all bedaub'd in blood, Pale he was, covered in blood,

All in gore-blood; I swounded at the All in blood, I fainted at the sight.

sight.

JULIET JULIET

O, break, my heart! poor bankrupt, Oh, break, my heart! You’ve lost

break at once! everything, so break!

To prison, eyes, ne'er look on liberty! My eyes go to prison, never to look

again freely at anything!

Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion Vile earth, I give my body to you; I will

here; not move;

And thou and Romeo press one heavy and Romeo and I can lie together in a

bier! coffin!

Nurse Nurse

O Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I had! Oh Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I

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O courteous Tybalt! honest gentleman! had! Oh polite Tybalt! Honest man!

That ever I should live to see thee dead! I cannot believe I am alive and you are

dead!

JULIET JULIET

What storm is this that blows so What is this message which is so

contrary? different?

Is Romeo slaughter'd, and is Tybalt Is Romeo dead? And is Tybalt dead?

dead?

My dear-loved cousin, and my dearer My cousin, Tybalt, and my master,

lord? Romeo?

Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the Then let the end of the world come!

general doom!

For who is living, if those two are gone? For life is over if these two are dead.

Nurse Nurse

Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banished; Tybalt is dead, Romeo banished;

Romeo that kill'd him, he is banished. Romeo killed him, so is banished.

JULIET JULIET

O God! did Romeo's hand shed Tybalt's Oh God! Did Romeo kill Tybalt?

blood?

Nurse Nurse

It did, it did; alas the day, it did! Yes!

JULIET JULIET

O serpent heart, hid with a flowering Oh evil man disguised as beauty!

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face!

Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Did ever a monster seem so nice?

Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Beautiful tyrant! Evil angel!

Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening Raven with feathers of a dove! Lamb

lamb! that hunts like a wolf!

Despised substance of divinest show! I hate him, but he seemed so amazing!

Just opposite to what thou justly He is the opposite of what he seemed

seem'st, to be,

A damned saint, an honourable villain! A cursed saint, an honest criminal!

O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell, Oh nature, what were you doing in hell;

When thou didst bower the spirit of a When you did make this evil man

fiend

In moral paradise of such sweet flesh? In such a perfect body?

Was ever book containing such vile Was there ever a book containing so

matter much evil

So fairly bound? O that deceit should Yet with a perfect cover? Oh that lies

dwell

In such a gorgeous palace! should live in such a stunning palace!

Nurse Nurse

There's no trust, There is nothing to trust,

No faith, no honesty in men; all No honesty in men; all are liars,

perjured,

All forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers. All cheat and are wicked.

Ah, where's my man? give me some aqua Where’s Peter? Give me some alcohol:

vitae:

These griefs, these woes, these sorrows These sadnesses make me feel old.

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make me old.

Shame come to Romeo! Shame on Romeo!

JULIET JULIET

Blister'd be thy tongue May blisters grow on your tongue

For such a wish! he was not born to For wanting such a thing! He was not

shame: born to be shameful:

Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit; Shame is ashamed to rest on him;

For 'tis a throne where honour may be For his head is a throne where honour

crown'd can sit

Sole monarch of the universal earth.

O, what a beast was I to chide at him! Oh, how awful of me to be mad at him!

Nurse Nurse

Will you speak well of him that kill'd Will you say nice things about the man

your cousin? who killed your cousin?

JULIET JULIET

Shall I speak ill of him that is my Shall I speak badly of the man who is

husband? my husband?

Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall Poor man, who shall speak well of you,

smooth thy name,

When I, thy three-hours wife, have When I, who have only been your wife

mangled it? a few hours, have criticised you?

But, wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my But why, criminal, did you kill my

cousin? cousin?

That villain cousin would have kill'd my Because my villain cousin would have

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husband: killed you:

Back, foolish tears, back to your native Stop, tears, go back into my eyes;

spring;

Your tributary drops belong to woe, I should cry with sadness,

Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy. But I am crying with joy

My husband lives, that Tybalt would Because Romeo is alive, who Tybalt

have slain; would have killed;

And Tybalt's dead, that would have slain And Tybalt’s dead, who would have

my husband: killed my husband:

All this is comfort; wherefore weep I All this is good news, so why am I

then? crying?

Some word there was, worser than There was a word, worse than Tybalt’s

Tybalt's death, death.

That murder'd me: I would forget it That killed me: I wish I could forget

fain; it;

But, O, it presses to my memory, But it sticks in my head,

Like damned guilty deeds to sinners' Like guilty actions do in sinners’ minds:

minds:

'Tybalt is dead, and Romeo--banished;' ‘Tybalt is dead, and Romeo...banished.’

That 'banished,' that one word That one word ‘banished’

'banished,'

Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Is the same as killing ten thousand

Tybalt's death Tybalts. Tybalt’s death

Was woe enough, if it had ended there: was bad enough if it ended there:

Or, if sour woe delights in fellowship But unhappiness loves company

And needly will be rank'd with other And is joined by more unhappiness,

griefs,

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Why follow'd not, when she said It would have been better after

'Tybalt's dead,' saying ‘Tybalt’s dead,’

Thy father, or thy mother, nay, or both, That my dad or mum, or even both

were dead too,

Which modern lamentations might have That would have made me sad.

moved?

But with a rear-ward following Tybalt's But by following the news of Tybalt’s

death, death,

'Romeo is banished,' to speak that word, With Romeo’s banishment, to say that

word,

Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Is the same as losing Dad, Mum,

Juliet, Tybalt, Romeo and myself all together,

All slain, all dead. 'Romeo is banished!' all dead. ‘Romeo is banished!’

There is no end, no limit, measure, There is no end or limit

bound,

In that word's death; no words can that In the unhappiness caused by that

woe sound. word; no words can be as bad.

Where is my father, and my mother, Where are my mum and dad, Nurse?

nurse?

Nurse Nurse

Weeping and wailing over Tybalt's corse: Crying and grieving over Tybalt’s dead

body:

Will you go to them? I will bring you Do you want to go to them? I will take

thither. you.

JULIET JULIET

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Wash they his wounds with tears: mine His wounds will be washed with their

shall be spent, tears: mine shall be used,

When theirs are dry, for Romeo's When theirs are finished, for Romeo’s

banishment. banishment.

Take up those cords: poor ropes, you are Take this rope ladder, it is useless,

beguiled,

Both you and I; for Romeo is exiled: just like I am; because Romeo is

exiled:

He made you for a highway to my bed; He made the ladder as a road to my

bed

But I, a maid, die maiden-widowed. But I, a virgin, will die a virgin.

Come, cords, come, nurse; I'll to my Come ropes, come, nurse; I will go to

wedding-bed; my wedding-bed;

And death, not Romeo, take my And death, not Romeo, will take my

maidenhead! virginity.

Nurse Nurse

Hie to your chamber: I'll find Romeo Go to your room: I’ll find Romeo

To comfort you: I wot well where he is. To comfort you: I know where he is.

Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at Listen, Romeo will be here tonight:

night:

I'll to him; he is hid at Laurence' cell. I’ll find him; he is hidden at Friar

Laurence’s.

JULIET JULIET

O, find him! give this ring to my true Oh find him! Give him this ring.

knight,

And bid him come to take his last And ask him to come and say his final

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farewell. goodbye.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 29: Analysing Act 3 Scene 2

Based on the video [Link]

The next two scenes show the different reactions to Romeo’s banishment. In

this scene, Juliet receives the news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s exile. For a

few lines she gives an angry outburst, but this changes very quickly. Within

moments, Juliet is rationally calculating the cause of the situation: ‘But,

wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have kill'd

my husband’. She wonders why Romeo killed Tybalt and correctly guesses that it

is because Tybalt was trying to kill him. As we shall see in the next scene,

Juliet’s mature response is very different to that of Romeo. We start to see

Juliet as a girl wise beyond her years, and are perhaps swayed towards the idea

that she is wise enough to make her own choices in love. Certainly she has grown

more mature since her argument with the Nurse.

Light and dark play a key part in this scene. Juliet is desperate for night to

arrive, telling the sun to ‘gallop apace’. Darkness has offered sanctuary to the

couple throughout the play – they met at night and first had sex at night.

Tragically, both will die at night too. With so much of Romeo and Juliet’s

relationship taking place at night, Shakespeare is highlighting how the lovers are

set apart from the rest of world. Living when the rest of the world sleeps, they

have an almost mystical quality.

Juliet’s relationship with the Nurse continues to show signs of wear in this

scene. The two had an incredibly close relationship in Act 1 Scene 3, where

Juliet seemed to love the Nurse more than her own mother. However, here we

189
find that the Nurse unable to understand why Juliet is siding with Romeo after

Tybalt’s death. She proclaims ‘Will you speak well of him that kill'd your cousin?’

This relationship will, by the end of the play, fall apart completely. Perhaps this

symbolises how Juliet is maturing and growing into a woman; as her relationship

with Romeo develops she no longer seems to need a Nurse. The transition Juliet

is making from child to adult is reflected in her gradual separation from the

Nurse who raised her through her childhood.

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Part 30: Translating Act 3 Scene 3

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 3. Friar Laurence’s cell. Scene 3. Friar Laurence’s cell.

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE Enter FRIAR LAURENCE

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Romeo, come forth; come forth, Romeo, come here; come here, you fearful

thou fearful man: man:

Affliction is enamour'd of thy Problems seem to like you,

parts,

And thou art wedded to calamity. And you are married to trouble.

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

ROMEO ROMEO

Father, what news? what is the Father, what news? What has the Prince

prince's doom? decided?

What sorrow craves acquaintance What sadness wants to join me,

at my hand,

That I yet know not? That I don’t yet know about?

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Too familiar Too familiar

Is my dear son with such sour are you with such sadness:

company:

I bring thee tidings of the I bring you news of the Prince’s decision.

prince's doom.

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ROMEO ROMEO

What less than dooms-day is the What less is the Prince’s decision than my

prince's doom? own death?

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

A gentler judgment vanish'd from A less severe punishment has been

his lips, announced,

Not body's death, but body's Not death, but banishment.

banishment.

ROMEO ROMEO

Ha, banishment! be merciful, say Ha, banishment! Be kind and say ‘death’;

'death;'

For exile hath more terror in his Because being exiled is worse,

look,

Much more than death: do not say Than death: do not say

'banishment.' ‘banishment.’

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Hence from Verona art thou From this city you are banished:

banished:

Be patient, for the world is broad Be patient, the world is a big place.

and wide.

ROMEO ROMEO

There is no world without Verona There is no world outside this city,

walls,

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But purgatory, torture, hell itself. But torture and hell.

Hence-banished is banish'd from So being banished from Verona is being

the world, banished from the world,

And world's exile is death: then And being banished from the world is death,

banished,

Is death mis-term'd: calling death So it’s death by a different name,

banishment,

Thou cutt'st my head off with a You cut off my head

golden axe,

And smilest upon the stroke that And smile over the thing that kills me.

murders me.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

O deadly sin! O rude Oh rude and ungrateful man!

unthankfulness!

Thy fault our law calls death; but What you did wrong, the law says you should

the kind prince, die for, but the kind prince,

Taking thy part, hath rush'd aside Taking your side, has ignored the law,

the law,

And turn'd that black word death And changed death to banishment:

to banishment:

This is dear mercy, and thou seest This is merciful of him, but you don’t see it.

it not.

ROMEO ROMEO

'Tis torture, and not mercy: It’s torture, not mercy: heaven is here,

heaven is here,

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Where Juliet lives; and every cat Where Juliet lives; every cat and dog

and dog

And little mouse, every unworthy And house, every little thing,

thing,

Live here in heaven and may look Living here in heaven can look at her;

on her;

But Romeo may not: more validity, But I may not: more authority,

More honourable state, more More honour, more applause goes to

courtship lives

In carrion-flies than Romeo: they flies than Romeo: they may grab

may seize

On the white wonder of dear Onto the hand of Juliet

Juliet's hand

And steal immortal blessing from And steal blessing from her lips,

her lips,

Who even in pure and vestal Juliet is so pure and shy,

modesty,

Still blush, as thinking their own She blushed when we kiss, thinking it is

kisses sin; wrong;

But Romeo may not; he is But Romeo may not, he is banished:

banished:

Flies may do this, but I from this Flies can do it, but I must fly away:

must fly:

They are free men, but I am They are free, but I am banished.

banished.

And say'st thou yet that exile is And you say exile is not death?

not death?

194
Hadst thou no poison mix'd, no If you had poison or a sharp knife,

sharp-ground knife,

No sudden mean of death, though To kill me, you wouldn’t be so mean,

ne'er so mean,

But 'banished' to kill me?-- But ‘banished’ to kill me? ‘Banished’?

'banished'?

O friar, the damned use that word Oh Friar, that word can go to hell;

in hell;

Howlings attend it: how hast thou It’s evil: how can you,

the heart,

Being a divine, a ghostly Being a priest, a confessor,

confessor,

A sin-absolver, and my friend A sin-forgiver and my friend,

profess'd,

To mangle me with that word Ruin me with the word ‘banished’?

'banished'?

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Thou fond mad man, hear me but You mad man, let me say something.

speak a word.

ROMEO ROMEO

O, thou wilt speak again of Oh, you will speak again of banishment.

banishment.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

I'll give thee armour to keep off I’ll give you protection from the word:

195
that word:

Adversity's sweet milk, The antidote to trouble: philosophy,

philosophy,

To comfort thee, though thou art To comfort you, even though you are

banished. banished.

ROMEO ROMEO

Yet 'banished'? Hang up You’re still going on about ‘banished’? Forget

philosophy! philosophy!

Unless philosophy can make a Unless philosophy can make a Juliet,

Juliet,

Displant a town, reverse a prince's Grab a town and drop it somewhere else, or

doom, reverse a prince’s terrible decision,

It helps not, it prevails not: talk It doesn’t help. Say no more.

no more.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

O, then I see that madmen have Oh, I see madmen cannot listen.

no ears.

ROMEO ROMEO

How should they, when that wise How should they, when wise men can’t see?

men have no eyes?

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Let me dispute with thee of thy Let me talk with you about your situation.

estate.

196
ROMEO ROMEO

Thou canst not speak of that thou You can’t speak about what you don’t feel:

dost not feel:

Wert thou as young as I, Juliet If you were as young as I am, and Juliet

thy love, your love,

An hour but married, Tybalt Only married an hour, Tybalt murdered,

murdered,

Doting like me and like me In love like me yet banished,

banished,

Then mightst thou speak, then Then you could speak, you might

mightst thou tear thy hair, tear your hair out,

And fall upon the ground, as I do Fall down on the ground, like I do now,

now,

Taking the measure of an unmade Measuring out the grave which hasn’t yet

grave. been dug.

Knocking within There is a knock at the door

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Arise; one knocks; good Romeo, Get up, someone’s knocking; Romeo, hide.

hide thyself.

ROMEO ROMEO

Not I; unless the breath of I won’t hide, unless my unhappy groans,

heartsick groans,

Mist-like, infold me from the Create a mist which covers me from people’s

search of eyes. eyes.

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Knocking More knocking
FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Hark, how they knock! Who's Listen, how they knock! Who’s there? Romeo,

there? Romeo, arise; get up;

Thou wilt be taken. Stay awhile! You will be taken. Stay here a bit, Stand up;

Stand up;

Knocking More knocking

Run to my study. By and by! God's Run to my office. Wait a minute! For God’s

will, sake, you are being so stupid! I’m coming!

What simpleness is this! I come, I

come!

Knocking More knocking

Who knocks so hard? whence come Who is that knocking so hard? Where do you

you? what's your will? come from and what do you want?

Nurse Nurse

[Within] Let me come in, and you Let me come in and I shall tell you why I am

shall know here;

my errand;

I come from Lady Juliet. I’ve come from Juliet.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Welcome, then. Then you are welcome.

Enter Nurse Enter Nurse

Nurse Nurse

O holy friar, O, tell me, holy friar, Oh holy priest, oh tell me,

Where is my lady's lord, where's Where is Romeo?

Romeo?

198
FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

There on the ground, with his own There on the ground, intoxicated by his own

tears made drunk. tears.

Nurse Nurse

O, he is even in my mistress' case, Oh, he is the same as Juliet,

Just in her case! O woful Just like her! Oh how sad!

sympathy!

Piteous predicament! Even so lies A terrible situation! She lies just like that,

she,

Blubbering and weeping, weeping Crying and blubbering, crying and blubbering.

and blubbering.

Stand up, stand up; stand, and you Stand up and be a man:

be a man:

For Juliet's sake, for her sake, For Juliet’s sake, stand up;

rise and stand;

Why should you fall into so deep Why should you be so sad?

an O?

ROMEO ROMEO

Nurse! Nurse!

Nurse Nurse

Ah sir! ah sir! Well, death's the Ah sir, well death ends it for us all.

end of all.

ROMEO ROMEO

Spakest thou of Juliet? how is it Have you spoken about Juliet? How is she?

with her?

199
Doth she not think me an old Does she think I am a murderer,

murderer,

Now I have stain'd the childhood Now I have stained the start of our

of our joy happiness

With blood removed but little With blood that is related closely to her

from her own? own?

Where is she? and how doth she? Where is she, and how is she? What does

and what says she say

My conceal'd lady to our cancell'd My hidden wife, about our ruined love?

love?

Nurse Nurse

O, she says nothing, sir, but weeps She says nothing, just cries and cries;

and weeps;

And now falls on her bed; and then And then falls on her bed; and then gets up,

starts up,

And Tybalt calls; and then on And shouts Tybalt’s name, then your name,

Romeo cries,

And then down falls again. Then falls down again.

ROMEO ROMEO

As if that name, As if my name,

Shot from the deadly level of a Shot like a bullet from a gun,

gun,

Did murder her; as that name's Did kill her; just like I did

cursed hand

Murder'd her kinsman. O, tell me, Kill her cousin. Oh tell me, Friar, tell me,

friar, tell me,

200
In what vile part of this anatomy In what part of my body is my name kept?

Doth my name lodge? tell me, that Tell me, so I can cut it out.

I may sack

The hateful mansion.

Drawing his sword Pulling out his sword

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Hold thy desperate hand: Stop your desperate actions:

Art thou a man? thy form cries Are you a man? You look like one:

out thou art:

Thy tears are womanish; thy wild But cry like a woman; your crazy actions

acts denote show

The unreasonable fury of a beast: You are like a wild animal:

Unseemly woman in a seeming man! You act like a woman inside a man’s body!

Or ill-beseeming beast in seeming Or are a wild animal!

both!

Thou hast amazed me: by my holy You shock me

order,

I thought thy disposition better I thought I knew your personality better.

temper'd.

Hast thou slain Tybalt? wilt thou Have you killed Tybalt? Will you kill

slay thyself? yourself?

And stay thy lady too that lives in And would you kill Juliet who is joined to

thee, you,

By doing damned hate upon By killing yourself?

thyself?

Why rail'st thou on thy birth, the Why moan about your birth, heaven and

201
heaven, and earth? earth?

Since birth, and heaven, and Since birth, heaven and earth do all meet

earth, all three do meet together in you at the same time, but you’d

In thee at once; which thou at throw it all away.

once wouldst lose.

Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, You bring shame to man, Juliet and your

thy love, thy wit; intelligence;

Which, like a usurer, abound'st in You have so much intelligence,

all,

And usest none in that true use And use none of it here where it is needed.

indeed

Which should bedeck thy shape,

thy love, thy wit:

Thy noble shape is but a form of Your body is like a wax statue,

wax,

Digressing from the valour of a Without the honour a man should have;

man;

Thy dear love sworn but hollow The love you swore on is shallow and untrue,

perjury,

Killing that love which thou hast You are killing the love you promised to

vow'd to cherish; protect;

Thy wit, that ornament to shape Your intelligence, supposed to guide you in

and love, love,

Misshapen in the conduct of them Is not working properly here,

both,

Like powder in a skitless soldier's Like gunpowder belonging to a careless

flask, soldier,

202
Is set afire by thine own Explodes because of his own stupidity,

ignorance,

And thou dismember'd with thine You break apart the thing which should save

own defence. you.

What, rouse thee, man! thy Juliet Snap out of it, man! Juliet is alive,

is alive,

For whose dear sake thou wast For her you were nearly killed earlier today;

but lately dead;

There art thou happy: Tybalt Thus should make you happy: Tybalt wanted

would kill thee, to kill you,

But thou slew'st Tybalt; there are But you killed Tybalt; this should make you

thou happy too: happy too:

The law that threaten'd death The law that looked like it would end your

becomes thy friend life has become your friend

And turns it to exile; there art And now you are only exiled; this should

thou happy: make you happy:

A pack of blessings lights up upon Lots of good things have happened to you;

thy back;

Happiness courts thee in her best Happiness is all over you;

array;

But, like a misbehaved and sullen But like a spoilt little girl,

wench,

Thou pout'st upon thy fortune and You sulk about your bad luck and love:

thy love:

Take heed, take heed, for such die Listen, listen, those kind of people die

miserable. miserable.

Go, get thee to thy love, as was Go, get to Juliet, as was planned,

203
decreed,

Ascend her chamber, hence and Climb into her bedroom and comfort her:

comfort her:

But look thou stay not till the But don’t stay too late when the guards are

watch be set, out,

For then thou canst not pass to Else it will be too late to pass to the city of

Mantua; Mantua;

Where thou shalt live, till we can Where you shall live, until we can find a time

find a time

To blaze your marriage, reconcile To make your marriage public, rejoin you

your friends, with your friends,

Beg pardon of the prince, and call Ask the Prince’s forgiveness, and call you

thee back back

With twenty hundred thousand With thousands of times more happiness

times more joy

Than thou went'st forth in Than you went away with in sadness.

lamentation.

Go before, nurse: commend me to Go ahead, Nurse: tell Juliet I said hi;

thy lady;

And bid her hasten all the house And tell her to get everyone to bed,

to bed,

Which heavy sorrow makes them Which sadness makes people want to do:

apt unto:

Romeo is coming. Romeo is coming.

Nurse Nurse

O Lord, I could have stay'd here Oh I could have stayed here all night

204
all the night

To hear good counsel: O, what to hear good advice: education is so amazing!

learning is!

My lord, I'll tell my lady you will I will tell Juliet you are coming.

come.

ROMEO ROMEO

Do so, and bid my sweet prepare Do that, and tell her to get ready to tell me

to chide. off.

Nurse Nurse

Here, sir, a ring she bid me give Here is a ring she wanted me to give to you:

you, sir:

Hie you, make haste, for it grows Hurry up, it’s getting late.

very late.

Exit Exit

ROMEO ROMEO

How well my comfort is revived by I feel so much better now!

this!

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Go hence; good night; and here Go now, good night; here is the situation:

stands all your state:

Either be gone before the watch Either be gone before the guards come out,

be set,

Or by the break of day disguised Or in the morning leave in disguise;

from hence:

Sojourn in Mantua; I'll find out Rest in the city of Mantua; I’ll find your

your man, friend,

205
And he shall signify from time to And he’ll update you every now and then

time

Every good hap to you that Every bit of news about your situation:

chances here:

Give me thy hand; 'tis late: Give me your hand, it’s late - goodbye and

farewell; good night. goodnight.

ROMEO ROMEO

But that a joy past joy calls out on If it wasn’t for the happiness I’m going to,

me,

It were a grief, so brief to part I’d be sad to leave you.

with thee: Farewell. Goodbye.

Exeunt Exit

206
Part 31: Analysing Act 3 Scene 3

Based on the video [Link]

In the previous scene we saw Juliet’s mature and responsible reaction to the
news of Romeo’s banishment. In this scene we see Romeo’s completely opposite
response.

Romeo’s reaction to the news of his banishment is dramatic and over the top. He
throws himself on the floor and refuses to move, crying out, ‘Be merciful, say
death’. It is worth taking a moment to think rationally about the punishment
which has been announced. In Act 1 Scene 1, the Prince promised that anyone
who disturbed the peace of the streets again would be put to death. Romeo,
therefore, is expecting to hear that his punishment is death. If this punishment
was announced Romeo would not hand himself in; he would flee. He would run
away to another city and hide out there. We know this from the fact that he
ran away from the murder scene in the first place – he isn’t going to accept the
death penalty. Now let’s look at the actual punishment: banishment. This is a
word we don’t use much these days, but it basically means that Romeo is not
allowed to live in the city of Verona anymore. He is free to live in a different
city, but cannot step foot in Verona. Now let’s think about this – if he had been
sentenced to death, Romeo would have run away and been in hiding his whole life.
Now he is sentenced to banishment he can run away and start a new life with
Juliet in a new city. It is clear from this that his reaction is ridiculous.

Secondly, we expect Juliet to be upset, as the news of Tybalt’s death and

Romeo’s part in it is not something she already knew about. However, Romeo has
no right to be so upset –he chose to kill Tybalt, knowing full well the Prince’s
punishment and the issues it would cause with Juliet. With these two points in
mind, Romeo has no reason to be so dramatic here. As the Friar says, news of
banishment is ‘a gentler judgement’ than that which was expected. Romeo
refuses to accept this, claiming that ‘There is no world without Verona walls’.
Our narrow minded hero cannot think that there is possibly a world outside of
his city.

207
The Nurse interrupts the scene, explaining that Juliet wants to see him.
Hearing this, temperamental Romeo suddenly feels much better, proclaiming,
‘How well my comfort is revived by this’. At this point the audience is surely
losing patience with Romeo – following his feelings is like taking a ride on an
emotional rollercoaster. Even in this scene he starts distraught and finishes
elated.

Once again Shakespeare employs the literary device of foreshadowing in this

scene. When Romeo announces, ‘I may sack the hateful mansion’, he is
threatening to commit suicide. The Friar tells him to ‘Hold thy desperate hand’,
but in Act 5 Scene 3 he will arrive at a similar scene too late to intervene.

208
Part 32: Translating Act 3 Scene 4

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 4. A room in Capulet’s Scene 4. A room in Capulet’s house.

house.

Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and PARIS
and PARIS
CAPULET CAPULET

Things have fall'n out, sir, so Things have turned out, sir, so unluckily,

unluckily,

That we have had no time to move That we have not had time to persuade our

our daughter: daughter to marry you;

Look you, she loved her kinsman Look, she loved her cousin Tybalt very much,

Tybalt dearly,

And so did I:--Well, we were born And so did I: We were all born to die

to die. though.

'Tis very late, she'll not come It’s very late, she will not be coming

down to-night: downstairs tonight:

I promise you, but for your If it weren’t for the fact that you are here,

company,

I would have been a-bed an hour I would have gone to bed an hour ago myself.

ago.

PARIS PARIS

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These times of woe afford no time This time of sadness allows no time for love.

to woo.

Madam, good night: commend me Lady, goodnight: say hello to your daughter

to your daughter. from me.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

I will, and know her mind early to- I will, and early tomorrow we will know her

morrow; decision;

To-night she is mew'd up to her Tonight she is alone with her sadness.

heaviness.

CAPULET CAPULET

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate Paris, I will make a strong argument

tender

Of my child's love: I think she will For my child’s love; I think she will do

be ruled

In all respects by me; nay, more, I what I tell her, in fact I do not doubt it.

doubt it not.

Wife, go you to her ere you go to Wife, go and see her before going to bed;

bed;

Acquaint her here of my son Paris' Tell her how much Paris loves her;

love;

And bid her, mark you me, on And ask her to, next Wednesday…

Wednesday next--

But, soft! what day is this? Hang on, what day is it today?

PARIS PARIS

Monday, my lord, Monday.

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CAPULET CAPULET

Monday! ha, ha! Well, Wednesday Monday! ha, ha! Well Wednesday is too soon,

is too soon,

O' Thursday let it be: o' On Thursday let it be, on Thursday, tell her,

Thursday, tell her,

She shall be married to this noble She shall marry Paris.

earl.

Will you be ready? do you like this Will you be ready Paris? Do you like doing it

haste? this quickly?

We'll keep no great ado,--a friend We’ll not have a huge wedding - just a friend

or two; or two;

For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so Because, listen, with Tybalt having been

late, killed so recently,

It may be thought we held him It might be thought we didn’t care about

carelessly, him,

Being our kinsman, if we revel Being a relative, if we party too hard:

much:

Therefore we'll have some half a So we will have a half dozen friends,

dozen friends,

And there an end. But what say And that’s it. What do you say to Thursday?

you to Thursday?

PARIS PARIS

My lord, I would that Thursday I wish it were Thursday tomorrow.

were to-morrow.

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CAPULET CAPULET

Well get you gone: o' Thursday be Well you get going: On Thursday it will be,

it, then. then.

Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed, Wife, go to Juliet before you go to bed,

Prepare her, wife, against this Prepare her for her wedding day.

wedding-day.

Farewell, my lord. Light to my Goodbye, my lord. Send lights to my

chamber, ho! bedroom.

Afore me! it is so very very late, Before me! It is so so late,

That we may call it early by and We may as well call it early morning.

by.

Good night. Good night.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 33: Analysing Act 3 Scene 4

Based on the video [Link]

Act 3 Scene 4 is a scene where we see a different side to Lord Capulet. In Act
1 Scene 2 he told Paris to ‘woo’ Juliet and pursue her. Capulet made it clear that
Juliet’s agreement was an essential part of the marriage arrangement. Here in
Act 3 Scene 2, some twenty four hours later, he seems to have changed his
mind. He tells Paris that Juliet ‘will be ruled in all respects by me’ and sets the
wedding date. This is an example of dramatic irony, where the audience know
more than the characters on stage. Sitting in the audience, we know that Juliet
is already secretly married to Romeo. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to
increase the tension in this scene – what will happen when the powerful and
demanding Lord Capulet makes a demand of his daughter that she is unable to
agree to? The stakes are raised even higher because Capulet has now made the
promise to Paris and will surely not want to back down and lose face in front of
this noble man.

Capulet is keen for his daughter to marry as soon as possible, setting the date
for ‘Wednesday next’ before realising that it is already Monday. His eagerness
contrasts the Friar’s previous advice to Romeo in Act 2 Scene 3, who is told
that ‘they stumble that run fast’. It’s a shame the Friar isn’t on hand to offer
the same advice to Capulet. Some people think that one of the play’s major
themes is the battle between young and old, with Romeo and Juliet essentially
rebelling against adult advice throughout. However, this moment shows that it’s
not as simple as that – even respected adults disagree in their advice. Of
course, neither the Friar nor Capulet end up getting what they want: Romeo
marries right away and Juliet does not marry Paris. Once again this ties into the
theme of fate. Despite their best efforts, the Friar and Capulet are unable to
stop the course Romeo and Juliet are on. It is pre-determined that these ‘star-
cross’d lovers’ will meet, fall in love and very shortly end their own lives.

Capulet’s sudden change in mood gives us a hint at how the ‘ancient grudge’
between the Montagues and Capulets may have stayed alive for so long. He is
rash, hot-headed and contradictory: not an easy person to keep the peace with.

213
Being such a hot-headed and contradictory character, the audience would be
full of tension about the chaos they know is coming. We know that Juliet is not
going to do as her father plans; we know this from the fact that Paris isn’t even
mentioned in the prologue. From the outset we know this play is about Romeo
and Juliet, but with such a hot-headed character as Capulet being Juliet’s
father, it is clear that conflict is on its way.

As discussed earlier in the book, Juliet is seen as the possession of her father –
he has no doubt that she will do as she is told. This seems shocking to most
audiences today, but in Elizabethan times it would not have had such a big
impact. The interesting point here is how audiences respond differently over
time. In most exam specifications you are credited for giving ‘alternative
interpretations’ and an easy way to do that here is to simply write about how a
modern audience’s reaction would differ to that of an Elizabethan audience.

214
Part 34: Translating Act 3 Scene 5

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 5. Capulet’s orchard. Scene 5. Capulet’s orchard.

Enter ROMEO and JULIET above, at Enter ROMEO and JULIET above, at the
the window window

JULIET JULIET

Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near Are you going? It’s not near morning yet:

day:

It was the nightingale, and not the That was the night bird singing, not the

lark, bird of morning,

That pierced the fearful hollow of That you heard in your ear;

thine ear;

Nightly she sings on yon She sings each night on that tree over

pomegranate-tree: there:

Believe me, love, it was the Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.

nightingale.

ROMEO ROMEO

It was the lark, the herald of the It was the lark, the signal of morning,

morn,

No nightingale: look, love, what No nightingale: look, love, what jealous

envious streaks streaks of light

215
Do lace the severing clouds in yonder are coming through the clouds in the east:

east:

Night's candles are burnt out, and The night lights are gone, and day

jocund day

Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain Is just about to come over the mountains.

tops.

I must be gone and live, or stay and I must be gone to stay alive, or stay here

die. and die.

JULIET JULIET

Yon light is not day-light, I know it, That light is not daylight, I know it,

I:

It is some meteor that the sun It is a meteor coming out of the sun,

exhales,

To be to thee this night a torch- Which is going to be a light to guide you,

bearer,

And light thee on thy way to Mantua: On your way to Mantua:

Therefore stay yet; thou need'st So stay a bit: you don’t need to be gone.

not to be gone.

ROMEO ROMEO

Let me be ta'en, let me be put to Let me be captured and killed;

death;

I am content, so thou wilt have it so. I am happy, if that’s what you want.

I'll say yon grey is not the morning's I will say the light over there is not

eye, morning,

'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's It’s the reflection of the moon;

216
brow;

Nor that is not the lark, whose notes And that is not the lark, whose singing I

do beat hear

The vaulty heaven so high above our Up in the sky:

heads:

I have more care to stay than will to I want to stay more than I want to go:

go:

Come, death, and welcome! Juliet Come, death, you are welcome! Juliet

wills it so. wants it.

How is't, my soul? let's talk; it is not How are you, my soul? Let’s talk: it’s not

day. day.

JULIET JULIET

It is, it is: hie hence, be gone, away! It is, it is: be gone, go!

It is the lark that sings so out of It is the morning bird that sings so badly,

tune,

Straining harsh discords and Straining horrible notes.

unpleasing sharps.

Some say the lark makes sweet Some say the lark makes a nice division

division; between day and night;

This doth not so, for she divideth This is not true, because she splits us up:

us:

Some say the lark and loathed toad Some say the lark and the toad change

change eyes, eyes (this was an old folktale),

O, now I would they had changed Oh I wish they had changed voices too!

voices too!

Since arm from arm that voice doth Since that voice does split us up,

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us affray,

Hunting thee hence with hunt's-up The men will be hunting soon,

to the day,

O, now be gone; more light and light Oh be gone; it’s getting lighter.

it grows.

ROMEO ROMEO

More light and light; more dark and The lighter it gets, the darker our

dark our woes! troubles!

Enter Nurse, to the chamber Enter Nurse, to Juliet’s bedroom.

Nurse Nurse

Madam! Madam!

JULIET JULIET

Nurse? Nurse?

Nurse Nurse

Your lady mother is coming to your Your mum is on her way to your bedroom:

chamber:

The day is broke; be wary, look It is morning, be careful, look about.

about.

Exit Exit

JULIET JULIET

Then, window, let day in, and let life Then, window, let day in and life out.

out.

ROMEO ROMEO

Farewell, farewell! one kiss, and I'll Goodbye, goodbye! One kiss and I will

descend. climb down.

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He goeth down He climbs down

JULIET JULIET

Art thou gone so? love, lord, ay, Are you gone like that? Yes, husband,

husband, friend! friend!

I must hear from thee every day in I must hear from you every day,

the hour,

For in a minute there are many days: Minutes will pass by so slowly without you:

O, by this count I shall be much in By this count I shall be very old

years

Ere I again behold my Romeo! Before I see Romeo again.

ROMEO ROMEO

Farewell! Goodbye!

I will omit no opportunity I will miss no opportunity

That may convey my greetings, love, To send you a message of love.

to thee.

JULIET JULIET

O think'st thou we shall ever meet Do you think we will ever meet again?

again?

ROMEO ROMEO

I doubt it not; and all these woes I don’t doubt it; and all this sadness

shall serve

For sweet discourses in our time to Will be stories to tell in our future lives.

come.

JULIET JULIET

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O God, I have an ill-divining soul! Oh God, I see into the future!

Methinks I see thee, now thou art I see you, now you are below,

below,

As one dead in the bottom of a As one dead in a grave:

tomb:

Either my eyesight fails, or thou Either my eyes are playing up, or you look

look'st pale. pale.

ROMEO ROMEO

And trust me, love, in my eye so do And trust me, love, you look pale to me:

you:

Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, Sadness makes us unwell. Goodbye,

adieu! goodbye!

Exit Exit

JULIET JULIET

O fortune, fortune! all men call thee Oh luck, luck! All men say you can’t make

fickle: your mind up:

If thou art fickle, what dost thou If that’s true, what are you doing with

with him. Romeo

That is renown'd for faith? Be Who is so faithful? Be fickle, luck;

fickle, fortune;

For then, I hope, thou wilt not keep Then, I hope, you will not keep Romeo long,

him long,

But send him back. But send him back to me.

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LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

[Within] Ho, daughter! are you up? (outside the bedroom) Daughter! Are you
up?

JULIET JULIET

Who is't that calls? is it my lady Who is that calling? Is it my mother?

mother?

Is she not down so late, or up so Isn’t it late to be up, or early to be up?

early?

What unaccustom'd cause procures What odd reason makes her come here?

her hither?

Enter LADY CAPULET Enter LADY CAPULET

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Why, how now, Juliet! What’s happening, Juliet!

JULIET JULIET

Madam, I am not well. I am not well.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Evermore weeping for your cousin's Still crying about Tybalt’s death?

death?

What, wilt thou wash him from his Will your tears make him come back to

grave with tears? life?

An if thou couldst, thou couldst not And if you could, you couldn’t bring him

make him live; back to life;

Therefore, have done: some grief So stop crying: your sadness shows how

shows much of love; much you loved him;

But much of grief shows still some But too much sadness suggests you are a

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want of wit. bit stupid.

JULIET JULIET

Yet let me weep for such a feeling Let me cry over my loss.

loss.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

So shall you feel the loss, but not You will feel the sadness of the loss, but

the friend Tybalt will feel nothing.

Which you weep for.

JULIET JULIET

Feeling so the loss, Feeling sad over losing him,

Cannot choose but ever weep the I cannot help by cry.

friend.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Well, girl, thou weep'st not so much Well, girl, you cry not so much for Tybalt’s

for his death, death,

As that the villain lives which As for the one who killed him.

slaughter'd him.

JULIET JULIET

What villain madam? Who do you mean?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

That same villain, Romeo. The villain, Romeo.

JULIET JULIET

[Aside] Villain and he be many miles (quietly) He is nothing like a villain…

asunder.--

God Pardon him! I do, with all my God forgive him! I do completely;

heart;

And yet no man like he doth grieve And yet no-one makes me sad like him.

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my heart.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

That is, because the traitor I mean, you cry because the murderer is

murderer lives. still alive.

JULIET JULIET

Ay, madam, from the reach of these Yes, he is beyond my reach:

my hands:

Would none but I might venge my I would love to gain revenge for Tybalt’s

cousin's death! death!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

We will have vengeance for it, fear We will get revenge, don’t you worry:

thou not:

Then weep no more. I'll send to one Now stop crying. I will send someone to

in Mantua, Mantua,

Where that same banish'd runagate Where Romeo lives,

doth live,

Shall give him such an unaccustom'd To poison his drink,

dram,

That he shall soon keep Tybalt So that he will be dead like Tybalt:

company:

And then, I hope, thou wilt be Then, I hope, you will be satisfied.

satisfied.

JULIET JULIET

Indeed, I never shall be satisfied I shall never be satisfied

With Romeo, till I behold him--dead- With Romeo, until I see him...dead…

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-

Is my poor heart for a kinsman Dead is how my heart feels.

vex'd.

Madam, if you could find out but a If you could find a man

man

To bear a poison, I would temper it; To take a poison, I’d mix it myself;

That Romeo should, upon receipt So Romeo should, after drinking it,

thereof,

Soon sleep in quiet. O, how my heart Soon be dead. I hate

abhors

To hear him named, and cannot come To hear his name, and I can’t go to him.

to him.

To wreak the love I bore my cousin To take the love I had for Tybalt

Upon his body that slaughter'd him! Out upon Romeo’s body!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Find thou the means, and I'll find You find the way and I will find the

such a man. person.

But now I'll tell thee joyful tidings, But now I have good news, girl.

girl.

JULIET JULIET

And joy comes well in such a needy I need some good news,

time:

What are they, I beseech your What is it?

ladyship?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Well, well, thou hast a careful Well, your father, child;

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father, child;

One who, to put thee from thy To stop you being unhappy,

heaviness,

Hath sorted out a sudden day of joy, Has arranged a day of joy,

That thou expect'st not nor I look'd That you were not expecting or looking

not for. for.

JULIET JULIET

Madam, in happy time, what day is What day is that?

that?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Marry, my child, early next To be married, my child, next Thursday

Thursday morn, morning,

The gallant, young and noble To the young and wonderful man,

gentleman,

The County Paris, at Saint Peter's Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church,

Church,

Shall happily make thee there a Where he shall make you a happy wife.

joyful bride.

JULIET JULIET

Now, by Saint Peter's Church and I swear by Saint Peter and his Church,

Peter too,

He shall not make me there a joyful He shall not make me a happy wife.

bride.

I wonder at this haste; that I must I am confused at this rushing; that I must

wed marry

Ere he, that should be husband, Before Paris even comes to pursue me.

comes to woo.

225
I pray you, tell my lord and father, I beg you, tell my dad,

madam,

I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I

I swear, promise,

It shall be Romeo, whom you know I It will be Romeo, who you know I hate,

hate,

Rather than Paris. These are news Rather than Paris. Now that’s news!

indeed!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Here comes your father; tell him so Here comes your dad; you tell him,

yourself,

And see how he will take it at your And see how he takes the news.

hands.

Enter CAPULET and Nurse Enter CAPULET and Nurse

CAPULET CAPULET

When the sun sets, the air doth When the sun goes down, the mist falls;

drizzle dew;

But for the sunset of my brother's But when Tybalt died

son

It rains downright. It poured with rain.

How now! a conduit, girl? what, still What are you girl? A fountain? Still

in tears? crying?

Evermore showering? In one little In one little body

body

Thou counterfeit'st a bark, a sea, a You are like a ship at sea in the wind;

wind;

For still thy eyes, which I may call For your eyes are the sea,

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the sea,

Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark Flowing with tears; your body the ship,

thy body is,

Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, Sailing in the salty flood of tears; your

thy sighs; sighs are the winds who rage with your

Who, raging with thy tears, and they tears,

with them,

Without a sudden calm, will overset If you don’t calm down, you’ll wreck

Thy tempest-tossed body. How now, Your whole storm tossed body. How is it

wife! wife?

Have you deliver'd to her our Have you told her our decision?

decree?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Ay, sir; but she will none, she gives Yes, but she isn’t interested. She says to

you thanks. thank you.

I would the fool were married to her I wish she was dead.

grave!

CAPULET CAPULET

Soft! take me with you, take me with Wait! Explain this to me, wife.

you, wife.

How! will she none? doth she not give She refuses? Is she not grateful to us?

us thanks?

Is she not proud? doth she not count Is she not proud that such a man wants

her blest, her?

Unworthy as she is, that we have Unworthy as she is, that we have managed

wrought

So worthy a gentleman to be her to get such an amazing man to be her

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bridegroom? husband?

JULIET JULIET

Not proud, you have; but thankful, Not proud, but thankful for your efforts:

that you have:

Proud can I never be of what I hate; I can never be proud of what I hate;

But thankful even for hate, that is But grateful because you meant it in love.

meant love.

CAPULET CAPULET

How now, how now, chop-logic! What What is this riddle?

is this?

'Proud,' and 'I thank you,' and 'I ‘Proud’ and ‘I thank you,’ and ‘I thank you

thank you not;' not;’

And yet 'not proud,' mistress And yet ‘not proud’, you spoilt little brat,

minion, you, you

Thank me no thankings, nor, proud Don’t thank me or be proud

me no prouds,

But fettle your fine joints 'gainst But get yourself next Thursday,

Thursday next,

To go with Paris to Saint Peter's To Church with Paris,

Church,

Or I will drag thee on a hurdle Or I will drag you there as a traitor.

thither.

Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, Get out, you lifeless corpse! You burden!

you baggage!

You tallow-face! You pale face!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

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Fie, fie! what, are you mad? Are you mad?

JULIET JULIET

Good father, I beseech you on my Dad, I beg you on my knees,

knees,

Hear me with patience but to speak Listen to me patiently.

a word.

CAPULET CAPULET

Hang thee, young baggage! You worthless burden! You disobedient

disobedient wretch! wretch!

I tell thee what: get thee to church I tell you what: get you to Church on

o' Thursday, Thursday,

Or never after look me in the face: Or never again look at me:

Speak not, reply not, do not answer Don’t speak, don’t say anything;

me;

My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce I want to slap you. Wife, we thought we

thought us blest were lucky

That God had lent us but this only To be given this one child;

child;

But now I see this one is one too But now I can see just one is too much,

much,

And that we have a curse in having And it is a curse on us to have her:

her:

Out on her, hilding! She disgusts me!

Nurse Nurse

God in heaven bless her! God in heaven bless her!

You are to blame, my lord, to rate You are wrong, Capulet, to treat her like

229
her so. this.

CAPULET CAPULET

And why, my lady wisdom? hold your And why, wise woman? Shut up,

tongue,

Good prudence; smatter with your Go chatter with the gossips.

gossips, go.

Nurse Nurse

I speak no treason. I don’t have something bad to say.

CAPULET CAPULET

O, God ye god-den. For God’s sake.

Nurse Nurse

May not one speak? Can I not speak?

CAPULET CAPULET

Peace, you mumbling fool! Quiet, you mumbling fool!

Utter your gravity o'er a gossip's Go and share your wisdom with gossips;

bowl;

For here we need it not. Here it is not needed.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

You are too hot. You are too wound up.

CAPULET CAPULET

God's bread! it makes me mad: It makes me mad:

Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, All this time

play,

Alone, in company, still my care hath My aim has been

been

To have her match'd: and having now To get her married, and having now

provided provided

230
A gentleman of noble parentage, a man who comes from a good family,

Of fair demesnes, youthful, and Good looking and intelligent,

nobly train'd,

Stuff'd, as they say, with Full of good qualities,

honourable parts,

Proportion'd as one's thought would Everything you could wish for in a man;

wish a man;

And then to have a wretched puling And then to have foolish Juliet,

fool,

A whining mammet, in her fortune's Crying, looking at her good luck,

tender,

To answer 'I'll not wed; I cannot Answering, ‘I’ll not marry; I cannot love.

love,

I am too young; I pray you, pardon I am too young; please forgive me.’

me.'

But, as you will not wed, I'll pardon If you will not marry, I’ll forgive you:

you:

Graze where you will you shall not Eat where you want but it shall not be in

house with me: this house:

Look to't, think on't, I do not use to Think about it, I am not joking.

jest.

Thursday is near; lay hand on heart, Thursday is close, Listen to my advice;

advise:

An you be mine, I'll give you to my If you are mine, I will give you to my

friend; friend,

And you be not, hang, beg, starve, If you are not mine, then hang, beg, starve

die in the streets, and die in the streets,

231
For, by my soul, I'll ne'er I promise, I will have nothing to do with

acknowledge thee, you,

Nor what is mine shall never do thee Anything of mine will never do you good:

good:

Trust to't, bethink you; I'll not be Think about it, I will not break this

forsworn. promise.

Exit Exit
JULIET JULIET

Is there no pity sitting in the clouds, Can pity not

That sees into the bottom of my See how sad I am?

grief?

O, sweet my mother, cast me not Oh Mum, don’t abandon me!

away!

Delay this marriage for a month, a Delay the marriage for a month, a week;

week;

Or, if you do not, make the bridal Or, if you don’t, make the wedding bed

bed

In that dim monument where Tybalt In the same tomb where Tybalt lies.

lies.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a Don’t talk to me, for I will not talk to you:

word:

Do as thou wilt, for I have done with Do what you like, I am done with you.

thee.

Exit Exit
JULIET JULIET

O God!--O nurse, how shall this be Oh God! Nurse, how shall this marriage to

232
prevented? Paris be stopped?

My husband is on earth, my faith in I have a husband already, and my vows are

heaven; holy;

How shall that faith return again to How can I bring my holy promises back to

earth, earth,

Unless that husband send it me from Unless my husband dies and releases me

heaven to love another?

By leaving earth? comfort me, Help me, tell me what to do.

counsel me. Why does heaven play tricks

Alack, alack, that heaven should

practise stratagems

Upon so soft a subject as myself! On someone so weak as me!

What say'st thou? hast thou not a What do you say? Have you nothing good

word of joy? to say?

Some comfort, nurse. Help me, Nurse.

Nurse Nurse

Faith, here it is. OK, here it is.

Romeo is banish'd; and all the world Romeo is banished; and

to nothing,

That he dares ne'er come back to He cannot come back here for you;

challenge you;

Or, if he do, it needs must be by Or if he does, it must be by sneaking in.

stealth.

Then, since the case so stands as Then, since this is the situation,

now it doth,

I think it best you married with the I think you should marry Paris.

county.

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O, he's a lovely gentleman! He’s a lovely chap!

Romeo's a dishclout to him: an eagle, Romeo is nothing compared to him,

madam,

Hath not so green, so quick, so fair He’s not as good looking as

an eye

As Paris hath. Beshrew my very Paris is. Curse my heart,

heart,

I think you are happy in this second But I think this second marriage will make

match, you happy,

For it excels your first: or if it did As it is better than the one with Romeo.

not,

Your first is dead; or 'twere as good Romeo is dead, or as good as,

he were,

As living here and you no use of him. Romeo doesn’t live here so you get no use

out of him.

JULIET JULIET

Speakest thou from thy heart? Are you speaking from your heart?

Nurse Nurse

And from my soul too; And my soul too;

Or else beshrew them both. Or else curse them both.

JULIET JULIET

Amen! I agree!

Nurse Nurse

What? What?

JULIET JULIET

Well, thou hast comforted me Well you have comforted me really well

marvellous much.

234
Go in: and tell my lady I am gone, Go on, tell my mum I am going,

Having displeased my father, to Having upset my dad, to Friar Laurence,

Laurence' cell,

To make confession and to be To make a confession and be forgiven.

absolved.

Nurse Nurse

Marry, I will; and this is wisely done. OK I will; it’s the best thing to do.

Exit Exit
JULIET JULIET

Ancient damnation! O most wicked Damned old lady! Evil thing!

fiend!

Is it more sin to wish me thus Is it worse that she wants me to cheat on

forsworn, Romeo,

Or to dispraise my lord with that Or that she criticises him with the same

same tongue tongue

Which she hath praised him with Which said such good things about him

above compare before?

So many thousand times? Go, Go , Nurse;

counsellor;

Thou and my bosom henceforth shall You shall never again know what is in my

be twain. heart.

I'll to the friar, to know his remedy: I will go to the Friar, hear his advice:

If all else fail, myself have power to If all else fails I can always kill myself.

die.

Exit Exit

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Part 35: Analysing Act 3 Scene 5

Based on the video [Link]

This scene is all about contrast. To begin, Juliet and Romeo have had their first

night together in bed. Shakespeare uses over exaggerated language to show

just how in love they are. Juliet argues that the sun is not the sun but is, in fact

‘some meteor that the sun exhales, to be to thee this night a torch-bearer’. She

argues that the sun has fired out a meteor, which will be a light to guide Romeo

on his way home to Mantua. This kind of passionate exaggeration is one of the

conventions of courtly love. Courtly love is a historical conception which centres

on two members of the nobility who secretly love each other. In literature,

tales of courtly love always include examples of passionate exaggeration and

imagery related to nature. As we can see in this quotation, Juliet includes both

in her comments to Romeo. Shakespeare is here using the well-known

conventions of courtly love to highlight just how much the couple love each

other.

The loving relationship with Romeo is juxtaposed with the relationship Juliet

has with Lord Capulet. Shakespeare uses structure, putting both relationships

next to each other in one scene, to heighten the difference between the two.

The relationship between Juliet and her father is one where he is possessive

and controlling. In Act 3 Scene 5 Juliet refuses to do as her father says and

marry Paris. He then insults her by calling her 'baggage'. This suggests that,

just like a bag, she is a burden to him - a weight that weighs him down, and an

accessory. It suggests that she is his possession to do with as he pleases. Just

like a bag, she is unimportant to him. Juliet would have been heartbroken to be

called this, but an Elizabethan audience would have sided with her father. This

is because, in the 1500s, arranged marriages were normal for middle class

236
families. It was very acceptable for your parents to choose who you marry and

the audience would have agreed that Juliet should follow her father’s

instruction. A modern audience would be outraged, as women's rights have

moved on and a modern viewer would believe that Juliet should be able to do as

she pleases. Once again, by writing about the audience response over the years

you are able to offer valid alternative interpretations.

237
Part 36: Translating Act 4 Scene 1

Based on the video [Link]

Act 4 Act 4

Scene 1: Friar Laurence’s cell Scene 1: Friar Laurence’s place

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and PARIS Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and PARIS

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

On Thursday, sir? the time is very On Thursday? That’s very soon.

short.

PARIS PARIS

My father Capulet will have it so; Lord Capulet wants it that way;

And I am nothing slow to slack his I have no reason to slow it down.

haste.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

You say you do not know the lady's You say you don’t know Juliet’s opinion:

mind:

Uneven is the course, I like it not. This is not fair, I don’t like it.

PARIS PARIS

Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's She is over sad about Tybalt’s death,

death,

And therefore have I little talk'd of So I haven’t talked much about love

love; with her;

For Venus smiles not in a house of Romance doesn’t happen in places of

tears. grieving.

238
Now, sir, her father counts it Now, Lord Capulet thinks it is

dangerous dangerous

That she doth give her sorrow so much That she is so sad,

sway,

And in his wisdom hastes our marriage, And he thinks it a good idea for us to

marry,

To stop the inundation of her tears; To stop her crying;

Which, too much minded by herself Which happens always when she is

alone, alone, and which

May be put from her by society: May stop when she is not alone:

Now do you know the reason of this Now you know why we hurry.

haste.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

[Aside] I would I knew not why it (quietly) I wish I didn’t know why it

should be slow'd. needs to be slowed down.

Look, sir, here comes the lady towards Look, here comes Juliet now.

my cell.

Enter JULIET Enter JULIET

PARIS PARIS

Happily met, my lady and my wife! Good to see you, my wife!

JULIET JULIET

That may be, sir, when I may be a wife. That may be the case, after we are

married.

PARIS PARIS

That may be must be, love, on Not may be but must be, next

Thursday next. Thursday.

239
JULIET JULIET

What must be shall be. What must happen shall happen.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

That's a certain text. That’s the truth.

PARIS PARIS

Come you to make confession to this Have you come to confess to the

father? Friar?

JULIET JULIET

To answer that, I should confess to If I answer you, I will be confessing to

you. you.

PARIS PARIS

Do not deny to him that you love me. Don’t lie to him and say you don’t love

me.

JULIET JULIET

I will confess to you that I love him. I will confess to you that I love him.

PARIS PARIS

So will ye, I am sure, that you love me. I am sure you love me.

JULIET JULIET

If I do so, it will be of more price, If I do love you, it will be better,

Being spoke behind your back, than to For me to say it behind your back than

your face. to your face.

PARIS PARIS

Poor soul, thy face is much abused with Poor thing, your face has been ruined

tears. with tears.

JULIET JULIET

The tears have got small victory by The tears aren’t the ones that did

that; that;

240
For it was bad enough before their My face was ruined enough before I

spite. cried.

PARIS PARIS

Thou wrong'st it, more than tears, You aren’t right.

with that report.

JULIET JULIET

That is no slander, sir, which is a I am telling the truth;

truth;

And what I spake, I spake it to my And I am telling it to my face.

face.

PARIS PARIS

Thy face is mine, and thou hast Your face belongs to me, and you have

slander'd it. criticised it.

JULIET JULIET

It may be so, for it is not mine own. That may be true, for my face is not

my own.

Are you at leisure, holy father, now; Are you free, Friar, now;

Or shall I come to you at evening Or shall I come tonight?

mass?

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

My leisure serves me, pensive I am free to see you now.

daughter, now.

My lord, we must entreat the time Paris, I need to see Juliet alone.

alone.

PARIS PARIS

God shield I should disturb devotion! I wouldn’t want to get in the way of

241
such religious devotion!

Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse Juliet, I will wake you on Thursday:

ye:

Till then, adieu; and keep this holy kiss. Until then goodbye, and take this kiss.

Exit Exit
JULIET JULIET

O shut the door! and when thou hast Oh shut the door! And when you’ve

done so, done that

Come weep with me; past hope, past Come cry with me; this situation is

cure, past help! hopeless and helpless!

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief; Oh, Juliet, I know why you are upset;

It strains me past the compass of my It is driving me crazy too:

wits:

I hear thou must, and nothing may I hear you must, and nothing can delay

prorogue it, it,

On Thursday next be married to this marry Paris next Thursday.

county.

JULIET JULIET

Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of Don’t tell me, that you know about this,

this,

Unless thou tell me how I may prevent Unless you also tell me how to stop it

it: happening:

If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no If, in your wisdom, you can’t help me,

help,

Do thou but call my resolution wise, Just tell me my plan isn’t stupid,

And with this knife I'll help it And with this knife I’ll kill myself.

242
presently.

God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou God joined my heart to Romeo’s, you

our hands; joined our hands;

And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo And now this hand, which belongs to

seal'd, Romeo,

Shall be the label to another deed, Shall be given to another man,

Or my true heart with treacherous Or if Romeo cheated

revolt

Turn to another, this shall slay them and had another woman, this will kill

both: them both:

Therefore, out of thy long- You are clever and experienced,

experienced time,

Give me some present counsel, or, Give me some advice, or watch,

behold,

'Twixt my extremes and me this As this bloody knife

bloody knife

Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that Shall be the judge, resolving the thing

Which the commission of thy years and That your long years of experience

art

Could to no issue of true honour bring. Cannot seem to solve.

Be not so long to speak; I long to die, Don’t say anything; I long to die,

If what thou speak'st speak not of If you cannot find a solution.

remedy.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Hold, daughter: I do spy a kind of Wait: I do see a small glimmer of hope,

hope,

Which craves as desperate an Which is a huge risk to take.

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execution.

As that is desperate which we would As desperate as what we are trying to

prevent. stop.

If, rather than to marry County Paris, If, rather than marry Paris,

Thou hast the strength of will to slay You would kill yourself,

thyself,

Then is it likely thou wilt undertake Then you will probably accept

A thing like death to chide away this A thing like death to get rid of this

shame, problem.

That copest with death himself to You can fight with death to escape the

scape from it: situation:

And, if thou darest, I'll give thee And, if you’re brave enough to do it, I

remedy. will give you the solution.

JULIET JULIET

O, bid me leap, rather than marry Oh, ask me to jump, rather than marry

Paris, Paris,

From off the battlements of yonder From the top of that high tower;

tower;

Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk Or walk through streets full of

Where serpents are; chain me with criminals; or sit with snakes; chain me

roaring bears; to roaring bears;

Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house, Or shut me up each night in a morgue,

O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's Covered with dead men’s bones,

rattling bones,

With reeky shanks and yellow chapless Stinking flesh and jawless skulls;

skulls;

244
Or bid me go into a new-made grave Or ask me to climb into a newly dug

grave

And hide me with a dead man in his And hide me with the body of a dead

shroud; man;

Things that, to hear them told, have These things, just to hear them, scare

made me tremble; me;

And I will do it without fear or doubt, But I will do them unafraid,

To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet To live with Romeo.

love.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Hold, then; go home, be merry, give Wait then; go home, be happy, agree

consent

To marry Paris: Wednesday is to- To marry Paris: tomorrow is

morrow: Wednesday:

To-morrow night look that thou lie Tomorrow night sleep on your own;

alone;

Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy Don’t let the Nurse sleep in your room:

chamber:

Take thou this vial, being then in bed, Take this bottle, when in bed,

And this distilled liquor drink thou off; And drink the potion inside it;

When presently through all thy veins The potion will run through your veins

shall run

A cold and drowsy humour, for no pulse And make you appear to be dead

Shall keep his native progress, but Your pulse will stop:

surcease:

No warmth, no breath, shall testify You will be cold, not breathing,

thou livest; appearing dead;

245
The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall The colour shall fade from your face

fade

To paly ashes, thy eyes' windows fall, To paleness. Your eyes will close

Like death, when he shuts up the day Like you are dead.

of life;

Each part, deprived of supple Each part of you, with nothing

government, controlling it,

Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear Shall go stiff and cold, appearing like

like death: death:

And in this borrow'd likeness of And looking like you are dead

shrunk death

Thou shalt continue two and forty You will stay for 42 hours,

hours,

And then awake as from a pleasant And then wake up like from a nice

sleep. sleep.

Now, when the bridegroom in the So, when Paris comes

morning comes

To rouse thee from thy bed, there art To wake you up, there you are dead:

thou dead:

Then, as the manner of our country is, Then, as they do in our country,

In thy best robes uncover'd on the They will dress you up, put you in an

bier open coffin

Thou shalt be borne to that same And take you to the ancient tomb

ancient vault

Where all the kindred of the Capulets Where all your relatives lie.

lie.

In the mean time, against thou shalt Whilst this is happening, before you

246
awake, wake up,

Shall Romeo by my letters know our I will write to Romeo and tell him

drift, about it,

And hither shall he come: and he and I And he shall come here: and he and I

Will watch thy waking, and that very Will watch you wake up, and that night

night

Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Romeo will take to Mantua.

Mantua.

And this shall free thee from this And that will free you from your

present shame; current problem;

If no inconstant toy, nor womanish If womanly fear,

fear,

Abate thy valour in the acting it. Doesn’t stop your bravery.

JULIET JULIET

Give me, give me! O, tell not me of Give it to me, give it to me! Don’t tell

fear! me about fear.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Hold; get you gone, be strong and Go now, be strong and successful

prosperous

In this resolve: I'll send a friar with In this decision: I’ll send a priest

speed quickly

To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord. To Mantua, with letters to Romeo.

JULIET JULIET

Love give me strength! and strength God make me strong! And strength will

shall help afford. help me do it.

Farewell, dear father! Goodbye, Father!

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Exeunt Exit

Part 37: Analysing Act 4 Scene 1

Based on the video [Link]

Friar Laurence is an interesting character to analyse. Throughout the play he is

the trusted adviser of both Romeo and Juliet. The Friar is seen as a wise and
intelligent character, despite the fact that the advice he gives and the actions
he takes are often bizarre and unwise. Already in the play he has secretly
married Romeo to Juliet, even though he knows full well how Romeo has been
madly in love before with Rosaline. The Friar even gives advice about not taking
things too quickly, warning that ‘they stumble that run fast’. Quite why the
Friar gives this advice and then ignores it is difficult to see.

In this scene, the Friar advises Juliet to ‘undertake a thing like death’ by
swallowing a potion that will make her appear dead. His plan is to take her
seemingly dead body to the family tomb, where Romeo will meet her and the two
elope. This is a very strange plan – why can’t Juliet just run away to Mantua and
be with Romeo? When she elopes she will be forfeiting all claim to her father’s
riches, so why doesn’t she just refuse to marry Paris and take the same
punishment which was threatened by her father (that he would disown her from
his wealth).

The most significant aspect of the Friar’s character is how both Romeo and
Juliet blindly follow him and do what he says. In this scene Juliet tells him ‘bid
me leap…and I will do it’. It is clear that the Friar has the unquestioning
following of these youngsters, and as such can decide whatever he wants for
them. When Juliet thinks of killing herself, she tells the Friar that he only
needs to ‘call my resolution wise’ and give it his blessing and she will do it.

So why do these characters have blind faith in Friar Laurence? Perhaps it is

because he is a Friar – a Catholic priest. Is Shakespeare here using the rash and
bizarre actions of the Friar to criticise those in society who blindly follow the
leadership of the Church? Is he calling out for people to judge wisely the
actions they are being advised to take, and not follow blindly the leading of

248
Catholicism? In Elizabethan England there was tension between Catholics and
Protestants, and perhaps Shakespeare is here criticising Catholicism. There is
no hard evidence to explain Shakespeare’s own religious beliefs, but this is one
interpretation of the character of Friar Laurence. Put yourself in Romeo and
Juliet’s shoes: would you follow the Friar’s advice?

249
Part 38: Translating Act 4 Scene 2

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 2. Hall in Capulet’s house. SCENE 2. Hall in Capulet’s house.

Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET,. Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, Nurse

Nurse and two servants. and two servants.

CAPULET CAPULET

So many guests invite as here are Invite the guests written here.

writ.

Exit First Servant Exit First Servant

Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning Go and hire me twenty good cooks

cooks.

Second Servant Second Servant

You shall have none ill, sir; for I'll You shall have no bad cooks; I’ll test them

try if they can lick their fingers. by making them lick their fingers.

CAPULET CAPULET

How canst thou try them so? How is that a good test?

Second Servant Second Servant

Marry, sir, 'tis an ill cook that A bad cook cannot lick his fingers: so

cannot lick his own fingers: anyone who cannot lick his fingers will

therefore he that cannot lick his not be hired.

fingers goes not with me.

CAPULET CAPULET

250
Go, be gone. Go, go away.

Exit Second Servant Exit Second Servant

We shall be much unfurnished for We will be unprepared for this wedding.

this time.

What, is my daughter gone to Friar Has Juliet gone to the Friar?

Laurence?

Nurse Nurse

Ay, forsooth. Yes, that’s true.

CAPULET CAPULET

Well, he may chance to do some good Well, he may do some good to her:

on her:

A peevish self-will'd harlotry it is. A stubborn girl she is.

Nurse Nurse

See where she comes from shrift Here she comes now, looking happy.

with merry look.

Enter JULIET Enter JULIET

CAPULET CAPULET

How now, my headstrong! where have My headstrong daughter! Where have you

you been gadding? been?

JULIET JULIET

Where I have learn'd me to repent Where I have learned to turn from my

the sin wrongdoing

Of disobedient opposition of not obeying you

To you and your behests, and am and what you tell me to do, and I am told

enjoin'd

By holy Laurence to fall prostrate by Friar Laurence to fall before you,

here,

251
And beg your pardon: pardon, I And beg you forgive me: please do forgive

beseech you! me!

Henceforward I am ever ruled by From now on I will do what you say.

you.

CAPULET CAPULET

Send for the county; go tell him of Send for Paris; tell him about this:

this:

I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow I will make this wedding happen tomorrow

morning. morning.

JULIET JULIET

I met the youthful lord at Laurence' I met Paris at Friar Laurence’s

cell;

And gave him what becomed love I And treated him with love,

might,

Not step o'er the bounds of Just as much as I should do without

modesty. appearing over flirty.

CAPULET CAPULET

Why, I am glad on't; this is well: I am glad, this is good: stand up:

stand up:

This is as't should be. Let me see This is how it should be. Let me see Paris;

the county;

Ay, marry, go, I say, and fetch him Yes, go and get him, bring him here.

hither.

Now, afore God! this reverend holy Now, I tell you, Friar Laurence,

friar,

Our whole city is much bound to him. We all owe him a lot.

252
JULIET JULIET

Nurse, will you go with me into my Nurse, will you come with me to my closet,

closet,

To help me sort such needful To help me pick out the jewellery

ornaments

As you think fit to furnish me to- You think I should wear tomorrow.

morrow?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

No, not till Thursday; there is time No, not ‘til Thursday; there is plenty of

enough. time.

CAPULET CAPULET

Go, nurse, go with her: we'll to Go on, Nurse, go with her: the wedding will

church to-morrow. take place tomorrow.

Exeunt JULIET and Nurse Exit JULIET and Nurse

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

We shall be short in our provision: We haven’t got enough supplies:

'Tis now near night. It’s nearly night time.

CAPULET CAPULET

Tush, I will stir about, I will sort things out,

And all things shall be well, I Everything will be fine, I promise you:

warrant thee, wife:

Go thou to Juliet, help to deck up Go to Juliet, help to dress her up;

her;

I'll not to bed to-night; let me alone; I’ll not go to bed tonight; leave me alone;

I'll play the housewife for this once. I’ll be the housewife for once.

What, ho!

They are all forth. Well, I will walk They are all gone. Well, I will walk alone

253
myself

To County Paris, to prepare him up To Paris, to prepare him for

Against to-morrow: my heart is Tomorrow: I feel so happy,

wondrous light,

Since this same wayward girl is so Now Juliet is behaving herself again.

reclaim'd.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 39: Translating Act 4 Scene 2

Based on the video [Link]

In Act 4 Scene 2 we find Capulet busy in preparation for the wedding of Paris

and Juliet. Once again, the audience knows this wedding will not take place; this

use of dramatic irony indicates that Capulet is not as wise and powerful as he

seems to think he is.

Once again time plays a key role in the drama unfolding before us. Capulet, ever

the rash and impetuous man that he is, decides to bring the wedding forward

twenty four hours. He is so delighted at Juliet’s fake apology that he wants to

‘have this knot knit up to-morrow morning’. The audience knows that this means

there is one day less to get the message to Romeo about the fake death, and

early signs of tension begin to mount as we see that things might not go to plan.

The relationship between Lord and Lady Capulet is worth exploring in this scene.

When Lord Capulet announces that the wedding day will be brought forward, his

wife is not in agreement, responding “No, not till Thursday; there is time

enough”. Capulet does not even respond to her, simply ignoring her and telling

the Nurse, ‘Go with her: we’ll to church tomorrow’. This interchange gives the

audience a glimpse of the type of marriage Juliet is so keen to avoid. Women in

Elizabethan England were the property of their husbands and had no rights of

their own. Lady Capulet (and all wives) had no power over her own life and no

right to make decisions. Juliet, on the other hand, has taken control of her own

life and is making decisions. The irony is that her decisions do not end well. Is

Shakespeare saying that women should not rebel against the role they are given

as submissive wives? When Juliet does so, it does not end well for her. Or is he

perhaps arguing that society needs to change: gender roles, arranged marriage

255
and the role of parents need to change in order for people to live a truly happy

life?

256
Part 40: Translating Act 4 Scene 3

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 3. Juliet’s chamber. Enter SCENE 3. Juliet’s room.

JULIET and Nurse Enter JULIET and Nurse

JULIET JULIET

Ay, those attires are best: but, Those clothes are best, but, Nurse,

gentle nurse,

I pray thee, leave me to my self to- Please leave me alone tonight,

night,

For I have need of many orisons I have lots of prayers to pray

To move the heavens to smile upon my To make heaven happy with me,

state,

Which, well thou know'st, is cross, You know I have done so much wrong.

and full of sin.

Enter LADY CAPULET Enter LADY CAPULET

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

What, are you busy, ho? need you my Are you busy? Do you need my help?

help?

JULIET JULIET

No, madam; we have cull'd such No; we have worked out the best things

necessaries

As are behoveful for our state to- For me to wear tomorrow:

257
morrow:

So please you, let me now be left So please leave me alone,

alone,

And let the nurse this night sit up And let the Nurse stay with you tonight;

with you;

For, I am sure, you have your hands For I am sure you have lots to do,

full all,

In this so sudden business. For this sudden wedding.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Good night: Good night:

Get thee to bed, and rest; for thou Get to bed and sleep; you need to rest.

hast need.

Exeunt LADY CAPULET and Nurse Exit LADY CAPULET and Nurse
JULIET JULIET

Farewell! God knows when we shall Goodbye! God knows when we shall meet

meet again. again.

I have a faint cold fear thrills I am so afraid,

through my veins,

That almost freezes up the heat of It almost kills me:

life:

I'll call them back again to comfort I’ll call them back to calm me down:

me:

Nurse! What should she do here? Nurse! What good would she do?

My dismal scene I needs must act I need to do this alone.

alone.

Come, vial. Come, bottle.

What if this mixture do not work at What if the poison doesn’t work?

258
all?

Shall I be married then to-morrow Shall I then be married tomorrow

morning? morning?

No, no: this shall forbid it: lie thou No, no: I won’t let it happen: you wait

there. there.

Laying down her dagger Laying down her knife

What if it be a poison, which the What if this is a fatal poison, that the

friar Friar

Subtly hath minister'd to have me Is giving me to kill me,

dead,

Lest in this marriage he should be So he won’t get in trouble himself,

dishonour'd,

Because he married me before to Because he’s already married me to

Romeo? Romeo?

I fear it is: and yet, methinks, it I am afraid it is, but it cannot be,

should not,

For he hath still been tried a holy Because he is a holy man.

man.

How if, when I am laid into the tomb, What if, when I am laid in the tomb,

I wake before the time that Romeo I wake up before Romeo

Come to redeem me? there's a Comes to save me. That’s a scary point!

fearful point!

Shall I not, then, be stifled in the Won’t I still be locked in the vault,

vault,

To whose foul mouth no healthsome Where there is no fresh air to breathe,

air breathes in,

And there die strangled ere my And there die of suffocation before

259
Romeo comes? Romeo comes?

Or, if I live, is it not very like, Or, if I live, it’s not nice

The horrible conceit of death and The darkness of night,

night,

Together with the terror of the In that scary place…

place,--

As in a vault, an ancient receptacle, A vault where,

Where, for these many hundred For hundreds of years, the bones

years, the bones

Of all my buried ancestors are Of all my dead ancestors are stuffed:

packed:

Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green Where Tybalt, only recently dead,

in earth,

Lies festering in his shroud; where, Lies rotting in his grave clothes; where,

as they say, as the saying goes,

At some hours in the night spirits Spirits of the dead are…

resort;--

Alack, alack, is it not like that I, Oh no, oh no, is it like that?

So early waking, what with loathsome Waking early, with awful smells,

smells,

And shrieks like mandrakes' torn out And ghosts screaming,

of the earth,

That living mortals, hearing them, run The sound of which scares living people?

mad:--

O, if I wake, shall I not be Oh, if I wake, won’t I be scared witless,

distraught,

Environed with all these hideous Surrounded by these scary things?

260
fears?

And madly play with my forefather's Go mad and play with the bones of the

joints? dead?

And pluck the mangled Tybalt from Pull Tybalt out of his grave clothes?

his shroud?

And, in this rage, with some great And in anger, with some relative’s bone

kinsman's bone,

As with a club, dash out my desperate Like a bat, bash my own head in?

brains?

O, look! methinks I see my cousin's Oh look! I think I see Tybalt’s ghost

ghost

Seeking out Romeo, that did spit his Looking for Romeo that killed him

body

Upon a rapier's point: stay, Tybalt, With a sword: wait Tybalt, wait!

stay!

Romeo, I come! this do I drink to Romeo, I am coming! I drink this to you.

thee.

She falls upon her bed, within the She falls upon her bed.
curtains

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Part 41: Analysing Act 4 Scene 3

Based on the video [Link]

Act 4 Scene 3 sees Juliet fake her death. This scene also signifies the end of

her relationship with her nurse and mother.

It is possible to interpret this scene as a metaphor for growing up. On maturing

from a girl to a woman, Juliet’s childhood dies and she no longer needs the

things of her youth: a nurse and mother. We see this when Lady Capulet asks

Juliet if she needs her help, to which her daughter replies, ‘No, madam’. This is

very cold behaviour from Juliet, who knows that this is the last time she will see

her mother. Similarly, there is no fond farewell to the Nurse. Juliet simply tells

her mother to ‘let the Nurse this night sit up with you’. Juliet has transformed

throughout this play, from a young girl who doted on and depended on her nurse,

to a young woman who no longer needs nurse or woman. Her ‘death’ in this scene

puts an end to childhood. If everything went as planned, Juliet’s new life the

next day would be that of a married woman who had no contact with or

dependence upon her parents.

This new found declaration of independence is also found later in the scene.

Having told her mother and nurse to leave, she begins to worry about the

situation she is in and panics about the ‘terror of the’ tomb to which she is

heading. For a moment she loses her nerve and calls the Nurse back, but soon

realises that she needs to ‘act alone’. Juliet has outgrown the Nurse and her

mother. She has been betrayed by them in Act 3 Scene 5 (with the Nurse

advising a second marriage to Paris and her mother refusing to comfort her

after her father’s tirade) and has realised that they can help her no further.

This ties in very neatly with the reality of growing up and becoming an adult;

262
there comes a time when you realise that your parents are not as perfect as you

thought them to be. Juliet has reached that moment here and is determined to

start her new life independent of both parents and nurse.

263
Part 42: Translating Act 4 Scene 4

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 4: Hall in Capulet’s house. Enter Scene 4: Capulet’s house.

LADY CAPULET and NURSE Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Hold, take these keys, and fetch more Take these keys, and get more spices,

spices, nurse. Nurse.

Nurse Nurse

They call for dates and quinces in the The pastry kitchen is asking for dates

pastry. and quince.

Enter CAPULET Enter CAPULET

CAPULET CAPULET

Come, stir, stir, stir! the second cock Come on, wake, wake wake! The second

hath crow'd, cock has crow’d,

The curfew-bell hath rung, 'tis three The curfew bell has rung - it’s three

o'clock: o’clock:

Look to the baked meats, good Go and get baked meat, Angelica:

Angelica:

Spare not for the cost. Buy the best there is.

Nurse Nurse

Go, you cot-quean, go, Go, you old housewife, go

Get you to bed; faith, You'll be sick to- Go to bed, else you will be sick

morrow tomorrow

264
For this night's watching. For staying up all night tonight.

CAPULET CAPULET

No, not a whit: what! I have watch'd No, not a chance. I have been

ere now up all night before for much less reason

All night for lesser cause, and ne'er and never been sick from it.

been sick.

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your Yes, you’ve had women in your time;

time;

But I will watch you from such watching But I will make sure you don’t stay up

now. too late.

Exeunt LADY CAPULET and Nurse Exit LADY CAPULET and Nurse
CAPULET CAPULET

A jealous hood, a jealous hood! What a jealous woman!

Enter three or four Servingmen, with Enter three or four servants with
spits, logs, and baskets spits, logs and baskets
Now, fellow, Now, man,

What's there? What have you got there?

First Servant First Servant

Things for the cook, sir; but I know not Things for the cook, but I don’t know

what. what.

CAPULET CAPULET

Make haste, make haste. Hurry up, hurry up.

Exit First Servant Exit first servant

Sirrah, fetch drier logs: Get drier logs:

Call Peter, he will show thee where they Call Peter, he will show you where they

are. are.

265
Second Servant Second Servant

I have a head, sir, that will find out I can find them myself, sir,

logs,

And never trouble Peter for the And not need to bother Peter.

matter.

Exit Exit
CAPULET CAPULET

Mass, and well said; a merry whoreson, Well said: a funny guy, ha!

ha!

Thou shalt be logger-head. Good faith, His head is full of logs. Oh my, it’s

'tis day: morning:

The county will be here with music Paris will be here with music soon,

straight,

For so he said he would: I hear him As he said he would: I can hear him

near. nearby.

Music within Music plays

Nurse! Wife! What, ho! What, nurse, I Nurse! Wife! Nurse!

say!

Re-enter Nurse Re-enter Nurse

Go waken Juliet, go and trim her up; Go and wake Juliet, get her ready;

I'll go and chat with Paris: hie, make I’ll go and speak to Paris: hurry up,

haste,

Make haste; the bridegroom he is come Hurry up; Paris is here already:

already:

Make haste, I say. Hurry up, I say.

Exeunt Exit

266
Part 43: Analysing Act 4 Scene 4

Based on the video [Link]

Knowing that Juliet has taken the potion, the audience is keen to see what

happens to her. However, Shakespeare gives us a scene here which will not

answer any of our questions. In Act 4 Scene 4, Capulet and Lady Capulet are

organising the wedding. It is a brief scene which includes the final comic

moments of the play before the tragic final Act.

Shakespeare uses irony in the final line of the scene when Capulet orders, ‘Make

haste; the bridegroom he is come already’. Capulet is referring to Paris, but

little does he know that Juliet is already ‘dead’ upstairs. In the next scene he

will explain that ‘Death is my son-in-law’. In this sense, the bridegroom truly has

already arrived.

267
Part 44: Translating Act 4 Scene 5

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 5. Juliet’s chamber Scene 5. Juliet’s room.

Enter Nurse Enter Nurse

Nurse Nurse

Mistress! what, mistress! Juliet! Mistress! Hey, mistress! Juliet! Fast

fast, I warrant her, she: asleep I bet:

Why, lamb! why, lady! fie, you slug-a- Lady! You lazy bones!

bed!

Why, love, I say! madam! sweet- Love, I say! Madam! Sweet-heart!

heart! why, bride! Bride!

What, not a word? you take your What, not saying anything? You get your

pennyworths now; beauty sleep now;

Sleep for a week; for the next night, Sleep as much as you can, for tomorrow, I

I warrant, bet,

The County Paris hath set up his Paris has had his rest

rest,

That you shall rest but little. God And won’t let you rest at all.

forgive me,

Marry, and amen, how sound is she How deeply she is asleep!

asleep!

I must needs wake her. Madam, I need to wake her up. Madam, madam,

madam, madam! madam!

268
Ay, let the county take you in your Let Paris get into your bed;

bed;

He'll fright you up, i' faith. Will it He’ll wake you up, I bet. Won’t he?

not be?

Undraws the curtains Opens the curtains

What, dress'd! and in your clothes! What, you’re dressed up already! But back

and down again! asleep!

I must needs wake you; Lady! lady! I must wake you up; Lady! lady! lady!

lady!

Alas, alas! Help, help! my lady's dead! Oh no, oh no! Help, help! Juliet is dead!

O, well-a-day, that ever I was born! Oh curse the day I was ever born!

Some aqua vitae, ho! My lord! my Get me some alcohol! Lord and lady

lady! Capulet!

Enter LADY CAPULET Enter LADY CAPULET

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

What noise is here? What noise is this?

Nurse Nurse

O lamentable day! Oh terrible day!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

What is the matter? What’s the matter?

Nurse Nurse

Look, look! O heavy day! Look, look! Oh awful day!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

O me, O me! My child, my only life, Oh my, oh my! My child, my reason for

living,

Revive, look up, or I will die with Wake up, come to life or I will die with

thee! you!

269
Help, help! Call help. Help, help! Call for help.

Enter CAPULET Enter CAPULET

CAPULET CAPULET

For shame, bring Juliet forth; her Bring Juliet out; her husband is here.

lord is come.

Nurse Nurse

She's dead, deceased, she's dead; She’s dead, dead, dead; curse this day!

alack the day!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Alack the day, she's dead, she's Curse this day, she’s dead, she’s dead,

dead, she's dead! she’s dead!

CAPULET CAPULET

Ha! let me see her: out, alas! she's Let me see her: she’s cold:

cold:

Her blood is settled, and her joints Her blood has stopped pumping, her joints

are stiff; stiff;

Life and these lips have long been Life has gone from her lips:

separated:

Death lies on her like an untimely Death lies on her like frost out of season

frost

Upon the sweetest flower of all the Upon the sweetest flower in the field.

field.

Nurse Nurse

O lamentable day! Oh awful day!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

O woful time! Oh terrible time!

CAPULET CAPULET

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Death, that hath ta'en her hence to Death, that has taken her, does make me

make me wail, cry,

Ties up my tongue, and will not let It ties up my tongue, I cannot speak.

me speak.

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and PARIS, with
PARIS, with Musicians Musicians
FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Come, is the bride ready to go to Is the bride ready to go to church?

church?

CAPULET CAPULET

Ready to go, but never to return. Ready to go to church but never come

back.

O son! the night before thy wedding- Oh Paris! The night before your wedding

day

Hath Death lain with thy wife. There Death has taken Juliet. There she lies,

she lies,

Flower as she was, deflowered by Flower that she was, deflowered by

him. Death.

Death is my son-in-law, Death is my Death is now my son-in-law and heir;

heir;

My daughter he hath wedded: I will Juliet has married him: I will die,

die,

And leave him all; life, living, all is And leave him everything I have.

Death's. Everything is Death’s.

PARIS PARIS

Have I thought long to see this Have I waited so long for this morning to

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morning's face, come,

And doth it give me such a sight as Only for it to end up like this?

this?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

Accursed, unhappy, wretched, Cursed, unhappy, hateful day!

hateful day!

Most miserable hour that e'er time Most miserable hour that ever was

saw

In lasting labour of his pilgrimage! In all of time!

But one, poor one, one poor and I had just one loving child,

loving child,

But one thing to rejoice and solace And one thing to be happy about,

in,

And cruel death hath catch'd it And death has taken it from me!

from my sight!

Nurse Nurse

O woe! O woful, woful, woful day! Oh sadness! Oh sad, sad, sad day!

Most lamentable day, most woful Most awful day, most terrible day,

day,

That ever, ever, I did yet behold! That ever, ever, I did see!

O day! O day! O day! O hateful day! Oh day! Oh day! Oh day! Oh hateful day!

Never was seen so black a day as Never was there such an evil day as this:

this:

O woful day, O woful day! Oh terrible, terrible day!

PARIS PARIS

Beguiled, divorced, wronged, spited, Juliet was tricked, wronged, divorced, and

slain! killed!

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Most detestable death, by thee Most horrible death, you tricked her,

beguil'd,

By cruel cruel thee quite Cruel cruel death took her!

overthrown!

O love! O life! not life, but love in Oh love! Oh life! Life is over, now my love

death! is dead.

CAPULET CAPULET

Despised, distressed, hated, Hated, distressed, sacrificed, killed!

martyr'd, kill'd!

Uncomfortable time, why camest Why did this happen now at this time,

thou now

To murder, murder our solemnity? That you ruin this wedding day?

O child! O child! my soul, and not my Oh child! Child! My soul, not my child!

child!

Dead art thou! Alack! my child is You are dead! Juliet is dead;

dead;

And with my child my joys are And with her my happiness is buried.

buried.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Peace, ho, for shame! confusion's Be quiet! The cure for confusion is

cure lives not not

In these confusions. Heaven and to shout your heads off. Heaven gave

yourself Juliet to you

Had part in this fair maid; now

heaven hath all, and now heaven has her back,

And all the better is it for the maid: And that is better for Juliet:

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Your part in her you could not keep You could not stop her from one day dying,

from death,

But heaven keeps his part in eternal But in heaven she will live forever.

life.

The most you sought was her You wanted her to advance in life through

promotion; marriage,

For 'twas your heaven she should be That was what would make you happy:

advanced:

And weep ye now, seeing she is And now you cry, seeing she has gone

advanced

Above the clouds, as high as heaven As high as heaven?

itself?

O, in this love, you love your child so Oh, you do Juliet no favours,

ill,

That you run mad, seeing that she is Shouting your head off, considering she is

well: well in heaven,

She's not well married that lives Earthly marriage soon goes bad;

married long;

But she's best married that dies But it’s best to marry young and die young.

married young.

Dry up your tears, and stick your Dry your eyes, stick your rosemary

rosemary

On this fair corse; and, as the On this pretty corpse; and, as is the way,

custom is,

In all her best array bear her to Dress her at her best then carry her to

church: church:

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For though fond nature bids us an for though it’s normal to cry,

lament,

Yet nature's tears are reason's We should be happy for her.

merriment.

CAPULET CAPULET

All things that we ordained festival, All the things we organised for the

wedding,

Turn from their office to black Can now be used for the funeral;

funeral;

Our instruments to melancholy bells, Our instruments turn to sadness,

Our wedding cheer to a sad burial Our wedding food become funeral food,

feast,

Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges Our celebratory songs to sad funeral

change, songs,

Our bridal flowers serve for a Our wedding flowers be used to cover the

buried corse, dead body;

And all things change them to the And everything be used for the opposite

contrary. of what was planned.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Sir, go you in; and, madam, go with Sir, you go in; and you, madam, go with

him; him;

And go, Sir Paris; every one prepare And you go too, Paris, everyone prepare

To follow this fair corse unto her To take Juliet to her grave:

grave:

The heavens do lour upon you for A curse of the gods is upon you for some

some ill; sin;

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Move them no more by crossing Let’s not aggravate them any more by

their high will. going against their plan.

Exeunt CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, Exit CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, PARIS

PARIS, and FRIAR LAURENCE and FRIAR LAURENCE
First Musician First Musician

Faith, we may put up our pipes, and We can put our instruments away and go

be gone. home.

Nurse Nurse

Honest goodfellows, ah, put up, put Good men, put them away, put them away;

up;

For, well you know, this is a pitiful For as you know this is an awful situation.

case.

Exit Exit
First Musician First Musician

Ay, by my troth, the case may be Yes, things could be better.

amended.

Enter PETER Enter PETER

PETER PETER

Musicians, O, musicians, 'Heart's Musicians, play the tune ‘Heart’s Ease’

ease, Heart's

ease:' O, an you will have me live, Oh I will die if you don’t play

play 'Heart's ease.' ‘Heart’s Ease.’

First Musician First Musician

Why 'Heart's ease?' Why that song?

PETER PETER

O, musicians, because my heart Oh musicians, because my heart is playing

itself plays 'My the song ‘My Heart is Full of Sadness’.

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heart is full of woe:' O, play me Play some happier sad tune to comfort me.

some merry dump,

to comfort me.

First Musician First Musician

Not a dump we; 'tis no time to play Not a sad song, it’s not the time to play

now. one.

PETER PETER

You will not, then? You won’t do it then?

First Musician First Musician

No. No.

PETER PETER

I will then give it you soundly. Then I will give it to you.

First Musician First Musician

What will you give us? What will you give us?

PETER PETER

No money, on my faith, but the No money, I promise, but a trick;

gleek;

I will give you the minstrel. I will call you a minstrel.

First Musician First Musician

Then I will give you the serving- Then I will give you a serving-creature.

creature.

PETER PETER

Then will I lay the serving- Then I will hit you on the head with the

creature's dagger on serving-creature’s dagger.

your pate. I will carry no crotchets:

I'll re you,

I'll fa you; do you note me? I’ll make you sing, do you hear me?

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First Musician First Musician

An you re us and fa us, you note us. If you make us sing you will hear us.

Second Musician Second Musician

Pray you, put up your dagger, and put Please, put away your sword and stop your

out your wit. banter.

PETER PETER

Then have at you with my wit! I will Then I will attack you with my banter! I

dry-beat you will hit

with an iron wit, and put up my iron You with my jokes, then pull out my knife.

dagger. Answer Answer me like men:

me like men:

'When griping grief the heart doth “When sadness takes over your heart,

wound,

And doleful dumps the mind oppress, And makes your mind depressed,

Then music with her silver sound'-- The music with her silver sound’

why 'silver sound'? why 'music with Why is it ‘silver sound’? Why ‘music with

her silver

sound'? What say you, Simon her silver sound’? What do you say, Simon

Catling? Catling?

Musician Musician

Marry, sir, because silver hath a Well, because silver has a sweet sound.

sweet sound.

PETER
PETER
Pretty! What say you, Hugh Rebeck?
That’s a stupid answer. What do you say,

Hugh Rebeck?

Second Musician Second Musician

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I say 'silver sound,' because ‘Silver sound’ because musicians make

musicians sound for silver. music for silver money.

PETER PETER

Pretty too! What say you, James Silly too! What do you say, James

Soundpost? Soundpost?

Third Musician Third Musician

Faith, I know not what to say. I don’t know what to say.

PETER PETER

O, I cry you mercy; you are the Oh, I’m sorry; you are the singer; I will

singer: I will say tell you

for you. It is 'music with her silver It is ‘music with her silver sound,’

sound,'

because musicians have no gold for Because musicians have no gold to make

sounding: sounds with:

'Then music with her silver sound ‘Then music with her silver sound’

With speedy help doth lend Makes you feel good.

redress.'

Exit Exit
First Musician First Musician

What a pestilent knave is this same! What an annoying man this guy is!

Second Musician Second Musician

Hang him, Jack! Come, we'll in here; Forget him, Jack! Come on. We’ll go in

tarry for the here, wait for the mourners and then we

mourners, and stay dinner. can stay for dinner.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 45: Analysing Act 4 Scene 5

Based on the video [Link]

This final scene in Act 4 focuses on the discovery of Juliet’s death. It is

interesting to see how the different characters react to this death.

Firstly, Lady Capulet says that Juliet was her ‘one thing to rejoice and solace in’.

She follows this up by telling Juliet to wake up or ‘I will die with thee’. This is

the first time in the entire play that Lady Capulet has seemed to care for

Juliet. Up until this point Lady Capulet has been distant with her daughter. This

is perhaps most notable in the Act 1 Scene 3 where she asks the nurse to ‘give

leave awhile’ so that she can speak to Juliet in private. Right away Lady Capulet

realises that this is too intimate and calls the Nurse ‘back again’. In Act 3 Scene

5, when Juliet appeals to her for help in delaying the wedding to Paris, her

mother coldly tells her, ‘Talk not to me…I have done with thee’. It is therefore

quite a shock to see Lady Capulet seem to be so caring. Unfortunately, her

comments come too late at this point. This moment is a reminder not to take our

loved ones for granted.

Lord Capulet’s reaction seems gruesome and horrifying. He relates the death of

Juliet to sexual imagery, describing how she is ‘deflowered’ by death. This

mirrors Juliet’s own words in Act 3 Scene 2 where she offers ‘death, not

Romeo, take my maidenhead.’ To a modern audience, this linking of sex and

death seems tasteless, but an Elizabethan audience would react in a different

manner.

In Elizabethan England, “le petit mort” or ‘a little death’ was a euphemism for an

orgasm. Shakespeare (and other writers) often punned on the word ‘die’ to mean

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‘to orgasm’. In fact, Juliet herself is referring to this in when she says, ‘Give me

my Romeo, and when I shall die’. And so, even though it seems odd today,

Capulet’s linking of death to sex is not as bizarre as it seems. If you study other

Shakespeare plays, look carefully for this hidden euphemism; Shakespeare uses

it a lot. It can be seen across many of his plays, such as the moment in ‘Much

Ado About Nothing’ when Benedick tells Beatrice he will ‘ live in thy heart, die in

thy lap’.

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Part 46: Translating Act 5 Scene 1

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 1. Mantua. A street Scene 1. A street in Mantua.

Enter ROMEO Enter ROMEO

ROMEO ROMEO

If I may trust the flattering truth of If I can trust what goes on in sleep,

sleep,

My dreams presage some joyful news My dreams tell me there is good news

at hand: coming:

My bosom's lord sits lightly in his My heart is ruled by love;

throne;

And all this day an unaccustom'd spirit And all day an odd feeling

Lifts me above the ground with Has made me really happy.

cheerful thoughts.

I dreamt my lady came and found me I dreamt that Juliet came and found

dead-- me dead..

Strange dream, that gives a dead man A dream that lets dead men think is

leave weird!

to think!--

And breathed such life with kisses in And she kissed me on my mouth,

my lips

That I revived, and was an emperor. And brought me back to life.

And once alive I was an emperor.

Ah me! how sweet is love itself Ah how great it is to have the one you

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possess'd, love,

When but love's shadows are so rich in When just thinking about them makes

joy! you so happy.

Enter BALTHASAR, booted BALTHASAR enters

News from Verona!--How now, It must be news from Verona! What is

Balthasar! it Balthasar?

Dost thou not bring me letters from Do you not have letters for me from

the friar? the Friar?

How doth my lady? Is my father well? How is Juliet? Is my dad OK?

How fares my Juliet? that I ask again; How is Juliet doing? I ask again;

For nothing can be ill, if she be well. Nothing can be bad if she is OK.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

Then she is well, and nothing can be ill: Then she is well, and everything is OK:

Her body sleeps in Capel's monument, She lies in the Capulet family tomb,

And her immortal part with angels And her soul is in heaven with the

lives. angels.

I saw her laid low in her kindred's I saw her dead body in the tomb,

vault,

And presently took post to tell it you: And then came to tell you:

O, pardon me for bringing these ill I am so sorry to bring such bad news,

news,

Since you did leave it for my office, Since you made it my job to bring

sir. news.

ROMEO ROMEO

Is it even so? then I defy you, stars! Is it true? I hate you, fate!

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Thou know'st my lodging: get me ink If you want me, you know where I am:

and paper, get me pen and paper,

And hire post-horses; I will hence to- And hire me a horse to ride: I am

night. leaving tonight to go to Verona.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

I do beseech you, sir, have patience: Please, Romeo, be patient:

Your looks are pale and wild, and do You are mad and angry and about to

import some misadventure. do something bad.

ROMEO ROMEO

Tush, thou art deceived: You are wrong:

Leave me, and do the thing I bid thee Leave me alone, and do as I asked.

do.

Hast thou no letters to me from the Have you not got any letters for me

friar? from the Friar?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

No, my good lord. No.

ROMEO ROMEO

No matter: get thee gone, It doesn’t matter. Go away,

And hire those horses; I'll be with hire me horses. I will be with you soon.

thee straight.

Exit BALTHASAR Exit BALTHASAR

Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee to- Well, Juliet, I will be lying down with

night. you tonight.

Let's see for means: O mischief, thou Let’s see how. Oh bad thoughts you are

art swift quick

To enter in the thoughts of desperate to enter the mind of desperate men!

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men!

I do remember an apothecary,-- I remember a medicine man..

And hereabouts he dwells,--which late And he lives around here. I saw him

I noted lately.

In tatter'd weeds, with overwhelming He wore messy clothes, and had huge

brows, eyebrows,

Culling of simples; meagre were his He looked poor,

looks,

Sharp misery had worn him to the And worn out from a tough life:

bones:

And in his needy shop a tortoise hung, In his shop were hung a tortoise,

An alligator stuff'd, and other skins A stuffed alligator and other skins

Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his Of odd shaped fish; and on his shelves

shelves

A beggarly account of empty boxes, A few empty boxes,

Green earthen pots, bladders and Pots of clay and some seeds,

musty seeds,

Remnants of packthread and old cakes Some old string and crushed up rose

of roses, petals

Were thinly scatter'd, to make up a Were placed around, to make it look

show. like he had things in the shop.

Noting this penury, to myself I said Noticing this, I said to myself,

'An if a man did need a poison now, ‘If a man needed some poison,

Whose sale is present death in Mantua, Which is illegal to sell in Mantua,

Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it Here is a man who would sell it to him.’

him.'

O, this same thought did but forerun This idea came into my head before I

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my need; needed it;

And this same needy man must sell it And this same man must sell it to me.

me.

As I remember, this should be the As far as I can remember, this is his

house. house.

Being holiday, the beggar's shop is Being a holiday, his shop is closed.

shut.

What, ho! apothecary! Hey, medicine man!

Enter Apothecary Enter the pharmacist

Apothecary Apothecary

Who calls so loud? Who is shouting?

ROMEO ROMEO

Come hither, man. I see that thou art Come here. I can see that you are

poor: poor:

Hold, there is forty ducats: let me Here is some money: give me

have

A dram of poison, such soon-speeding Some poison which works quickly

gear

As will disperse itself through all the And will quickly spread through my

veins body

That the life-weary taker may fall And kill me.

dead

And that the trunk may be discharged And take my breath away

of breath

As violently as hasty powder fired As quickly as gunpowder

Doth hurry from the fatal cannon's Explodes in a cannon.

womb.

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Apothecary Apothecary

Such mortal drugs I have; but I do have drugs like these, but the law

Mantua's law of this City

Is death to any he that utters them. is that I will be killed if I give them.

ROMEO ROMEO

Art thou so bare and full of Are you so weak,

wretchedness,

And fear'st to die? famine is in thy And afraid to die? You are clearly

cheeks, starving,

Need and oppression starveth in thine It’s clear you are in desperate need,

eyes,

Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy You are poor and nearly a beggar;

back;

The world is not thy friend nor the The world is not your friend and

world's law; neither is the law;

The world affords no law to make thee There is no law to make you rich;

rich;

Then be not poor, but break it, and So don’t be poor, break the law and

take this. take the money.

Apothecary Apothecary

My poverty, but not my will, consents. My need for money, more than my

happiness to do this, means I will

accept your offer.

ROMEO ROMEO

I pay thy poverty, and not thy will. I pay your poverty, not your choice.

Apothecary Apothecary

Put this in any liquid thing you will, Put this in any liquid,

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And drink it off; and, if you had the And drink it; and even if you were as

strength strong

Of twenty men, it would dispatch you as twenty men, it would kill you right

straight. away.

ROMEO ROMEO

There is thy gold, worse poison to Here is your money. Money has a worse

men's souls, effect on people than poison,

Doing more murders in this loathsome Killing more people in this world,

world,

Than these poor compounds that thou Than these poisons that you are not

mayst not sell. allowed to sell.

I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me The money I am giving you is the real

none. poison; you haven’t sold any to me.

Farewell: buy food, and get thyself in Goodbye: use the money to buy food,

flesh. and feed yourself up a bit.

Come, cordial and not poison, go with Come, medicine not poison, come with

me me

To Juliet's grave; for there must I use To Juliet’s grave and I will use you

thee. there.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 47: Analysing Act 5 Scene 1

Based on the video [Link]

In Act 1 Scene 4, Romeo was told that ‘dreamers often lie’, a comment which is
proven to be true in this scene. Whilst we might expect Romeo to be depressed
in this scene, we actually find him in a happy mood following the ‘joyful news’ of
his dream. When Balthasar turns up, his dream is quickly shattered as he hears
of Juliet’s death.

Romeo reacts with anger at fate, shouting, ‘I defy you stars’. Once again, the
language of the prologue is referenced, and we can now see just how ‘star-
cross’d’ these lovers seem to be. The word ‘defy’ is worth closer study. Romeo is
not complaining to fate but is outright challenging it. Considering how large a
role fate has played up until this point, this seems a stupid thing to do. Those
who feel that Romeo is an immature and temperamental character can easily use
this moment to back up this interpretation. It’s the equivalent of approaching
the toughest kid in school, spitting in his face and shouting, “Come and have a go
if you think you’re hard enough!”

Dramatic irony runs throughout this scene, as the audience is well aware that
Juliet is not actually dead. The Friar knows this, Juliet knows this, the audience
knows this, but Romeo and Balthasar do not. Having watched the play quite a
few times, I can testify to the fact that audiences at this point seem to
temporarily forget the prologue’s news that both would end up dead. Audiences
hope that somehow everything will work out OK. It is a sign of Shakespeare’s
powerful skill that we get so involved in the plot – we desperately want these
two to be OK, but deep down we know we are kidding ourselves.

Romeo’s next action tells us something key about his character. He explains that
there is an apothecary (like a pharmacist) whom he had previously spotted.
Because the apothecary is poor and worn down by ‘sharp misery’, he has guessed
that he would sell him an illegal poison if he needed one. What is important here
is the fact that Romeo has previously calculated that ‘if a man did need a
poison…here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him.’ This is very bizarre
behaviour. Let’s put this into perspective: what sane and rational person goes

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through life looking for the nearest and most convenient method of suicide, just
in case they may wish to kill themselves? Here Shakespeare once again shows us
how fickle Romeo is – as a tragic hero he is over emotional and irrational. This
irrationality led him to fall in love with Rosaline, to be distraught when she
didn’t love him back, to fall in love with Juliet, to be distraught at the news of
banishment and now to desire his own death. Romeo is too rash and ultimately
brings about his own downfall through his actions.

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Part 48: Translating Act 5 Scene 2

Scene 2. Friar Laurence’s cell Scene 2. Friar Laurence’s.

Enter FRIAR JOHN Enter FRIAR JOHN

FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN

Holy Franciscan friar! brother, Holy Friar! Hey!

ho!

Enter FRIAR LAURENCE Enter FRIAR LAURENCE

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

This same should be the voice of This sounds like Friar John.

Friar John.

Welcome from Mantua: what Welcome back from Mantua: what does Romeo

says Romeo? say?

Or, if his mind be writ, give me Or if he wanted to write it down, give me his

his letter. letter.

FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN

Going to find a bare-foot I tried to find someone

brother out

One of our order, to associate Another friar to go with me,

me,

Here in this city visiting the sick, And this other Friar was visiting the sick.

And finding him, the searchers When I found him, the police of the town,

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of the town,

Suspecting that we both were in Thinking everyone in the house

a house

Where the infectious pestilence Had an infectious disease,

did reign,

Seal'd up the doors, and would Sealed up the house and would not let us out;

not let us forth;

So that my speed to Mantua So I was stuck in Mantua.

there was stay'd.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Who bare my letter, then, to Who took the letter to Romeo, then?

Romeo?

FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN

I could not send it,--here it is I could not send it - it’s here still

again,--

Nor get a messenger to bring it And I couldn’t get a messenger to go to him,

thee,

So fearful were they of So afraid were they of the infection

infection. spreading.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Unhappy fortune! by my What awful luck! I promise

brotherhood,

The letter was not nice but full The letter was not a nice one but very

of charge important, and by not sending it

Of dear import, and the There might be a lot of trouble.

neglecting it

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May do much danger. Friar John, Friar John, go now;

go hence;

Get me an iron crow, and bring it Get me an iron bar, and bring it right to me.

straight

Unto my cell.

FRIAR JOHN FRIAR JOHN

Brother, I'll go and bring it thee. I’ll go and get it and bring it to you.

Exit Exit
FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Now must I to the monument I must go to Juliet’s tomb;

alone;

Within three hours will fair Within a few hours Juliet will wake up:

Juliet wake:

She will beshrew me much that She will be mad that Romeo doesn’t know

Romeo

Hath had no notice of these About this whole plan;

accidents;

But I will write again to Mantua, But I will write to Romeo again,

And keep her at my cell till And I will keep Juliet here until Romeo comes;

Romeo come;

Poor living corse, closed in a dead Poor girl, locked up in a dead man’s tomb!

man's tomb!

Exit Exit

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Part 49: Analysing Act 5 Scene 2

There is really only one thing to write about this short scene. Once again, fate
controls the events of the play. Despite the Friar’s greatest efforts to get a
message to Romeo we learn that Friar John was ‘stay’d’ and the message did not
get delivered. Friar Laurence, spotting what is likely to happen next, calls for ‘an
iron crow’ (a metal crow bar) and heads off for Juliet’s tomb.

As we saw after Juliet’s poison scene, Shakespeare adds tension to his play by
placing small ‘filler’ scenes in the way when the audience simply want to hurry
ahead and find out what is going to happen to Romeo and Juliet. This is one way
that Shakespeare uses structure to create tension.

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Part 50: Translating Act 5 Scene 3

Based on the video [Link]

Scene 3. A churchyard. In it, a tomb Scene 3: A churchyard and in it, a

belonging to the Capulets. tomb belonging to the Capulet family.

Enter PARIS, and his Page bearing Enter PARIS, and his Page bringing
flowers and a torch flowers and a torch
PARIS PARIS

Give me thy torch, boy: hence, and Give me the torch, and stand away

stand aloof: from me:

Yet put it out, for I would not be seen. Actually put the torch out, so I am not

Under yond yew-trees lay thee all seen.

along,

Holding thine ear close to the hollow Wait under those trees over there,

ground; Listen out carefully,

So shall no foot upon the churchyard No-one shall walk in this churchyard

tread,

Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of With the loose ground from grave

graves, digging,

But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to Without you hearing them: If you hear

me, someone then whistle to me,

As signal that thou hear'st something As a signal that you hear someone

approach. coming.

Give me those flowers. Do as I bid Give me those flowers and do as I ask.

thee, go.

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PAGE PAGE

[Aside] I am almost afraid to stand (quietly) I am scared to wait on my own

alone

Here in the churchyard; yet I will In this churchyard, but I will do it.

adventure.

Retires Goes away

PARIS PARIS

Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal Sweet flower, I will cover your grave

bed I strew,-- with flowers…

O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones;-- Where you lie is dust and stones…

Which with sweet water nightly I will I will water your flowers with tears

dew,

Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd Or, if not, with my tears and cries:

by moans:

The obsequies that I for thee will keep My habit every night will

Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and Be to put flowers on your grave and

weep. cry.

The Page whistles The Page whistles, signalling that

someone is coming
The boy gives warning something doth My servant is warning me that someone

approach. is coming.

What cursed foot wanders this way to- Who would be wandering around here

night, tonight,

To cross my obsequies and true love's To interrupt my grieving and ritual?

rite?

What with a torch! muffle me, night, It’s someone with a torch! I will be

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awhile. quiet and hide.

Retires Retires
Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with
a torch, mattock, & axe. a torch and axe.

ROMEO ROMEO

Give me that mattock and the Give me that axe and crowbar.

wrenching iron.

Hold, take this letter; early in the Take this letter; tomorrow morning

morning

See thou deliver it to my lord and Give it to my mum and dad.

father.

Give me the light: upon thy life, I Give me the light, promise

charge thee,

Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand Whatever happens next, don’t come

all aloof, close,

And do not interrupt me in my course. Do not interrupt what I am doing.

Why I descend into this bed of death, The reason I am going into the tomb,

Is partly to behold my lady's face; Is partly to see Juliet’s face;

But chiefly to take thence from her But mainly to take a ring from her

dead finger finger

A precious ring, a ring that I must use An important ring that I need to use

In dear employment: therefore hence, For a good reason: now hurry up and

be gone: go:

But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry If you are curious, don’t come back to

look

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In what I further shall intend to do, At what I am here to do,

By heaven, I will tear thee joint by For I promise I will tear you apart

joint

And strew this hungry churchyard with And put your body parts all over the

thy limbs: churchyard:

The time and my intents are savage- This is a wild time and I am feeling

wild, wild,

More fierce and more inexorable far More fierce and impossible to

Than empty tigers or the roaring sea. persuade than hungry tigers or the

wild sea.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you. I will go, and won’t bother you.

ROMEO ROMEO

So shalt thou show me friendship. That will show me how much you care

Take thou that: about me. Take this money,

Live, and be prosperous: and farewell, live and be rich: and goodbye.

good fellow.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

[Aside] For all this same, I'll hide me (quietly) All the same, I’ll hide

hereabout: somewhere near:

His looks I fear, and his intents I He worries me, and I am sure he lies

doubt. about what he is here to do.

Retires Retires
ROMEO ROMEO

Thou detestable maw, thou womb of You disgusting mouth of death,

298
death,

Gorged with the dearest morsel of the That has eaten the most precious thing

earth, on earth,

Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to I break open your jaws,

open,

And, in despite, I'll cram thee with And will give you more to eat!

more food!

Opens the tomb Opens the tomb

PARIS PARIS

This is that banish'd haughty This is Romeo, who is not allowed

Montague, within the city,

That murder'd my love's cousin, with Who killed Tybalt, which in turn

which grief, caused such sadness

It is supposed, the fair creature died; To Juliet that it killed her;

And here is come to do some villanous And he has come here to do something

shame bad

To the dead bodies: I will apprehend To the dead bodies. I will stop him.

him.

Comes forward Comes forward

Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague! Stop your evil actions, Montague!

Can vengeance be pursued further than Can revenge go further than death?

death?

Condemned villain, I do apprehend Villain, I will stop you:

thee:

Obey, and go with me; for thou must Come with me; you must die.

die.

ROMEO ROMEO

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I must indeed; and therefore came I I must indeed die; and that’s why I

hither. came here.

Good gentle youth, tempt not a Good man, do not wind me up - I am

desperate man; desperate

Fly hence, and leave me: think upon Go away, leave me alone: think about

these gone; the dead;

Let them affright thee. I beseech Let them be a warning to you. I beg

thee, youth, you,

Put not another sin upon my head, Don’t add another crime to my list,

By urging me to fury: O, be gone! By making me mad: just go!

By heaven, I love thee better than I promise, I love you more than I love

myself; myself;

For I come hither arm'd against And I’ve come here to kill myself:

myself:

Stay not, be gone; live, and hereafter Don’t stay, be gone; live and you can

say, later say,

A madman's mercy bade thee run away. The sword of a madman made you run

away.

PARIS PARIS

I do defy thy conjurations, I won’t do as you ask. I am arresting

And apprehend thee for a felon here. you as a criminal.

ROMEO ROMEO

Wilt thou provoke me? then have at Will you wind me up to fight? OK, let’s

thee, boy! have it!

They fight They fight

PAGE PAGE

300
O Lord, they fight! I will go call the Oh no, they are fighting! I will go and

watch. call the law.

Exit Exit
PARIS PARIS

O, I am slain! Oh, I am dead!

Falls Falls down

If thou be merciful, Show me mercy

Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet. And put me in the tomb with Juliet.

Dies Dies
ROMEO ROMEO

In faith, I will. Let me peruse this I promise, I will. Let me look at this

face. face.

Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Mercutio’s relative, good Paris!

Paris!

What said my man, when my betossed What did my man say, when I was so

soul upset?

Did not attend him as we rode? I think I didn’t really listen closely to him. I

think

He told me Paris should have married He told me Paris was going to marry

Juliet: Juliet:

Said he not so? or did I dream it so? Is that what he said or did I dream it?

Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Or am I mad, hearing him talk of

Juliet, Juliet?

To think it was so? O, give me thy To think that was what happened. Oh

hand, give me your hand,

One writ with me in sour misfortune's Like me you’ve had awful bad luck!

301
book!

I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave; I will bury you in an amazing grave;

A grave? O no! a lantern, slaughter'd A grave? Oh no! A light, murdered

youth, youth,

For here lies Juliet, and her beauty For this is Juliet’s tomb, and her

makes beauty makes

This vault a feasting presence full of This vault a place of beauty and light.

light.

Death, lie thou there, by a dead man Dead man lie there, with other dead

interr'd. men.

Laying PARIS in the tomb Laying PARIS in the tomb

How oft when men are at the point of How often when men are near death

death

Have they been merry! which their Do they feel happy? Which is called

keepers call

A lightning before death: O, how may I A lightness before death: how can I

Call this a lightning? O my love! my Call this a lightning? My love, my wife!

wife!

Death, that hath suck'd the honey of Death, which has sucked the beauty

thy breath, from you,

Hath had no power yet upon thy Has no power over your looks:

beauty:

Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's You are not defeated, but still look

ensign yet pretty.

Is crimson in thy lips and in thy Your cheeks and lips are still red,

cheeks,

And death's pale flag is not advanced Death has not yet made you pale.

302
there.

Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody Tybalt, is that you in that bloody

sheet? sheet?

O, what more favour can I do to thee, What more can I do to help you,

Than with that hand that cut thy youth Than kill the one who killed you

in twain

To sunder his that was thine enemy? To defeat your enemy?

Forgive me, cousin! Ah, dear Juliet, Forgive me, cousin! Oh dear Juliet,

Why art thou yet so fair? shall I Why are you still so pretty? Shall I

believe believe

That unsubstantial death is amorous, that Death is in love,

And that the lean abhorred monster And that monster keeps

keeps

Thee here in dark to be his paramour? You here to be his girlfriend?

For fear of that, I still will stay with I’m afraid of that, so will stay with

thee; you;

And never from this palace of dim And never from this place

night

Depart again: here, here will I remain Leave again: here I will stay

With worms that are thy chamber- With worms that will live in your body;

maids; O, here oh

Will I set up my everlasting rest, here will I stay forever,

And shake the yoke of inauspicious And forget the bad luck

stars

From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, Which has worn me down. Eyes, take

look your last! your last look!

Arms, take your last embrace! and, Arms, take your last hug!

303
lips, O you Lips, oh

The doors of breath, seal with a you, finalise with a kiss

righteous kiss

A dateless bargain to engrossing The deal you have made to die!

death!

Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury Come, bitter conduct, unsavoury guide!

guide!

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run Desperate sailor, pushed onto

on

The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary The rocks in your tired ship!

bark!

Here's to my love! Here’s to Juliet!

Drinks Drinks
O true apothecary! Oh honest medicine man!

Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I The poison does work fast. So with a

die. kiss, I am dead.

Dies Dies

Enter, at the other end of the At the other end of the churchyard,
churchyard, FRIAR LAURENCE, with a FRIAR LAURENCE, with a light, a
lantern, crow, and spade crowbar and a spade, enters
FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Saint Francis be my speed! how oft to- Saint Francis, help me to speed up!

night How often tonight

Have my old feet stumbled at graves! have I tripped over graves? Who is

Who's there? there?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

304
Here's one, a friend, and one that I am here, and I am friend that knows

knows you well. you well.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my Blessings be on you! Tell me, friend,

friend,

What torch is yond, that vainly lends What light is that over there, which

his light lights up

To grubs and eyeless skulls? as I Worms and skulls? It seems to me

discern,

It burneth in the Capel's monument. It is burning in Capulet’s tomb.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

It doth so, holy sir; and there's my It is, and my boss is in there - someone

master,

One that you love. you care about.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Who is it? Who is it?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

Romeo. Romeo.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

How long hath he been there? How long has he been in there?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

Full half an hour. Half an hour.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Go with me to the vault. Come with me to the tomb.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

I dare not, sir I’d better not,

My master knows not but I am gone Romeo thinks I am gone;

305
hence;

And fearfully did menace me with And threatened to kill me,

death,

If I did stay to look on his intents. If I stayed to watch what he was

doing.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Stay, then; I'll go alone. Fear comes Stay then; I will go on my own. I am

upon me: afraid:

O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing. Something bad is happening.

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

As I did sleep under this yew-tree As I was sleeping under this tree here,

here,

I dreamt my master and another I had a dream that Romeo was in a

fought, fight,

And that my master slew him. And Romeo killed the person he was

fighting with.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

Romeo! Romeo!

Advances Advances
Alack, alack, what blood is this, which Oh no! What are these blood stains?

stains

The stony entrance of this sepulchre? They cover the entrance to the tomb.

What mean these masterless and gory What are these swords doing here

swords

To lie discolour'd by this place of Covered in blood in a place of peace?

peace?

Enters the tomb Enters the tomb

306
Romeo! O, pale! Who else? what, Paris Romeo! Oh he is pale! Who is that?

too? Paris as well?

And steep'd in blood? Ah, what an Covered in blood? What a terrible

unkind hour thing has taken place here!

Is guilty of this lamentable chance!

The lady stirs. Juliet is waking up.

JULIET wakes JULIET wakes

JULIET JULIET

O comfortable friar! where is my lord? Oh, Friar, where is Romeo?

I do remember well where I should be, I remember where I should be,

And there I am. Where is my Romeo? And I am there. Where is Romeo?

Noise within Noise within

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

I hear some noise. Lady, come from I hear a noise. Juliet, get up from your

that nest bed

Of death, contagion, and unnatural Of death, disease and unnatural sleep:

sleep:

A greater power than we can A power greater than ours

contradict

Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come Has ruined our plans. Let’s go.

away.

Thy husband in thy bosom there lies Romeo is here, lying dead;

dead;

And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of And Paris too. Come on, I’ll hide you

thee

Among a sisterhood of holy nuns: With a sisterhood of nuns:

Stay not to question, for the watch is Don’t stop and ask questions; the law is

307
coming; coming;

Come, go, good Juliet, Come on, Juliet;

Noise again Noise again

I dare no longer stay. I am scared to stay any longer.

JULIET JULIET

Go, get thee hence, for I will not away. You go away, I am not leaving.

Exit FRIAR LAURENCE Exit FRIAR LAURENCE

What's here? a cup, closed in my true What is this? A cup, held tight in

love's hand? Romeo’s hand?

Poison, I see, hath been his timeless Poison, I can see, has killed him:

end:

O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly How rude! He drank it all and left none

drop

To help me after? I will kiss thy lips; for me? I will kiss your lips, Romeo,

Haply some poison yet doth hang on Hopefully some poison will be on them,

them,

To make die with a restorative. To make me die, too.

Kisses him Kisses him

Thy lips are warm. Your lips are warm.

First Watchman First Watchman

[Within] Lead, boy: which way? (within) Lead the way - where shall we
go?

JULIET JULIET

Yea, noise? then I'll be brief. O happy Noise? Then I’ll be quick. Oh happy

dagger! knife!

Snatching ROMEO's dagger Snatching ROMEO’s knife

This is thy sheath; My body will sheath you;

308
Stabs herself Stabs herself
there rust, and let me die. Rust there and let me die.

Falls on ROMEO's body, and dies Falls on ROMEO’s body and dies
Enter Watch, with the Page of PARIS Enter Watch, with the Page of PARIS

PAGE PAGE

This is the place; there, where the This is the place; there is the torch

torch doth burn. burning.

First Watchman First Watchman

The ground is bloody; search about the The ground is covered in blood; look

churchyard: around the churchyard:

Go, some of you, whoe'er you find Some of you go, arrest anyone you

attach. find.

Pitiful sight! here lies the county slain, What an awful sight! Paris is killed,

And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly Juliet bleeding, warm and newly dead,

dead,

Who here hath lain these two days Who has already lain here two days.

buried.

Go, tell the prince: run to the Capulets: Go, tell the Prince: run to the Capulets:

Raise up the Montagues: some others Wake up the Montagues: have some

search: others search with you:

We see the ground whereon these We see the effect of all this;

woes do lie;

But the true ground of all these But to find the cause of all this

piteous woes sadness

We cannot without circumstance We will need to investigate.

descry.

309
Re-enter some of the Watch, with Re-enter some of the Watch, with
BALTHASAR BALTHASAR.
Second Watchman Second Watchman

Here's Romeo's man; we found him in Here is Romeo’s man; we found him in

the churchyard. the churchyard.

First Watchman First Watchman

Hold him in safety, till the prince come Keep a hold on him, the Prince will be

hither. here in a minute.

Re-enter others of the Watch, with Re-enter others of the Watch, with
FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE
Third Watchman Third Watchman

Here is a friar, that trembles, sighs Here is a Friar, that looks very sad and

and weeps: afraid;

We took this mattock and this spade We took this axe and spade from him,

from him,

As he was coming from this As he was walking along the

churchyard side. churchyard.

First Watchman First Watchman

A great suspicion: stay the friar too. Very suspicious: keep the Friar, too.

Enter the PRINCE and Attendants Enter the PRINCE and Attendants
PRINCE PRINCE

What misadventure is so early up, What crime is up so early,

That calls our person from our That gets us all out of bed?

morning's rest?

Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and Enter CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, and
others others

310
CAPULET CAPULET

What should it be, that they so shriek What is happening that makes them

abroad? cry so loud?

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

The people in the street cry Romeo, The people in the street are crying

Romeo,

Some Juliet, and some Paris; and all Some cry Juliet and some Paris; and all

run, run,

With open outcry toward our Towards this tomb.

monument.

PRINCE PRINCE

What fear is this which startles in our What terrible thing is everyone

ears? shouting about?

First Watchman First Watchman

Sovereign, here lies the County Paris Paris is killed;

slain;

And Romeo dead; and Juliet, dead Romeo dead, Juliet (although already

before, dead),

Warm and new kill'd. Is alive again and killed.

PRINCE PRINCE

Search, seek, and know how this foul Investigate how this murder came

murder comes. about.

First Watchman First Watchman

Here is a friar, and slaughter'd Here is a friar, and Romeo’s man;

Romeo's man;

311
With instruments upon them, fit to They have tools on them, meant to

open open

These dead men's tombs. These tombs of the dead.

CAPULET CAPULET

O heavens! O wife, look how our Oh no! Wife, look how Juliet is

daughter bleeds! bleeding!

This dagger hath mista'en--for, lo, his The knife’s holder is

house

Is empty on the back of Montague,-- empty on Romeo’s back

And it mis-sheathed in my daughter's And the knife is stuck in Juliet’s chest!

bosom!

LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET

O me! this sight of death is as a bell, Oh, this sight is like a warning bell,

That warns my old age to a sepulchre. That warns my death is coming.

Enter MONTAGUE and others Enter MONTAGUE and others

PRINCE PRINCE

Come, Montague; for thou art early up, Montague, you are up early,

To see thy son and heir more early To see your son and heir.

down.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

Alas, my liege, my wife is dead to- My wife died tonight;

night;

Grief of my son's exile hath stopp'd Sadness over Romeo’s exile killed her:

her breath:

What further woe conspires against What more trouble must I suffer?

mine age?

PRINCE PRINCE

312
Look, and thou shalt see. Look and you will see.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

O thou untaught! what manners is in Oh, Romeo, you are so rude!

this?

To press before thy father to a grave? You are not supposed to die before

your father.

PRINCE PRINCE

Seal up the mouth of outrage for a Be quiet for a bit,

while,

Till we can clear these ambiguities, Until we work out what happened here;

And know their spring, their head, How it started and why it happened;

their true descent;

And then will I be general of your Then I will be the boss of your

woes, sadness,

And lead you even to death: meantime And may even bring you to death: in

forbear, the meantime wait,

And let mischance be slave to patience. Be patient.

Bring forth the parties of suspicion. Bring forward those we suspect.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURCNE

I am the greatest, able to do least, I am the greatest, but was able to do

nothing,

Yet most suspected, as the time and I am a suspect because I was here at

place the time and place of this awful

Doth make against me of this direful murder;

murder;

And here I stand, both to impeach and And I stand here; you can question me;

313
purge

Myself condemned and myself excused. I’ve judged and forgiven myself.

PRINCE PRINCE

Then say at once what thou dost know Then tell me right away what you know.

in this.

FRIAR LAURENCE FRIAR LAURENCE

I will be brief, for my short date of I will say it quickly, because I won’t be

breath alive long enough

Is not so long as is a tedious tale. to tell a boring story.

Romeo, there dead, was husband to Romeo, there dead, was married to

that Juliet; Juliet;

And she, there dead, that Romeo's Juliet, there dead, is Romeo’s loving

faithful wife: wife:

I married them; and their stol'n I married them: and the day they

marriage-day married

Was Tybalt's dooms-day, whose Was the day Tybalt died. His badly

untimely death timed death

Banish'd the new-made bridegroom Meant Romeo was not allowed in the

from the city, city,

For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet For Romeo, and not Tybalt, Juliet

pined. cried.

You, to remove that siege of grief You, her parents, to take her sadness

from her, away,

Betroth'd and would have married her Engaged her and would have her

perforce married

To County Paris: then comes she to me, To Paris: then she came to see me,

314
And, with wild looks, bid me devise And asked me to come up with a plan

some mean

To rid her from this second marriage, To get her out of marrying Paris,

Or in my cell there would she kill Or there and then she would have

herself. killed herself.

Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art, I gave her, mixed with my skills,

A sleeping potion; which so took effect A sleeping potion, which worked so well

As I intended, for it wrought on her As I planned, that it made her

The form of death: meantime I writ to Look dead: in the meantime I wrote to

Romeo, Romeo,

That he should hither come as this To tell him to come here tonight,

dire night,

To help to take her from her borrow'd To take Juliet from here

grave,

Being the time the potion's force When she woke up.

should cease.

But he which bore my letter, Friar But Friar John, who took my letter,

John,

Was stay'd by accident, and Was stopped by accident, and last

yesternight night

Return'd my letter back. Then all alone Gave me back my letter. Then all alone

At the prefixed hour of her waking, At the time she was set to wake up,

Came I to take her from her kindred's I came here to Juliet’s tomb;

vault;

Meaning to keep her closely at my cell, Meaning to take her back to my place,

Till I conveniently could send to Until I could tell Romeo:

Romeo:

315
But when I came, some minute ere the But when I got here, just before

time

Of her awaking, here untimely lay Juliet woke, here lay

The noble Paris and true Romeo dead. Paris and Romeo dead.

She wakes; and I entreated her come She woke up, and I begged her to come

forth, with me, and endure this tragic time

And bear this work of heaven with

patience: with patience:

But then a noise did scare me from the But a noise scared me away;

tomb;

And she, too desperate, would not go And she, too desperate, would not

with me, leave,

But, as it seems, did violence on But, it seems, killed herself.

herself.

All this I know; and to the marriage I know all this, and about the marriage

Her nurse is privy: and, if aught in this Her nurse knows: and if any of this

Miscarried by my fault, let my old life Is my fault, let my life

Be sacrificed, some hour before his Be taken,

time,

Unto the rigour of severest law. Under the most severe law.

PRINCE PRINCE

We still have known thee for a holy We know you are a good man.

man.

Where's Romeo's man? what can he Where’s Romeo’s man? Can he add to

say in this? this?

BALTHASAR BALTHASAR

316
I brought my master news of Juliet's I told Romeo that Juliet was dead;

death;

And then in post he came from Mantua And then he came here from Mantua

To this same place, to this same To this place, to this tomb.

monument.

This letter he early bid me give his He gave me a letter to give his dad,

father,

And threatened me with death, going And going into the tomb, he

in the vault, threatened to kill me,

I departed not and left him there. If I didn’t go and leave him alone.

PRINCE PRINCE

Give me the letter; I will look on it. Give me the letter; I will look at it.

Where is the county's page, that Where is Paris’ page, that called the

raised the watch? law?

Sirrah, what made your master in this What made Paris come here?

place?

PAGE PAGE

He came with flowers to strew his He came with flowers to put on Juliet’s

lady's grave; grave;

And bid me stand aloof, and so I did: And told me to leave him alone, so I

did:

Anon comes one with light to ope the Someone else came to the tomb;

tomb;

And by and by my master drew on him; And Paris drew his sword out to fight

him;

And then I ran away to call the watch. And I ran to the law.

PRINCE PRINCE

317
This letter doth make good the friar's This letter backs up what the Friar

words, says,

Their course of love, the tidings of her Their love, him hearing about her

death: death:

And here he writes that he did buy a And Romeo writes that he bought

poison poison

Of a poor 'pothecary, and therewithal Off a poor medicine man, and then

Came to this vault to die, and lie with Came here to die next to Juliet.

Juliet.

Where be these enemies? Capulet! Where are these enemies? Capulet!

Montague! Montague!

See, what a scourge is laid upon your See what evil results from your hate,

hate,

That heaven finds means to kill your That your joys are killed by love.

joys with love.

And I for winking at your discords too And because I didn’t take it seriously

enough.

Have lost a brace of kinsmen: all are I’ve lost family too: everyone is

punish'd. punished.

CAPULET CAPULET

O brother Montague, give me thy hand: Brother Montague, shake my hand:

This is my daughter's jointure, for no This is Juliet’s dowry, I can ask no

more can I demand. more.

MONTAGUE MONTAGUE

But I can give thee more: I can give you more:

For I will raise her statue in pure gold; I will make a statue of her in gold;

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That while Verona by that name is Whilst this city is known as Verona,

known,

There shall no figure at such rate be No-one shall be praised more highly

set

As that of true and faithful Juliet. Than Juliet.

CAPULET CAPULET

As rich shall Romeo's by his lady's lie; I will make an equally amazing statue

of Romeo;

Poor sacrifices of our enmity! They were a poor sacrifice for our

rivalry!

PRINCE PRINCE

A glooming peace this morning with it A sad peace comes this morning;

brings;

The sun, for sorrow, will not show his The sun is too sad to rise:

head:

Go hence, to have more talk of these Come with me, we will talk more of

sad things; this:

Some shall be pardon'd, and some Some will be let off, others punished:

punished:

For never was a story of more woe There was never such a sad story

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. Than this of Juliet and Romeo.

Exeunt Exit

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Part 51: Analysing Act 5 Scene 3

Based on the video [Link]

Once again the setting of night is used to bring Romeo and Juliet together.

They professed their love at night, consummated their marriage at night and

will now die at night. This use of setting has been employed by Shakespeare

throughout the play to symbolise how the two lovers are set apart from the rest

of the world. This could be to highlight how their love is ‘out of this world’, but

there is also another interpretation to be made. Night time is the time of

dreams, and the fact that Romeo and Juliet’s relationship takes place largely at

night could symbolise how their love is a dream – a fantasy. As Mercutio told us

in Act 1 Scene 4 ‘dreamers often lie’. Could the setting of night here be used to

show that Romeo and Juliet, just as in a dream, were lying to themselves to ever

imagine their love could survive?

Paris comes out of the shadows and challenges Romeo to fight. Just as he tried

at first to resist fighting Tybalt, Romeo tries to avoid conflict with Paris. He

warns Paris to ‘fly hence’, but Paris persists and is killed. With Tybalt and now

with Paris, it seems that these characters were fated to die and Romeo was

unable to avoid being involved. Again, this reflects the theme of fate: Romeo

tried to avoid the conflict with both, but was unable to do so.

The manner in which Romeo and Juliet die forms the final piece of the puzzle

when analysing their characters. Romeo takes the easy option, having asked the

pharmacist specifically for drugs which are ‘quick’. His desire is an instantaneous

and pain free death and he is given it, dying with the words ‘thy drugs are quick’.

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Juliet, on the other hand, suffers a much more gruesome death. Picking up

Romeo’s ‘happy dagger’ she stabs herself. Even when offered escape by the

Friar, she rejects the offer. In many cultures (Roman and Japanese for two)

death by stabbing was seen as an honourable and brave way to die. Like the

Seppuku of the Japanese Samurai, Juliet’s suicide through stabbing is far more

impressive than Romeo’s quick exit. This is just another example of Juliet

proving herself to be more mature than Romeo. It echoes the characters’

juxtaposed reactions to the news of Romeo’s banishment, where Juliet

calculated wisely and Romeo acted like a spoilt child.

Now we have reached the end of the tale, let’s revisit Freytag’s Pyramid:

Climax – The main

character comes face
to face with a
problem. They have a
Falling Action –
Rising action – choice to make.
the problem
A series of
unravels and the
events to keep
hero either wins
the reader
or loses.
interested.

Exposition – Introduces the Denouement – The fallout from

setting and main characters. the way the characters deal with
A the climax.

If we apply this to ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the analysis would be as follows:

Act 1: Exposition – The audience discovers that the Montague and Capulet

families are enemies. They fight.

Act 2: Rising Action – Romeo and Juliet fall in love and get married.

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Act 3: Climax – Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt, Romeo is banished.

Act 4: Falling Action - Being forced to marry Paris, Juliet decides to kill

herself.

Act 5: Denouement – Romeo kills Paris, Romeo kills himself, Juliet kills herself

and the families are united.

The play ends in irony; the death of Romeo and Juliet brings the Capulet and

Montague family together. This means that the very same problem that

prevented them from marrying openly (their families being at war) is solved with

their deaths. If they were somehow able to re-animate back to life, they would

be able to marry and live happily ever after!

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Afterword:

I hope you have found this revision guide useful. If you have any feedback, I

would love to hear it – please email me: abruff@[Link]

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