Juliet Flashcards
Write quotes for Juliet’s romantic love (4)
You kiss by the book
My bounty is boundless as the sea, my love as deep
I have bought a mansion of love but I have not possessed it
All my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay, and follow thee my lord throughout the world.
Write quotes for Juliet’s practical attitude towards
love (3)
O swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, too like… lightning
Romeo’s and Juliet’s love is incredibly intense, but Juliet is aware of the problems that will arise from acting too quickly, reminding the audience of the family situation behind this relationship. The repetition of the adverb “too” highlights Romeo and Juliet’s fate - the hatred of the fued and the world in general is too intense for them to survive as a couple. The adjectives “rash” and “unadvised” may seem like characteristics of young, romantic love, but Shakespear’s audience may have seen marriage as far more of a contract than anything to do with love, yet Romeo and Juliet’s love seems to continually defy this throughout. The similie “like the lightning” suggests both a powerful, passionate and destructive feeling, and also how quickly one emotion can turn into another.
How cam’st thou hither? If they do see thee they will murder thee
Write quotes for Juliet’s love/death/hate (4)
My only love sprung from my only hate
Juliet is realizing Romeo comes from the family that hates her family and whom her family hates. They have this on-going feud that was cited in the prologue, which suggests it has been going on for sometime now, with the use of the phrase “ancient”. This phrase seems to come out of her mouth rather quickly and she seemingly unintentionally reveals her love to the Nurse. The repetition of the words “my” and “only” emphasises Juliet’s position - she has put herself in this circumstance and, despite the problems it may cause, she is willing to go through with whatever issues may arise due to it. The pronoun “my” also creates a sense of entrapment, as if Romeo is Juliet’s property and that she is his; now that they have promised their lives to eachother, they can’t escape. The strong sound of “hate” implies Juliet’s inner conflict, almost as if it is a thought that is constantly playing on her mind that she must tell someone and, in this case, it happens to be her Nurse
Honourable villain, damned saint, fiend angelical, dove feathered raven
If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding bed.
Here, Shakespeare is foreshadowing the way Juliet will die shortly after her marriage to Romeo. The subtle oxymoron between “grave” and “wedding bed” concludes to the impending tragedy that is to become at the end of the play, even though at this moment it is so early on. The image of death as a bridegroom for Juliet is repeated throughout the play to maintain an atmosphere of forthcoming calamity.
If all else fail, myself have power to die
Words to describe Juliet
Obedient Submissive Sheltered Innocent Naive
Practical Rational Smart Mature Headstrong Independent
Write a quote highlighting Juliet’s isolation
“My dismal scene I must act alone”
Never has Juliet seemed more isolated. As a young girl, she is about to fake her death, and has no one to turn to in such a difficult situation - even her Nurse cannot provide protection, as she has deserted her just the same. Juliet uses “scene” and “act” to describe what is happening, words from the semantic field of drama. This is symbolic of the fact that Romeo and Juliet have no control over their own actions; they are simply actors in a play directed by fate. Again, Juliet’s isolation is made clear to the audience - the words “my”, “I” and “alone” all highlight that she has no one ot turn to once Romeo is banished. The adjective “dismal” is particularly painful when the audience remember that it is just days since she married Romeo - since then, the whole action of the play has been descending into tragedy, as if their fate was wrongly prescribed.
