Key quotes Flashcards
“A pair of star-crossed …
… lovers take their life” - Prologue
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”
Which part of the play does this quote come from?
This quote comes from the prologue to Act 1
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”
What does “star-crossed” mean in this quote?
It means that fate
( the ‘stars’) will control their relationship, and that their relationship is destined to end badly.
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”
Give an example from elsewhere in the play that shows Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed”.
By chance, Friar John was quarantined, which meant his letter for Romeo didn’t arrive.
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”
This quote tells the audience that two lovers are going to die. What effect does this have on the rest of the play? Explain your answer.
- This knowledge creates
the impression that the
events of the play are
controlled by fate, because
the audience knows how
Romeo and Juliet’s
romance will end. - It also created tension, as
the audience knows that
Romeo and Juliet’s
happiness and love can’t
last and is destined to go
wrong.
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”
This line rhymes with a line that ends: “their parents’ strife”. Why do you think Shakespeare rhymes Romeo and Juliet’s “life” with their parents’ “strife”?
The rhyming words link the ending of Romeo and Juliet’s life and the feud together closely. Shakespeare creates this link to show that the feud plays an important role in Romeo and Juliet’s deaths, and to emphasise that their deaths will end the feud.
“Go, girl, seek happy…
… nights to happy days.” - Act 1, Scene 3
“Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”
Where is Juliet about to go when the Nurse gives her this advice?
Juliet is about to go to the Capulets’ party, where she is supposed to meet Paris, her potential future husband.
“Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”
What does the Nurse mean when she says this?
A. Find yourself a husband
who will satisfy you at
night.
B. Enjoy your life while
you’re still young.
A. The Nurse means that Juliet should find herself a husband who will make her nights “happy” by satisfying her sexually.
“Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”
Give another example where Shakespeare uses imagery of night and day.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Montague says that Romeo shuts himself indoors and creates an “artificial night” in order to block out the “fair daylight”. This reflects Romeo’s sadness desperation.
“Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”
What does this quote suggest about the Nurse’s feelings towards Juliet? Explain your answer.
- The quote suggests that
the Nurse is keen for Juliet
to be happy — she wants
her to enjoy life and find
herself a good husband. - The quote also suggests
that the Nurse has a close
relationship with Juliet —
she’s not afraid to make
vulgar jokes about sex and
tease Juliet.
“My only love …
… sprung from my only hate.” - Act 1, Scene 5
“My only love sprung from my only hate.”
Who says this quote and in which scene do they say it?
Juliet says this quote in Act 1, Scene 5 at the end of the Capulets’ party. She has just discovered that Romeo is a Montague.
“My only love sprung from my only hate.”
What does the speaker mean by “My only love” and “my only hate”?
By her “only love”, Juliet means Romeo, who she has just met and fallen in love with. Her “only hate” is the Montague family, because they are the enemies of the Capulets.
“My only love sprung from my only hate.”
What impression do you get of the speaker’s mood when they say this line?
Juliet seems quite solemn and serious. She refers to Romeo as her “only love”, even though they’ve just met. This shows how seriously she takes their relationship from the beginning.
“My only love sprung from my only hate.”
Explain the effect of the repetition in this quote.
The repetition of “only” emphasises that Juliet has just one “love” and just one “hate”, which highlights how serious the situation is. The repetition also reflects Juliet’s frustration at her own misfortune.
“My only love sprung from my only hate.”
This is one of several opposites that are used in this part of the play. What is the effect of Shakespeare’s use of opposites in these lines?
These opposites create a sense of confusion that shows how conflicted Juliet is feeling about her love for Romeo. They show how difficult her situation is by emphasising that her love for Romeo is incompatible with the feud between their families.
“It is the east, …
… and Juliet is the sun.”- Act 2, Scene 2
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
What does Romeo describe as “the east” and why?
Romeo describes Juliet’s window as “the east”, because the sun rises in the east.
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
Where is Romeo when he says this quote?
Romeo is in Capulet’s orchard, below Juliet’s window.
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
What time of day is it when Romeo says this?
It’s late at night. This makes Romeo’s words more fitting, because he is suggesting that the light from Juliet’s window is like the sun rising to break through the darkness of the night.
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
Why does Romeo compare Juliet to the sun? What effect does this have?
By comparing Juliet to a celestial object like the sun, Romeo implies she is too perfect to be human. It could also suggest that Juliet, like the sun, is a source of light and hope.
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
Give two more examples where Shakespeare uses nature imagery in Act 2, Scene 2. Explain what effect each example of nature imagery has.
- Shakespeare uses falconry
metaphors to describe
Romeo and Juliet. This
shows the strength of their
love by likening it to be the
bond between a falconer
and a falcon. - Shakespeare also uses
nature imagery when Juliet
describes the love between
her and Romeo as a “bud”
that may become a
“beauteous flower”. By
comparing their love to a
flower bud, she suggests
that it still needs time to
grow.
“a rose by any …
… other name would smell as sweet” - Act 2, Scene 2
“a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
Who says this and when?
Julia says this quote when she is speaking to herself at her bedroom window at the beginning of Act two, Scene two.
“a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
Explain the meaning of this quote.
Juliet says that a rose will always smell pleasant, regardless of the name that it is used to describe it. She means that even though Romeo has the name Montague and belongs to a rival family, this doesn’t mean that he isn’t a good person.
“a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
How do you think the speaker is feeling when they say this quote? Give reason for your answer.
Juliette is feeling frustrated. It’s because she has fallen in love with someone she’s supposed to hate.
“a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
Why do you think Shakespeare uses the image of a rose in this quote?
The rose is a symbol of love and beauty, which reflects Juliet’s love for Romeo. However, roses are also thorny and can cause pain, so Shakespeare might be hinting at how Romeo and Juliet love will end in pain.
“a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
What does this quote suggest about the speaker’s attitude to love?
This suggests that Juliet becomes family rivalries, reputations and names shouldn’t matter in love. She is in love with Romeo as a person rather than with his name or status.
“Thy love did read …
… by rote and could not spell.” - Act 2, Scene 3
“Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.”
What does the phrase ‘by rote’ literally mean?
It means learning something by repeating it over and over again.
“Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.”
What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says this about Romeo?
Friar Lawrence means that Romeo has learnt to recite words about love, but doesn’t really understand what they mean or what love is.
“Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.”
According to Friar Lawrence, which character “knew well” that Romeo was only reading “by rote”?
Rosaline. Friar Lawrence suggests that Rosaline didn’t return Romeo’s love because she knew he wasn’t serious about loving her.
“Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.”
Give an example from elsewhere in the play that suggests Friar Lawrence disapproves of Romeo’s approach to love.
In Act 2, Scene 6, Friar Lawrence warns Romeo about his impulsive approach to love. He tells Romeo that “violent delights have violent ends”.
“Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.”
Do you think Friar Lawrence is correct to say this about Romeo? Explain your answer.
- Friar Lawrence is correct
because Romeo didn’t truly
love Rosaline. He forgot
about her as soon as he
saw Juliet for the first time. - Friar Lawrence is wrong
because Romeo’s love for
Juliet appears genuine. He
is capable of true love even
though he moves on from
Rosaline quickly.
“To turn your households’ …
… rancour to pure love.” - Act 2, Scene 3