Light and Dark motif(re-occurring theme) Flashcards
“blind is his love and befits the dark”
Benvolio description of Romeo’s passion for Rosaline though it could be applied to Juliet- His blind and intense adoration is unrealistic and so has not substance so is “dark”
“blind is…
… his love and befits the dark”
“I am afeard, being in night, all this is but a dream, too flattering-sweet to be substantial”
LINKS to Benvolio’s description of Romeo’s love for Juliet- Blind love is led by unrealistic adoration and is nether true nor real which is why most of Romeo and Juliet’s lover activities took place at night where there was no light to reveal the truth that their love was unrealistic- Their love preferred to be “blind”(in the dark)
“I am afeard…
…, being in night, all this is but a dream, too flattering-sweet to be substantial”
What part of the play most prominently shows the themes of light and dark in the play?
Juliet’s speech while waiting for her wedding night to have sex with Romeo.
“Gallop apace”, “bring in”, “immediately”, “come Night”
Juliet uses many IMPERATIVES in her speech where she presents her longing for night to come s she can meet Romeo and consummate their marriage.
AND SO?- Presents her as impatient, enthusiastic and even somewhat desperate to be with her.
Creates an unusual occurrence where night is being longed for instead of usually day being longed for
“Gallop apace”
Who is Juliet referring to?
The horses for the chariot that will pull the sun away
Imperatives and words of urgency in Juliet’s speech longing for her wedding night-
“Gallop apace”
“bring in”
“immediately”
“come Night”
“Lovers can see to do their amorous rites by their own beauties”
Juliet suggests that lovers don’t need light to love- Shows how the lovers are continuously rejecting real light for their love. They are in a blind love where they can see no fault in each other but are satisfied to see using their perceptions of each other and not real knowledge or light.
“Lovers can…
… see to do their amorous rites by their own beauties”
“the garish sun”
Juliet has a want for darkness(night) and a casting away of light even to the point of declaring that the sun is “garish” because it is preventing her from having her wedding night
AND SO?- COULD be a portrayal of the couples growing hate for any light. Light is becoming something which is a hinderance to their relationship. This could be representative of how they are headung to ultimate darkness(death).
COULD ALSO e a portrayal of how ligh is “garish” to blind lovers because darkness allows them to continue to see their lovers through a naive lens of perfection but light would reveal all the issues with both her lover and their relationship
“garish” meaning
Quality of something which is obtrusively bright or showy.
“if love be blind it best agrees with night”
Juliet uses this well known statement on the nature of love to justify her want of night because blind people do not need or have light.
It COULD be seen as a perfect summary of why the love between Romeo and Juliet is continuously manifested in the night or in darkness by Shakespeare. HE DOES THIS TO REPRESENT THE NATURE AND FLAWS OF BLIND LOVE.
“garish…
…sun”
“if love be…
…blind it best agrees with night”
“More light and light, more dark and dark our woes”
SYMBOLIC
Juliet’s words concerning sunrise which means Romeo must leave after their wedding night- The lovers have an unwillingness for light:
The only light they want is each others as Romeo outlined “Juliet is the sun”- the main light.
Light would bring in rationality and remove the power of blind love over them. They would see each other’s imperfections as well as the dangerous nature of their love.
