Love Between Romeo and Juliet Act 5

Question 1

Quotes in Act 5

Answer 1

ROMEO:

‘I defy you stars’
‘I descend onto this bed of death’
‘Soon-speeding gear’

JULIET

‘O happy dagger’
‘Falls on Romeo’s body and dies’

Question 2

Analyse ‘I defy you stars’

Answer 2

• Romeo actively challenges fate, which is futile as fate has played a huge role in the play
• Element of fatalism (will never work out for him) - can’t think properly
• Represents his temperamental and immature behaviour
• Monosyllabic language portrays his anger and hostility towards fate
• Distress for the loss of Juliet

Question 3

Analyse ‘I descend onto this bed of death’

Answer 3

• Metaphor is ironic as their last interaction was consummating the marriage on Juliet’s ‘bed’
• This is a symbol of new life, yet is juxtaposed by ‘death”, presenting the ideas of the symbiosis between life and death
• Reflective of the fact they are ‘star-cross’d lovers’ and will die in love

Question 4

Analyse ‘Soon-speeding gear’

Answer 4

• Romeo wants a quick death to suggest his impulsive behaviour
• Mirrored by the sibilance of ‘soon-speeding’
• Not good at dealing with pain, unlike Juliet who ends up brutally stabbing herself
• Echoes the juxtaposed during the banishment

Question 5

Analyse ‘O happy dagger’

Answer 5

• Juxtaposition of ‘happy’ and ‘dagger’ suggests that their love will transcend beyond human limits and confines
• Embraces death and wants to be with Romeo, serving as a reminder of their strength of their love
• Audience is reminded of the origins of their deaths - the feud and would feel sympathy for the young lovers as it was the older generation who started it
• Encourages the audience to be more considerate to those in society

Question 6

Analyse ‘Falls on Romeo’s body and dies’

Answer 6

• Physically together in front of others for the first time
• Unfortunate, as their relationship could only be unveiled in death
• Harshness of society and the feud