R + J Key Quotes Flashcards
“But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.”
-Light (Juliet) attracts Romeo close to her, bringing him closer to her and away from the feud.
-Symbol of hope and positivity, guide for Romeo as he is drawn towards her
-Suggestion that without her, he is plunged into darkness, reliant on her
-Sun is impermanent- foreshadowing, Sun sets so their love will disappear as quickly as it arose so their love will be short-lived
-Context: as Juliet was played by a male, Shakespeare describes Juliet’s beauty through Romeo (by comparing to Sun) to make attraction more believable, also distract from fact that two males trying to appear intimately in love. Courtly love- lovers suffer palpitations when they see their true love, lovers suffer palpitations
“That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.”
-Romeo attracted to Juliet because of appearance, similar to a rose: pretty, vibrant
-Rose symbol for romance, their love will blossom, however impermanence of nature could show how it will quickly die
-Could infer that natural imagery suggests danger, rose appears beautiful, but thorns cause pain
-Context: comparison of Juliet to a rose shows Romeo’s attempt to woo her through romantic flattery, tradition of courtly love in which men had to gain love from women
“For this alliance may so happy prove.
To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.”
-Romeo and Juliet presented as sacrificial lambs who are destined to die in order to end the family feud and unite their families
-Juxtaposition between their deaths and unified families (bittersweet)
-Tragic elements as their children had to die to stop the feud, which was petty and only because of family honour
-Context: at the time, families only cared about their family, as a whole, wealth, status and reputation, not the individuals. Rancour present in many Italian vendettas, family blood-feuds
“These violent delights have violent ends.”
-Violent implies that their actions are impulsive and without thought, and their love, the “violent delight”, is short-lived
-Foreshadowing that just as quickly as their love arose, it will end due to fate
-Violent also implies that their love will cause a destructive end and that it will have large ramifications
-They have different connotations but both convey the idea that their love will not last long and will have an abrupt end
-Context: as their love was quick to grow and easy to obtain, due to rules of courtly love, it is of little value and so can easily be erased.
“A plague o’ both your households!”
-Turning point in the play. Curse acts as a catalyst, increasing pace of the play and increasing pace of tragedy.
-Plague spreads and affects those involved as well as others, could link to effects of feud, resulting in death, including bystanders
-Lovers’ actions cause consequences that spread like a plague, resulting in the downfall of many: Tybalt, Mercutio, R and J, Lady Montague. Secrecy of actions causes this.
-Bubonic plague outbreak at the time
“young baggage, disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, “
-Shows Capulet’s power over Juliet, wants to use her to gain wealth and status. “disobedient”, daughters belonged to fathers and were expected to obey them.
-Patriarchal society: men were leaders of society and of their household, expectation upon Capulet to keep his family in order and control the women, marry them off. 16th century England, strong expectations upon women to marry and have children
“O heavy lightness… cold fire, sick health… that is not what it is!”
-Repeated oxymorons show how love is confusing and there are multiple sides to love, joy, sorrow, betrayal, loneliness, etc.
-Can show how love can be genuine or artificial, like between Capulet and Juliet, Capulet and Lady C, Romeo and Juliet, Capulet and his reputation, Nurse and Juliet
-Ambiguous language shows how love is confusing, questions love and nature of people, do people look for their own interest?
-Context: Romeo unable to comprehend love. In courtly love, boys should not love until maturity, which Romeo doesn’t follow and so leads to his downfall.
“I defy you stars!”
-Stars, celestial imagery, represents God and fate. Futile for Romeo to try as God and destiny is inevitable
-Love has deluded Romeo, making him believe he is powerful and able to stop destiny
-Context: audience knew this was futile and they were heavily religious, knew power of God, and believed in pre-destination which they believed could not be changed
“a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”
“bury their parents’ strife”
-Romeo and Juliet destined to fall in love by fate, but also to be separated as they both die, tragic event.
-Also made more tragic for audience who, because of dramatic irony, know they are destined to commit suicide, a great sin
-Destined to serve a purpose, ending the family feud
-Context: Elizabethan audience believed in pre-destination and know it is inevitable, religious crowd believed suicide was a terrible sin, shows how dire their situation was in order to resort to suicide. Italian vendettas, family blood-feuds were tradition, which R and J end due to deaths
“Deny thy father and refuse thy name.”
-Shows how their love is spiritual and transcends the family feud, willing to leave their families, the main part of their identity to be together
-Could show their impulsive natures, which is the tragic flaw that leads to their downfall as they quickly abandon their identity for each other
-Context: people, particularly men, at the time expected to protect their family honour. Shows they don’t follow societal norms as they talk of leaving their families. Defying patriarchal society, going against figureheads of families.
“O calm, dishonourable, vile submission”
-Mercutio openly expresses his disapproval and disgust at Romeo when he refuses Tybalt’s duel request.
-Mercutio’s strict adherence to societal norms leads to his death as well as increased pace of tragic events as he feels he has to defend the family honour as men were expected to be violent in order to protect honour.
-Shows Mercutio and Romeo’s juxtaposing personalities and beliefs as Romeo rejects societal expectations, also showing Romeo’s innocence and that he is not fully matured.
What were Italian vendettas?
Family blood-feuds, long-standing traditions in which the honour of a family had to be protected.
Vengeance had to be sort for death of a family member, sometimes killing bystanders.
What is a patriarchal society?
A society controlled and dominated by men. Women unable to act in theatre
What expectation were placed on women in the 16th century?
Strong expectation upon women to marry and have children, husbands punished their wives and women belonged to fathers or husbands
What was courtly love?
A highly conventionalised tradition of Medieval love in which the man would attempt to ‘woo’ a woman in order to gain her love.
