Romeo Flashcards
‘there is more peril in her eye/ than twenty of their swords’
A2
-violent image - a violent image is crafted through ‘swords’ suggestive of romeos subconscious recognition of the violence intertwined with his love for Juliet. Their defiance of societal and familial boundaries positions their love as a violating act, filled with ‘peril’. Romeo acknowledges this ‘peril’ of love goes beyond the threat of physical harm from the ‘swords’ of enemies but doesn’t realise it has the potential for societal isolation and familial bloodshed - the young eponymous characters are blinded by passion and are ignorant to the perils of this prohibited love.
-other violent allusions - the association of death and violence with their love is further emphasises by Tybalts demand for Romeo to ‘draw his sword’. This seemingly innocuous challenge becomes a grim foreboding of the inevitable tragedy as it simultaneously marks the moment Romeo falls in love with Juliet. Thus romeos love for Juliet from its very inception is tarnished by the shadow of death and violence, hinting at the ‘star-crossed’ nature of their romance
‘but soft! what light through yonder window breaks? it is the east and Juliet is the sun’
A2
-celestial metaphor - Romeo constructs a celestial metaphor likening Juliet to ‘the sun’, an act of aggrandisement that elevates Juliets position by suggesting she possesses the ability to illuminate the sky. This portrayal not only compounds Juliets significance but also emphasises romeos belief that both his love for her transcends mortal limitations, akin to celestial bodies. Given the Elizabethan fascination with fate and astrology, Shakespeares audience is prompted to scrutinise the naive idealism of the youthful lovers - they tragically perceive their love as boundless.
-semantic field of light - a semantic field is created through ‘light’ and ‘sun’ symbolising how the love shared between Romeo and juliethas metaphorically illuminated his existence. This enlightenment may stem from romeos newfound understanding of love, contrasting it with the unrequited love he had for Rosalie. Moreover, it has illuminated the futility in the longstanding familial feuds that had previously kept them apart.
‘with loves wings did he o’erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out’
A2
-metaphor - romeos metaphor ‘loves wings’ has a classical allusion to cupid, the roman god of love. this shows that for Romeo love is a transcendent force capable of defying physical limitations and boundaries. The term ‘wings’ also carries a classical allusion to the wings of icarus, the figure from mythology who met his downfall when his wings made of wax melted as he flew too close to the sun. Thus, the wings, once a symbol of liberation and soaring passion, have a morbid dark undertone.
-speaks in verse - Romeo speaks in verse, in iambic pentameter, and this characterises him to be romantic and decorative in his language showing love to take precedence over the pettiness of familial feuds. In this scene Shakespeare creates a haven of romantic hope, momentarily separate from the plays undertones of violence.
‘thy beauty hath made me effeminate’
A3
-patriarchal norms - within a patriarchal Elizabethan society violence was synonymous with masculinity. Romeos initial reluctance to fight, fuelled by his love for Juliet, shows how he prioritises loves tenderness over the expected norms of aggression.
-effeminate image - however, mercutios death acts as a catalyst for a dramatic shift in romeos character. as ‘effeminate’ created a womanly image, he becomes aware of the potentially devastating consequences of his reluctant propensity towards violence. His vow to avenge mercutio through violence can be seen has a desperate attempt to reclaim his masculine identity he lost to love.
‘then i defy you, stars!’
A5
-apostrophe - the apostrophe where Romeo directly address the stars, personifies them as tangible forces capable of replying to him. This shows Romeos deteriorating mental state and also illuminates the immense power he gives to these celestial bodies.
-exclamative sentence - the exclamative sentence emphasises Romeos descent into despair and his recognition of the tragic fate that awaits him. Despite his youthful defiance against societal, religious and familial boundaries, his defiance proves futile. The stars, once symbols of destiny, now feel like a malevolent force actively working against him.
