Romeo And Juliet - Death Flashcards
‘I would the fool were married to her grave!’ Lady capulet
Lady Capulet is essentially calling her daughter a fool and wishes that Juliet were dead for not obeying their decision. Lady Capulet is extremely disheartened that Juliet refuses to marry Paris. Her comments are also significant because they foreshadow Juliet’s death later on in the play. Lord Capulet is initially confused after hearing his wife’s comment, and Juliet elaborates on her decision not to marry Paris. Lord Capulet responds by ridiculing his daughter and mentions that Juliet disgusts him.
‘These violent delights have violent ends, in their triumph die, like fire and powder’ Friar Laurence
These words are spoken by friar Laurence in response to Romeo’s request that he should hurry up to conduct his and Juliet’s marriage. The words are actually advisory in nature and the friar uses metaphors to allude to Romeo and Juliet’s rushed conjugation.
Friar Laurence is saying that the couple’s fiery and aggressive passion would end just as savagely as it had begun, implying that this great desire for each other would suddenly die at its pinnacle, just as fire and gunpowder do. The one ignites the other, and the burst they create exists for a brief but exhilaratingly profound period and then quickly fizzles out.
The friar advises Romeo to love in moderation since this is the quality of an enduring love. If he rushes into love, he might never achieve true, meaningful and lasting love (more haste, less speed). It would only be a short, bright flame that would quickly die out.
‘O happy dagger, this is thy sheath, there rust and let me die’ juliet
A dagger or sword or any metal weapon, if not maintained, will rust. In Shakespeare’s day, sheaths were leather, and if the metal weapon was left inside unused or unmaintained long enough, the acids from the leather would corrode, or “rust” it. Similarly, if blood was allowed to remain on the metal after stabbing, and not wiped off, that would etch or “rust” the metal, leaving hemoglobin stains. Shakespeare employs a brilliant image in implying that the dagger will never be removed from its sheath, or Juliet’s bosom, and therefore will rust; the word also suggesting the eternal decay as is previously mentioned.
It means she’s going to kill herself. Juliet’s chest becomes the dagger’s sheath (place you store your cutlery). “There rust and let me die” refers to the eternity of rotting death they will spend together. She calls it happy dagger somewhat ironically, since it’s giving her what she wants, but it is still killing her.
