Romoe Quote analysis

Question 1

A1S1- “The grove of sycamore” – Benvolio to him

Answer 1

• Romeo’s actions are dissected by the supporting male constructs, namely Benvolio and Mercutio who serve as critics of Petrarchan discourse – who satirize his immature infatuation
• ‘sycamore’ typically associated with Petrarchan lovers
• Pun ‘sick-amour’ emphasizes his sullen state pines/laments for unrequited love

Question 2

A1S4 “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too rude and it pricks like thorn.”

Answer 2

• Romeo questions love here, argueably uncharacteristic as he strikes audience as a character that loves love
• asyndetic listing also creates tension in which the climax is the simile at the end.
• quote is mirrored by Juliet in “too rash, too unadvised, too sudden

Question 3

A1S1 ‘what fray was here? Tell me not,for I have heard it all’
‘Theres much to do with hate, but more with love’

Answer 3

• the imperative phrase ‘tell me not’ may imply he has no desire to be involved with such a feud, but rather ‘more with love’
• idea that love and hate coincide with each other
• The word ‘much’ conveys the depth to Romeo’s rational understanding, as he understands that love and hate co-exist.

Question 4

A1S1- “O brawling love, O loving hate” …“cold fire, sick health”

Answer 4

• Oxymoron highlights the ineffability/ineffable quality of love; it is full of contradictions it is no easy path
• Part of a 13-line imperfect sonnet, flawed experiences with love, lamenting the possibility of Rosaline?
• The imperfect sonnet’s sporadic rhyme scheme highlights love’s unpredictability and how that was way he met Juliet – however ‘star corss’d’ means God plan

Question 5

A2S2- “Juliet is the sun”

Answer 5

• Highlights how Romeo idolises Juliet despite meeting once
• Celestial imagery ‘sun’ elevates her to heavenly esteem, links to fatalism of their soon to be demise to heaVen
• Vitalises her, accentuates his feeling of deep infatuation

Question 6

‘I am not for this ambling… I will hear the light’.

Answer 6

• ‘ambling’ conveys his desire to not follow through with whatever Mercutio has to say and is a slow and cumbersome movement.
• He lacks ‘light’ in his life - specifically a guiding light that becomes Juliet.
• Motif of light gets him through daark despairs of unrequited
• ‘a shrine’ highlights the extent to which he is enamoured by her.
• “make blessed my rude hand”

Question 7

‘thy beauty hath made me effeminate”….”softnened valours steel”

Answer 7

• ‘effeminate’ suggests his inability to conform with the violent, masculine societal structures.
• ‘soften’d’ serves to further symbolise his emasculation as swords are typically associated with violence and bravery.
• his use of ‘beauty’ rather than love, could be interpreted as his love for Juliet contiang true, genuine quality as he only compliments her to the end.