Quotes- Analysis and Interpretation
Prologue: "Star-crossed lovers."
Very tragic
Symbolises two people who have gone against fate to be with each other, with disastrous consequences
Excites the audience, as they are watching a play with tragic consequences
Metaphor- Suggests the prophetic alignments of the stars are against them
"Star-crossed"- Illustrating a couple whose bond of love is destined to fail; it is inevitable
Prologue: "Death mark'd love."
Oxymoron- suggests that love has already been tainted from the start
Shakespeare tells us that death is present in the play and is intertwined with love
Imagery ("mark'd")- Gives us a sense of predetermined path
Act 1, Scene 4: "Under love's heavy burden do I sink." (Romeo)
May be a sexual innuendo
Personification ("love")- When in love, they are crushed by the weight of responsibility
Metaphor- Love is so profound that they cannot bare the weight;
May be linked to Rosaline's unrequited love and Romeo's unbearable pain
Act 1, Scene 5: "Never saw true beauty till this night." (Romeo)
Ironic- Romeo believed that Rosaline was the most beautiful
"True"- Genuine and sincere
Act 2, Scene 1: "Love goes towards love, as schoolboys from their books." (Romeo)
Simile- Compares the excitement of going towards one's love and the difficulty of leaving one's love
Parallel constructions ("to" and "from")- Create balance
Emphasises desire to love
Act 2, Scene 2: "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls." (Romeo)
Romeo answers Juliet's serious and practical questions with a flight of romantic fantasy
Love Metaphor- True love is a liberating force
Personification- The power of love has given Romeo strength
Hyperbole- May accompany images of Christianity, angels, power, speed and freedom
Act 3, Scene 1: "Which name I tender as dearly as my own." (Juliet)
Alluding to his still secret marriage to Tybalt's cousin Juliet
Familial Love- Because he loves Juliet, Romeo values her name just as much as his own
"Tender"- Sentimental; no violence and hatred; foreshadowing
Act 3, Scene 2: "My dear-loved cousin, and my dearer lord?" (Juliet)
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Quotes- Analysis and Interpretation
Prologue: "Civil blood makes civil hands unclean."
Repetition ("civil")- Refers to the fact the that brawl between the Montagues and Capulets is effecting the whole town
Foreshadows the fight that happens in act 1, scene 1
Double meaning ("civil")- Relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns; courteous and polite
Double meaning ("unclean")- Dirty; morally wrong. Literally (with bloodstains) and figuratively, in that the political community of Verona has been ruptured
"Unclean"- Shows that all the fighting is wrong morally because it is making civils hands dirty with other civilians blood
"Civil"- implies the unity required within any political community, the breach of this being civil strife or war
"Civil hands"- implies the civility of behaviour required of citizens to keep the peace
Act 1, Scene 1: "I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues." (Tybalt)
Suggesting that he is one of the main catalysts in continuing the feud between the families
He compares the idea of "peace" with "hell" suggesting that Tybalt represents the ugliness that lies below the surface of Veronese society.
Repetition ("hate")- Shows that the hatred is instilled deep within the family
The root of the conflict is due to the feud
Act 1, Scene 5: "To fleer and scorn at our solemnity" (Tybalt)
Tybalt is infuriated by Romeo's presence at the Capulet ball
Believes the only reason a Montague would come is to mock and disrupt the Capulet feast
"Fleer"- suggests grinning or grimacing derisively; overall mockery
"Scorn"- Implies a ready or indignant contempt
Act 2, Scene 2: "If they do see thee, they will murder thee." (Juliet)
Expresses extreme hatred between the families
Any act against them- first mode of attack is violence and death
"Murder"- Connote full moral responsibility; both households feel it is not a crime to kill anyone of the other house
Romeo is risking his life to see Juliet who he has just met
Juliet fears that Romeo may be recognised and killed by the Capulet guards
Act 3, Scene 1: "O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!" (Mercutio)
Shakespeare emphasises Mercutio's sense of disgust in response to Romeo's calmness
"Vile"- demonstrates Mercutio's passion in his defense of Romeo's honour
Mercutio fears his beloved friend is appearing weak, unaware of the marriage ceremony
Power of three- extremely negative
Oxymoron- emphasises fury
Links back to the prologue
Act 3, Scene 1: "Fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!" (Romeo)
Romeo is motivated by grief and revenge
Due to the feud, Romeo's best friend and kinsmen to the Prince has been killed
Alliteration- Emphasises his grief-stricken anger
Personification ("fury")- intense heat of anger; depicts Romeo is blinded by fire, something deadly and destructive and uncontrollable
Romeo wishes to avenge Mercutio's death; the feeling is all-consuming
Metaphor- expresses how Romeo's emotions cause him to act on impulse and without control.
Conflict "!"- emphasises rage which ultimately leads to his downfall and spiral of negative effects
Act 3, Scene 1: "My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding." (Prince Escalus)
Ironic- Turning Point
Links back to the prologue
"My" "Your"- suggests that others are suffering because of the feud
"Rude"- Intentional and discourteous
"Brawl"- fighting in an uncivilized, abrupt, noisy and uncontrolled area
Act 3, Scene 2: "A damned saint! An honourable villain!" (Juliet)
Juliet cannot make sense of how her beloved husband is a hated murderer
Oxymoron- expresses inner conflict and reflects mixed up mind and feelings
Shows dichotomy existing in her soul
Prologue: "Star-crossed lovers."
Very tragic
Symbolises two people who have gone against fate to be with each other, with disastrous consequences
Excites the audience, as they are watching a play with tragic consequences
Metaphor- Suggests the prophetic alignments of the stars are against them
"Star-crossed"- Illustrating a couple whose bond of love is destined to fail; it is inevitable
Prologue: "Death mark'd love."
Oxymoron- suggests that love has already been tainted from the start
Shakespeare tells us that death is present in the play and is intertwined with love
Imagery ("mark'd")- Gives us a sense of predetermined path
Act 1, Scene 4: "Under love's heavy burden do I sink." (Romeo)
May be a sexual innuendo
Personification ("love")- When in love, they are crushed by the weight of responsibility
Metaphor- Love is so profound that they cannot bare the weight;
May be linked to Rosaline's unrequited love and Romeo's unbearable pain
Act 1, Scene 5: "Never saw true beauty till this night." (Romeo)
Ironic- Romeo believed that Rosaline was the most beautiful
"True"- Genuine and sincere
Act 2, Scene 1: "Love goes towards love, as schoolboys from their books." (Romeo)
Simile- Compares the excitement of going towards one's love and the difficulty of leaving one's love
Parallel constructions ("to" and "from")- Create balance
Emphasises desire to love
Act 2, Scene 2: "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls." (Romeo)
Romeo answers Juliet's serious and practical questions with a flight of romantic fantasy
Love Metaphor- True love is a liberating force
Personification- The power of love has given Romeo strength
Hyperbole- May accompany images of Christianity, angels, power, speed and freedom
Act 3, Scene 1: "Which name I tender as dearly as my own." (Juliet)
Alluding to his still secret marriage to Tybalt's cousin Juliet
Familial Love- Because he loves Juliet, Romeo values her name just as much as his own
"Tender"- Sentimental; no violence and hatred; foreshadowing
Act 3, Scene 2: "My dear-loved cousin, and my dearer lord?" (Juliet)
,
Quotes- Analysis and Interpretation
Prologue: "Civil blood makes civil hands unclean."
Repetition ("civil")- Refers to the fact the that brawl between the Montagues and Capulets is effecting the whole town
Foreshadows the fight that happens in act 1, scene 1
Double meaning ("civil")- Relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns; courteous and polite
Double meaning ("unclean")- Dirty; morally wrong. Literally (with bloodstains) and figuratively, in that the political community of Verona has been ruptured
"Unclean"- Shows that all the fighting is wrong morally because it is making civils hands dirty with other civilians blood
"Civil"- implies the unity required within any political community, the breach of this being civil strife or war
"Civil hands"- implies the civility of behaviour required of citizens to keep the peace
Act 1, Scene 1: "I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues." (Tybalt)
Suggesting that he is one of the main catalysts in continuing the feud between the families
He compares the idea of "peace" with "hell" suggesting that Tybalt represents the ugliness that lies below the surface of Veronese society.
Repetition ("hate")- Shows that the hatred is instilled deep within the family
The root of the conflict is due to the feud
Act 1, Scene 5: "To fleer and scorn at our solemnity" (Tybalt)
Tybalt is infuriated by Romeo's presence at the Capulet ball
Believes the only reason a Montague would come is to mock and disrupt the Capulet feast
"Fleer"- suggests grinning or grimacing derisively; overall mockery
"Scorn"- Implies a ready or indignant contempt
Act 2, Scene 2: "If they do see thee, they will murder thee." (Juliet)
Expresses extreme hatred between the families
Any act against them- first mode of attack is violence and death
"Murder"- Connote full moral responsibility; both households feel it is not a crime to kill anyone of the other house
Romeo is risking his life to see Juliet who he has just met
Juliet fears that Romeo may be recognised and killed by the Capulet guards
Act 3, Scene 1: "O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!" (Mercutio)
Shakespeare emphasises Mercutio's sense of disgust in response to Romeo's calmness
"Vile"- demonstrates Mercutio's passion in his defense of Romeo's honour
Mercutio fears his beloved friend is appearing weak, unaware of the marriage ceremony
Power of three- extremely negative
Oxymoron- emphasises fury
Links back to the prologue
Act 3, Scene 1: "Fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!" (Romeo)
Romeo is motivated by grief and revenge
Due to the feud, Romeo's best friend and kinsmen to the Prince has been killed
Alliteration- Emphasises his grief-stricken anger
Personification ("fury")- intense heat of anger; depicts Romeo is blinded by fire, something deadly and destructive and uncontrollable
Romeo wishes to avenge Mercutio's death; the feeling is all-consuming
Metaphor- expresses how Romeo's emotions cause him to act on impulse and without control.
Conflict "!"- emphasises rage which ultimately leads to his downfall and spiral of negative effects
Act 3, Scene 1: "My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding." (Prince Escalus)
Ironic- Turning Point
Links back to the prologue
"My" "Your"- suggests that others are suffering because of the feud
"Rude"- Intentional and discourteous
"Brawl"- fighting in an uncivilized, abrupt, noisy and uncontrolled area
Act 3, Scene 2: "A damned saint! An honourable villain!" (Juliet)
Juliet cannot make sense of how her beloved husband is a hated murderer
Oxymoron- expresses inner conflict and reflects mixed up mind and feelings
Shows dichotomy existing in her soul
