Whereas Benvolio and Mercutio use violence as a means of action-to attempt to exert control over their own lives, and intimidate others-Romeo accepts that he cannot control his own destiny, and that he may not be able to avoid the "fearful date" of his "untimely death." "But he that hath the steerage of my course / Direct my sail," he declares at the end of this monologue, describing fate as an external force that will "direct" the course of his life. These qualities put him at odds with his kinsmen, Benvolio and Mercutio, who are more bold and rash (particularly Mercutio, who ends up stepping in for Romeo in a duel with Tybalt). Romeo appears cautious and diffident in several moments in the play, including this one. He correctly predicts that the "night's revels" will result in his own death, which his depressed state of mind leads him to view as the expiration of the term of his own "despisèd life." (Ironically, and tragically, Romeo will regain his youthful exuberance and faith in life's possibilities by falling in love with Juliet during the "night's revels.") Although Rosaline won't factor into the play as further events unfold (and is never seen on stage), Romeo's anxieties are justified. Romeo is dejected because Rosaline hasn't returned his love, which makes him feel pessimistic and unsettled. Though the end of the play is undoubtedly tragic, this aspect of the conclusion offers some consolation to the audience, suggesting that even powerful rifts can be healed, and that the injustices of the past are not bound to recur in perpetuity. Thus, Romeo and Juliet's deaths serve as a kind of sacrifice, ensuring peace in Verona. Though Romeo and Juliet will die, bringing unending grief to both families (who must grapple with the loss of the children they formerly neglected and oppressed), "their parents' strife" will simultaneously die and be ended forever. The Chorus also clarifies one of the fundamental situational ironies of Romeo and Juliet. As a result, the Prologue becomes a kind of prophecy, guiding the plot and creating suspense, as the audience anticipates the events to come. Though the "star-crossed lovers" aren't named-nor are the warring "households"-as the play's action unfolds, it becomes clear that Romeo and Juliet will die by suicide. He points out with his dying breath that the enmity between the two families is absurd and threatens to destroy them both.The Chorus serves a clear narrative function: its dialogue (which appears in the Prologue and at the beginning of Act 2) helps to set up and explain the plot, and it also establishes the play's tone. The Chorus's introduction in the Prologue is a rather heavy-handed form of foreshadowing that lays out a road map for the entire play. This line is spoken by Mercutio, Romeo’s trusty friend, in Act 3 Scene 1, after he has been fatally wounded by Tybalt, Juliet’s kinsman. ‘These violent delights have violent ends’.įrom Act 2 Scene 6, these lines are spoken by Friar Lawrence:Īnd in their triumph die, like fire and powder The oxymoron ‘sweet sorrow’ neatly encapsulates the bittersweet feelings lovers feel when they part: they are sad to go their separate ways, but the sooner they part at night, the sooner morning will come, and they can be reunited. That I shall say good night till it be morrow. Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, Juliet’s parting words to Romeo at the end of the balcony scene, Act 2 Scene 2, form part of a couplet: Juliet bids him not to engage in such performative rhapsodising at all, unless he swears on himself. Romeo asks what he should swear on, if he shouldn’t swear by the moon. Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, Romeo begins swearing by the moon that he loves Juliet, but she replies: This is another one of the most famous lines to appear in the ‘balcony scene’, Act 2 Scene 2. ‘O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon’. Juliet, of course, wants Romeo to jettison his family name, Montague, because then he would not belong to the family that is her family’s sworn enemy. Her point is that names are arbitrary, and can easily be cast aside without our losing anything that makes us who we are. This is one of the most famous couplets spoken by Juliet, from the same scene as her ‘wherefore art thou, Romeo’ speech. ‘What’s in a name? that which we call a rose Of course, disavowing one’s family and one’s name is not as easily done as Juliet suggests here, in her naivety, but her speech conveys the passion she feels for him: she is prepared to forgo the love and support of her family in order to be with Romeo. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? One of the most frequently misunderstood quotations from Romeo and Juliet is Juliet’s question to her lover, in Act 2 Scene 2: not where are you Romeo, but why are you Romeo (i.e., a Montague, a member of an enemy family)?
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