Romeo and Juliet - 25 Quotes to get you through

Romeo and Juliet - 25 Quotes to get you through

What follows is a list of twenty five quotes that will help you smash the 'Romeo and Juliet' question. As I'm sure your teacher will tell you, the AQA exam is based on an extract, and you should take quotations from that. But knowing other quotations will allow you to make meaningful interpretations of the whole text. In addition, if you have stuff to say about quotes you know, that takes some of the pressure off to identify terminology in a passage you might not be super familiar with.

1

Chorus: A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life

Scene: Prologue

Themes: fate, love

Here the chorus tells the audience what to expect right at the start of the play. The adjective "star-cross'd" implies that the lovers fate is a forgone conclusion. If this is true, we have to ask ourselves if we can blame Romeo and Juliet at all for what happens to them. Asingular noun life is used to show that Romeo and Juliet are one person, they are so absolutely united in love.

2

Benvolio: I do but keep the peace / Tybalt: peace! I hate the word

Scene: Act 1 Scene 1

Themes: conflict, Benvolio, Tybalt

In this pair of quotes we see the opposing attitudes of Benvolio and Tybalt. The use of short sentences shows that the characters are definite in their beliefs. Tybalt uses an exclamation and the powerful verb "hate" to highlight his violent nature. Benvolio usesassonance of the the 'ee' sound to give his words a slow and gentle effect.

3

Romeo: O brawling love! O loving hate!

Scene: Act 1 Scene 1

Themes: love, conflict, fate, Romeo

Here Romeo is talking about his feelings for Rosaline. Coming straight after the brawl at the start of the play, the audience can see Shakespeare making links between love and violence. The oxymorons here show that love is both and positive and negative, and that it is composed only of extremes. The use of exclamations and minor sentences makes this effect even more dramatic.

4

Capulet: Let two more summers wither in their pride, / Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Scene: Act 1 Scene 2

Themes: parenting, power, love, youth, Capulet, Juliet

Capulet is persuading Paris to wait to marry Juliet. He uses the lexis of agriculture ("summers", "ripe") to show that he sees Juliet as a crop that he must nurture. It may seem positive at first glance, but we might think that like a farmer, Capulet sees Juliet as his crop and he is only nurturing on order to maximise the value of the deal he can reach to secure her marriage.

5

Paris: Younger than she are happy mothers made. / Lady Capulet (Act 1 Scene 3):  younger than you, [..] Are made already mothers

Scene: Act 1 Scene 2 (Paris) and Act 1 Scene 3 (Lady Capulet)
Themes: marriage, love, Paris, Lady Capulet

In these two quotes we see Paris and Lady Capulet using almost identical  arguments to justify the marriage of the thirteen year-old Juliet to Paris. Both use the comparative "younger" to normalise the idea of the marriage. This suggests that even to a Shakespearian audience the idea of marrying so young would be uncomfortable. The two characters present a socially conservative view of marriage, where emotions and attraction are a low priority. Modern audiences are likely to disapprove of these characters.

6

Juliet: It is an honour that I dream not of.

Scene: Act 1 Scene 3

Themes: love, youth, marriage, parenting, women, Juliet, Lady Capulet

When Juliet is asked whether she has thought about marriage she says this. It is a short sentence that makes it seem as if she is being clear and direct. However the verb "dream" is ambiguous.  Lady Capulet thinks it means that the idea of marriage is so exciting that Juliet could hardly think about it. The audience can see that she is really saying that she has no intention of getting married. Throughout the play we see Juliet use ambiguity with great skill, showing her intelligence, but also highlighting the restrictions that women had to live under.

7

Mercutio: If love be rough with you, be rough with love;

Scene: Act 1 Scene 4

Themes: love, Romeo, Mercutio

As the Montagues make their way to the Capulet's party, Romeo and Mercutio talk about love. Romeo is weighed down by "love's heavy burden" but Mercutio uses a bicolon to say that if love doesn't play fair with you then you shouldn't play fair in love either. The use of aconditional sentence shows Mercutio to be logical and practical where Romeo is romantic and self-indulgent.

8

Romeo: my mind misgives / Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Scene: Act 1 Scene 4

Themes: fate, dreams, Romeo

As they approach the Capulets party, Romeo tells Mercutio about a dream he has had. The dream tells Romeo that something about that night will leas to his death. The noun "stars" is used as a symbol of fate in the play. And this is the first time where dreams and visionsforeshadow later events in the play. We wonder whether Romeo is actually a helpless victim of fate, or whether he is choosing a path that leads to his destruction.

9

Romeo: O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

Scene: Act 1 Scene 5

Themes: love, light and dark, Romeo, Juliet

When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time his reaction is extreme. He uses hyperbole and metaphor to show us this powerful reaction. He uses alliterated plosives ('t' and 'b' sounds) to make this short sentence even more passionate. The use of an exclamation mark add to this effect even further. As an audience we have to ask ourselves whether the strength of this reaction is rational, or whether it is the product of Romeo's romanticism and immaturity.

10

Romeo: It is the east, and Juliet is the sun

Scene: Act 2 Scene 2

Themes: love, Romeo, Juliet

This is what Romeo says when he sees Juliet at her balcony after the Capulet's party. His metaphor, comaring Juliet to the sun suggests that she is a source of light and new life, as if his love for her is energising. That "It is the east" suggests that Juliet represents a new dawn for Romeo. It is as if his whole life has changed.

11

Juliet:  that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet

Scene: Act 2 Scene 2

Themes: identity, love, Juliet

Juliet is looking for a way to justify her attraction to Romeo (an enemy to her family). She uses this analogy. She argues that Romeo's name doesn't matter. What matters are his qualities. Throughout the play we see Juliet's keen intelligence and her ability to think abstractly like this is just one example of her skill with language.

12

Friar Lawrence: violent delights have violent ends

Scene: Act 2 Scence 6

Theme: love, marriage, youth, Friar Lawrence, Romeo, Juliet

The Friar appears to be having second thoughts about marrying Romeo and Juliet. Here we see "violent delights", a euphemism for sex, is juxtaposed with "violent ends" which implies death. As an audience  we see the Friar is aware of the risks of the marriage, and we have to ask ourselves why he does not do more to persuade the couple against it.

13

MERCUTIO: A plague o' both your houses!

Scene: Act 3 Scene 1
Themes: conflict, fate, Mercutio

When Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, he says "A plague o' both yourhouses!" three times. The repetition marks this a a key quote in the play. Mercutio curses the Montagues and the Capulets in this curse. It's important to note that he blames "both" houses, as this scene marks a reversal in the play where things begin to go wrong. It seems that Mercutio believes that it is the families' feud is responsible for his death.

14

 ROMEO: fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!

Scene: Act 3 Scene 1
Themes: conflict, youth, Romeo

Romeo's reaction to Tybalt's death is a reversal of his mood, from pacification to wild fury. The alliteration and the exclamation shows Romeo's all-consuming rage.

15

ROMEO: O, I am fortune's fool!

Scene: Act 3 Scene 1
Themes: fate, Romeo

When Romeo realises the seriousness of what he has done in killing Tybalt, he declares that he is "fortune's fool". Again there's alliteration and an exclamation. We see Romeo blaming fate for his predicament. We wonder whether Romeo's dowfall is his own fault, or whether Romeo  is indeed the helpless victim of fate.

16

ROMEO: There is no world without Verona walls,

Scene: Act 3 Scene 3
Themes: youth, Romeo
Romeo's reaction to being banished is to use a hyperbole. The quotation shows the limits of Romeo's experience and highlights his immaturity.

17

ROMEO: More light and light; more dark and dark our woes!

Scene: Act 3 Scene 5
Themes: love, fate, Romeo, Juliet

Here the effect of the light and dark imagery returns again. The repetition and juxtaposition may suggest that Romeo is not taking his situation as seriously as he should, choosing instead to play with language, but it also foreshadows the doom that waits for Romeo and Juliet at the end of the play.

18

CAPULET: Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!

Scene: Act 3 Scene 5
Themes:  marriage, power, parents, Capulet

Capulet's anger at the disobedient Juliet marks a striking contrast from his attitude at the start of the play, where he says "my will to her consent is but a part". Here the imperative and the exclamation show his anger and the metaphor shows that he considers Juliet a burden. He insults her for being "disobedient" which demonstrates the power of the patriarchy at the time. Capulet's change of manner comes as a result of the death of Tybalt. In order to maintain his power in the feud with the Montagues, Capulet needs more connections, and this is why he tries so hard to marry Juliet to Paris.

19

NURSE: I think it best you married with the county.

Scene: Act 3 Scene 5
Themes: marriage, power, Nurse

By the end of act three, even the Nurse deserts Juliet. She suggests that Juliet marry Paris without acknowledging her marriage to Romeo. So we see the Nurse as both practical and willing to deceive. In this way she acts as a foil to the overly romantic Juliet.

20

CAPULET: Death is my son-in-law, Death is my heir;

Scene: Act 3 Scene 5

Themes:  death, power, women, Capulet

Capulet's reaction to Juliet's body is to lament his loss of a"Son-in-Law" and an "heir". He prioritises these over the loss of a daughter! His choice of metaphor suggests that he is a character more interested in his legacy than in the welfare of his daughter.

21

ROMEO: I defy you, stars!

Scene: Act 5 Scene 1
Themes: fate, youth,  Romeo

When Romeo hears of Juliet's 'death' he reacts dramatically. He rejects fate, and resolves to take matters into his own hands. We might wonder whether fate would have been kinder if he had shown more patience. On the other hand it could be that Romeo's dramatic reaction is actually a  part of the fate that leads the "star-crossed lovers" to their death.

22

ROMEO: I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none.

Scene: Act 5 Scene 1
Themes: power, death, Romeo

When Romeo pays for his poison, he uses parallelism to tell us that money is the true poison in this situation, that it is money that is the real bringer of death. We can think about this quotation in two ways. Firstly it can be seen as Romeo's moment of anagnorisis (a moment of realisation and insight) where Romeo recognises that money and power have been the true causes of his misery. On the other hand this kind of dramatic statement making may  all be a part of Romeo's immature posturing. Shakespeare's wealthier patrons are likely to think the latter.

23

ROMEO: Thus with a kiss I die.

Scene: Act 5 Scene 3
Themes: love, death, youth,  Romeo

When Romeo dies he does so with a kiss, mirroring the moment he meets Juliet in Act 1 Scene 5. The word 'kiss' shows that Romeo's focus is on the physical rather that spiritual, and may suggest the love has as much to do with drama as it does with a spiritual bond.

24

JULIET: O happy dagger!

Scene: Act 5 Scene 3
Themes: youth, death, Juliet

When Juliet stabs herself she uses this exclamation. This shows her passion and her energy. The phrase "happy dagger" is an oxymoron that reminds us of Romeo's shallow love for Rosaline in the first scene. Some readers might feel that Shakespeare is implying a shallowness in Romeo and Juliet's relationship.

25

PRINCE ESCALES: A glooming peace

Scene: Act 5 Scene 3
Themes: power, fate, Prince

At the end of the play the Prince announces a "glooming peace". The choice of adjective here is surprising as it suggests a degree of pessimism. Does the Prince really believe that Capulet and Montagues offers of peace are going to last?