Friar Lawrence's description of what will happen to Juliet after she drinks the contents of the vial stuck out to me.
"The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade To paly ashes, thy eyes' windows fall Like death when he shuts up the day of life" (IV.i.101-103).
I love the metaphor of roses being the color in Juliet's lips and cheeks, and windows being her eyelids. It makes the images of her face losing color and her eyes heavily shutting much more vivid, especially because of the contrasting images of roses against ashes, and 'windows [that] fall like death" against 'the day of life." Shakespeare also uses a simile to compare the way the eyelids fall to death closing the curtain on life.
What stood out to me was the speech that Juliet gave to Friar Lawerence threatening to kill herself.
"God joined my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo sealed, Shall be the label to another deed, Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Turn to another, this shall slay them both." (IV.i. 56-60)
This quote stood out to me because I think a quote like this remind the audience just how young Juliet, and Romeo, are. In the previous act Romeo threatened to kill himself because he hears about Juliet's distress over his murder of her cousin. Juliet threatens to kill herself because she doesn't want to marry the man that her father has set up for her. Nowadays it is not uncommon for a teenager to say something like "If I have to do X I'll kill myself!" Of course in this play these teenagers are taking it a little bit more literally but it still shows just how dramatic and immature these two lovers really are. They rely on impulse and don't think about their actions first. This is a common theme we seem to see from these two throughout the play.
After witnessing the harsh way in which he treated Juliet in the past couple of scenes, I carefully observed Capulet's behavior in scene one of act four in order to try to gain a better understanding of his character. At the beginning of scene one, Paris reveals the reason that Capulet so badly wants Juliet and Paris to wed immediately. Paris explains,
"Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talk of love, For Venus smiles not in a house of tears. Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous That she do give her sorrow so much sway, And in his wisdom hastes our marriage To stop the inundation of her tears, Which, too much minded by herself alone, May be put from her by society. Now do you know the reason of this haste." (IV. i. 6-15)
In other words, Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris so that she can recover from the tragedy of losing her cousin and be happy again. Does this change anyone's opinion of Capulet? Although this quote seems to make up for Capulet's hostile behavior earlier in the play, and makes it seem as though he has good intentions, I can't help but wonder if this is really the case. I get the feeling that he has an ulterior motive--if he truly cared for Juliet's happiness, why wouldn't he take into account what she wants?
"Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution As that is desperate which we would prevent" (IV.i. 69-71)
In the first scene of Act 4, Friar Lawrence comes up with an idea for Juliet to get out of marrying Paris. He gives her a vial that she is to drink before the wedding day and it will make appear dead. Friar Lawrence says this line after Juliet tells him that she would rather kill herself than marry Paris and asks for his help. The line jumped out at me because of the word choice. Shakespeare uses words such as "craves" and "desperate" to describe the situation and how Juliet is feeling; she is desperate to get out of the marriage with Paris and to be with Romeo. In the lines, the Friar is telling her that he does see some hope and that they must act quickly. The line gives the effect that something must be done now; it proves Juliet's love for Romeo and shows what she is willing to do for him.
At the beginning of Act 4 Scene 1 Paris and Juliet have an interesting conversation. Juliet seems frank, almost rude to Paris, but rightfully so. She doesn't want to marry him and is frustrated with her father and taking out her frustration on Paris. As Juliet says things like, "may be a wife" (19) Paris corrects her, oblivious to the situation that Juliet has already been married. Juliet also says she wishes to make a confession to the Friar, Paris advises Juliet's confession to be her love for Paris (24), but Juliet says, "I will confess to you that I love him" (26) implying Romeo. The part of this dialogue that confused me the most were lines 30-35 "Paris:Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears. Juliet: The tears have got small victory by that, For it was bad enough before their spite. ParisL Thou wrong'st it more than tears with that report. Juliet: That is no slander, sit which is a truth, And what I spake, I spake it to my face" I know there is an important metaphor for the tears she is talking about but I'm not sure what it is!
"I met the youthful lord at Lawrence' cell And gave him what becomed love I might, Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty."
I understand that Juliet is saying this to only please her father and to complete her plan of her "fake death". But I don't understand why she doesn't object to the marriage happening on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Friar told her to drink the potion on Wednesday night, the night before the wedding. Will they get word to Romeo on time? I like how her mother says that there isn't enough time to have everything ready by the next morning, but I still don't like Juliet's father. They way he talks to his wife and daughter is so demeaning. It will be interesting to read his reaction to Juliet's "death".
"Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears" (IV.i.30).
The irony os this statement, and others like it, has really been interesting to me throughout the reading. Paris, Capulet, and lady Capulet claim that they want to stop Juliet's tears. They believe that Juliet's tears pour for Tybalt and his death, when in reality she cries over the loss of her love Romeo. They push the wedding on Juliet in an attempt to make her feel better. In reality, this is the worse possible thing they could do. The thought of committing adultery is enough to make Juliet want to kill herself. Also, Capulet becomes upset when his daughter no longer listens to his every whim. This is because Juliet no longer belongs to Capulet, she belongs to Romeo. The harder Capulet pushes Juliet, the harder she fights back.
I thought it was really shocking that Friar Lawrence, who has been something of a voice of reason for Romeo throughout this whole story, is the one that suggests suicide to Juliet, saying:
"Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution As that is desperate which we would prevent.If, rather than to marry County Paris, Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, Then is it likely thou wilt undertake A thing like death to chide away this shame, That cop'st with death himself to 'scape from it; And if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy" (IV. i. 69-77).
I just think this is appalling that he would cast suicide as the only "kind of hope" left for Juliet. I also thought that, in the Bible, suicide is a sin, and if that is true, for a man of the church, Friar Lawrence doesn't really stick to the his Christian guns, for lack of a better phrase. His telling Juliet that he'll help her commit suicide goes against what the church stands for, and it is interesting that Shakespeare would choose a Friar to play this role in Romeo & Juliet.
In Act I, readers were given a detailed look into the mind of Romeo. We found a boy who was romantic, sensitive, thoughful, and someone who put love before all. I believe that readers begin to see the full scope of Juliet's emotions in Act IV. For me, the darkness is what has stood out. Though we have read lines where it seemed Juliet was very depressed, I believe that at her core, she is an optimist. After all, how else could they have believed that their marriage would work out? Though she was hesitant of the love at first, it became easy to write Juliet off as an impulsive, love drunk girl. In recent readings, a darker side of her has been shown. A Juliet:
O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of any tower, Or walk in thievish ways, or bid me lurk Where serpents are. Chain me with roaring bears, Or hide me nightly in a charnel house, O'vercovered quite with dead men's rattling bones, With reeky shanks and yellow [chapless] skulls. Or bid me go into a new-made grave And hide me with a dead man in his [shroud] (Things that to hear them told have made me tremble) And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstained wife to my sweet love.
In her plea to Friar Lawrence, Juliet lists suicide, hiding with the dead, and being chained by bears as alternatives to a marriage to Paris. For me the imagery of being surrounded by yellowing skeletons is a haunting image. The terrible tortures she would rather face than bring shame unto her secret marriage made me realize how loyal Juliet can be to what she loves, and it shows her deep sense of personal integrity that I had previously overlooked. I also feel that the darker images show us how much Juliet has grown over the past pages; she is strong enough to stick to her beliefs regardless of whatever personal loss (ex: loss of family) she might suffer. Though this speech confirms my thought that Juliet can be impractical and overdramatic, it caused me to really think about her dedication to true love.
The whole time I have been reading the play, I have been taking note of the gap between the youth and the old. While the children make rash decisions that lead to conflict and drama, I think it is the parents who are truly at fault in the play. It is they who are the cause of all the tension and pointless hate and the reason their children have to go to such extremes to overcome their petty strife.
When Juliet is talking to Paris in scene 1, she says, "What must be shall be" (4.1.21), and then in scene 2 when Capulet is preparing Paris and Juliet's wedding, he says "This is as't should be" (4.2.30). This small comment by Capulet highlights his ignorance and his inability to see past his own desires. At first he ignores Juliet's violent protests to marry Paris, and when she turns around the next day and acts enthusiastic about it, he has not even the slightest idea that she it is, in fact, a complete act. He is so concerned about his own opinions and desires that he is unable to understand or care for other people's.
At the end of Act 1 Juliet agrees to take the potion that Friar has offered her in a means of tricking her family that she is dead so that she can be rescued by Romeo and live happily ever after.
The short dialogue goes like so:
FRIAR LAWRENCE Hold, get you gone. Be strong and prosperous In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed To Mantua with my letters to thy lord. (4.1.124-126)
JULIET Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford. Farewell, dear Father. (4.1.127-129)
It is interesting to note the support Friar has for this marriage. Earlier in the play, Friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in hopes of ending the feud between the two families--even though he feels like this marriage is being rushed and a bit immature. We read earlier how Friar constantly questions Romeo and his love for Juliet and gives him advice on how to love--making sure he takes this relationship slow, before it turns sour.
But now, Friar is helping Juliet fake a death and escape with Romeo. Doesn't that seem a bit contradicting? I mean, I do agree that Friar is being rational and giving Juliet an option besides actually putting a knife to herself, however, telling her to be strong through this process and helping her do something completely juvenile seems a bit weird to me.
I think the dramatic irony here is what's making me the most irritated. Because we all know what happens in the end, and I feel like if Friar thought of a different solution, Romeo and Juliet could of ended up together--without the miscommunication and tragic ending. I don't know...I know I'm rambling, sorry!
Throughout the play, I have noticed that women are considered as nothing more than second class citizens. Juliet is seen only as a piece of property to the men in her life with the exception of Romeo. When Juliet is speaking with Friar Lawrence, it is understandable why she is willing to die. She feels that she has nothing to live for, and while she never directly addresses this internal conflict, I think that it is an important underlying theme of the play.
Going off of what Hannah has said, Capulet's character has seemed complex to me. In the beginning of the story, as Romeo crashes his party, Capulet is not bothered by his presence, and even goes on to comment on his good reputation. However, later in the story Capulet seems much more hostile towards the idea of Romeo. He pushes Juliet to marry Paris, and seems irritated that Juliet has feelings for Romeo. Perhaps this anger has risen from Tybalt's death, but I still feel Capulet often contradicts himself.
FRIAR LAWRENCE "My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now.-- My lord, we must entreat the time alone."
"O Juliet, I already know thy grief. It strains me past the compass of my wits. I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it, On Thursday next be married to this County."
The whole play it seems that Friar Lawrence has bore the brunt of everyone's self-centered drama. Members of both Houses (Capulet and Montague) go to him for advice, and at times it seems like he bends his advice into something they actually want to hear. This leads him to rush into decisions such as letting Romeo and Juliet marry early when that turns out to hurt them in the long run. Also, it's questionable that he suggests things such as the wedding to achieve external goals, such as having both Houses of Capulet and Montague reconcile. Some may blame Friar for indirectly creating the possibility of Juliet being forced in adultery, but in the end, he's under immense pressure to be the sole mentor of the main characters of the story.
Friar Lawrence's description of what will happen to Juliet after she drinks the contents of the vial stuck out to me.
ReplyDelete"The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade
To paly ashes, thy eyes' windows fall
Like death when he shuts up the day of life" (IV.i.101-103).
I love the metaphor of roses being the color in Juliet's lips and cheeks, and windows being her eyelids. It makes the images of her face losing color and her eyes heavily shutting much more vivid, especially because of the contrasting images of roses against ashes, and 'windows [that] fall like death" against 'the day of life." Shakespeare also uses a simile to compare the way the eyelids fall to death closing the curtain on life.
What stood out to me was the speech that Juliet gave to Friar Lawerence threatening to kill herself.
ReplyDelete"God joined my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands;
And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo sealed,
Shall be the label to another deed,
Or my true heart with treacherous revolt
Turn to another, this shall slay them both." (IV.i. 56-60)
This quote stood out to me because I think a quote like this remind the audience just how young Juliet, and Romeo, are. In the previous act Romeo threatened to kill himself because he hears about Juliet's distress over his murder of her cousin. Juliet threatens to kill herself because she doesn't want to marry the man that her father has set up for her. Nowadays it is not uncommon for a teenager to say something like "If I have to do X I'll kill myself!" Of course in this play these teenagers are taking it a little bit more literally but it still shows just how dramatic and immature these two lovers really are. They rely on impulse and don't think about their actions first. This is a common theme we seem to see from these two throughout the play.
After witnessing the harsh way in which he treated Juliet in the past couple of scenes, I carefully observed Capulet's behavior in scene one of act four in order to try to gain a better understanding of his character. At the beginning of scene one, Paris reveals the reason that Capulet so badly wants Juliet and Paris to wed immediately. Paris explains,
ReplyDelete"Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death,
And therefore have I little talk of love,
For Venus smiles not in a house of tears.
Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous
That she do give her sorrow so much sway,
And in his wisdom hastes our marriage
To stop the inundation of her tears,
Which, too much minded by herself alone,
May be put from her by society.
Now do you know the reason of this haste." (IV. i. 6-15)
In other words, Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris so that she can recover from the tragedy of losing her cousin and be happy again. Does this change anyone's opinion of Capulet? Although this quote seems to make up for Capulet's hostile behavior earlier in the play, and makes it seem as though he has good intentions, I can't help but wonder if this is really the case. I get the feeling that he has an ulterior motive--if he truly cared for Juliet's happiness, why wouldn't he take into account what she wants?
"Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope,
ReplyDeleteWhich craves as desperate an execution
As that is desperate which we would prevent" (IV.i. 69-71)
In the first scene of Act 4, Friar Lawrence comes up with an idea for Juliet to get out of marrying Paris. He gives her a vial that she is to drink before the wedding day and it will make appear dead. Friar Lawrence says this line after Juliet tells him that she would rather kill herself than marry Paris and asks for his help. The line jumped out at me because of the word choice. Shakespeare uses words such as "craves" and "desperate" to describe the situation and how Juliet is feeling; she is desperate to get out of the marriage with Paris and to be with Romeo. In the lines, the Friar is telling her that he does see some hope and that they must act quickly. The line gives the effect that something must be done now; it proves Juliet's love for Romeo and shows what she is willing to do for him.
At the beginning of Act 4 Scene 1 Paris and Juliet have an interesting conversation. Juliet seems frank, almost rude to Paris, but rightfully so. She doesn't want to marry him and is frustrated with her father and taking out her frustration on Paris. As Juliet says things like, "may be a wife" (19) Paris corrects her, oblivious to the situation that Juliet has already been married. Juliet also says she wishes to make a confession to the Friar, Paris advises Juliet's confession to be her love for Paris (24), but Juliet says, "I will confess to you that I love him" (26) implying Romeo. The part of this dialogue that confused me the most were lines 30-35
ReplyDelete"Paris:Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears.
Juliet: The tears have got small victory by that,
For it was bad enough before their spite.
ParisL Thou wrong'st it more than tears with that report.
Juliet: That is no slander, sit which is a truth,
And what I spake, I spake it to my face"
I know there is an important metaphor for the tears she is talking about but I'm not sure what it is!
"I'll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning."
ReplyDelete"I met the youthful lord at Lawrence' cell
And gave him what becomed love I might,
Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty."
I understand that Juliet is saying this to only please her father and to complete her plan of her "fake death". But I don't understand why she doesn't object to the marriage happening on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Friar told her to drink the potion on Wednesday night, the night before the wedding. Will they get word to Romeo on time? I like how her mother says that there isn't enough time to have everything ready by the next morning, but I still don't like Juliet's father. They way he talks to his wife and daughter is so demeaning. It will be interesting to read his reaction to Juliet's "death".
"Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears" (IV.i.30).
ReplyDeleteThe irony os this statement, and others like it, has really been interesting to me throughout the reading. Paris, Capulet, and lady Capulet claim that they want to stop Juliet's tears. They believe that Juliet's tears pour for Tybalt and his death, when in reality she cries over the loss of her love Romeo. They push the wedding on Juliet in an attempt to make her feel better. In reality, this is the worse possible thing they could do. The thought of committing adultery is enough to make Juliet want to kill herself. Also, Capulet becomes upset when his daughter no longer listens to his every whim. This is because Juliet no longer belongs to Capulet, she belongs to Romeo. The harder Capulet pushes Juliet, the harder she fights back.
I thought it was really shocking that Friar Lawrence, who has been something of a voice of reason for Romeo throughout this whole story, is the one that suggests suicide to Juliet, saying:
ReplyDelete"Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope,
Which craves as desperate an execution
As that is desperate which we would prevent.If, rather than to marry County Paris,
Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,
Then is it likely thou wilt undertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That cop'st with death himself to 'scape from it;
And if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy" (IV. i. 69-77).
I just think this is appalling that he would cast suicide as the only "kind of hope" left for Juliet. I also thought that, in the Bible, suicide is a sin, and if that is true, for a man of the church, Friar Lawrence doesn't really stick to the his Christian guns, for lack of a better phrase. His telling Juliet that he'll help her commit suicide goes against what the church stands for, and it is interesting that Shakespeare would choose a Friar to play this role in Romeo & Juliet.
In Act I, readers were given a detailed look into the mind of Romeo. We found a boy who was romantic, sensitive, thoughful, and someone who put love before all. I believe that readers begin to see the full scope of Juliet's emotions in Act IV. For me, the darkness is what has stood out. Though we have read lines where it seemed Juliet was very depressed, I believe that at her core, she is an optimist. After all, how else could they have believed that their marriage would work out? Though she was hesitant of the love at first, it became easy to write Juliet off as an impulsive, love drunk girl. In recent readings, a darker side of her has been shown. A
ReplyDeleteJuliet:
O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of any tower,
Or walk in thievish ways, or bid me lurk
Where serpents are. Chain me with roaring bears,
Or hide me nightly in a charnel house,
O'vercovered quite with dead men's rattling bones,
With reeky shanks and yellow [chapless] skulls.
Or bid me go into a new-made grave
And hide me with a dead man in his [shroud]
(Things that to hear them told have made me tremble)
And I will do it without fear or doubt,
To live an unstained wife to my sweet love.
In her plea to Friar Lawrence, Juliet lists suicide, hiding with the dead, and being chained by bears as alternatives to a marriage to Paris. For me the imagery of being surrounded by yellowing skeletons is a haunting image. The terrible tortures she would rather face than bring shame unto her secret marriage made me realize how loyal Juliet can be to what she loves, and it shows her deep sense of personal integrity that I had previously overlooked. I also feel that the darker images show us how much Juliet has grown over the past pages; she is strong enough to stick to her beliefs regardless of whatever personal loss (ex: loss of family) she might suffer. Though this speech confirms my thought that Juliet can be impractical and overdramatic, it caused me to really think about her dedication to true love.
The whole time I have been reading the play, I have been taking note of the gap between the youth and the old. While the children make rash decisions that lead to conflict and drama, I think it is the parents who are truly at fault in the play. It is they who are the cause of all the tension and pointless hate and the reason their children have to go to such extremes to overcome their petty strife.
ReplyDeleteWhen Juliet is talking to Paris in scene 1, she says, "What must be shall be" (4.1.21), and then in scene 2 when Capulet is preparing Paris and Juliet's wedding, he says "This is as't should be" (4.2.30). This small comment by Capulet highlights his ignorance and his inability to see past his own desires. At first he ignores Juliet's violent protests to marry Paris, and when she turns around the next day and acts enthusiastic about it, he has not even the slightest idea that she it is, in fact, a complete act. He is so concerned about his own opinions and desires that he is unable to understand or care for other people's.
At the end of Act 1 Juliet agrees to take the potion that Friar has offered her in a means of tricking her family that she is dead so that she can be rescued by Romeo and live happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteThe short dialogue goes like so:
FRIAR LAWRENCE
Hold, get you gone. Be strong and prosperous
In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed
To Mantua with my letters to thy lord. (4.1.124-126)
JULIET
Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford.
Farewell, dear Father. (4.1.127-129)
It is interesting to note the support Friar has for this marriage. Earlier in the play, Friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in hopes of ending the feud between the two families--even though he feels like this marriage is being rushed and a bit immature. We read earlier how Friar constantly questions Romeo and his love for Juliet and gives him advice on how to love--making sure he takes this relationship slow, before it turns sour.
But now, Friar is helping Juliet fake a death and escape with Romeo. Doesn't that seem a bit contradicting? I mean, I do agree that Friar is being rational and giving Juliet an option besides actually putting a knife to herself, however, telling her to be strong through this process and helping her do something completely juvenile seems a bit weird to me.
I think the dramatic irony here is what's making me the most irritated. Because we all know what happens in the end, and I feel like if Friar thought of a different solution, Romeo and Juliet could of ended up together--without the miscommunication and tragic ending. I don't know...I know I'm rambling, sorry!
Paris: "Do not deny to him that you love me" (Act 4. Scene 1. 25).
ReplyDeleteJuliet: "I will confess to you that I love him" (Act 4. Scene 1. 26).
Juliet: "O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris" (Act 4. Scene 1. 78).
Throughout the play, I have noticed that women are considered as nothing more than second class citizens. Juliet is seen only as a piece of property to the men in her life with the exception of Romeo. When Juliet is speaking with Friar Lawrence, it is understandable why she is willing to die. She feels that she has nothing to live for, and while she never directly addresses this internal conflict, I think that it is an important underlying theme of the play.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of what Hannah has said, Capulet's character has seemed complex to me. In the beginning of the story, as Romeo crashes his party, Capulet is not bothered by his presence, and even goes on to comment on his good reputation.
ReplyDeleteHowever, later in the story Capulet seems much more hostile towards the idea of Romeo. He pushes Juliet to marry Paris, and seems irritated that Juliet has feelings for Romeo.
Perhaps this anger has risen from Tybalt's death, but I still feel Capulet often contradicts himself.
FRIAR LAWRENCE
ReplyDelete"My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now.--
My lord, we must entreat the time alone."
"O Juliet, I already know thy grief.
It strains me past the compass of my wits.
I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it,
On Thursday next be married to this County."
The whole play it seems that Friar Lawrence has bore the brunt of everyone's self-centered drama. Members of both Houses (Capulet and Montague) go to him for advice, and at times it seems like he bends his advice into something they actually want to hear. This leads him to rush into decisions such as letting Romeo and Juliet marry early when that turns out to hurt them in the long run. Also, it's questionable that he suggests things such as the wedding to achieve external goals, such as having both Houses of Capulet and Montague reconcile. Some may blame Friar for indirectly creating the possibility of Juliet being forced in adultery, but in the end, he's under immense pressure to be the sole mentor of the main characters of the story.