Ominous foreboding

Death

Chorus

‘Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie, And young affection gapes to be his heir. That fair for which love groaned for and would die, With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair.’

Explanation: Now Romeo’s infatuation for Rosaline is dead, and his love for Juliet takes its place. Those times when he groaned that he’ll die because he does not have Rosaline’s love, are now over once Juliet is compared.

Why it is chosen: These statements are telling us that Romeo’s infatuation for Rosaline has now died and has been taken over by his love for Juliet, and it is ominous as eventually, Romeo’s love for Juliet will lead to their deaths.

A2S2

‘Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief ‘ Lines 4-5~Romeo

Explanation: Let the sun kill the moon that is already pale and sick with grief.

Why it’s chosen: The sun is depicted here as fair and it "kills" the envious and sick moon, so this brings us the imagery of darkness and death.

‘The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here.’ Lines 63-65~Juliet

Explanation: The orchard walls are very high and are hard to climb, and if found here, my kinsmen will kill you.

Why it’s chosen: These statements are ominous in the sense that Juliet utters them and Romeo’s death is caused by his banishment from Verona all due to his killing of Tybalt

‘The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here.’

Lines 63-65~Juliet

Explanation: The orchard walls are very high and are hard to climb, and if found here, my kinsmen will kill you.

Why it’s chosen: It is linked to the theme of death as it mentions that Romeo will die if he is ever found by the Capulets

‘And what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.’ Lines 68-69~Romeo

Explanation: Your kinsmen are no obstacles to me.

Why it’s chosen: Tybalt’s death results in Romeo’s banishment, so he cannot see Juliet as much as he likes to. However, he still manages to look for Juliet despite his banishment, hence this sentence is ominous as her relatives really cannot stop his love no matter what they do.

‘My life were better ended by their hate, Than death prorouged, wanting of thy love.’ lines 77-78~Romeo

Explanation: My life had might as well be ended by their hate than to be postponed by wanting your love.

Why it’s chosen: These statements mention Romeo’s eventual death and are ominous as he really dies because he thinks that he cannot be with Juliet, who was merely unconscious after drinking the Friar’s potion.

‘My life were better ended by their hate, Than death prorouged, wanting of thy love.’ lines 77-78~Romeo

Explanation: My life had might as well be ended by their hate than to be postponed by wanting your love.

Why it’s chosen: These statements mention Romeo’s death in the end.

A2S3

‘And where the worser is predominant, Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.’ lines 29-30~Friar Lawrence

Explanation: When the rude will is dominant, the maggot or worm will eat up the plant faster

Why it’s chosen: This shows us the imagery of death as disease is believed to "eat up" a healthy plant once it infects it.

‘Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.’ line 94~Friar Lawrence

Explanation: They’ll stumble if they are rash but not if they do things wisely and slowly.

Why it’s chosen: This is Friar Lawrence’s advice to Romeo and Juliet to not be too rash in their actions, and it eventually works against them at the end of the play.

A2S4

‘Alas poor Romeo, he is already dead, stabbed with a white wench’s black eye, run through the ear with a love-song, the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow-boy’s buttshaft; and is he a man to encounter Tybalt?’ lines 13-17~Mercutio

Explanation: Romeo already seems to be dead because he has fallen out of love, so how can he be a match for Tybalt?

Why it’s chosen: These statements by Mercutio are ominous as eventually Romeo does die because he kills Tybalt, which results in his unnecessary banishment and his separation from Juliet.

‘Alas poor Romeo, he is already dead, stabbed with a white wench’s black eye, run through the ear with a love-song, the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow-boy’s buttshaft; and is he a man to encounter Tybalt?’ lines 13-17~Mercutio

Explanation: Romeo already seems to be dead because he has fallen out of love, so how can he be a match for Tybalt?

Why it’s chosen: It is linked to the theme of death as Mercutio describes Romeo to have died because he fell in love.

A2S6

‘So smile the heavens upon this holy act, That the after-hours with sorrow chide us not’ lines1-2~ Friar Lawrence

Explanation: May the Heavens bless this marriage, so that sorrow will not plague it in the future. Why it’s chosen: This is ominous as the Friar is already worrying about Romeo and Juliet’s union before he marries them. He does not know of the unpleasant events to come.

‘Do thou but close our hands with holy words, Then love- devouring death do what he dare, It is enough that I may but call her mine’ lines 6-8~Romeo

Explanation: Please join us with marriage, as I want to call her mine despite death being love-devouring.

Why it’s chosen: Romeo calls death "love-devouring", and it is true as he and Juliet are consumed by their love for each other.

‘Do thou but close our hands with holy words, Then love- devouring death do what he dare, It is enough that I may but call her mine’ lines 6-8~Romeo

Explanation: Please join us with marriage, as I want to call her mine despite death being love-devouring.

Why it’s chosen: Romeo calls death "love-devouring", and it is true as he and Juliet are consumed by their love for each other.

‘These violent delights have violent ends, And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.’ lines 9-11~ Friar Lawrence

Explanation: Passion is powerful like fire and gunpowder, which when brought together, will destroy.

Why it’s chosen: Friar Lawrence does not know that the lovers will die in the end, but he is unwittingly and accurately predicting their doom here.

‘These violent delights have violent ends, And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.’ lines 9-11~ Friar Lawrence

Explanation: Passion is powerful like fire and gunpowder, which when brought together, will destroy.

Why it’s chosen:

It is linked to the theme of death as he mentions that they will die due to the "violent delights" that they are partaking in, which is their love for each other.