Romeo and Juliet Quotes

“What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” Act 1 Scene 1 – Tybalt to Benvolio – Love vs HateThe word hate is mentioned a number of times to enforce it. Tybalt compares the Montagues to hell. This starts a fight between them. Benvolio was only trying to stop the fight.
“Black and portentous” Act 1 Scene 1 – Montague to Benvolio – fate and freewill Montague thinks that bad things will happen to Romeo and is worried his condition may worsen. He also foresees the future in this quote.
“Here’s much to do with hate but more to do with love” Act 1 Scene 1- Romeo to Benvolio- Love vs hateRomeo rambling on about how terrible life is without Roseline when he notices the remains of the fight. The fight has a lot to do with hate but ultimately they are just trying to protect their loved ones.
“Ay, my own fortune in my misery” Act 1 Scene 2 – Romeo to Servent – fate and freewillServant was sent to find people from a list but cannot read. Romeo predicts his future and perhaps means that love will ultimately be his death.
“This precious book of love” Act 1 Scene 3 – Lady Capulet to Juliet – Love They are discussing the possibility of Juliet marrying Paris. Shakespeare has written so that Lady C uses this metaphor to describe Paris. Books were expensive and often beautiful even if the writing inside was rubbish.
“Some vile consequence yet hanging in the stars…By some forfeit of untimely death” Act 1 Scene 5 – Romeo – fate and freewillRomeo is out with his friends and he has an epiphany. Predicts something will happen tonight and lead onto bad things later such as death.
“But He hath steerage of my course” Act 1 Scene 5 – Romeo – fate and freewillRomeo is having an epiphany before going to the party. he feels that there s a higher power at but whether ‘He’ be a god or other is not stated, ‘He’ just has full control over all.
“To strike him dead I hold it not a sin” Act 1 Scene 5 – Tybalt to Capulet – HateTybalt has just seen Romeo at party. Tybalt does not think it’s wrong to kill Romeo because its more important to be loyal to his family.
“Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone” Act 1 Scene 5 – Capulet to Tybalt – Society vs. Indiv. Capulet tells Tybalt to calm and back off from Romeo because he is not threat. Capulet does not hate Romeo, it is his family he has a quarrel with.
“Is she a Capulet? Oh dear account! My life is my foes debt” Act 1 Scene 5 – Romeo – Love vs hateRomeo figures out that he loves Juliet and says that he must owe his life to the Capulets who are his enemies because he is in love with their daughter.
“Love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks” Act 1 End of Scene 5 – Chorus to Audience – Love + FateThe lovers’ passion is like an animal and they must be careful not to get caught by a trap, but the audience know that they do later on.
“My only love sprung from my only hate…Too early seen unknown, and known too late.” Act 1 Scene 5 – Juliet – Love vs hate + fate and freewillJuliet realizes that Romeo should be her enemy but still loves him. She wishes that fate had been kinder and allowed them to miss their meeting.
“O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father” Act 2 Scene 2 – Juliet – Society vs individualJuliet is on the balcony, talking to herself because she doesn’t know Romeo is there. Shes asking Romeo why he’s called ‘Romeo’ and what makes him ‘Romeo’ then asks him to deny his family so that they may love each other.
“Tis but thy name that is the enemy” Act 2 Scene 2 – Juliet to Romeo – Love vs Hate + Soc vs InJuliet is saying that is is not Romeo that she hates but is his name and family which really is only societies label.
“My life were better ended by their hate” Act 2 Scene 2 – Romeo to Juliet – Love vs hateRomeo is saying that he would rather be killed by Juliet’s family than have to leave her. Romeo
“Two such opposed kings encamped them still in man as well as herbs” Act 2 Scene 3 – Frair Lawerance – fate and freewillThe friar (who is a holy, peaceful herbologist) is looking for herbs and talking to himself. He is saying here that men choose their own paths and therefore their fates. Friar Lawrence
“There stays a husband to make you a wife” Act Scene 5 – Nurse to Juliet – LoveThe nurse has just come back from speaking to Romeo and the Frair to tell Juliet that his love is true and that they may marry asap.
“For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your families’ rancor to pure love” Act 2 Scene 3 – Friar Lawrence to Romeo – Soc vs Indiv. + Love vs. HateThe Friar has just said he will marry the two lovers for he hopes that their love might banish their families’ hate to bring them together.
“So smile the heavens upon this holy act that after hours with sorrow chide us not” Act 2 Scene 6 – Friar Lawrence to Lovers – Love vs Hate + Society vs IndividualThe lovers are ready to be married and the Friar is just talking to the about keeping love true. He asks the heavens to be kind to them because their parents will not like the so will need all the help they can get to keep them together.
“These violent delights have violent ends…Love moderately…” Act 2 Scene 6 – Friar Lawrence to lovers – LoveThe Friar is explaining that love can be destructive so they should lobe on measure and never take an eye off what is true.
“We shall not escape a brawl” Act 3 Scene 1 – Benvolio to Mercutio – HateThe weather is hot and the atmosphere tense. Despite all that the Prince had warned them of he knows that they will not be able to resist fighting if they see the Capulet house.
“Romeo, the love I bare for thee can afford no better term than this: thou art a villain” Act Scene 1 – Tybalt to Romeo – Love vs HateTybalt is teasing and threatening Romeo in want of a fight because he was at the party but Romeo knows that they are family now and shouldn’t fight. Still Tybalt’s hare is passionate. This is a serious insult.
“I have to love thee…Villain am I none” Act 2 Scene 1 – Romeo to Tybalt – Love vs Hate Roemo knows that he is family to Tybalt and will not fight someone who Juliet loves so tries to explain this but does not tell him why he won’t fight (idiot) and argues he has done nothing against Tybalt.
“A plague on both your houses…worms meat of me” Act 3 Scene 1 – Mercutio to crowd – Hate + deathMercutio is from neither house but knows he has been killed by their feud so hates both equally before promptly dying.
“The day’s black fate” Act 3 Scene 1 – Romeo to Benvolio – fate and freewill Romeo has just seen his best friend’s death and is feeling angry at Tybalt. He knows that his next actions will kick bad things off but still cannot stop himself from doing them.
“O, I am fortunes fool” Act 3 Scene 1 – Romeo – fate and freewillRomeo has just killed Tybalt and sees his actions as fortune’s doing rather than his own.
“For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague” Act 3 Scene 1 – Lady Capulet to Prince – Love vs hateThe two families are appealing to the prince and trying to get him to take sides with them. The Capulets would like see one of the Montagues killed because Tybalt died.
“Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical” Act 3 Scene 2 – Juliet to Nurse – Love vs hateJuliet has just been told about the fight and doesn’t know whether to love or hate Romeo. Shakespeare uses oxymorons here to describe the conflict in her head.
“Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth they name when I thy three-hour wife have mangl’d it?” Act 3 Scene 2 Juliet to Nurse – Love vs HateJuliet knows that she should resent Romeo but of course at the same time she should be utterly voted to him. Juliet states that it is their family names which has dishonored him.
“‘Romeo is banished’: to speak that word is father mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, all slain, all dead. ‘Romeo is banished.” Act 3 Scene 2 – Juliet to Nurse – Love vs Hate + Death Juliet would rather that she and everyone she loves be dead than Romeo be banished. She is young and in a terrible situation so doesn’t know how to handle it.
“For exile hath more terror in his look, much more than death” Act 3 Scene 3 – Romeo to the Friar – Death +LoveRomeo is with the Friar after the fight and arguing over his fate. Like Juliet he feels that death would be kinder than exile.
“Heaven is here, where Juliet lives” Act 3 Scene 3 – Romeo to the Friar – LoveRomeo wants to stay in Verona where Juliet is for she is like a goddess to him
“death’s the end of all” Act 3 Scene 3 – Nurse to Romeo – fate and freewill + deathThe Nurse has come to see Romeo and ends up trying to comfort him but also foresees death at this point.
“Come death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so!” Act 3 Scene 5 – Romeo to Juliet – Death + fate and freewillRomeo has made it to Juliet and they have has their wedding night. In the morning Romeo must go but still would rather be killed by Juliet’s kinsmen hate than leave Juliet if that is what she wished.
“Oh bid me go into a new-made grave” Act 4 Scene 1 – Juliet to Friar – death + loveJuliet has gone to the Friar to see if there is anything he can do to help her get her out of marrying Paris and would rather go to extremes than be unfaithful to Romeo.
“Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink – I drink to thee” Act 4 Scene 3 – Juliet – LoveJuliet is about to take the cordial and in her last fearful moment she thinks of Romeo.
“O son, the night before thy wedding day…all is Death’s” Act 4 Scene 5 – Capulet to Paris – DeathThe family have just found Juliet dead and are in her room mourning. Juliet was Capulet’s last living child and it was a tragedy that she should die on her wedding day.
“I dreamt my lady came and found me dead” Act 5 Scene 1 – Romeo – Fate + deathRomeo is in Mantua and pondering over exile. He dreams of good news. He was awakened by a kiss and became an ’emperor of fate and fortune’.
“then I defy you stars” Act 5 Scene 1 – Romeo – Fate and FreewillRomeo has just learned of Juliet’s ‘death’ and he gets angry, concluding that yet again this was of the stars doing so takes matters into his own hands.
“Unhappy fortune!” Act 5 Scene 3 – Friar L to Friar J – Fate and fortuneFriar L has found out his letter didn’t reach Romeo and it is almost as if fate has gone against their favor.
“See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love” Act 5 Scene 3 – Prince to Families -Fate + love vs hateThe lovers have been found dead in the tomb and the prince is trying to work out what’s going on. He points out that fate has punished the families for their hate and the feud has ultimately caused this.
“Poor scarifies of our enmity” Act 5 Scene 3 – Capulet to Prince – Love vs hateThe families realize that their hate has killed their children and mourn them and themselves for what has happened.
“star-crossed lovers” Prologue – Chorus – Fate and freewill The prologue explains the setting of the play at the very start. Even then fate is in control and the lover’ pathes are crossed.
“Death lies on her like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all the field” Act 4 Scene 5 – Capulet to family – deathJuliet’s death was untimely and too early yet she still looks beautiful to her father. Shakespeare’s use of imagery.
“But passion lends them power” Act 1 End Scene 5 – Chorus to Audience – Indiv vs Society + LoveLove gives them power to make things work between them, this quote also imply that they might even be able to change their parents’ ways.
“My grave be my wedding bed” Act 1 Scene 5 – Juliet – Death + Fate and freewillJuliet just realized who Romeo is and she that loves him. She states that she would rather be dead than not love him and for shadows her death.
August 14, 2019