3.1.3
Reactions & Key Quotes
Audiences' Reactions to Romeo's Death
Audiences' Reactions to Romeo's Death
As Romeo prepares to drink the poison that will kill him, he refers to fate: 'shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh'. Although Romeo and Juliet were 'star-cross’d lovers' (prologue), Romeo is tired of living and experiencing hurt. He ends his life to get rid of his unlucky destiny.
Sympathy
Sympathy
- The audience would feel some sympathy for this tragic hero.
- We get the sense that he just wanted to live a happy life that is full of love, but that the fates conspired (plotted) against him too much. He is left feeling that he has no alternative but to commit suicide.
- Shakespeare also uses dramatic irony here (where the audience knows something the characters do not).
- This causes the audience to feel sad as they know that Juliet is not really dead. The audience also knows that they could have lived happily ever after together if Romeo had received the right information.
Contemporary audience - sin
Contemporary audience - sin
- People in the Elizabethan era thought suicide was a very severe sin. People who committed suicide were condemned to hell for eternity (forever).
- This act highlights Romeo’s feeling of hopelessness and his love for Juliet – he feels that he cannot live without her.
Key Quotes - Romeo (Act 1)
Key Quotes - Romeo (Act 1)
Here are key quotes from Romeo in Act 1:
Act 1, Scene 1
Act 1, Scene 1
- 'O brawling love! O loving hate!' and 'Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!'
- At the start of the play, when Romeo thinks that he is in love with Rosaline, he speaks in oxymorons (opposite ideas).
- He feels that his love for Rosaline is 'brawling' because it feels like an internal (personal) battle for him – he cannot stop himself loving her, so he feels physical pain because of how strong his love is.
- He describes the situation as 'loving hate' because he hates the situation he finds himself in, but he still loves Rosaline.
Act 1, Scene 5
Act 1, Scene 5
- 'Did my heart love till now… For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night'.
- As soon as he sees Juliet at the party, he stops feeling any love for Rosaline.
- He realises that what he felt for her was not real love.
- He feels that no one else can compare to Juliet.
- He also uses hyperbole (exaggeration) to comment on Juliet’s beauty, her appearance and says how he has fallen in love with her because of that. This could suggest he is still immature at this point.
Key Quotes - Romeo (Acts 3-5)
Key Quotes - Romeo (Acts 3-5)
Here are key quotes from Romeo in Acts 3-5:
Act 3, Scene 1
Act 3, Scene 1
- 'Good Capulet - which name I tender as dearly as my own - be satisfied.'
- In the previous scene, Romeo and Juliet were married. But Tybalt does not know that Romeo is now related to him.
- In this quote, Romeo is trying to calm Tybalt down by saying that he values the Capulet name as much as he values his own name – he gives this as his reason for refusing to fight Tybalt.
- He begs Tybalt to 'be satisfied' with his explanation and to stop trying to provoke (encourage) him into a fight.
- This highlights Romeo’s growing maturity at this point.
Act 3, Scene 1
Act 3, Scene 1
- 'Mercutio’s soul is a little way above our heads… either you, or I, or both must go with him.'
- Immediately after Tybalt murders Mercutio, Romeo loses control of his own emotions and attacks Tybalt to get revenge.
- In this quote, he tells Tybalt that one, or both of them, must die and join Mercutio in heaven.
- This shows how Romeo’s personality dramatically changes in an instant.
- He becomes obsessed with vengeance (getting revenge). He suddenly cares very little for himself or for Juliet.
Act 5, Scene 3
Act 5, Scene 3
- 'Shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh.'
- Before he takes the poison that will end his life, Romeo says how fed up he is of life.
- He feels that he must kill himself to stop his unlucky fate from happening. He sees no other way out.
1Context
2Plot Summary
2.1Prologue
2.2Act 1
2.5Act 4
3Key Characters
3.1Romeo
3.2Juliet
3.3Mercutio
3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt
3.5Friar Laurence
3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Key Themes & Concepts
4.1Power & Danger of Love
5Writing Techniques
Jump to other topics
1Context
2Plot Summary
2.1Prologue
2.2Act 1
2.5Act 4
3Key Characters
3.1Romeo
3.2Juliet
3.3Mercutio
3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt
3.5Friar Laurence
3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Key Themes & Concepts
4.1Power & Danger of Love
5Writing Techniques
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