Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare
1994
A play
rushing towards ist end. In action as well as language. And any little moment
of hesitation could have ended the catastrophe, but not being able to wait
killst them.
“Sampson: Gregory, o’ my word, we’ll not carry
coals.
Gregory:
No, for then we should be colliers.
Sampson: I
mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw.
Gregory:
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o’ th’ collar.
Sampson: I
strike quickly, being moved.
Gregory:
But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
Sampson: A
dog of the house of Montague moves me.
Gregory: To
move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:
Therefore,
if thou art moved, thou runn’st away.
Sampson: A
dog of that house shall move me to stand.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.245).
“Benvolio:
Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
Romeo: O,
teach me how I should forget to think.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.248).
“Romeo: I
fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some
consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall
bitterly begin his fearful date
With this
night’s revels; and expire the term
Of a
despised life, closed in my breast,
By some
vile forfeit of untimely death:
But He,
that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my
sail! – On, lusty gentlemen!” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.251).
“Juliet: …
Romeo, doff thy name;
And for
that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
Romeo: I take thee at thy word:
Call me but
love, and I’ll be baptized;
Henceforth
I never will be Romeo.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.254).
“Romeo: My
dear?
Juliet: At what o’clock to-morrow
Shall I
send to thee?
Romeo At the hour of nine.
Juliet: I
will not fail: ‘tis twenty years till then.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.255).
“Friar
Laurence:
For this
alliance may so happy prove,
To turn
your households’ rancour to pure love.
Romeo: O,
let us hence; I stand on sudden haste.
Friar: Wisely,
and slow; they stumble that run fast.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.257).
“Juliet: O,
she is lame! Love’s heralds should be thoughts,
Which ten
times faster glide than the sun beams,
Driving
back shadows over louring hills.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.259).
“Nurse: I
am a-weary, give me leave awhile: -
Fie, how my
bones ache” what a jaunt have I had!
Juliet: I
would thou hadst my bones and I thy news:
Nay, come,
I pray thee, speak; - good, good nurse, speak.
Nurse:
Jesu, what haste? Can you not stay awhile?
Do you not
see that I am out of breath?
Juliet: How
art thou out of breath when thou hast breath
To say to
me that thou art out of breath?
The excuse
that thou dost makein this delay
Is longer
than the tale thou dost excuse.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.259).
Juliet:
Come, night; come, Romeo; come thou day in night;
For thou
wilt lie upon the wings of night
Whiter than
new snow on a raven’s back. –
Come,
gentle night, - come, loving, black-brow’d night;
For thou
wilt lie upon the wings of night
Whiter than
new snow on a raven’s back. –
Come gentle
night, - come, loving, black-brow’d night,
Give me my
Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him
and cut out in little stars,
And he will
male the face of heaven so fine,
That all
the world will be in love with night,
And pay no
worship to the garish sin. –“ (Shapespeare, 1994, p.263).
When Juliet
hears the news that Romeo survived but has slain her cousin Tybalt another
theme emerges: that of love turning the world upside down:
“Juliet: O
serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face!
Did ever
dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful
tyrant! Fiend angelical!
Dove-feather’d
raven! Wolfish-ravening lamb!
Despised
substance of divinest show!
Just
opposite to what thou justly seem’st,
A damned
saint, an honourable villain!
(…)
Was ever
book containing such a vile matter
So fairly bound?”
(Shapespeare, 1994, p.263).
When the
morning rises and Romeo has to leave Juleit:
“More light
and light, - more dark and dark our woes!” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.267).
“Juliet: Is
there no pity sitting in the clouds,
That sees
into the bottom of my grief.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.269).
“Balthasar:
I do beseech you, sir, have patience:
Your looks
are pale and wild, and do import
Some
misadventure.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.274).
“Montague:
O thou untaught! What manners is in this,
To press
before thy father to a grave.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.277).
