Last Word Activity: Before we transition from Romeo and Juliet to a Poetry Unit, please think of one line from the play that will stick with you. In a few sentences, explain why it’s memorable. Paste your response on our discussion page.
Example: When Juliet wonders aloud to herself, "What's in a name?," she's not just asking a question about Romeo (II.ii.46). She's doing something revolutionary. It reminds me of the famous moment in Dickens's Oliver Twist when Oliver makes the seemingly innocuous demand: "Please, sir, I want some more." These children are challenging the status quo. Shakespeare and Dickens seem to suggest that the conventions of society that need confronting - but are blindly followed by so many - are often best exposed and changed by young people who ask questions and demand more.
A line from the play that will always stick with me is “[alive] in triumph, and Mercurio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, and [fired eyed] fury be my conduct now (Act 3 scene 1 lines 127-129). This really stood out to me because I feel like throughout the entire play through all the drama, action, depression this line honestly felt like to me the biggest portrayal of emotion. Yes, even through the scenes of Romeo and Juliet’s death, and Romeo’s depression from rejection #IndependenceforRoasline #Indepenentwomen loool. To me the only thing that came close was the last lines of sorrow between the capulets and montages. This however triumphs all to me because the words he said of Mercutio lies dead while Tybalt rejoices victoriously (paraphrased) resonated so much with me. I know the type of anger he feels. It’s almost like to me when someone steals your idea and the next one you came up with his ordinary while the one they stole is flourishing, it’s infuriating. So how much more did Romeo feel when his cousin died even though he did everything to keep peace, and Tybalt gets to walk off Scott free with pleasure. That just makes you wanna burst! That beginning part just really resonated with me. It was like a feeling of being highly disrespected and the disrespecter whether a friend or family doesn’t care one bit. You feel like you could just hit them in the head with a cinnamon scone (lol true story Mr. Reynolds). So the moment I heard let fury be my conduct I was cheering for Romeo not cause it was right but I understood exactly how he felt! That’s why I keep saying it resonated with me due to the fact that not everyone can agree it’s the best portrayal of emotion. Yet to me it is because those words touched my own life experiences. So therefore those lines will be the one things I can walk away from and that scene will continuously be the most memorable.
ReplyDeleteI don’t remember the act or line this quote comes from, but it has always stood out to me in my mind. The text states, “Don’t waste your love on somebody, who doesn’t value it. This stands out to me because it matters what kinds of person you be with for your lifetime. Listen to your heart, and follow your own path. Don’t let anybody try to control the important aspects of your life.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a line in the play! Don't worry, you can count your post, but I just don't want us to attribute the wrong lines to Shakespeare.
DeleteI like that sticks with me is when the serving man says“Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?” (1,1) This stood out to me because such a little action set the whole play moving. I believe that if this had not happened then the tragedy would not have happened. A small action can have a huge impact. This line also shows how much loyalty the servingmen have to their houses because they fight over an argument not even mentioned in the book.
ReplyDelete“O, teach me how I should forget to think!”
ReplyDeleteRomeo, I.i.224
Here, Romeo is saying how he needs to learn how to think and act without Rosaline. When he said this he was overwhelmed with emotions, and his passion for her was blocking all reasonable thought. This is memorable because it shows how controlling emotions can be, but it also shows Romeo’s struggle against them, and his desire to think about the situation in a reasonable way.
"A plague o' both your houses!" (III.i.111)
ReplyDeleteThis to me is significant because Mercutio is saying that he and Romeo wouldn't be in trouble if their family wasn't also provoking the feud. He is emphasizing that everything is double sided, and you can never just blame it on the opposing side, everyone is at fault. This is a memorable acknowledgement because most of the time people just blame the other side of the fight, and can't see it from the others perspective of how they might be in the wrong.
A line that stuck with me from the play is
ReplyDelete“Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff;
Life and these lips have long been separated:
Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.” (IV, v, 27)
This line stood out to me because to me it said something about the love Capulet had for his daughter. He is saying that she is beautiful even in death, that she was taken too soon and too harshly. I think this is memorable because it shows a side of Capulet not often seen. He truly has love and compassion, and only wanted what was best for his daughter, a dilemma that I'm sure many parents have been in. And while this is a dire case, it still can be related to people today.
“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”
ReplyDeleteI take this line away more than all others because of the meaning it has and how it can apply to everyone. It’s memorable also because in the play, Paris loved Juliet, but she didn’t love him, and this ended up hurting him. This could happen to anyone who loves someone, but that person doesn’t care.
That's not a line in the play! Don't worry, you can count your post, but I just don't want us to attribute the wrong lines to Shakespeare.
DeleteAn actual quote that stand out to me is "That the life-weary taker may fall dead" This quote stands out to me because it shows how anyone not happy with their life will do anything to make their life better, even suicide, in Romeo's case. This line is memorable because it demonstrates how anyone, in fiction or real life, could be pushed to the edge of taking their own life because of something that could've happened
Delete"Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow" (II.ii.199)
ReplyDeleteThis line stands out to me because I think it's timeless, and is relatable to anyone. Saying goodbye to someone is very bittersweet, in the way that you can't see them until the next time. You look forward to seeing them, but at the same time, know that you'll miss them. We know the next time Romeo sees Juliet after leaving for Mantua, she appears to be dead. This adds an extra level of bitterness to parting with a loved one, and changes the level of intensity compared to when Juliet first says the quote. Overall, I find that this quote can be taken with different levels of seriousness: from simply not wanting a loved one to go, to the prospect of them dying while you're away.
“I defy you, stars!” V.i.25
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it shows how Romeo refuses to accept Juliet’s death and that the star crossed lovers’ tragic fate is inescapable. The reference to astrology in this play emphasizes the idea that their destiny was bound to be marked by tragedy, but Romeo denies fate which is why he kills himself to be with her.
“A plague o’ both your houses.
ReplyDeleteThey have made worms’ meat of me. (III.i.)”
This line will stick with me because of the pure emotion in it. Mercutio is dying, and in his last words he chooses to make evident that if it weren’t for the fighting between the two houses he wouldn’t have to die. He has had to deal with the feud for his whole life, and because he is not related to either the Montagues or the Capulets he has always been a bystander, but now, even though he is a bystander, he ends up dead.
“Wherefore art thou Romeo?” (II.ii.36).
ReplyDeleteThis quote is memorable because it resembles Juliet questioning the social norms set for her by her parents. This is one of the first times she is defying what she is supposed to be doing, by talking to Romeo, and also realizes the issue behind the feud and basing conflict only off of names.
“Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger, // This is thy sheath. There rust and let me die”(V.iii.174-175).
ReplyDeleteThis line stood out to me because it’s beautifully written. These are Juliet’s dying words and it shows the love they had for each other caused her to give up all perspective and reason and lead her to kill herself and it’s a powerful ending to the story.
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.” (II.ii.2-3). I liked this quote because the imagery of Juliet as the sun is very string and shows Romeo’s emotions well. Stars and celestial bodies appear frequently and it shows the otherworldly nature of Juliet in the eyes of Romeo. It stands out because of the strong love in the play.
ReplyDeleteA line that is memorable to me is when Romeo asks, "Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, / Too rude, too boist'rous, and it pricks like thorn"(I.iv.25-26). This line stood out to me because love is usually talked about in a positive connotation, and people say that love can bring you lots of happiness. Romeo is pointing out that love can also be very painful and do more harm than good. I think this line also contributes to one of the themes of the play because we see how the story of a couple so in love ends with a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteA line that stuck with was just a simple piece of advise that Friar Lawrence gave to Romeo. He says, “Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast" (II. iii. 94). In such a fast pace story, I feel that a suggestion to slow down and think is more meaningful than ever, especially with the urgency of the situation.
ReplyDelete"O brother Montague, give me thy hand"(5.3.241)
ReplyDeleteThis is what capulet says after finding out what happened to romeo and juliet. This line stood out to me, because this is basically the result of everything that has happened in romeo and juliet. Which makes me wonder weather the book is a tragedy at all, because the end result of Romeo and Juliet's death is that their families have finally been able get over a dispute which has lasted for generations. A conflict which has taken many lives, and divided an entire city. Which makes me wonder was Romeo, and juliet's sacrifice something which needed to happen in order to finally bring peace to verona.
A memorable line in the book is “Don’t waste your love on somebody, who doesn’t value it.” It is not fair to yourself to love someone who does not love you back. It will only lead to you getting hurt instead of giving your love to somebody who can give you the same thing in return.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a line in the play! Don't worry, you can count your post, but I just don't want us to attribute the wrong lines to Shakespeare.
DeleteA line from the book that struck me as important and even intriguing was “My only love sprung from my only hate/Too early seen unknown, and known too late!” I really enjoy this line because it is quite possibly the best use of irony, and quite frankly the most important because it sets the tone for the story and how Romeo and Juliet has a hard time from the start. Their families have been enemies for years but without knowing that they fell in love.
ReplyDelete“Give me my Romeo, and , when I shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night, and pay no worship to the garish sun.” This is and important quote because it foreshadows the story’s ending and it shows how much Romeo and Juliet were in love.
ReplyDeleteA line that stuck with me was from Act 1 Scene 1, Line 186."This love I feel I, that feel no love in this." This quote really stood out to me because it shows how love is sometimes cruel to you. This quote took me to a deeper level of Romeo's feelings, and allowed me to connect with him to understand what he is going through. It allowed me to realize that if you pour your heart into something, you may not always get a loving return.
ReplyDelete“Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night” Act one, scene five. I liked this quote because it really showed the emotion of Romeo and how Juliet really caught his eye. He felt in love from the moment he saw her, I don’t believe in love in first sight but if it was real I think Shakespeare captured it really well with this quote.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete“he bears him a portly gentleman and to say truth Verona brags of him” scene 5 lines 74-76 this is memorable to me because this is capulet talking about Romeo. This scene to shows some hope for Romeo and Juliet’s love because it shows capulet putting aside the feud and allowing Romeo to attend his party because he’s heard that Romeo isn’t a bad guy . In my opinion it kinda shows what could have been if everyone in the book was as accepting as lord Capulet. I just think this was a crucial line to demonstrate hope in this book
Honestly, one of the few lines I still remember at all is the first line in the prologue- “two households, both alike in dignity.” I don’t know why, but it just stuck with me somehow.
ReplyDeleteA line in Romeo and Juliet that really stood out to me was “Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.” This is when Juliet confesses her love for Romeo although they have to part. I think this signifies the tragedy of the play because they want to be with each other although fate and family won’t let them be together and that causes them both to take many actions that eventually lead to their death.
ReplyDelete“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”
ReplyDeleteBenvolio teaches how loving someone who doesn’t appreciate it is a waste-it won’t help you and will only bring you sadness. Important lesson that sometimes you just have to let go of something and you don’t always win
That's not a line in the play! Don't worry, you can count your post, but I just don't want us to attribute the wrong lines to Shakespeare.
DeleteWhen Juliet is talking about the meaning of names after the Capulet party, she says, "That which we call a rose/By any other word would smell as sweet" (II.ii.46-47). This line is memorable because it shows how labels don't affect something's substance. It also demonstrates the fact that one shouldn't rely on labels to know/infer things about a person. Shakespeare uses a strong metaphor to show his opinions on labels and the effects that they have on people.
ReplyDeleteA memorable line to me is, "Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow" (II.ii.199). This represents how difficult it is to leave someone you love but also the fact that you will miss them. Saying goodbye is both good and bad and can be more meaningful if you really love someone.
ReplyDeleteA line that stands out to me is "This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, / May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet" (II.ii.128-129). This quote is interesting to me for several reasons. First, I think Juliet's comment about their love developing so fast foreshadows how rapid the story line is. Second, the quote talks about how their love blossoms/flourishes and like a bud, the summer ripening it into a flower. I believe while Romeo and Juliet's relationship strengthens, their maturity (if maturity is considered breaking away from the expectations of parents/society to pursue one's own interests/passions, a question that we discussed) strengthens as well. The bud "ripens"; and a synonym for "ripens" is "matures". It's an interesting connection to how Romeo and Juliet's maturity develops with their relationship.
ReplyDelete-Anya C.
One memorable line for me was “Love goes towards love as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, towards school with heavy looks.” (II.ii.166-168). I found this a creative and witty comparison that explains Romeo’s love in very relatable terms.
ReplyDeleteA line that is memorable to me is “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet” (II.II.46-47). This stood out because it is saying that it doesn’t matter what someone is called and one’s title shouldn’t define who they really are.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting line was in I.i. when Romeo expresses his love for Rosaline. "Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,
ReplyDeleteShould without eyes see pathways to his will" This quote means that love will find a way.
"These violent delights have violent ends" (II.vi.9)
ReplyDeleteThis line will stick with me not only because it's basically the whole message of the play, but also because it still rings true today. Friar Lawrence is warning against impulsivity, the thing that led to all of the tragedy in the play (impulsive feud-related actions, R&J quick love story, etc.). The line is still relevant today, and is quoted a lot in literature as well as film & TV. Many people still make and act on snap judgments and on strong feelings without thinking things through. This leads to misinformation and dangerous situations, especially when these people are in power.
"Three civil brawls bred of an airy word"I.i.91
ReplyDeleteThis line will stay with me because of how true it feels to real life. It exemplifies, in an otherwise forgettable piece of exposition in the prince's monologue, how something frivolous turned into needless bloodshed. It shows how needless the many deaths in the play were, and connects to life. Many conflicts are caused by unimportant things, and can sometimes lead to deaths.
A line that stuck with me was “ virtue it’s self turns vice, being misapplied,/ and by sometime by action dignified . (II.iii.21-22). This line is about how good intentions don’t necessarily yield good results. It makes me have to think about if a person is doing a bad thing on purpose or if it just was the result of doing something in the wrong way.
ReplyDelete"You are a saucy boy. Is't so indeed?" (I.v.94)
ReplyDeleteI've seen this line be referenced before reading Romeo and Juliet. After reading the play, I understand what it means and the background behind. This line will stick with me because I can now use it in my vocabulary.
“Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast” (I.iv.101).
ReplyDeleteIf feel like this is an important quote since it is still relevant to this day. Here Friar Lawrence advises Romeo to slow his progression with Juliet. Which is important since it emphasized the fact that taking time to do something right, is more important than quickly completing the task at hand.
“I defy you, stars” really stands out to me because I feel like it describes how so many people feel so simply. Often people will say something is written in the stars which is saying that something is just fate but I lot of people don’t want to follow fate. This is Romeo saying he wants to beat the odds which doesn’t end up happening. This is something that happens all the time in life and I thought that line beautifully says what many people think.
ReplyDelete“O serpent heart hid with a flowering face!” (III.ii. 74). This is a relatively simple line but it stood out to me. First, because it’s similar to wolf in sheep’s clothing which is a saying still used today and many people will recognize it. Second, this is where Juliet doubts Romeo. She realizes she might have been too caught up in her passion that she didn’t really know who Romeo was.
ReplyDelete"Wisely and slow. They stubble that run fast"(I.v.101)I think Friar Lawrence's advice is especially important in this play. His warning to Romeo and Juliet to do things right turns out to be the advice which if they had followed wouldn't have committed suicide. He brings the importance of correctness, which is very important in this case especially.
ReplyDeleteA memorable line for me was, “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 despisèd life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death.” (I. iv. 107-112) when Romeo expresses that he thinks the Capulet party will end in his untimely demise. When I first read this, knowing how the story would end, it shocked me how Shakespeare would put that in so early in the book as such major foreshadowing.
ReplyDeleteOne line that really stood out to me was when Juliet said “That which we call a rose/By any other word would smell as sweet.” (II.i) I picked this line because I feel like it really captured the essence of prejudice and bias: just because something is called by a certain name, that doesn’t define what it really is. The example she used was with a rose, but this applies to people, too. I think this kind of thinking was very ahead of her time, and is a concept that many people have yet to grasp.
ReplyDeleteA line from the play that stood out to me was “Tis but thy name that is my enemy, thou art thyself, not a Montague” (II.ii.) when Juliet says this she declares that she wants to be with Romeo despite their families grudge. The only reason she has to dislike him is his parents and the name Montague which is only a label.
ReplyDelete"Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand n, nor foot..." II.ii.43-44. This stands out to me because it shows how in Romeo and Juliet your family is who you are, and determines your relationships with others. I found this interesting because to me my family is part of my identity, like the characters.
ReplyDeleteI think a line that will stick with me the most will be, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet” (II.ii.46-47). I liked this line because it shows the insignificance of a label, and relates to not judging a book by it's cover.
ReplyDelete“She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate stone
ReplyDeleteOn the forefinger of an alderman” Mercutios queen Mab Speech really stop out to me because it ultimately leads Romeo to Juliet in a way. It happens because Romeo is talking about how in love with Rosaline he is but when Mercutio bring up dreams and how he doesn’t believe in them Romeo loses some hope and they decide to go to the party.p where he meets Juliet.
“I defy you, stars!” (V.i.25). This line stuck to me because it showed how Romeo was willing to defy his “fate” to be with Juliet. However, this action simply lead to his and Juliet’s deaths, showing that there was no escape from their tragic fates.
ReplyDeleteOne line that I will remember from the play is "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo" I remember being surprised at what wherefore truly meant despite what I had believed every time I heard that line before. Because it was surprising to me I remembered that line.
ReplyDeleteRomeo's thoughts about Rosaline torture him in the beginning stages of the book. He expresses his woes to Benvolio in a profound sentence, "O, teach me how I should forget to think!"(l.i.234) The agony Romeo feels over his obsession for Rosaline despite her lack of interest resonated with me because I think people tend to get consumed by the present and wallow instead of looking towards the positives that could be coming soon.
ReplyDelete“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet” (II.II.46-47). I will always remember this line because labels and names can have a lot of power. In what u call yourself and others it does not change who you are or they are. This reminds me of the fraise don’t judge a book by its cover. It seems really simple but I think it’s really powerful to know that no matter what, you are the only person who truely knows who you are.
ReplyDelete"These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder. Which as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey Is loathsome in his own deliciousness"(II.vi.9-12). These lines, though if taken as stated in context are more or less just marriage advice for Romeo and Juliet, are in truth lines of good advice in general and lines that in part set up the rest of the play. All of the many actions that led to the tragedy of R&J came from, in the analogy the Friar makes, trying to get the sweetest honey, do something good. But instead they become "loathsome". This advice can be taken as a way of how to avoid actions of good intent going awry, don't do too much.
ReplyDeleteOne quote that stood out with me, is this one in Act 1, Scene 1. “A sick man in sadness makes his will, A word ill urged to one that is so ill. 195In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.” I found it interesting that Romeo thought that telling a sick man to seriously make his will, makes them worse. It shows that even though someone can be in a bad situation, don’t escalate it.
ReplyDeleteOne quote that stood out with me, is this one in Act 1, Scene 1. “A sick man in sadness makes his will, A word ill urged to one that is so ill. 195In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.” I found it interesting that Romeo thought that telling a sick man to seriously make his will, makes them worse. It shows that even though someone can be in a bad situation, don’t escalate it.
ReplyDeleteA line that stood out to me is “Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montegue” (II.ii.41-42). This line stood out to me because it shows that Juliet doesn’t care that Romeo is a Montegue. She loves him anyway. Also, Juliet is saying that only Romeo’s name is her enemy, not him. She would love him and he would be himself, even if he was not a Montegue.
ReplyDelete