Romeo & Juliet Key Quotes Revision Guide Complete

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. Explanation: This line appears in the Prologue at the start of the play. It is referring to Romeo and Juliet as ‘star-crossed lovers’. This could mean that their love was written in the stars, which means that it was fate (eg. it was meant to happen). This suggests that there was nothing anyone could do to stop Romeo and Juliet from falling in love, and nothing anyone could do to stop them taking their lives. In Elizabethan times, many people believed in the idea of heavenly powers (eg. god) deciding what will happen to people.<br>

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below:

What part of the play is this line taken from?


What does the phrase ‘star crossed’ imply about Romeo & Juliet’s love?


How does this line link to the idea of fate?


Challenge: Why might the Elizabethan audience have taken the idea of fate more seriously?<br>

She doth teach the torches to burn bright! Explanation: This is what Romeo says during his monologue when he sees Juliet for the first time at the Capulet Ball. He is comparing Juliet to a torch here, implying that she lights up the room with her beauty. However, he is saying that her beauty is brighter than the torches, because she is ‘teaching’ them how to burn bright. The exclamation mark at the end shows us just how amazed Romeo is by Juliet. This is a great example of the power of romantic love; both Romeo and Juliet are controlled by their feelings for each other.<br>

She doth teach the torches to burn bright! TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below.:

Who says this quote and why?


What is Juliet being compared to and why?



What does Shakespeare use to show Romeo’s surprise and emotion at what he sees?



Challenge: How does Shakespeare present romantic love as a powerful thing in the play?<br>

Juliet is the sun. Explanation: This is what Romeo says in Act 2 when he sees Juliet appear on the balcony. He is using a metaphor to describe Juliet as the sun rising in the morning. There are lots of ideas we can take from this metaphor. He could mean that she brings light and warmth into his life, or that she is radiant (beautiful) like sunshine. Or he could mean that he lived in darkness (he was depressed or ignorant of true love) before he found her. Or perhaps he means that he cannot live without her. The strength of this metaphor again shows us the power of romantic love in the play.<br>

Juliet is the sun. TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below:

When does Romeo say this and what is happening at the time?


Which language technique is being used here?


What could Romeo be suggesting about Juliet?



Challenge: Which theme does this quote link to and why?<br>

These violent delights have violent ends. Explanation: This is what Friar Lawrence says in Act 2 as he is marrying Romeo and Juliet. He is asking them to be careful and to ‘love moderately’ because he is afraid that their strong passions (violent delights) could lead to conflict (violent ends). This is an example of foreshadowing because that is indeed what happens later in the play. The repetition of the word ‘violent’ makes the link between passion (love) and conflict. The quote also shows Friar Lawrence as a contradictory character: he is giving them wise advice to calm their love down but also marrying them so soon after they have met,.<br>

These violent delights have violent ends. TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below.:

Who says quote and when?


What does the quote mean?



Why is the quote an example of foreshadowing?



Challenge: Why is Friar Lawrence contradicting himself by making this quote?<br>

A plague on both your houses! Explanation: This is what Mercutio says to Romeo in Act 3, after he has been fatally wounded by Tybalt. It was Mercutio’s own decision to challenge Tybalt, but he did so to defend Romeo’s honour, and Romeo accidentally helped Tybalt when he stepped between the fighters. Mercutio is wishing bad luck on both the Montague and Capulet families because it is their ‘ancient grudge’ which has cost him his life. This is an example of foreshadowing because bad things are soon going to happen to both families when Romeo and Juliet take their own lives. The use of the exclamation mark also shows us Mercutio’s anger and conviction (ie. he means what he is saying).<br>

A plague on both your houses! TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below.:

Who says this quote and when?


What does the character want to happen and why?


How is foreshadowing being used here?



Challenge: Is Mercutio right to blame the ‘ancient grudge’ for his death? Explain.<br>

Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets! Explanation: This is what Capulet says to Juliet in Act 3, when he has been told that she doesn’t want to marry Paris. Capulet has changed completely from the caring, protective father we saw at the start of the play. He is now aggressive and controlling, and uses a list of imperative verbs that make terrible threats to Juliet if she will not obey. The use of the exclamation mark also shows his anger. Because Juliet lived in a patriarchal society (eg. ruled by men), she would have found it very difficult to survive without support from her father, and may well have been on the streets if Capulet disowned her.<br>

Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets! TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below.:

When does Capulet say this and why?


How has Capulet changed at this point?



Name three language features (methods) used by Shakespeare in this line.



Challenge: How was Juliet a victim of a patriarchal society?<br>

I defy you, stars! Explanation: Romeo says this in Act 5 when he has been told that Juliet is dead. He blames the stars for this, as he thinks that his fate was written in the stars. Therefore, he declares that he will ‘defy’ the stars, which means to rebel against them. He cannot accept his fate. He cannot accept that Juliet is dead. He then decides to return to Verona that night to die with her. In Elizabethan times, many people believed in the idea that fate controlled the lives of people. This quote shows us that Romeo believes in fate, and that he is ‘fortune’s fool’ because fate is making bad things happen to him.<br>

I defy you, stars! TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below.:

When does Romeo say this and why?


What does the quote mean?


What effect do you think the exclamation mark has?



Challenge: Which other quote from the play does ‘I defy you, stars!’ link with?<br>

O happy dagger, this is thy sheath. Explanation: This is a quote from Juliet in Act 5, when she has awoken in her tomb and found Romeo lying dead next to her. She sees Romeo’s dagger, and uses it to kill herself when she hears the guards arriving. The phrase ‘happy dagger’ is a personification, because it is giving the dagger a human emotion. That she describes the dagger as happy suggests that Juliet is happy to die now that Romeo is gone. It is also an oxymoron because it is using two opposing ideas (happiness and a weapon). Finally, a metaphor is used in the second part of the quote because Juliet is referring to her body as the dagger’s ‘sheath’ (case).<br>

O happy dagger, this is thy sheath. TASK: Read the explanation of the quote from the previous slide, then answer the questions below.:

When does Juliet say this and why?


How is a metaphor used in this quote?


How is an oxymoron used in this quote?



Challenge: How is personification used here and what does it show?<br>

TASK: Now fill in the table below. For each of the exam questions, choose two of the eight key quotes you have studied. Then think about any other quotes (or parts of the parts) that might help you to answer this question.
Underline the zoom words in your quotes. The first line is done for you.<br>

Answers
Check your answers, then think about who said these quotes, or who they were about.<br>