Portents in Romeo and Juliet

1
PortentsinRomeo and Juliet
2
The Stars
3
Many words have double meanings, or refer to fate
or the stars

• From forth fatal loins of these two foes
• A pair of star-crossd lovers take their life.
• -- Prologue

4
Beneath her balcony, Romeo imagines that
Juliets eyes are stars in heaven.

• Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
• Having some business, do entreat her eyes
• To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
• 2.2.15-17.

5
Juliet also imagines Romeo among the stars in
heaven, foreshadowing his death. (In tragedies,
thoughts come true, because action follows
feeling.)

• Come, gentle night, 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.
• 3.2.21-24

6
Romeo ignores his dream.

• I fear, too early, for my mind misgives
• Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
• Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
• With this nights revels.
• 1.4.106-07

7
The nurse ignores a premonition concerning the
letter R.

• Nurse Does not rosemary and Romeo begin both
  with a letter?
• Romeo Ay nurse, what of that? Both with an R.
• Nurse Ah, mocker, thats the dogs name. R is
  for the--no, I know it begins with some other
  letter--and she has the prettiest sententious of
  it, of you and rosemary, that it would do you
  good to hear it.
• 2.4.206 ff.

8
Tragedy results when a virtue becomes a vice.
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Even plants have a double meaning a lesson, says
the friar, that applies to people.

• Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,
• And vice sometime by action dignified.
• Within the infant rind of this fair flower
• Poison hath residence and medicine power.
• 2.3.21-24

10
Gold can be a virtue or a vice. It buys Romeo
poison--a vice.

• Romeo There is thy gold, worse poison to mens
  souls,
• Doing more murther in this loathsome world,
• Than these poor compounds that thou mayest not
  sell.
• I sell thee poison, thou hast sold me none.
• 5.1.79-82

11
But it also pays for statutes of Romeo and
Juliet, to assure their fame.

• Montague For I will raise her statue in pure
  gold.
• . . .
• Capulet As rich shall Romeos by his ladys lie.
• 5.3.299-300, 303-304

12
What is Juliets strength, her virtue, that
becomes a vice?

• I have a faint cold fear thrills through my
  veins,
• That almost freezes up the heat of life.
• . . . .
• How if, when I am laid into the tomb,
• I wake before the time that Romeo
• Come to redeem me? theres a fearful point!
• . . . .
• O, look! methinks I see my cousins ghost
• Seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body
• Upon a rapiers point. Stay, Tybalt, stay!
• Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Heres drink--I drink to
  thee.
• 4.3.15-16, 30-32, 55-58

13
The world of tragedy is one of good and evil, but
the difference may seem hard to discern. Who is
good, who bad? By convention, the person who
draws first is the aggressor.
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Who draws first? The Riverside Edition

• Merc. O vile, dishonorable, vile submission!
• Alla stoccato carries it away. Draws
• Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
• Tyb. What wouldst thou have with me?
• Merc. Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your
  nine lives . . .
• Tyb. I am for you. Drawing
• 3.1.73 ff.
• Capell Rowe

15
Shakespearean tragedy requires (bad) timing and a
near miss (not).

• Romeo steps between them.
• Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!
• Tybalt under Romeos arm thrusts Mercutio in.
  Away Tybalt with his followers.
• . . . .
• Ben. What, art thou hurt?
• Merc. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch, marry, tis
  enough. . . . No, tis not so deep as a well, nor
  so wide as a church-door, but tis enough, twill
  serve.
• 3.1.90 ff.

16
What is Juliets strength, her virtue, that
becomes a vice?

• I have a faint cold fear thrills through my
  veins,
• That almost freezes up the heat of life.
• . . . .
• How if, when I am laid into the tomb,
• I wake before the time that Romeo
• Come to redeem me? theres a fearful point!
• . . . .
• O, look! methinks I see my cousins ghost
• Seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body
• Upon a rapiers point. Stay, Tybalt, stay!
• Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Heres drink--I drink to
  thee.
• 4.3.15-16, 30-32, 55-58

17
Their fame--sadly, ironically--depends on
their deaths.

• For never was story of more woe
• Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
• 5.3.309-310

18
A bit obvious, if we think about it--artificial,
just like the sonnets interspersed in the play,
the oxymorons, the regular meter. Shakespeare, in
this play, gives us an art we can understand,
unlike King Lear.