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Death and Honour/Family in 'Romeo And Juliet' Abbie Towler…
Death and Honour/Family in 'Romeo And Juliet'
Abbie Towler
Death
Tybalt
“Come thee Benvolio, look
upon thy death.”
"Come Benvolio, look at your death" - this may be considered a threat from Tybalt to Benvolio however, it could also be showing Benvolio Romeo's death over Juliet (as in look upon your loss rather than look upon your own death)
Tybalt makes many threats throughout the play yet he also finds the death of friends tragic (like any character would)
Capulet
“As rich shall Romeo’s by his
lady’s lie,/Poor sacrifices of our
enmity.”
"Romeo's sacrifices are rich as he lies by his lady"/"Poor sacrifices of us" - Romeo was brave to Capulet after sacrificing his own life in order to 'lie beside' Juliet (die with her) but the sacrifices of the 'enmity' are poor because of this
Capulet sees death as honourable throughout the play especially if it's sacrifice (as seen in the quote above), however he also sees it as a tragedy
The Nurse
“She's dead, deceased, she's
dead; alack the day!”
Here, the Nurse is alerting everyone that 'she' (referring to Juliet) is dead. 'Alack the day' could show that Juliet is a lot more important than anything else to the Nurse
The Nurse doesn't have many opinions which are clear throughout the play however she panics for the ones she cares about and feels that a death (be it of Juliet or another) is enough so that all will stop and mourn (interpreted from the quote)
Mercutio
“Ask for me tomorrow and you
shall find me a grave man.”
'Grave man' could mean dead man or serious man, either could relate to the death of a character in the play (Romeo, Juliet etc.), this quote could show that Mercutio is solemn over events which may arise the following the day or later that current day
Mercutio is clearly solemn and serious about death of either those close to him or those who aren't, I feel he find's death saddening as well as grave (hence the wording 'grave man')
Juliet
“My grave is like to be my
wedding bed.”
"My grave is most likely going to be my wedding bed" - Could show that she will lie with Romeo in a grave, or that she is afraid that the wedding will cause enough conflict for her to die and be placed in a grave rather than a wedding bed
Juliet sees death as a sad thing but something she's prepared for if need be (in order to be with Romeo), she also tends to see negative sides of things which may happen (consequences)
Miscellaneous
“The fearful passage
of their death marked love…”
"The dreadful path of their doomed love" - shows that their (Romeo and Juliet's) love is doomed or 'death marked' to mean that it was never going to end happily from the beginning. This means that their love was already foretold to be 'death marked' and 'fearful' (they shall die from their love of one another)
Romeo
“Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee
tonight”
Could have connotations of marriage (marriage bed/sleeping with another - linked to romantic relationships) or of a grave. He could mean he is willing to die if she does so as to be with her (to lie with her) again
Romeo's opinion on death is that he's rather be with those he loves (Juliet as an example) in death than alive and without them. This can be shown in both quotations, with 'death' being descried as 'merciful' compared to death and in the second with Romeo laying with Juliet (could be in a grave as he does in the play)
"Ha, banishment! Be merciful,
say “death”"
Death is more merciful than being banished in Romeo's opinion, meaning he'd rather be dead and unknowing of the world around him than banished and live in shame aware of his surroundings but unable to change anything
Honour/Family
The Nurse
(About Paris) “I think it best you
married with the County. O he’s
a lovely gentleman.”
Family/honour
- Here The Nurse tries to persuade Juliet to marry Paris because of her love for the family of Capulet (so she wishes to have no conflict) but also because of the honour of the Capulet name that's why she uses the phrase 'it's best' not 'you should' to kindly tell Juliet that it's the honourable thing to do
The Nurse wishes to avoid conflict throughout the play because of family (little about honour with The Nurse)
Tybalt
“Now by the stock and honour
of my kin
To strike him dead I hold it not
a sin.”
Honour/family
- "Now I will kill him because of my family's honour" - This quote shows that Tybalt feels very strongly about his honour and the honour of his family
Tybalt holds a lot of honour both for himself and for his family name throughout the whole play, this can be shown various times in threats and in vows he makes
Friar Lawrence
“For this alliance may so happy
prove,
To turn your households’
rancour to pure love."
Family
- Friar Lawrence wishes to try and unite the two households of Capulet and Montague through the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. Shown with the use of 'happy' and 'alliance' as well as 'pure love'
Friar Lawrence has very little opinion on both family and honour throughout the play as he doesn't support one particular family but instead wishes for compassion between them and peace as well as an alliance
Capulet
“And you be mine, I’ll give you
to my friend
And you be not, hang, beg,
starve, die in the streets.”
Family/honour
- "You're mine and I'm giving you to a friend, if you don't comply then you'll be thrown in the streets" - Here Capulet speaks to Romeo harshly out of honour for his family name as he wants her to marry Paris, he then threatens her showing just how strongly he feels about his family's name of Capulet
Capulet holds probably the most honour for his family name than any of the other character sin the play (so much so he threatens his own daughter because she poses a threat to his family's honour
Juliet
“’Tis but thy name that is mine
enemy. Thou art thyself, though
not a Montague.”
Family
- "Only our names are enemies, you're yourself and not a Montague" -- shows love for Romeo and that Juliet can see past his name as it's only the names which are enemies. She knows they fell in love before knowing the names and so she knows it will not change anything
Juliet fell for Romeo before learning his last name and so she believes that she should continue to love him after as well, she has much love for her family but even more for Romeo and speaks little of honour (only the men of the play ever really speak of honour)
Mercutio
“O calm, dishonourable, vile
submission!” (about Romeo
refusing to duel Tybalt)
Honour
- "What you did there was so dishonourable!" - Here Mercutio shuns Romeo for being 'dishonourable' and 'calm' as it's 'vile submission' - shows how much honour Mercutio has and how he's in disbelief at Romeo's peaceful response - thinks Romeo is therefore a coward
Mercutio holds a lot of honour so he is at disbelief at anyone who isn't honourable, shown here in this quote. He's used to turning a fairly calm interaction into a heated situation and so he's not used to a 'calm submission'
Romeo
“And so, good Capulet – which
name I tender/As dearly as my
own – be satisfied.”
Family
- "I treasure your name as much as I treasure my own" - Romeo doesn't care whether Juliet is a Montague, Capulet or any other. He still loves the name, could show love, compassion and links to family -- marriage
Romeo is very passionate and therefore he cares deeply for his family as well as his honour, he takes revenge on the death of Mercutio because of love for family (and friends/those he considers family) and because of honour (not only his but also Mercutio's
“My life is my foe’s debt”
Honour
- Romeo believes that his life is something that he must pay for his foe's 'debt', could be for his enemy or for himself
Miscellaneous
“I will bite my thumb at them
which is a disgrace to them if
they bear it.” –Caps to Monts
Honour
- "I will look down on them/taunt them/insult them because they deserve it" - Biting the thumb was a huge insult back when Shakespeare wrote his plays, so to bite one's thumb at another shows hatred and taunting, this is why the Capulet family says this to the Montague family (shows dishonour toward the other family)