Act 5 Passages
O mischief, thou art swift To enter in the thoughts of desperate men.
Romeo: O mischief, thou art swift To enter in the thoughts of desperate men. Apostrophe: addressing something inanimate as if it could respond.
There is thy gold, worse poison to men’s souls, Doing more in murder in this loathsome world Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none.
Romeo speaks to the Apothecary There is thy gold, worse poison to men’s souls, Doing more in murder in this loathsome world Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none. Money is poison to the soul=metaphor
Poor living corse*, closed in a dead man’s tomb! *corpse
Friar Lawrence Poor living corse*, closed in a dead man’s tomb! *corpse Oxymoron: Juliet is a living corpse in the Capulet tomb
Tempt not a desperate man.
Tempt not a desperate man. Romeo warns Paris Tempt not a desperate man. Why not? Why is Romeo desperate? What’s the result?
Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce these rotten jaws to open, And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food.
Romeo addresses the tomb Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce these rotten jaws to open, And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food. Apostrophe and Metaphor: Romeo speaks to the tomb calling it a stomach full of death. He will feed it more.
Eyes look your last Arms take your last embrace. And, lips, O, you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A datelss bargain to engrossing death.
Romeo Eyes look your last Arms take your last embrace. And, lips, O, you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death. Apostrophe: Romeo bids farewell to his own life, his physical life.
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark*! *vessel
Romeo Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark*! *vessel Metaphor: He compares himself to the pilot of a failing ship. He will destroy the ship—suicide. Notice he recalls the metaphor he used in Act I, scene 4
Capulet, Montague, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love
Act 5 Passages
O mischief, thou art swift To enter in the thoughts of desperate men.
Romeo: O mischief, thou art swift To enter in the thoughts of desperate men. Apostrophe: addressing something inanimate as if it could respond.
There is thy gold, worse poison to men’s souls, Doing more in murder in this loathsome world Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none.
Romeo speaks to the Apothecary There is thy gold, worse poison to men’s souls, Doing more in murder in this loathsome world Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none. Money is poison to the soul=metaphor
Poor living corse*, closed in a dead man’s tomb! *corpse
Friar Lawrence Poor living corse*, closed in a dead man’s tomb! *corpse Oxymoron: Juliet is a living corpse in the Capulet tomb
Tempt not a desperate man.
Tempt not a desperate man. Romeo warns Paris Tempt not a desperate man. Why not? Why is Romeo desperate? What’s the result?
Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce these rotten jaws to open, And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food.
Romeo addresses the tomb Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce these rotten jaws to open, And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food. Apostrophe and Metaphor: Romeo speaks to the tomb calling it a stomach full of death. He will feed it more.
Eyes look your last Arms take your last embrace. And, lips, O, you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A datelss bargain to engrossing death.
Romeo Eyes look your last Arms take your last embrace. And, lips, O, you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death. Apostrophe: Romeo bids farewell to his own life, his physical life.
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark*! *vessel
Romeo Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark*! *vessel Metaphor: He compares himself to the pilot of a failing ship. He will destroy the ship—suicide. Notice he recalls the metaphor he used in Act I, scene 4
Capulet, Montague, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love
Prince Capulet, Montague, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love Irony: We don’t expect heaven to kill, nor do we expect love to be a weapon.