Romeo and Juliet

Question

By William Shakespeare



How oft when men are at the point of death Have they been merry, which their keepers call A lightning before death. O how may I

Call this a lightning? O my love, my wife! Death that hath sucked the honey of thy breath Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Thou art not conquered; beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,

And death’s pale flag is not advanced there. Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet? O what more favour can I do to thee,

Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain To sunder his that was thine enemy?

Forgive me cousin. Ah dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour?

For fear of that, I still will stay with thee, And never from this palace of dim night Depart again. Here, here will I remain

With worms that are thy chamber-maids. O here Will I set up my everlasting rest;

And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars

From this world-wearied flesh. 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.

[Takes out the poison] Come bitter conduct, come unsavoury guide.

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark. Here’s to my love! [drinks] O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

Question
Use the passage and the image to answer the question.

Juliet, clutching a dagger, kneels over the dead body of Romeo. To her left is the door of the tomb, on which the shadow of an approaching man falls.
Source: Zuri Swimmer. Alamy Stock Photo

In what ways does the scene in the painting match the description in Romeo’s speech? In what ways does the painting depart from the details laid out in the speech?

(4 points)

Answer 1

To analyze the ways the painting matches and departs from the description in Romeo's speech, we can focus on the following points:

Matches:

1. Setting and Atmosphere: Romeo's speech takes place in a tomb, conveying themes of death, love, and despair. The painting captures this somber setting with Juliet kneeling over Romeo’s dead body, enhancing the tragic atmosphere depicted in the speech.

2. Emotional Context: Romeo's speech expresses deep sorrow and love for Juliet, and this is mirrored in the painting where Juliet, clutching a dagger, suggests her own despair and readiness to join Romeo in death. Both capture the intense emotional turmoil surrounding their tragic fate.

3. Imagery of Death: In the speech, Romeo speaks of death and a “palace of dim night.” The painting visually represents death through the imagery of a tomb and the lifeless body of Romeo, aligning with Romeo's contemplation of death and its finality.

4. Presence of Shadows: The speech touches on darkness with phrases like "the dim night" and the idea of death lurking. The approaching man's shadow in the painting could symbolize the inevitable arrival of fate or consequence, reinforcing the theme of death that permeates Romeo's words.

Departs:

1. Focus on Characters: Romeo's speech is primarily about his own thoughts and feelings regarding death and Juliet’s beauty even in death. The painting shifts focus to Juliet as the central figure, emphasizing her grief and agency, rather than Romeo's perspective.

2. Execution of Death: In the speech, Romeo actively seeks death through the poisoned drink, while the painting shows Juliet with a dagger, suggesting she is contemplating her own suicide instead. This deviation emphasizes Juliet's action and decision-making, which is less prominent in Romeo's reflections.

3. Absence of the Apothecary: Romeo references the “true apothecary” and the act of taking poison in his speech. In the painting, there is no indication of any external influence or the poison being consumed—this omission shifts the focus from Romeo's choice to Juliet's reaction to his death.

4. Imagined Future: Romeo speaks to an eternal rest and embraces death willingly, while Juliet's posture might imply a reaction to a sudden tragedy. The painting may convey a sense of immediate response to grief, possibly diverging from the contemplative acceptance of death that Romeo expresses.

In summary, the painting aligns with the emotional and thematic elements of Romeo's speech, particularly regarding love and death, while it alters character focus and moments of action, presenting Juliet as a response to Romeo's death rather than solely portraying Romeo's introspections.