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

Question

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

In analyzing the scene in the painting and how it relates to Romeo's speech, we can identify clear matches and departures based on thematic elements, character positioning, and emotional resonance.

Matches:

1. Setting of Death: Both the painting and Romeo's speech convey a sense of finality and death. Romeo's acknowledgment of death’s hold over Juliet, as he describes her beauty remaining untouched despite death’s presence, echoes the somber atmosphere depicted in the painting where Juliet kneels over Romeo's dead body.

2. Emotional Turmoil: In both representations, there is a profound sense of tragedy and despair. Romeo speaks of his love for Juliet and his inability to comprehend her beauty being intertwined with death. This emotional turmoil is likely reflected in the painting, capturing Juliet's grief as she mourns Romeo's death.

3. Symbolism of Beauty and Death: Romeo talks about the contrast between Juliet's beauty and death, noting that death has not yet claimed her. In the painting, Juliet's kneeling position over Romeo can symbolize her connection to both life (her love for him) and death (the reality of his demise).

4. The Importance of the Kiss: Romeo's speech culminates in his final kiss with poison, symbolizing his union with Juliet in death. The painting likely captures a similar theme of intimacy and finality, as Juliet's position can imply a desire for a final connection with Romeo.

Departures:

1. Character Action: In Romeo's speech, he is the one who consumes poison and actively decides to join Juliet in death. However, in the painting, it is Juliet who holds a dagger and seems poised in a grieving rather than an active dying gesture, indicating her sorrow rather than a simultaneous act of suicide.

2. Tybalt’s Influence: Romeo mentions Tybalt, expressing remorse for killing him and framing his actions in that light. The painting does not display Tybalt's presence, focusing entirely on the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, which shifts the narrative's emphasis away from family conflict toward individual sorrow.

3. Imagery of Light and Darkness: Romeo's speech references a “palace of dim night,” indicating a transition from life to death. The painting may portray similar darkness, but it could lack the vivid contrasts that arise in the speech, such as the notion of beauty (Juliet’s apparent liveliness) versus the impending finality of death.

4. Presence of Others: While Romeo's soliloquy is a solitary moment of reflection, the painting suggests an approaching presence (described as the shadow of an approaching man). This indicates that the moment is not entirely private, while Romeo's speech presents a heartfelt private farewell.

Overall, while the painting and Romeo's speech share themes of love, death, and tragedy, they depart in their representations of action and context, focusing differently on individual moments of grief versus the dynamic between love and loss.