Juliet

Quotes analysis

“O, swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon,

That monthly changes in her circled orb,”

• The moon changes “shape” over the course of the month, waxing and waning. Juliet does not want Romeo to swear his love to her by the moon, since it is so inconstant. She is afraid if he swears by something that changes, his love will change as well.

• Because Romeo was considered immature at loving, Juliet has the right of being skeptical.

• In a way, Shakespeare represents women’s values of love (through celestial imagery) during his time in the views of Juliet.

• This presents juliet as rational and sensible, not leaving her fate to starts and planets.

• This imagery challenges Elizabethan audiences who regularly made decisions based on the stars and planets

“My only love sprung from my only hate!”

• Oxymoron

• The idea between ‘love’ and ‘hate’ emphasises the hatred between the families.

• Juliet’s dialogue presents the close relationship between love and hate, foreshadowing the impact the feud will have on their future

• Audiences, aware of the tragedy to come, are challenged to watch how conflict affects love

• The verb “sprung” suggests her love originates from hate springing from family conflict

• The repetition of “only” emphasises the huge significance the feud has in her life 

• In the midst of religious civil war in Elizabethan England, this line reflects the impact of division on innocent citizens, in particular, young people

“What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”

“O happy dagger!
This is thy sheath; There rust and let me die”

• Dagger - shows Juliet expressing her needs and wants as an Elizabethan woman, therefore, challenging Elizabethan challenges and “sinning” to show the power of her love.

• The juxtaposition (happy dagger) ilustrates Juliet’s emotions of joy through the instrument of her death which is what the dagger symbolises. The dagger being Romeo’s possesion supports this idea. This shows the power and intensity of their love.

• The exclamation mark hints that Juliet embraces death to escape her despairs and reunite with Romeo, the person who she feels free with.

• The personification of dagger demonsatrates

“swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry”