Wednesday 8 February 2017

Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare 1994
A play rushing towards ist end. In action as well as language. And any little moment of hesitation could have ended the catastrophe, but not being able to wait killst them.

 “Sampson: Gregory, o’ my word, we’ll not carry coals.
Gregory: No, for then we should be colliers.
Sampson: I mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw.
Gregory: Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o’ th’ collar.
Sampson: I strike quickly, being moved.
Gregory: But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
Sampson: A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
Gregory: To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:
Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn’st away.
Sampson: A dog of that house shall move me to stand.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.245).



“Benvolio: Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
Romeo: O, teach me how I should forget to think.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.248).

“Romeo: I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night’s revels; and expire the term
Of a despised life, closed in my breast,
By some vile forfeit of untimely death:
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! – On, lusty gentlemen!” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.251).

“Juliet: … Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
Romeo:              I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I’ll be baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.254).

“Romeo: My dear?
Juliet:                    At what o’clock to-morrow
Shall I send to thee?
Romeo                                 At the hour of nine.
Juliet: I will not fail: ‘tis twenty years till then.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.255).

“Friar Laurence:
For this alliance may so happy prove,
To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.
Romeo: O, let us hence; I stand on sudden haste.
Friar: Wisely, and slow; they stumble that run fast.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.257).

“Juliet: O, she is lame! Love’s heralds should be thoughts,
Which ten times faster glide than the sun beams,
Driving back shadows over louring hills.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.259).

“Nurse: I am a-weary, give me leave awhile: -
Fie, how my bones ache” what a jaunt have I had!
Juliet: I would thou hadst my bones and I thy news:
Nay, come, I pray thee, speak; - good, good nurse, speak.
Nurse: Jesu, what haste? Can you not stay awhile?
Do you not see that I am out of breath?
Juliet: How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath
To say to me that thou art out of breath?
The excuse that thou dost makein this delay
Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.259).

Juliet: Come, night; come, Romeo; come thou day in night;
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night
Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. –
Come, gentle night, - come, loving, black-brow’d night;
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night
Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. –
Come gentle night, - come, loving, black-brow’d night,
Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him and cut out in little stars,
And he will male the face of heaven so fine,
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sin. –“ (Shapespeare, 1994, p.263).

When Juliet hears the news that Romeo survived but has slain her cousin Tybalt another theme emerges: that of love turning the world upside down:
“Juliet: O serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!
Dove-feather’d raven! Wolfish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!
Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st,
A damned saint, an honourable villain!
(…)
Was ever book containing such a vile matter
So fairly bound?” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.263).

When the morning rises and Romeo has to leave Juleit:
“More light and light, - more dark and dark our woes!” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.267).

“Juliet: Is there no pity sitting in the clouds,
That sees into the bottom of my grief.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.269).

“Balthasar: I do beseech you, sir, have patience:
Your looks are pale and wild, and do import
Some misadventure.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.274).

“Montague: O thou untaught! What manners is in this,
To press before thy father to a grave.” (Shapespeare, 1994, p.277).