Imagery and Symbolism

Question 1

In Act 1, Scene 2, Capulet says that “April on the heel / Of limping winter treads”. Explain why this is an example of personification.

Answer 1

This is personification because both the month of “April” and the “winter” are described ad people — April “treads” on winter’s heel, and winter is described as “limping”. This means that the winter is nearly over, as April is the beginning of the spring.

Question 2

Romeo tells Juliet that he is wearing “night’s cloak” when he comes to her balcony.
What does he mean?

Answer 2

He means that nobody will be able to see him because it is dark.

Question 3

Romeo uses imagery of light and darkness to describe Juliet when he first sees her in Act 1, Scene 5. What effect does this have? Explain your answer.

Answer 3

Romeo associates Juliet with the light and everyone else with darkness — for example, he compares her to “a snowy dove trooping with crows”. This imagery creates the impression that Juliet is incredibly beautiful by suggesting her beauty makes her stand out from everything around her.

Question 3

In Act 2, Scene 2, Juliet is worried that her relationship with Romeo is “Too like the lightning”. What does she mean by this comparison and how does it reflect their relationship in the rest of the play?

Answer 3

This comparison suggests that Juliet is worried their relationship is happening too quickly. She’s worried that, like lightning, the relationship will end as quickly as it started. This reflects their relationship in the rest of the play — they often act quickly, e.g. by getting married so soon after meeting. Their relationship also doesn’t last very long, as they are both dead within four days of meeting.

Question 4

Give an example where Juliet uses imagery related to the sea.

Answer 4

In Act 2, Scene 2, Juliet says that her “bounty is as boundless as the sea”, meaning that she will do anything for Romeo. She also says that her “love” is “as deep” as the sea.

Question 5

In Act 3, Scene 1, Mercutio says the Montagues and Capulets have “made worms’ meat” of him.
What does this mean?

Answer 5

Mercutio means that he is dying — his body will become “worms’ meat”, because “worms” (maggots) are often found on dead bodies.

Question 6

Give an example when Romeo uses imagery relating to sailing in:
a) Act 1, Scene 4
b) Act 2, Scene 2
c) Act 5, Scene 3

Answer 6

a) Romeo says “He, hath
the steerage of my
course, / Direct my sail!”
He asks God to guide him
as he prepares to go to
the Capulets’ party.
b) Romeo says he is “no
pilot” (sailor), but that he
would sail across the
“farthest sea” for Juliet.
He is trying to show how
much is willing to risk for
her.
c) Just before he kills
himself, Romeo calls
himself a “desperate pilot”
and describes his death
as crashing a boat onto
the “dashing rocks”.

Question 7

In Act 2, Scene 2, Juliet says that if Romeo were her “bird”, she would kill him with too “much cherishing” (too much love). What does this image suggest about Romeo and Juliet’s relationship?

Answer 7

This suggests that Juliet loves Romeo deeply, because she want to nurture him and look after him. However, it also demonstrates that their love may be unhealthy, because it is so strong. Juliet’s suggestion that she will “kill” Romeo with too “much cherishing” foreshadows Romeo’s death at the end of the play, as the intensity of their relationship eventually leads to both of their deaths.

Question 8

What does Mercutio describe as “the children of an idle brain”?
A. women
B. love affairs
C. dreams

Answer 8

C. Mercutio describes dreams as “the children of an idle brain” in Act 1, Scene 4. This could suggest that dreams are influenced by the person dreaming them and reflect that person’s characteristics

Question 9

Give one way Friar Lawrence compares nature and humans in Act 2, Scene 3.

Answer 9

Friar Lawrence describes how a particular flower has the power to both kill and heal — it contains both “Poison” and “medicine”. He says that these two opposites can be found “In man as well as herbs”, suggesting that humans are capable of both good and evil.

Question 10

In Act 2, Scene 2, Romeo describes Juliet as a “bright angel” and a “wingèd messenger of heaven”. What is the effect of these images?
What do they tell you about Romeo’s perception of Juliet?

Answer 10

The religious imagery shows how beautiful Romeo thinks Juliet is, but also how intensely he idolises her. His description of her as an “angel” from “heaven” suggests that she is too beautiful for earth. This could also suggest that he loves Juliet too much, because he is worshipping her as if she were from heaven at a time when it was considered a sin to worship anyone except God.

Question 11

In the Prologue to Act 2, the Chorus describes how Romeo’s “old desire doth in his deathbed lie”. Explain the effect of the personification in this line.

Answer 11

This line suggests that Romeo’s “desire” for Rosaline is ending now that he has met Juliet. By comparing Romeo’s desire to a dying person, Shakespeare emphasises that his love for Rosaline is over, because death is final. It could also suggest that Romeo’s love for Rosaline was doomed to failure, because all humans eventually die.