Romeo → Love & Fate

Question 1

“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun”

Answer 1

1 → comparing her to the sun aggredises her to a level of transdecendance - Romeos idiolisation of her - center of his universe

2 → strong language, comparison to celestial figures - connotes to his hamartia - his impetous nature

3 → light can be blinding, as well as if too close to the sun, it can lead to death - the moving closer to Juliet will result in their tragedy - powerful nature of love.

Link → “her beauty makes this vaulty a feasting presence of light” - they have ultimately met, Romeo will now kill himself as a result of now being close to her

Question 2

“I defy you, stars”

Answer 2

1 → monosyllabic simplicity of the phrase - created an emotioanlly charged phrase - Romeo is beliggerent at fate for the wrongdoings that has happened to him - realised the inescability of fate?

2 → declarative verb “defy” connotes to rebellion - believes he can change his destiny - signifys his callow nature

3 → comma after you, possessive pronoun - personifies the stars as a tangible force to be reckoned with - omnipotence of the stars

LINK → “star crossed lovers” - although he has progressed through the play, his actions are still bound by fate.

Question 3

“With love’s wings […], for stony limits cannot hold love”

Answer 3

1 → classical allusion to cupid - divinity has fated their relationship with its arrow

2 → idea of climbing this wall, their love is more powerful than the divine, callow nature

3 → wings of icarus - melted upon getting to close to the sun - common motif of Juliet as the sun suggests that she is his downfall

4 → Romeo speaks in iambic pentameter, love takes presedence in everything, even down to the way he speaks, he only speaks of love, infatuation and callow.

LIN → “ Juliet is the sun”