Theme 12: Appearances Vs Reality Flashcards
(9 cards)
- Romeo about Rosaline (who we never meet)
“She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow.”
What: Believes Rosaline is immune to love — sees her as untouchable
• How:
• Mythological allusion = idealises her beyond reality
• Passive structure = removes Rosaline’s voice
• Irony = audience knows his love is shallow
• Why: Shakespeare mocks performative, superficial love — not real emotion
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Love, Youth
- Juliet to her mother about marriage
“It is an honour that I dream not of.”
• What: Appears obedient, but subtly resists imposed expectations
• How:
• Irony = “honour” used to mask discomfort
• Gentle modality “dream not” = veiled rebellion
• **Tone = passive compliance masking inner voice
• Why: Shakespeare shows the tension between performance and truth for women
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Gender, Social Class
- Tybalt at the Capulet ball
“This, by his voice, should be a Montague.”
• What: Judges Romeo’s identity by his voice, not actions
• How:
• Dramatic irony = Romeo’s true intentions are peaceful
• Assumptive language “should be” = prejudice
• Sibilance = creates suspicion and threat
• Why: Shakespeare critiques how inherited hatred distorts perception
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Conflict, Honour
- Juliet reacts after discovering Romeo’s identity
“My only love sprung from my only hate!”
• What: Her true love is disguised as an enemy
• How:
• Oxymoron = internal contradiction mirrors emotional conflict
• Exclamation = shock, helplessness
• Repetition “only” = exclusivity intensifies betrayal
• Why: Shakespeare shows how love and loyalty can be distorted by social labels
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Love vs Hate, Fate
- Friar Laurence about Romeo’s sudden love shift
“Young men’s love then lies / Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”
• What: Exposes the superficiality of Romeo’s love
• How:
• Juxtaposition “hearts / eyes” = inner truth vs surface attraction
• Monosyllabic rhythm = direct, stripped back truth
• **Tone = critical but wise
• Why: Shakespeare questions whether love is genuine or just an illusion
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Love, Youth
- Juliet to Romeo after Tybalt’s death
“Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!”
• What: Can’t reconcile Romeo’s outer beauty with his inner actions
• How:
• Oxymorons = confusion, torn loyalty
• Religious imagery “angelical” = false sanctity
• **Tone = emotional, betrayed
• Why: Shakespeare captures how reality shatters when love meets violence
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Conflict, Love vs Hate
- Capulet on Juliet’s fake death
“Death lies on her like an untimely frost.”
• What: Mourns her, unaware she’s not actually dead
• How:
• Simile “untimely frost” = sudden, unnatural stillness
• Dramatic irony = audience knows she’s alive
• Soft natural imagery = tragic innocence
• Why: Shakespeare blurs life and death, making appearance indistinguishable from truth
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Death, Time
- Romeo reacts to Juliet in the tomb
“Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet / Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks.”
• What: She appears alive — tragic deception
• How:
• Dramatic irony = she IS alive
• Natural imagery “crimson” = illusion of life
• Military metaphor “not conquered” = death as a battlefield
• Why: Shakespeare weaponises false appearances to create tragedy
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Death, Fate
- Friar Laurence’s last speech
“A greater power than we can contradict / Hath thwarted our intents.”
What: Reveals that hidden forces ruined their plans
• How:
• Passive voice = strips characters of agency
• Religious tone “greater power” = divine interference
• **Tone = resigned, helpless
• Why: Shakespeare shows that what characters perceive is never the full truth
• Themes: Appearance vs Reality, Fate, Responsibility
