A summary of “Romeo and Juliet”

A summary of “Romeo and Juliet”

A summary of “Romeo and Juliet”,

The extracts from William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet “express the implicit feelings of Romeo and and Juliet for each other. These verses are known for their rich imageries laced with powerful emotions.
Romeo though uninvited, makes his presence at the Grand Supper hosted by Old Lord Capulet, just to meet Roseline. He finds Juliet on the dance floor so attractive that he is overwhelmed with strong emotions. He wonders if her beauty teaches the torches to burn bright. He follows his exclamation with two lovely comparisons: Juliet’s beauty is compared to that of a jewel that shines bright in an Ethiope’s ear which is too expensive and very rare to find on earth. She is also compared to a snowy dove seen in the company of crows. The contrasting imageries used in earlier contexts highlight the sparkling beauty of Juliet. Romeo wishes to meet her once the dance is over and wants to shake hands with her in order to make his rude hand blessed. At this instance, he is struck by the feeling, if he ever loved, for her beauty and her presence had blinded him. So, he wants to forget all that he has seen in the past under the glowing beauty of Juliet. Thus, Romeo expresses his admiration for Juliet’s beauty.

Juliet invites night, for Romeo can only be seen then. She is attracted to his charming aspect, so she compares him to day in night. He looks whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. Juliet praises night with sweet words so that night brings Juliet her charming hero, Romeo. She asks night to cut him into little stars if she should die. With this appeal, she wishes to immortalise her love for him. She is sure that the starlit sky then glows even richer than the shining beauty of the day. The world then starts admiring the beauty of night and stops glorifying the bright day. This is how Juliet is also full of praise and fascination for Romeo.

Comprehension-1

1.     The Phrase, ‘teach the torches to burn bright’ suggests:

Answer: (c) her beauty surpasses the brightness of light.

2.     ‘for earth too dear’ this phrase suggests that the lady’s beauty is

Answer: (b) rare

3.     ‘the measure done’, connotes the completion of

Answer: (b) dance organized by Lord Capulet

4.     The line, ‘did my heart love till now?’ suggests

Answer: (c) Romeo feels this is true love.

5.     The phrase, ‘new snow’ suggests

Answer: (b) description of Romeo’s charm.

6.     What do you think the phrase; ‘face of heaven’ signifies?

Answer: The night sky / the sky

Comprehension- 2

Q. 1 What similes does Romeo use to convey Juliet’s beauty and to what effect?

Answer: William Shakespeare is known for his deft use of language in his works. In “Romeo and Juliet” through the character of Romeo we come to know how effectively similes are used to convey the message. Romeo in his speech uses two similes to describe the beauty of Juliet. First simile compares her beauty to a rich jewel worn by an Ethiopian. The comparison here is so effective that the jewel shines brighter against the dark skin background. Such a beauty is very expensive and rare to be seen on earth. The second simile is used to compare Juliet’s beauty to  a snowy dove which stands out as it troops with crows referring to her companions. They are outshone by her heavenly beauty. This is how Romeo conveys Juliet’s beauty.

Q. 2 How according to Juliet, would Romeo be immortalized to the world?

 Answer: Shakespeare’s characters are timeless and his works are universal in appeal. The English language and literature continue to grow mightier in his legacy. This element is manifest in “Romeo and Juliet”. Juliet is fascinated by the charming personality of Romeo. She beseeches night to arrive so that she can meet her Romeo. She calls night ‘gentle and sweet’, for it brings charming Romeo to her. Juliet is so much charmed by him that supposing she dies without him, she wishes night to cut Romeo in little stars and decorate the sky beautifully. Thus Romeo would be immortalized. People will then fall in love with the starlit heavens of the night and pay no attention to the Sun.

Comprehension-3