Romeo and Juliet Group

Question:

tamm64
tamm64
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In act 11 the chorus, what do the first 4 lines mean?

I just dont understand it

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Posted by tamm64 on Sunday April 19, 2009 at 7:34 PM and tagged with romeo and juliet, romeo and juliet act 11 chorus.

Answers:


  1. troutmiller Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    Act II begins with

    "Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
    And young affection gapes to be his heir;
    That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
    With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair."

    The love Romeo had for Rosaline "old desire" is now gone.  He has completely forgotten about her and how he felt for her.  She has been replaced by Juliet.  "Young affection" is now his love for Juliet. The "love groan'd for and would die" again refers to Rosaline and her beauty compared to Juliet's is the "is now not fair."  He has realized that Rosaline was nothing to cry over.  Juliet is everything to him now.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/romeo/act-ii-scenes-1-2-summary-ana...

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    Posted by troutmiller on Monday April 20, 2009 at 5:10 AM