Romeo and Juliet Group

Question:

tarryn
tarryn
Student
College - Freshman

What are the connotations attached to Juliet's words "god of my idolatary"?

What does it mean ,what are the connotations attached to the line and what is Shakespeare trying to show us?

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Posted by tarryn on Tuesday August 5, 2008 at 9:14 AM and tagged with juliet, love, quote, romeo and juliet.

Answers:

  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    Theses lines are spoken by Juliet in the famous 'balcony scene' (Act II sc.2).

    Juliet is speaking to herself unaware that Romeo is overhearing what she says. She says that she loves him passionately:"thou overheard'st ere I was ware/My true love's passion." As soon as she realizes that Roemo has overheard her she is embarrassed but she repeats that she certainly loves him and asks him, "O gentle Romeo/If thou dost love,pronounce it faithfully." 

    At once Romeo swears by the moon that he loves her and will be faithful to her. Juliet asks him not to swear by the moon because the moon is constantly changing its shape according to its varying  phases. So, Romeo asks her what then shall he swear by. Juliet replies:"Do not swear at all/Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self/Which is the god of my idolatry/And I'll believe thee."

    'Idolatry' means the practice of worshipping idols. Juliet who is a catholic is accustomed to worshipping idols. She tells Romeo that she has 'idolized' him-Romeo the person has become the god whom she worships. She tells him that if at all he wants to swear that he truly loves her, then let him swear by his own name that he will be faithful to her till the end and that she will readily believe him because he is the god whom she worships.

    Shakespeare through these lines wishes to emphasise how much Juliet loves Roemo. Romeo her lover is the god whom she worships.

     

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    Posted by lit24 on Wednesday August 6, 2008 at 7:05 AM