Romeo and Juliet Group

Question:

taylorz1
taylorz1
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What does this quote from "Romeo and Juliet" mean? Who said it?  What scene and act is it from?

"When he shall die, take him and cut him into little pieces and he will make the face of heaven so fine that the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun."

Rate question:

Posted by taylorz1 on Monday March 30, 2009 at 10:15 AM and tagged with meaning, quote, romeo and juliet, when he shall die.

Answers:

  1. dneshan
    dneshan Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Juliet says this quote in Act 3, scene 2 of “Romeo and Juliet”.  During this scene, Juliet is waiting for the night to come so that she can spend her first night with Romeo as husband and wife.  The quote that you are asking about tells us just how fond Juliet is of the way that Romeo looks.  Most people like the daytime more than the night.  Juliet takes this into account when she says this quote.  She is saying that if the night sky looked like Romeo, then people would love to look at the night sky more than the daytime sky – which is the sun.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/romeo-text/act-iii-scene-ii

    Rate answer:

    Posted by dneshan on Monday March 30, 2009 at 10:53 AM

  2. mwestwood
    mwestwood Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    It is ironic that Juliet here calls the sun "garish" since in Act II Romeo compares Juliet to the sun as he, too, uses light imagery for his love:

    But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?/It is the east, and Juliet is the sun./Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,/Who is already sick and pale with grief,/That thou her maid art far more fair than she (II,ii,61-66).

    Since Juliet's lines are farther along in the play, this reversal of light/dark imagery--imagery that is prevalent throughout the play--is indicative of the changes in conditions for Juliet and Romeo.  For, the lovers, who secretly married in the night are safer during the dark hours and must be clandestine about their actions. 

     

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/romeo

    Rate answer:

    Posted by mwestwood on Monday March 30, 2009 at 11:29 AM