Romeo and Juliet Group
Question:
genoa8
Student
High School - 9th Grade
Can someone explain what this quote means? "Fortune I hope thou wilt not keep him long, but send him back."
Answers:
-
gbeatty Teacher
College - FreshmanPosted by gbeatty on Thursday May 1, 2008 at 11:05 AMSure. You'll find a link below to the section of the play where that line is found in context (with a modern English translation).For the line itself, fortune is known to be changeable. People are up, then down, etc. As an embodied goddess, Fortune is known to be fickle, even whimsical: to change without reason, almost out of boredom. Juliet is saying, since luck has taken Romeo away suddenly, may it bring him back as suddenly. What's implied, and ironic, is that fortune brought him to her almost by accident originally, and will take him away for good soon.
-
kwoo1213 Teacher
College - FreshmanPosted by kwoo1213 on Thursday May 1, 2008 at 11:09 AMFortune, in this instance, means "chance, luck as a force in human affairs" (dictionary.com). In this case, this sentence is a plea by Juliet to bring Romeo back quickly (she does not want him to be away from her for long, as anyone can relate to if he/she has been deeply in love).