Poison hath residence, and medicine power;”
Plants and their uses play a big part in the play because in Shakespearian times they were subject to astrological influences and therefore had to be gathered precisely according to the position of the sun or moon. But this simple activity, that he enjoys, of picking plants shows his opinion of people and human nature. “Poison hath residence” shows the bad in life but “and medicine power” reveals the good also. The sinister as well as the good purposes come into the play later on when Juliet gets a poison that will only make her look dead but Romeo retrieves a poison that will kill him. The fact that such aesthetic objects can contain both good and evil is shown many times throughout the play. The two families are an example of this, even though they have hated each other for generations, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall madly in love with each other.
Friar Lawrence’s soliloquy shows him to be a man of nature as well as a religious man. He is much more laid back and wise than any of the other characters. He is also a lot different to the other males who fight and argue a lot, the friar is a lot less aggressive, and more optimistic. All these aspects of his character make his friendship with Romeo a lot more believable and realistic.
The friar Lawrence uses opposites and oxymorons within his speech.
“Grace and rude will”
This use of an opposite links back to the overall love-hate, good-bad theme of the play.
The style of the speech reflects the idea that he’s not an ostentatious man but just an ordinary, unpretentious man. The friar does not aim to stand out and look for attention and merits; he tries to stay out of other people’s affairs as much as possible. Or at least this is the impression we get.
Juliet’s soliloquy is on the night of her wedding as she awaits Romeo’s arrival. Juliet seems excited about this night but there is a lot of dramatic irony involved because in the last scene the audience saw that Romeo had been exiled for killing Tybalt. Even though she is excited the audience sees another side of her character and her feelings for Romeo. Juliet is only a 13-year-old girl but the audience realise that her relationship with Romeo is not just sexually based. Their relationship is a lot more sophisticated and even quite spiritual.
“Take him and cut him out in little stars,”
This shows that both Romeo and Juliet translate each other to stars as astrology and fate played a large part in the Shakespearian times.
Her language within the soliloquy conveys both excitement and fear.
“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,”
This line creates images of speed, passion and exotic love.
“Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day,”
Whereas this line makes the audience think of her fear of him not turning up and then she will never get to enjoy her wedding.
In the speech, Juliet repeats the same idea a lot.
“And bring in cloudy night immediately.”
“It best agrees with night. Come civil night,”
“Come gentle night, come loving black-browed night,”
This repetition shows how much Juliet wants the night to come quick because of her excitement to lose her virginity.
Romeo’s soliloquy is his final lines before his suicide and it is full of pathos. The purpose of his speech is to show the intense, mature emotions that he has for Juliet even though he thinks she’s dead. When he arrives at the tomb her beauty captivates him and lines 93-96 are full of irony.
“Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.”
In this particular line Romeo is stating that even though Juliet is ‘dead’, death has not affected her beauty, but as the audience know this is because she is not dead.
This soliloquy is the most tense due to the agonising knowledge that the audience has of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s plan. It is clear to the audience that just as Romeo has taken the poison Juliet is going to awaken and find him dead.
The disturbing images that convey from Romeo’s speech reveal Romeo’s psychological state. It shows how his feelings for Juliet were true and not just teenage lust. Romeo, thinking that Juliet is dead, intends for them to be married in death as they cannot be married in life.
“ I still will stay with thee,
And never from this palace of dim night
Depart again.”
Romeo reveals that he has had enough of the two families feuds and death will give him rest from this.
Even though there are three soliloquies, each one is different and they all convey different emotions. Friar Lawrence’s soliloquy reveals a lot about his character, it also shows his mature, philosophical view on nature and life in general. This soliloquy shows how he is a very unorthodox Friar as it has shown earlier.
Juliet’s soliloquy is the complete opposite to the Friar’s as it reveals all of her emotions in just 30 lines. Excitement;
“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,”
Joy;
“And learn me how to lose a winning match,”
Fear;
“Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day,”
Romeo’s soliloquy is at the climax of the play, when he sees Juliet lying ‘dead’ in the tomb and just before he poisons himself. This soliloquy is also an opposite to the last; Romeo’s words are quite disturbing, upsetting and depressing. This technique leaves the audience sympathising with the hero especially as the audience know that Juliet is not actually dead. Again there is irony in this speech due to what the audience already know.
The irony in both Romeo’s and Juliet’s soliloquies creates greater dramatic impact which makes the audience feel privileged and involved.
As the audience listen to the soliloquies they learn a lot about the main plot of the play. They learn that the two star crossed lovers have so many intense feelings that the fate of their suicides was inevitable.
