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A “wild goose chase” was a race in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, that looked like wild geese flying in formation. Gervase Markham published an equestrian instructional manual: A Discourse of Horsmanshippe, in 1593, shortly before Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, in which he described the rules of the race.
- Poison
- Thumb-Biting
- Queen Mab
In his first appearance, in Act 2, scene 2, Friar Lawrence remarks that every plant, herb, and stone has its own special properties and that nothing exists in nature that cannot be put to both good and bad uses. Thus, poison is not intrinsically evil, but instead it's a natural substance made lethal by human hands. Friar Lawrence’s words prove true...
In Act 1, scene 1, the buffoonish Samson begins a brawl between the Montagues and Capulets by flicking his thumbnail from behind his upper teeth, an insulting gesture known as biting the thumb. He engages in this juvenile and vulgar display because he wants to get into a fight with the Montagues but doesn’t want to be accused of starting the fight ...
In Act 1, scene 4, Mercutio delivers a dazzling speech about the fairy Queen Mab, who rides through the night on her tiny wagon bringing dreams to sleepers. One of the most noteworthy aspects of Queen Mab’s ride is that the dreams she brings generally do not bring out the best sides of the dreamers, but instead serve to confirm them in whatever vic...
Quick answer: In Romeo and Juliet, birds are mentioned throughout the play to show night versus day and also freedom versus captivity or lack of freedom to do what one wants. Juliet longs for “a ...
Light and Darkness. One of the central motifs of the play is the interplay between light and darkness. Romeo and Juliet are consistently comparing one another to different forms of light, including the sun, the stars, and the moon, emphasizing the sense of "illumination" they get from each other. However, the light/dark imagery is not used in a ...
In Shakespeare's world, a "goose" was a slang term for a prostitute. When Mercutio asks Romeo about chasing geese, we're pretty sure he's also hinting at this meaning. That's Mercutio for you. He's dirty, funny, and out of control. Just take his entry into the play.
Light/Dark and Day/Night. Romeo and Juliet complicates traditional notions of light versus dark and day versus night. Light is typically a symbol of openness, purity, hope, and good fortune, while dark often represents confusion, obscurity, and doom. Shakespeare…. read analysis of Light/Dark and Day/Night.
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From Juliet referring to her newfangled relationship as "the bud of love" to her classic line "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," plants and flowers, as well as their associated terminology, are used symbolically throughout the play. Shakespeare weaves floral symbolism throughout the play; Romeo, the object of ...
