As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses Juliet's longing for Romeo and her frustration at his identity as a Montague.
In this famous line from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet laments the existence of societal barriers that separate her from Romeo, her love. She is questioning why he must be a Montague, a family embroiled in a bitter feud with her own family, the Capulets. This moment encapsulates the struggle between love and social constraints, highlighting the tragic nature of their relationship.
Themes
LoveIdentityLongingFrustrationSociety
In practice
Example use cases
A romantic film might feature this quote to illustrate the main characters' struggles against societal norms.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'.
Bing CrosbyRead
Love, however, cannot be forbidden. The more that flame is covered up, the hotter it burns. Also love can always find a way. It was impossible that these two whose hearts were on fire should be kept apart. (Pyramus and Thisbe)
Edith HamiltonRead
Perhaps we are in this world to search for love, find it and lose it, again and again. With each love, we are born anew, and with each love that ends we collect a new wound. I am covered with proud scars.
Isabel AllendeRead
When he spoke, what tender words he used! So softly, that like flakes of feathered snow, They melted as they fell.
John DrydenRead
Have you ever felt the longing for someone you could admire? For something, not to look down at, but up to?
Ayn RandRead
Long distance relationships are living proof that love is not just physical. I can feel you next to me even when you're thousands of miles away._x000D_ _x000D_ Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering.
Paulo CoelhoRead