Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Act 2 Scene 6 PDF

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Summary

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare line by line analysis of Act 2 Scene 6. Summary of the entire chapter broken down into sectors to ensure greater understanding. An analysis of the summary is provided to ensure complete depth of understanding of the scene as a whole...

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Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 6

Line by line

Friar Laurence “So smile the heavens upon this holy act that after hours with sorrow chide us not!” -

Direct Translation: Let’s hope that God looks favourably on this marriage, and doesn’t later punish us for it.

Romeo “Amen, amen. But (let) come what sorrow can .. It is enough I may but call her mine.” -

Direct translation: Amen to that! But come what sorrow may, it can’t offset the joy I receive from one minute of being in her sight. Just join our hands in matrimony, and Death can do whatever he dares. It’s enough that she’s mine.

Friar Laurence “These violent delights (strong passions) have violent ends (endings) … And yet not fall; so light is vanity (serenity)” -

Direct translation: Such violent passions have violent ends, and often die when they hit their peak, just like fire burns the fuel it kisses with flames. The sweetest honey tastes sickly-sweet and deliciousness, but too much of it will ruin an appetite. Therefore, be moderate in your love, like a longterm love is. Love that’s too quick is just as bad as too slow. [Enter Juliet] Here comes the lady. She moves so lightly that she would never wear down stone steps. Lovers can balance on cobwebs floating in the summer breeze, that’s how lightly and carefree they travel.

Friar Laurence “Therefore love moderately, long (lasting) love doth so.” -

Allusion

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This line recalls the old proverb, "love me little, love me long."

Friar Laurence “Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” -

Allusion

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This line recalls the old proverb, "the more haste, the worse speed."

Friar Laurence “O, so light a foot will ne’er wear out the everlasting flint.” -

Shakespeare seems to have gotten a little confused with this metaphor.

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Most stairs in stone buildings in Europe are built of relatively soft limestone which will eventually wear away with foot traffic, whereas flint is an extremely hard rock.

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It would have made more sense if Shakespeare had said that Juliet’s foot was so light it would not wear out the limestone.

Juliet “Good even (afternoon) to my ghostly (spiritual) confessor.” -

Direct translation: Good afternoon, my priest.

Friar Laurence “Romeo shall thank (kiss) thee, daughter, for us both.” -

Direct translation: Romeo can kiss you hello for me as well as himself.

Juliet “As much to him, else is his thanks too much.” -

Direct translation: I’ll kiss him twice, so that we’re equal.

Romeo “Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy… Receive in either (each other) by this dear encounter.” -

Direct Translation: Ah, Juliet, if you are overjoyed like me and you have more verbal skill to express it, then let your breath sweeten the air around us with talk of love. Let this music sing of the happiness we imagine and that we take from each other from this meeting.

Romeo “… if the measure of thy joy be heaped like mine” -

Wordplay: measure

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This moment of wordplay gives these lines two possible interpretations:

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Romeo refers to the measurement of Juliet's joy like one would measure grain heaped into a cone shape.

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The line also refers to a measure of music which Juliet could sing to express her joy.

Juliet “Conceit (an idea), more rich in matter than in words, brags of his substance … I cannot sum (add) up sum (the total) of half my wealth.”

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Direct translation: True understanding has more substance than extra words, and talks of its content, not its appearance. Only beggars can count their riches easily, while my love has become so excessive that I couldn’t add up even half of it.

Friar Laurence “Come, come with me, and we will make short work… till holy church incorporate two in (into) one” -

Direct translation: Come, we’ll get this marriage done quickly. With your cooperation, you will not spend the night together until the church has united you in holy matrimony.

Summary and Notes

✓ At Friar Laurence’s cell, the friar and Romeo wait for Juliet. ✓ The friar says he hopes the heavens will smile upon the “holy act” of the young lovers’ marriage and prays no sorrow will visit them. ✓ Romeo says that even if sorrow does come, it will not be able to usurp the joy he feels just in looking at Juliet. ✓ The friar warns Romeo that “violent delights have violent ends,” and that even “the sweetest honey” becomes loathsome when indulged in too often. ✓ He urges Romeo to “love moderately”—if he does, he will love longer. Notes -

Even though the friar cautions Romeo against loving too “violent[ly],” his words fall on deaf ears.

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Romeo and Juliet are intensely in love and can’t even begin to comprehend the power of the forces that threaten to tear them apart.

✓ Juliet rushes into the friar’s chambers and excitedly embraces Romeo. ✓ As Friar Laurence watches the two hold each another, he admires their love but wonders to himself in an aside whether it is too “light,” heady, and “wanton” to last. ✓ Juliet greets the friar and thanks Romeo abundantly for arranging the marriage so quickly. ✓ Romeo and Juliet begin imagining the love and happiness they’ll soon enjoy, but the friar urges them to hurry and follow him so that they can make their vows.

Notes

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The friar’s doubt is tangible and visible throughout this entire scene, and, in fact, the sight of Romeo and Juliet embracing each another doesn’t comfort him.

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It only worries him further about whether he’s doing the right thing in helping these young lovers to stoke their intense, furious passion in spite of the risks they’re taking....