Tuesday, August 30, 2011

In Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 5. How is the way Lord Capulet refers to storms significant?

Traditionally in literature, and specifically in Shakespeare, the use of storms is a form of foreshadowing. Because staging a storm is challenging, especially in the 1500's writers, like Shakespeare use dialogue to show and explain what is happening.


Although in this specific scene the reference to the storms refer to Juliet's crying which Lord Capulet compares to storm which comes because Juliet does not like the news that she is to wed to Paris.


Capulet compares Juliet's tears to the storm and her body as a bark floating and being beaten by the water. He ends his discussion of the storm saying, "Who,--raging with thy tears, and they with/ them,--/Without a sudden calm, will overset/Thy tempest-tossed body."


This image of a tossed body can be interpreted as a dead body, which will eventually be Juliet's. Also, it is Capulet's way of saying Juliet is overreacting the news that she will be married to a nobleman; news she should consider as making herself lucky.


Finally to emphasize that this discussion of a storm is foreshadowing, Capulet exits the scene after telling Juliet and Lady Capulet that Juliet is "For by soul, I'll ne'er acknowelge thee," a statement implying that Juliet will be dead to him if she doesn't marry Paris. This, of course, happens when Juliet choses to marry Romeo instead.

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