Ah, What an Unkind Hour
Romeo is at the graveyard. He has just killed Paris, who had tried to stop him seeing Juliet, and is now sitting beside Juliet's seemingly lifeless body.
Act 5 Scene 3: A churchyard, outside the tomb of the Capulets
romeo: O my love, my wife,
Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Thou art not conquered, beauty's ensign1 yet
Is crimson2 in thy lips and in thy cheeks, 5
And Death's pale flag is not advanced there.
(...)
Ah, dear Juliet,
Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe
That unsubstantial3 Death is amorous,
And that the lean4 abhorred monster keeps 10
Thee here in dark to be his paramour5?
For fear of that, I still will stay with thee,
And never from this palace of dim6 night
Depart7 again. Here, here will I remain
With worms that are thy chambermaids8; O here 15
Will I set up my everlasting rest9,
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars,
From this world-wearied flesh10. Eyes, look your last11!
Arms, take your last embrace12! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal13 with a righteous14 kiss 20
A dateless bargain to engrossing Death15!
Come, bitter conduct16, come, unsavoury17 guide!
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing18 rocks thy seasick weary bark19!
Here's to my love [Drinks] O true apothecary20! 25
Thy drugs are quick. Thus21 with a kiss I die. [Dies]
(...)
[Enter friar lawrence]
friar lawrence: Romeo!
[friar stoops22 and looks on the blood and weapons]
Alack23! Alack! What blood is that which stains24
The stony entrance of the sepulchre?
What mean these masterless25 and gory26 swords 30
To lie discoloured by this place of peace?
[Enters the tomb]
Romeo! O, pale27! Who else? What, Paris too?
And steeped28 in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour
Is guilty of this lamentable chance29!
[juliet rises]
The lady stirs30. 35
juliet: O comfortable31 Friar, where is my lord?
I do remember well where I should be;
And there I am. Where is my Romeo?
[Noise within]
friar lawrence: I hear some noise, lady. Come from that nest
Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep. 40
A greater power than we can contradict
Hath thwarted our intents32, Come, come away.
Thy husband in thy bosom33 there lies dead;
And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of34 thee
Among a sisterhood35 of holy nuns. 45
Stay not to question, for the Watch36 is coming.
Come go37, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay.
juliet: Go get thee hence38, for I will not away. [friar leaves]
What's here? A cup closed in my lover's hand?
Poison I see hath been his timeless39 end. 50
O churl40, drunk all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips,
Haply41 some poison yet doth hang on them,
To make me die with a restorative42.
[Kisses him] Thy lips are warm. 55
captain of the watch: [Within] Lead, boy, which way?
juliet: Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. [Takes romeo's dagger43]O happy dagger,
This is thy sheath44; [Stabs herself]
there rust45 and let me die.
[Falls on romeo's body and dies]
'Thou
are not conquered, beauty's ensign yet is crimson in thy lips...' A
scene from Franco Zeffirelli's
Romeo and Juliet (1968).
GLOSSARY
1. ensign: flag
2. crimson: deep red
3. unsubstantial: not a part of this world
4. lean: thin, hungry
5. paramour: lover
6. dim: dark
7. Depart: leave
8. chambermaids: female servants
9. Will I set up my everlasting rest: Will I join you in death
10. And shake...flesh: and throw this heavy weight of bad luck off my tire body
11. look your last: take a last look
12. embrace: hug
13.seal: authenticate
14. righteous: virtuous
15.dateless ... Death: timeless contract with all absorbing death
16. conduct: poison
17. unsavoury: unpleasant
18. dashing: throwing violently (Romeo is like a ship that is thrown against the rocks)
19. weary bark: tired boat
20. apothecary: chemist (It refers to the chemist who had given Romeo some poison)
21.Thus: in this way
22. stoops: bends over
23. Alack: expression of regret or surprise (arch.)
24. stains: leaves a mark
25.masterless: belonging to no one
26. gory: covered with blood
27. pale: dead
28. steeped: soaked, bathed
29.Ah, what... chance: How unkind was the moment when these horrible deeds were done!
30. stirs: moves
31. comfortable: supportive, consoling
32. thwarted our intents: frustrated our plans
33. Thy husband in thy bosom (heart): Romeo
34. dispose of: send
35. Among a sisterhood: in an order
36. Watch: guards
37. Come go: hurry up and go
38. Go get thee hence: go away
39. timeless: untimely, at the wrong time
40. churl: brute
41.Haply: perhaps, maybe
42. restorative: medicine (the kiss will 'cure' her of life and restore her to Romeo)
43. dagger: short knife
44. sheath: cover for the blade of a knife
45. rust: to become covered with rust (the reddish-brown substance that forms on wet metal)
COMPREHENSION
1. Why does Juliet not appear to be dead? (Lines 1-6)
2. What does Romeo call 'death' in line 9?
3. Why does he think death is keeping Juliet in this dark place?
4. What reason does Romeo give for committing suicide?
5. What does Friar Lawrence see as he enters the tomb?
6. What is the first question Juliet asks when she awakens?
7. What, according to Friar Lawrence, has caused his plan to fail?
8. Where does Friar Lawrence want to send Juliet?
9. Why is Juliet upset when she sees that the cup of poison is empty?
10. Why does Juliet hurry her final act?
ANALYSIS
1. In lines 1-6 Romeo says that Juliet does not appear to be dead. Explain the dramatic irony in what he says. What effect does the irony of the situation have?
It increases tension and suspense.
It adds an element of humour.
It makes the audience more involved.
It makes the scene more tragic.
2. Find two examples of personification in Romeo's speech.
3. Throughout the play Romeo says that he is a victim of fate. In which line does Romeo repeat that destiny has been cruel to him?
4. By committing suicide Romeo believes that he will be reunited with Juliet spiritually, so in his final speech he focuses on the physical aspects of their love. Underline the parts of the body he mentions.
5. Several times during the play life is compared to a sea journey. How does the metaphor in line 24 extend this image?
6. When Friar Lawrence enters the tomb he speaks in exclamations and questions. What does the way he speaks reveal about his state of mind?
7. Juliet notices that Romeo's lips are still warm and therefore that he is not dead long. How does this add to the tragedy of the scene?
8. Find references to the setting in the scene you have read. How do you imagine the stage should be set for this scene? What kind of atmosphere do you think the setting should create?
WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Tragedy. ◊ Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. This is a form of drama in which the chief character, the tragic hero, undergoes a series of misfortunes which eventually lead to his downfall. The hero passes from a state of happiness to a state of despair because of some weakness - tragic flaw - in himself. The tragic hero is an important man of high social standing. He is not evil - he is a mixture of good and bad. The audience understands his weakness but feels pity for him because his misfortunes are greater than he deserves. He is usually doomed from the beginning and there are often premonitions of his downfall in what he says. It is often fate or supernatural elements that control his destiny, and death is generally the only escape he can find from pain and suffering. Romeo is a good example of a tragic hero. He belongs to an important family. A series of unfortunate events lead to his downfall: he falls in love with Juliet - daughter of his enemies the Capulets -, he kills Tybalt in a street fight, he does not receive Friar Lawrence's message .... Romeo's tragic flaw is his impulsiveness and his passionate nature. He becomes totally engrossed in his love for Juliet and he does not consider the consequences of what he is doing.
Task
Romeo's tragic flaw is his impulsiveness. Have you found any evidence of this trait in the extracts you have read? What are the qualities that make the audience feel pity for Romeo?
Over to you ◊ Can you name any other famous tragic heroes/heroines? Choose one of them, do some research and briefly tell his/her story.
STAGING THE PLAY
Delivery ◊ Delivery in acting refers to the way an actor says his lines. The actor, with the help of the director, must decide what tone of voice he is going to use, which words or expressions he is going to emphasise, the pace at which he is going to deliver the lines, where he will make pauses and what facial expressions or gestures he will make.
Over to you ◊ Work in groups of six. Divide Romeo's final speech in the following way:
Lines 1-6 O my love ...not advanced there.
Lines 7-11 Ah, dear Juliet... to be his paramour?
Lines 12-18 For fear... world-wearied flesh.
Lines 18-21 Eyes, ... engrossing Death!
Lines 22-24 Come, bitter conduct... seasick weary bark!
Lines 25-26 Here's to my love ...I die.
Each of you should take one section of the speech and learn it. Decide how you are going to deliver your lines. The following notes may help you.
● Tone of voice: loud voice or whisper? ● Facial expressions?
● Quickly or slowly? ● Pauses?
● Gestures while performing? ● Words to emphasise?
Use your imagination and think of interesting ways to create the greatest dramatic effect.
OUT
In Romeo and Juliet one of the main themes is the generation gap. The term 'generation gap' was invented in the 1960s to define the different outlooks on life that younger and older people have. Throughout the play older people warn the two young lovers that they should be less impetuous. In fact Romeo and Juliet meet, fall in love, are parted and die in the space of just five days. The two young lovers do not listen to the advice of their elders. They believe that nothing is as important as the love they feel for each other.
Do you feel that there is a gap in how younger people and older people see things in today's society?
Over which of the following issues is the difference in opinion most pronounced? Work Money School and study Relationships Marriage Dress Drugs Technology Race Nationalism Choose one of the issues and explain how younger and older people's opinions differ with regard to it.