Chorus:

“Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,”

• Explanation: This suggests that Romeo’s old love for Rosaline has died; it’s no longer a part of him.
• Literary technique: The metaphor “deathbed” compares Romeo’s fading desire for Rosaline to something dying, suggesting the end of an emotional attachment.

“And young affection gapes to be his heir.”

• Explanation: Now, a new love—his affection for Juliet—has emerged, ready to take the place of his former love.
• Literary technique: The metaphor of “gaping” (wide opening like a mouth) implies eagerness or hunger for the new affection to replace the old one.

“That fair for which love groaned for and would die,”

• Explanation: Romeo had once loved Rosaline so deeply that he would have died for her. “Fair” refers to the beauty or goodness he saw in her.
• Literary technique: Hyperbole is used here, exaggerating Romeo’s feelings for Rosaline (he would “die” for her).

“With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair.”

• Explanation: Juliet, who Romeo loves now, is even more beautiful and tender than Rosaline. This suggests his love for Juliet has surpassed his former love.
• Literary technique: The word “tender” implies a softer, more affectionate love, contrasting with the previous one.

“Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,”

• Explanation: Romeo is now in love again, and this love is returned by Juliet.
• Literary technique: Repetition of “loves” shows the mutual nature of the love between Romeo and Juliet.

“Alike bewitchèd by the charm of looks,”

• Explanation: Both Romeo and Juliet are captivated by each other’s beauty.
• Literary technique: “Bewitched” suggests that their attraction is almost magical, as if they have been put under a spell.

“But to his foe supposed he must complain,”

• Explanation: Romeo must now express his feelings for Juliet, even though they are from families that are enemies.
• Literary technique: “Foe supposed” refers to the belief that Juliet is an enemy because of the family feud. The irony here is that Romeo is in love with the daughter of his enemy.

“And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks.”

• Explanation: Juliet, as a Capulet, is not supposed to love Romeo, but her love “steals” his heart, defying the family feud.
• Literary technique: “Steal” suggests that Juliet’s love is somehow illicit or forbidden. “Bait” and “hooks” refer to the metaphor of love being a trap, where Juliet takes the sweet prize.

“Being held a foe, he may not have access”

• Explanation: Romeo cannot freely approach Juliet because they are considered enemies.
• Literary technique: The idea of being “held a foe” adds to the tension and difficulty of their love.

“To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear,”

• Explanation: Romeo cannot openly declare his love for Juliet because of the family feud.
• Literary technique: “Breathe such vows” is a metaphor for saying promises of love or oaths, showing how Romeo is restricted from being open about his feelings.

“And she as much in love, her means much less”

• Explanation: Juliet is equally in love, but because of her family, she has fewer ways or opportunities to express it.
• Literary technique: This line emphasizes the imbalance in their ability to love openly because of their family conflict.

“To meet her new belovèd anywhere.”

• Explanation: Juliet has less freedom to meet Romeo because of the dangers posed by their families’ hatred.
• Literary technique: “Anywhere” highlights Juliet’s restriction; she cannot freely go to Romeo, further emphasizing the secrecy and difficulty of their love.

“But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,”

• Explanation: Despite all these obstacles, their intense passion for each other gives them the strength and the opportunity to find a way to be together.
• Literary technique: “Passion lends them power” is a metaphor, meaning that their emotions (passion) give them the strength to overcome difficulties.

“Temp’ring extremities with extreme sweet.”

• Explanation: Their intense emotions (extremes) are balanced by the sweetness of love, meaning that even though the situation is difficult, their love makes it all worthwhile.
• Literary technique: “Temp’ring” means to balance or mix, suggesting the way their love helps them endure hardship.

Chorus exits.

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Scene 1:

Enter Romeo alone.

ROMEO: “Can I go forward when my heart is here?”

• Explanation: Romeo is conflicted. He’s physically at a certain place, but his heart is still with Juliet.
• Literary technique: This line uses a rhetorical question to express his inner turmoil.

“Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.”

• Explanation: Romeo feels like he’s lost. He wants to go back to a point where he can find his true purpose or center again.
• Literary technique: “Dull earth” is an insult to the world around him, showing his frustration. The idea of finding one’s “center” refers to reorienting oneself emotionally or spiritually.

He withdraws.

Enter Benvolio with Mercutio.

BENVOLIO: “Romeo, my cousin Romeo, Romeo!”

• Explanation: Benvolio is calling for Romeo, expressing concern that he’s missing.
• Literary technique: Repetition of “Romeo” shows urgency and emotion.

MERCUTIO: “He is wise, And, on my life, hath stol’n him home to bed.”

• Explanation: Mercutio jokes that Romeo is avoiding them and has gone to bed, perhaps because he’s heartbroken.
• Literary technique: The phrase “stol’n him home to bed” implies that Romeo is avoiding them because he’s too upset.

BENVOLIO: “He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. Call, good Mercutio.”

• Explanation: Benvolio says that Romeo recently ran off and climbed the orchard wall, and now they should call out for him.
• Literary technique: The action of climbing the wall suggests Romeo’s desire to escape and be free.

MERCUTIO: “Nay, I’ll conjure too. Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh.”

• Explanation: Mercutio jokes that he’ll “conjure” Romeo up, calling him various emotional names, such as madman and lover.
• Literary technique: This is an example of Mercutio’s playful tone, and he uses a series of exclamatory nouns (humors, madman, passion, lover) to mock Romeo’s emotional state.

“Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied. Cry but ‘Ay me,’ pronounce but ‘love’ and ‘dove.’ Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, One nickname for her purblind son and heir, Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so trim When King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.”

• Explanation: Mercutio continues his playful mockery, saying that if Romeo says a single poetic line, Mercutio will be satisfied. He references Venus and Cupid to make fun of Romeo’s lovesick state.
• Literary technique: Mercutio uses references to mythology (Venus, Cupid) and King Cophetua’s legendary love story to illustrate Romeo’s unreasonably romantic behavior.

“He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not.”

• Explanation: Romeo is unresponsive, and Mercutio continues to call out, frustrated.
• Literary technique: The repetition of “not” emphasizes how completely unresponsive Romeo is.

“The ape is dead, and I must conjure him.”

• Explanation: Mercutio jokes that the “ape” (his own playful term for Romeo) is dead, so now he must conjure him up like a spirit.
• Literary technique: The word “ape” is a playful insult, showing how Mercutio mocks Romeo.

“I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, By her high forehead, and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us.”

• Explanation: Mercutio pretends to “summon” Romeo by describing Rosaline’s beauty to invoke Romeo’s memory of her.
• Literary technique: Mercutio uses vivid imagery to describe Rosaline’s beauty in exaggerated detail. The physical descriptions highlight Romeo’s past obsession with her.

BENVOLIO: “An if he hear thee, thou wilt anger him.”

• Explanation: Benvolio warns that if Romeo hears Mercutio, he might become angry.

MERCUTIO: “This cannot anger him. ’Twould anger him To raise a spirit in his mistress’ circle Of some strange nature, letting it there stand Till she had laid it and conjured it down. That were some spite. My invocation Is fair and honest. In his mistress’ name, I conjure only but to raise up him.”

• Explanation: Mercutio argues that his mock invocation won’t anger Romeo; in fact, he says raising a “spirit” of someone strange (like a rival lover) would anger Romeo. He believes his intentions are harmless.
• Literary technique: The reference to conjuring “spirits” ties into the supernatural language and Mercutio’s humorous manipulation of magic.

BENVOLIO: “Come, he hath hid himself among these trees To be consorted with the humorous night. Blind is his love and best befits the dark.”

• Explanation: Benvolio suggests that Romeo is hiding in the night because he is so consumed by love.
• Literary technique: “Humorous night” refers to the night being a place of changing emotions, and “blind love” continues the idea of love making Romeo irrational.

MERCUTIO: “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.”

• Explanation: Mercutio makes a witty remark, suggesting that if love is blind, it cannot “hit” or achieve its goal, implying that Romeo’s love for Rosaline was misguided.
• Literary technique: This is a clever play on the idea of “blindness” and “hitting the mark,” showing Mercutio’s humor.

“Now will he sit under a medlar tree And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit As maids call medlars when they laugh alone.”

• Explanation: Mercutio mocks Romeo, saying that Romeo would sit under a tree and wish Juliet were a medlar fruit, which has a reputation for being the subject of jokes about sexual innuendo.
• Literary technique: “Medlar” is a symbol of a fruit that’s ripe when it’s overripe or decayed, and it’s used here as a crude sexual joke.

“O Romeo, that she were, O, that she were An open-arse, thou a pop’rin pear.”

• Explanation: Mercutio continues his crude jokes, wishing Juliet were an open fruit and Romeo a pear, referring to an explicit sexual innuendo.
• Literary technique: This exaggeration uses humor and crudeness to mock Romeo’s idealized view of love.

Romeo, good night. I’ll to my truckle bed; This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep.—Come, shall we go?”

• Explanation: Mercutio bids Romeo good night, deciding that the field is too cold for him to stay in.
• Literary technique: “Truckle bed” refers to a small, low bed, indicating Mercutio’s informal, carefree attitude.

BENVOLIO: “Go, then, for ’tis in vain To seek him here that means not to be found.”

• Explanation: Benvolio agrees with Mercutio, saying it’s pointless to keep looking for Romeo if he doesn’t want to be found.
• Literary technique: This is a straightforward comment, but it hints at Romeo’s reluctance to be found due to his emotional state.

They exit.

• Explanation: The scene ends as they give up searching for Romeo.