Journal #5

Shakespeare used incredable imagery in the play. A lot of events were fore shadowed, in other words premonitions were made. The following are premonitions from Romeo and Juliet that play a significant role in the play.



Scene 5, Act 1



"My grave is like to be my wedding-bed." -Juliet



Juliet is reffering to the fact that if Romeo isn't willing to marry her, or is already married, that she will never marry. Her wedding bed will be her grave. Some could also think of it as if she must marry someone else , she will kill herself. The ironic part is that technically, Juliets wedding bed is her grave. Shakespeare used several phrases which in the end were true for two different reasons. A lot of these were premonitions.

Scene 3, Act 2

"they stumble that run fast" - Friar Laurence

This quote was a warning from Friar Laurence. He was telling Romeo that he not need to hury, to take things slower and think them through, it will not play out so smooth if you rush into things. I think that Friar Laurence was directing this advice not only to their love, but to all of Romeo's descisions, in general not to act so irrational. This warning served as a significant premonition. Look what happened, Romeo was so rash, and all of the events and emotions in the play came so quickly (and sometimes went). In the end, Romeo sure did stumble, he died.

Scene 2 , Act 3

"O, break my heart! poor bankrupt, break at once!
To prison, eyes, ne'er look on liberty!
Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here;
And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier!" - Juliet

At this point, Juliet believes that Romeo is dead. Her heart is broken, and she wants to die. She is saying that her and Romeo will share a coffin. This is a premonition in a couple of ways. First of all this is showing that if one of them die, the other will commit suicide. Juliet thinks that Romeo is dead , and talks of dying. Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead and kills himself. Juliet finds Romeo dead, and commits suicide. This quote shows the strength of their love, and portrays that neither one can live without the other. It also usues imagery when Juliet says "And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier!" They will be buried in one coffin together. In the end, they die side by side, and were buried in one coffin.