Friday, July 15, 2011

What are some puns in Romeo and Juliet?


anddevelop atogether in act 1, scene 4:


ROMEO: Well, what was yours?


MERCUTIO: That dreamers often lie.


ROMEO: In bed asleep
while they do dream things true.

(I.iv.54€“56)


The
pun here centers on the word "lie." Dreamers do lie in bed, physically reclining, and
they also lie to themselves through their dreams.

Another pun is found in
this same scene whenis trying to persuade Romeo to attend the Capulet party. Romeo
responds:

Give me a torch. I am not for this
ambling.
Being but heavy, I will bear the light. (I.iv.11€“12)


Here, Romeo says that he is heavy in spirit. The pun is on the word
"light," which both refers to an attempt to lighten his spirit and also refers back to
the light of the torch used in the previous line.

offers some puns of her
own, like the following:

Be not so long to speak. I long
to die (IV.i.68)

At this point in the play, Juliet speaks
toabout her fears that she will be forced to marrydespite already married Romeo...

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