Skip to main content

What does the following quote from Romeo and Juliet mean: "Bid her devise / Some means to come to shrift this afternoon. / And there she shall...

First, let's get some context for this quote, which is spoken by Romeo in Act Two, Scene Four of Romeo and Juliet. Prior to this scene, Romeo and Juliet have locked eyes at the Capulet's ball, fallen in love at first sight, and have secretly met to chatter about this aforementioned love on the balcony outside of Juliet's bedroom. In the latter scene, Juliet has instructed Romeo to wait for the arrival of Juliet's...

First, let's get some context for this quote, which is spoken by Romeo in Act Two, Scene Four of Romeo and Juliet. Prior to this scene, Romeo and Juliet have locked eyes at the Capulet's ball, fallen in love at first sight, and have secretly met to chatter about this aforementioned love on the balcony outside of Juliet's bedroom. In the latter scene, Juliet has instructed Romeo to wait for the arrival of Juliet's nurse, who is intended to act as the messenger between the two and to carry the secret information of where Juliet should meet Romeo for their wedding ceremony. Is this marriage going to be a bit rushed? Yes! But then again, why stop love? 


The Nurse makes good on this agreement and seeks Romeo out the next day... which leads us back to this quote. Romeo is giving instructions to the Nurse, which the Nurse must then pass on to Juliet. Romeo tells her to tell Juliet to come up with some excuse to get out of the house ("bid her devise some means"), perhaps to proclaim that she wants to go to "be shrived" (or to "confess," a religious act in which one outlines all the sins he or she has committed in front of a member of the clergy in order to receive forgiveness for those sins) at the abbey. Once there, Friar Laurence will marry the two as planned. 

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more