Shu Yu Zhang

Reading/ English

Ms. Amico

                                                “Wherefore art Thou Romeo”

In act three; scene two of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet reveals her death along with Romeo as the only outcome for the Montagues and Capulets possible. Juliet emphasizes on how her forbidden love for Romeo makes her relationship impossible to continue. Her confusion displays her happiness that her husband, Romeo, is alive replaces sorrow for her cousin’s death. Her cousin is gone, but the harm went to him will not be forgotten.

Juliet’s feelings contradict one another, she shows sorrow, yet joy as she states: “ All this is comfort. Wherefore then I weep”. This is an expression of regret and forgiveness. Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name/ When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it? But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband. Back foolish tears, back to your native spring; your tributary drops belong to woe,  which you, mistaking, offer up to joy.  My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain, and Tybalt’s dead, that would have slain my husband. Some word there was, worser than Tybalt’s death, But, O, it presses to my memory “Tybalt is dead and Romeo banished,” That “banished” that one word “banished,” was woe enough if it had ended there; or, if sour woe delights in fellowship and needly will be ranked with other griefs, “Why followed not, when she said, “ Tybalt’s dead” “Thy father” or “thy mother,” nay or both, which modern lamentation might have moved? But with a rearward following Tybalt’s death, is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, all slain, all dead. “Romeo is banished.: There is no end, no limit, measure, bound,  ain that words death. No words can woe that sound. Where is my father and my mother, Nurse? She mourns for Romeo’s banishment, instead of Tybalt’s death. Juliet prefers Romeo’s slaying of Tybalt, rather then for Tybalt to slay Romeo. As Juliet prepares for Romeo’s stay, her Nurse informs her of a death. At first, Juliet assumes Romeo has slain himself. Juliet seems to be promiscuous about most of this. She mentions that she doesn’t know how she should react. She reacts shocks the nurse by reacting this way. She is so nervous about never seeing Romeo again, the only possible solution is for them to die together, “But with a rearward following Tybalt’s death, is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, all slain, all dead, all slain.” This means that all of her family would not be a family once these two separate. This may have two meanings, one is that she would eventually die and another is that Romeo will be part of her family in the end.

Rearward  view is another way of comparing what the nurse is saying to an attack from an army. Therefore, Juliet is traumatized by her influence on her final destitute. Romeo happens to say “banished” at the same time. The only difference is the setting.  The sentence: “ oh, it presses to my memory.” Romeo’s departure is more pain than dying. It is the barrier that bothers her. Her family gives her no support, her nurse doesn’t help, and she is alone.

            So soon is death to approach her, so far is the one she loves. She look for her father and mother in the end literally, in terms of symbolisms, it means they are not there for her.