Sunday, April 20, 2014

In Romeo and Juliet, how does Romeo feel at the end of Act 1 Scene 4?

Even after Mercutio's amusing or revealing speech about
dreams, Romeo still ends this important scene with a misgiving, or a presentiment about
some bad action that will happen and set the course of fate against him. Note what he
says as they leave:


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I fear, too early; for my mind
misgives


Some consequence yet hanging in the
stars


Shall bitterly begin his fearful
date


With this night's revels and expire the
term


Of a despised life, closed in my
breast,


By some vile forfeit of untimely
death.



To paraphrase this
speech, Romeo is filled with an unexplainable fear that fate or destiny shall do
something or initiate some form of action that very night during the ball that will
unleash a chain of events resulting in death. Juliet has similar presentiments during
the play. Romeo here though chooses to trust himself into the hands of "he that hath the
steerage of my course" and goes on into the party.

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