21.02.

2023
Analysis – III, 5 Farewell

Act 3, Scene 5 from the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” was written by William Shakespeare in
the 19th century and portrays the love bond between the two characters.

The scene before this is about the promise from the Capulet to Paris that Juliet and he marry
on that Thursday. Juliet’s father says that he can be sure that his daughter would do anything
that he is telling her to do. After that scene Paris asks questions about her love to him that
she does not answer correctly. Juliet tells friar about her planned death with the help of a
drug that makes her fall to sleep for 42 hours. She wants Romeo to know about the plan and
he should help her when she wakes up again.

Juliet speaks about a bird that sings at night and that it is not the lark that Romeo has heart.
But Romeo tells her that it is the lark that starts the day and not the nightingale that ends the
day. The sun rises and one cannot the stars anymore. Romeo wants to leave because
otherwise he will die. Juliet wants him to stay and says that it is not day. It is a meteor that
leads him the way to Manuta.

Shakespeare expresses the meaning and emotions that comes with these words with lots of
stylistic devices and tries to create a certain atmosphere to present it as it is meant to be.
This scene is focusing on the images of light and darkness. To describe these images, there
are words that are a part of the nature “nightingale” (vv. 2, 5,7), “nightly” (v. 4), “Night’s
candles” (v. 9) that describe the dark and the night. In this context “Night’s candles” (v. 9)
means stars and that they disappear when the day comes, and the night and darkness go
away. Romeo is safe in the dark at night and can stay by Juliet wherefore would has no
worries. In contrast to that image one can assume the image of light and especially the day.
The opposite to the nightingale (v. 2) is the lark (v. 2) that sings at daytime and stands for it.
Therefore, Romeo explains that it is a lark that they hear. The metaphor “and jocund day
stand tiptoe on the misty mountain tops” (vv. 10 and 11) stand for the sun that is rising and
the day that begins. The clouds that are mentioned are also a symbol for the day because at
night one cannot see those strikes (cf. vv. 7 and 8). With the sentence “I must be gone and
live, or stay and die” (v. 11) he wants to tell her that he does not want to risk his life to stay
longer with her. Juliet wants him to stay and explains that it is not the sun but a meteor that
leads him his way to Manuta (cf. vv. 15 and 16).

In conclusion the images of night and day or darkness and light stand for the opposite
opinions and the thoughts and words from Romeo and Juliet. Maybe they also represent
their personality and their real belonging. The day and the night stay in a conflict with each
other and always try to end the others presence or dominance. Apparently, it is the same
with the families of the characters who are the complete opposite to the other. The
Montague’s and the Capulet’s are enemies and do not get along with each other for what
reason they do not want their kids to stay in contact and fell in love or even get married.