"My only love sprung from my only hate!”
- The Traveller’s Backpak
- May 2, 2022
- 12 min read
Updated: Mar 27, 2023
"In fair Verona, where we lay our scene..." (Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 1)
A very brief visit to Juliet's House, Verona🇮🇹 in April 2022 brings back memories of studying this classic Shakespearean tragedy during IGCSE English Literature days...What great motifs, themes and messages!
In this 4-course "folio-menu", I explain and reflect on these in more depth from a medic's point of view and based on societal's culture then vs. now.
STARTERS
Foreshadowing: A long read, patience required. Contains hazardous images.
LOCATION:
"That ‘banishèd’, that one word ‘banishèd’" (Juliet, Act 3 Scene 2)
Location is very significant in Romeo and Juliet- Verona was where the story began but it moved locations back and forth throughout the story. Act 1 began with: "Prince Escalus, the ruler of Verona, was very angry. The fighting between the Montagues and the Capulets had gone on long enough. The streets weren't safe. All the people had started to carry weapons. He said that the next person to start a fight would be punished. The punishment would be death. This was such that once Romeo had killed Tybalt, he had to get away- "for it is death for those who started fights!"
The Prince said that Romeo would not die- instead he would be exiled and leave Verona- he was banished. If he was found there again, he would be killed. Mantua was the town where Romeo was to go to, as per Friar Lawrence's plan.
TIMING:
"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast." (Friar Lawrence, Act 1 Scene 3)
Timing is also a very important aspect in this play. Speed is a key factor towards the development of the tragedy. Haste and the fast pace of young love was demonstrated in the younger generation whereas the slowness in the older generation did not help to prevent the tragedy from occurring.
Romeo represented the younger generation, where things are fast-paced: falling in and out of love, killing Tybalt and Paris in haste; Friar Lawrence, in the contrary, represented the slowness of the older generation: he had sent a letter to Romeo through Friar John, telling him that Juliet wasn't really dead, however it didn't reach Mantua, and the letter was later returned back to himself. Later on, he hurried to the vault to be there in time for Juliet to wake up, however was outraced by Romeo, who had already taken the poison, only for Friar Lawrence to find him dead next to Paris. Right at that moment, Juliet woke from her "sleep".
"Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die." (Romeo, Act 5 Scene 3)
Poisons have immediate lethal effects- this was how Romeo died before Juliet did. The choice of the potion also represented the speed of the two generations: where Friar Lawrence chose a "longer-lasting" drug for Juliet which caused her to "sleep" for 2 nights, Romeo bought a potion from the apothecary that had a direct immediate lethal effect.
Medicinal reference #1: Many believe the potion that Juliet took to induce a 2-day "coma" with a slow heartbeat is most likely to be deadly nightshade (Atropa Belladonna)- a plant native to Europe, and possibly one of the most famous dangerous plants. The deadly nightshade did not receive its official botanical classification name (Atropa Belladona) until Carl Linnaeus’ revolutionary new system in the mid-1700s- Atropos is the name of one of the three Fates in Greek mythology, the goddesses who 'cuts the thread of life'. Belladonna means ‘beautiful woman’ in Italian and refers to a common cosmetic practice during the Renaissance in which women used the plant to dilate their pupils, making their eyes look bigger.
While it was well-known that it was poisonous, some beneficial medicinal effects were found by physicians. For example, in 1803, Edinburgh’s Andrew Duncan described the uses of Atropa, in the form of powdered leaves or roots, for conditions such as epilepsy, mania or melancholy. In 1813, the alkaloid atropine was isolated from the plant. Today, atropine, a muscarinic antagonist, is used for a few purposes in medicine: the treatment of slow heart rate (bradycardia) and also to dilate the pupils and to cause paralysis in the ciliary muscles of the eye.
The Deadly Nightshade
Medicinal reference #2:
Upon finding Juliet and believing her to be dead, Romeo uses a powerful, fast-acting poison to take his own life. An obvious choice for such a strong poison is potassium cyanide, which causes rapid respiratory failure upon exposure.
"Put this in any liquid thing you will, and drink it off; and, if you had the strength of twenty men, it would dispatch you straight." (Apothecary, Act 5 Scene 1)
Potassium cyanide is a salt which releases hydrogen cyanide gas, a highly toxic chemical asphyxiant that interferes with the body’s ability to use oxygen. Exposure to potassium cyanide can be rapidly fatal. It has whole-body effects, particularly affecting those organ systems most sensitive to low oxygen levels: the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system.
Early symptoms of cyanide poisoning include lightheadedness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, feeling of suffocation, restlessness and rapid breathing. This is soon followed by respiratory depression and cessation of breathing. Severe cyanide poisonings progress to coma, muscle spasms, seizures and death. Chronically exposed workers of cyanide solutions, such as electroplaters and picklers, may complain of headaches, eye irritation, easy fatigue, palpitations, loss of appetite and nosebleeds. They may also develop a“cyanide” rash.
Raoul Silva revealing damage from cyanide in "Skyfall".
SOUP OR SALAD?
Is it love or is it hate? Are you for the Montagues or the Capulets?
LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP:
“My only love sprung from my only hate!” (Juliet, Act 1 Scene 5)
Albeit the abundance of love of the two young lovers, the play is sprung from the hateful feud between the Montagues and the Capulets.
“What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” (Tybalt, Act 1 Scene 1)
Tybalt was a strong character representation of hate and violence. He started a fight once he saw Mercutio, a Capulet, on the streets. Benvolio and Romeo (the Capulets) did not want to fight him back, since Benvolio was a peace-maker and Romeo had just married Juliet. By trying to stop the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt, Romeo ran between them. However, Tybalt, at this instance, pushed his sword under Romeo's arm and sent Mercutio to death. This "King of Cats", as Mercutio puts it, was subsequently pursued in revenge by Romeo, out of his love to his dear wife Juliet and his dear friend Mercutio. He was angry that he had not fought Tybalt earlier, indirectly causing Mercutio to sacrifice his dear life.
"Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, But love from love, toward school with heavy looks." (Romeo, Act 2 Scene 2)
This is the best quote, in my opinion, that deciphers a "love-hate" vs "love-love" relationship in Romeo's perspective. His attitude towards love was that it seemed so easy, quick and exciting to go from one love to another, just as school boys leaving their books, but it's much more difficult to leave and fall out of one's love, just as school boys heading to school with heavy looks.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” (Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2)
Juliet's perspective towards love-hate relationship is summarised by the quote above. "What's in a name?" represents the hateful feud between the two families; in the next part of the quote, reference is made to a rose- a beautiful flower that represents "the sweetness of love" is, in fact, budded and sprung from thorns of "hate".
"These violent delights have violent ends." (Friar Lawrence, Act 2 Scene 6)
Friar Lawrence's interpretation and foreboding of the love-hate relationship was slightly different from the younger generation's. He believed that the haste in young love might cause them to regret it later in their lives- such extremeness in emotions often ends in disaster. He went on to warn him that even the taste of honey can become sickly, precisely because it’s so sweet, so that eventually you go right off it.
"Here's much to do with hate, but more with love. Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create!" (Romeo, Act 1, Scene 1)
In the beginning of the play, Romeo started off by commenting that the feud going on was more to do with love than with hate...how is this possible?
In fact, this came to full circle at the end as the Montagues and Capulets resolved their feud. This is reflective of how the "love" between Romeo and Juliet has had an impact and legacy, and how their family's love for them conquered their initial "hate" and brought about peace and prosperity in the city.
Speaking of love-hate relationship, here is another poem I came across a while ago which touches on this aspect:
The heart, the lessons
the heart has to break several times
in order to find hands
strong enough to hold it
this is what life has taught me
and it’s been one of the hardest
lessons to learn
in order to find love
you must navigate successfully
through hate
MAINS
In the Shakespearean Elizabethan times, society, its laws, cultures and norms were different (and to an extent similar to) today's.
THEN VS. NOW:
"The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law." (Romeo, Act 5 Scene 1)
On marriage rituals:
In the Elizabethan era, most people got married. One could consent to getting married at the age of seven, though it could not be consummated until 12 (for girls) and 14 (for boys). Very different from today, for which the legal age of marriage is 18.
Back in the days, apart from some wealthy families, marriages were not usually enforced, just as today; Juliet Capulet, aged 14 and from a very wealthy family, had her marriage arranged by her father, Lord Capulet. Juliet didn't know who Paris was and had not thought about getting married then. However, after meeting Romeo at her family's party, they got married secretly by the Friar in his cell (ie: chapel). This would have been a different story if the play took place earlier in the Middle ages, before Elizabethan I with the introduction of the Book of Common Prayer, as marriages would have occurred in the church porches rather than in the inside body of the church.
"Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day." (Lady Capulet, Act 3 Scene 4)
On divorce and re-marriage:
As Juliet was already married to Romeo (albeit secretly), to re-marry (to Paris under the Capulet's arrangements) was against the laws of the Church; in fact, so were any marriages that were kept in secret. Because of this, and ironically, Juliet decided to find the Friar for help, again. The Friar, upon hearing about Juliet and Paris' upcoming "wedding day", devised the plan to give Juliet a sleeping potion to make her appear as if she was dead. In that case, everyone would think that she was dead on her wedding day, and instead of a wedding, there would have to be a funeral where her body would be placed in the Capulet's family vault. This worked very differently from society nowadays, where 40-50% of marriages end in divorce, that is 1 in every 2-3 marriages.
"Within the infant rind of this weak flower. Poison hath residence and medicine power." (Friar Lawrence, Act 2 Scene 3)
On the role of a Friar:
A Friar was a member of one of several Catholic religious orders. In some ways friars were like monks– for example, they both took vows of poverty and chastity, but the friar lived out in the society and was devoted to providing services to his community; therefore Friar Lawrence agreed to help Romeo and Juliet by marrying them. In those days, priests also held the role of a doctor. As Friar Lawrence knew a lot about plants, the juices of which could make people better or make them sick (poison and medicine can be extracted from the same plant, just like the deadly nightshade as mentioned above if you still remember), he devised a special sleeping potion to make Juliet look as if she was dead. Only after 42 hours would she wake up.
DESSERT
Section for the sweet-toothed. Get ready for some warm mouthwatering chocolate fondue melting in your mouth post-mains, for you stole a pizz-a my heart!
LOVE❤️:
"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I ne'er saw true beauty (Juliet) till this night." (Romeo, Act 1 Scene 5)
"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep. The more I give to thee The more I have, for both are infinite" (Juliet, Act 2 Scene 1)
These are some extremely sweet love quotations from the younger generation/ main protagonists of the play. Young love is often quick to begin and end. Just as Romeo's unrequited love for Rosalind ended in a spark following his encounter with the enlightening Juliet, Juliet's love for Romeo was so infinite and boundless that she was willing to force a "death" rather than to be forced to marry Count Paris. Her love-love multiplier for Romeo and her own self goes up in an indices-like effect.
"Therefore love moderately; long love doth so, Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow." (Friar Lawrence, Act 2 Scene 6)
In stark contrast to the young lovers, Friar Lawrence's advice on his lava-cake of love has a lot less extra toppings. He warned the young lovers early on in the play to love moderately and slowly- trying to achieve something too quick might result in failure as does too slow. In his opinion, love should taken easily, a step at a time.
On the topic of love, I am also reminded of Shakespeare's LOVE-ly 💕Sonnet 18:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Dessert for thought: What are your thoughts and experience on love? Should it be fast and instant, or should it be slowly paced out? Would you be that persistent to drill on unrequited love?
COFFEE OR TEA?
Life is short. The level of bitterness/ sweetness of it is up to your interpretation- how many teaspoons of sugar and how much milk would you put into this journey from start to end? To what extent do you think fate and destiny play a role in governing your path and how long it lasts?
DEATH:
"Thus with a kiss I die." (Romeo, Act 5 Scene 3)
"Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2)
Even at eternal parting, at different occurrences and through different means (one with poison and the other with a dagger), the lovers didn't leave without an extra bit of sweetness and kisses.
Coffee for thought: How well does a Hershey's go with the espresso? How much sugar do you add to your cup of cappuccino?
Medicinal reference #3:
Death, just as birth, is an inevitable part of life.
As a medical student, facing patient death in the wards is just one of the norms at placement. As future doctors, learning to do death verifications and certifications is part of our training curriculum. For your information, these are the steps of how doctors examine a patient for death verification:
Confirming identity
General inspection
No signs of respiratory effort
No response to verbal stimuli
No response to painful stimuli
No pupillary response to light
No central pulse
No heart sounds after 3 minutes of auscultation
No respiratory sounds after 3 minutes of auscultation
FATE:
"O, I am Fortune's fool!" (Romeo, Act 3 Scene 1)
"I must be gone and live, or stay and die." (Romeo, Act 3 Scene 5)
Romeo was struggling and experiencing some inner conflict within himself after killing Tybalt. He felt as if a "Fortune's Fool" to have just got married and then involved in this rather insensible fight that might potentially put him to death if he were caught. Moreover, he foreboded his destiny when daylight was starting to perch on the top of the world, ready to announce its jolly arrival; but for Romeo, it probably signified a stark and sturdy death.
"A pair of star-cross'd lovers" (Act 1 Prologue)
Mr. Shakespeare made it sound clear from the absolute beginning of the play that the story of this pair had long been written in the stars. That the lovers’ stars crossed meant that the tragedy was inevitable because, as they saw it in astrology, the medieval science then, stars controlled human destiny. Poor Romeo and Juliet experienced bad luck recurrently as fate hounded them and ended up killing them.
“For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” (Prince, Act 5 Scene 3)
The end.
PHOTOBOOTH:
Juliet’s balcony: Juliet came out of her bedroom, on to the balcony.
Juliet’s bedroom: Go to bed and get your rest.You'll need it, says Lady Capulet.
Juliet's house: After the party, Romeo hid from his friends and waited near Juliet's house.
Juliet's tomb: Friar Lawrence told Juliet to drink the potion the night before her wedding. Everyone would think she was dead. Instead of a wedding, there would have to be a funeral. Juliet's body would be put in the Capulet's family vault.
Romeo went down into the vault. He looked at Juliet. She was so beautiful lying there, she didn't look dead. He wanted to stay with her; he didn't know she was only sleeping and would soon wake up.
Juliet's statue: Old Capulet said he would put up a beautiful gold statue of Romeo; Old Montague said that he would put up a beautiful gold statue of Juliet as a symbol of reconciliation between the families. Unfortunately, nothing could bring them back to life. Romeo and Juliet were already dead.
ENCORE: "BILLS PLEASE!"
Bills payable to the following in the making of this "folio-menu":
7) https://myshakespeare.com/romeo-and-juliet/act-1-scene-1-popup-note-index-item-language
14) "Romeo and Juliet": The Graphic Shakespeare Series, Hilary Burningham
15) "Shakespeare's England: Life in Elizabethan & Jacobean Times", R. E. Pritchard
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