Discover the best Romeo and Juliet quotes here. These quotes cover the book’s main themes about love, fate, stars, conflict, and death. Use them for assignments, lesson plans, romantic expressions like a wedding script, or just insights into this famous play. Let’s get literary!
Famous Romeo and Juliet Quotes With Page Numbers from the Book
I used a web version of the play to annotate act, scene, and line numbers for each quote. Beware of uncited quotes on the internet for this play, as I have seen incorrect quotes out there.
Quotes About Love: The Romantic Balcony Scene and More by Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet
“Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 175)
“Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 197)
“One fairer than my love? the all-seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.” (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 99)
“You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings And soar with them above a common bound.” (Act 1, Scene 4, Line 18)
“Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.” (Act 1, Scene 4, Line 22)
“Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 59)
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 4)
“See how she leans her cheek upon her hand, O that I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek!” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 25)
“With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 72)
“For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do that dares love attempt.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 73)
“O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 115)
“This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 128)
“If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 137)
“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.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 141)
“Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 167)
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 199)
“Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts but in their eyes.” (Act 2, Scene 3, Line 72)
“Do thou but close our hands with holy words, Then love-devouring death do what he dare; It is enough I may but call her mine.” (Act 2, Scene 6, Line 6)
“Love moderately. Long love doth so. Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” (Act 2, Scene 6, Line 15)
“Lovers can see to do their amorous rites By their own beauties.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 8)
Quotes About Conflict and Violence (Including the Infamous Rose)
“Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” (Act 1, Scene 0, Line 1)
(Read More: Famous First Lines in Literature)
“What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word. As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 72)
“My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 153)
“Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 181)
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 46)
“These violent delights have violent ends, And in their triumph die.” (Act 2, Scene 6, Line 10)
“A plague o’ both your houses!” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 92)
“Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 207)
Tragic Quotes About the Fate and Destiny of These Star-Crossed Lovers
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life[.] (Act 1, Scene 0, Line 5)
“If he be married my grave is like to be my wedding bed.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 149)
“[Go] wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.” (Act 2, Scene 3, Line 102)
“O, I am Fortune’s fool!” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 143)
“I must be gone and live, or stay and die.” (Act 3, Scene 5, Line 11)
“What must be shall be.” (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 22)
“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 321)
(Read More: Most Famous Last Lines in Books)
Quotes About Stars (Including the Seal of a Kiss)
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.” (Act 1, Scene 0, Line 5)
“I fear too early, for my mind misgives; Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin.” (Act 1, Scene 4, Line 114)
“Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return. (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 115)
“The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 20)
“Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 22)
“I defy you, stars.” (Act 5, Scene 1, Line 26)
“O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest, And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh.” (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 109)
Quotes About Death: Romeo and Juliet’s Tragic Aesthetic
“[Romeo and Juliet] Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.” (Act 1, Scene 0, Line 8)
“These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.” (Act 2, Scene 6, Line 10)
“Some grief shows much of love, But much of grief shows still some want of wit.” (Act 3, Scene 5, Line 75)
“Death lies on her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.” (Act 4, Scene 5, Line 33)
“Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.” (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 92)
“Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death!” (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 113)
“Thus with a kiss I die.” (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 120)
Literary Analysis: Tips on These Romeo and Juliet Quotes
To better understand these famous book quotes, it’s important to review the play’s historical background, characters, themes, symbols, and literary devices and consider how they remain relevant in modern contexts.
Historical Background and Synopsis of the Play
Romeo and Juliet is a literary masterpiece by William Shakespeare. Written in the early 1590s, it’s a tragic romance set in Verona, Italy. It tells of the deep love between young teens Romeo and Juliet, whose families, the Montagues and the Capulets, have a longstanding feud that has tragic consequences.
Main Characters Speaking These Quotes
- Romeo Montague: The passionate and impulsive male lead
- Juliet Capulet: The strong-willed female protagonist, who defies her family
- Friar Laurence: A wise friar who marries Romeo and Juliet
- Mercutio: Romeo’s friend, whose death escalates the Montague’s and Capulet’s conflict
- Tybalt Capulet: Juliet’s aggressive cousin, who deepens the feud
- The Nurse: Juliet’s confidante, who provides support
- Lord and Lady Capulet: Juliet’s pushy parents
- Lord and Lady Montague: Romeo’s concerned parents
Themes Exploring Romeo’s and Juliet’s Forbidden Love
These quotes are celebrated for their exploration of themes such as:
- young love
- fate
- conflict
- death
Symbols Within the Famous Lines
- Poison: represents the toxic familial conflict that leads to the couple’s deaths
- The Dagger: Juliet’s use of Romeo’s dagger to end her own life shows how love and death intertwine in the play
- The Balcony: a symbol of love and privacy between Romeo and Juliet
- Thorns: Often mentioned alongside roses, they show that pain and danger can accompany love and beauty.
- Stars: Stars represent fate and the destiny controlling Romeo’s and Juliet’s lives.
More Literary Devices Used in the Play
- Foreshadowing: The Prologue immediately hints at the tragic ending, connecting the reader to the characters through knowledge of their fate.
- Imagery: Descriptive language, especially around light and darkness, shows the light of love and the darkness of death.
- Similes and Metaphors: Used to show the beauty of young love and enliven the characters’ emotions
- Irony: The misunderstanding in Juliet’s death creates suspense and further immerses the reader in the tragedy.
Modern Context and Pop Culture Relevance
Shakespeare’s timeless words in this classic romance remain popular today. For example, phrases like “Parting is such sweet sorrow” are still said by people of all ages as a loving farewell. The “forbidden love” trope also remains popular in romance novels today. Additionally, “star-crossed” has become synonymous with tragedy.
These Shakespearean quotes are repeated in pop culture, including as one of the 500+ books mentioned in Gilmore Girls.
TIP: The 1996 “Claire Danes and Leo DiCaprio” movie version of Romeo and Juliet is an excellent, modern take, with superb music, acting, and cinematics. It is still well worth watching today.
About William Shakespeare
about
William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Known as the Bard of Avon, he is celebrated for his lasting impact on English literature and drama.
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, his legacy includes timeless works like Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello.
Shakespeare is known for exploring universal themes and conveying deep character portraits through words.
His contributions are remembered at the Globe Theatre and through the First Folio. He remains one of the best selling authors of all time — a central figure in academic curricula and cultural studies worldwide.
Learn More: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Frequently Asked Questions
The most famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is: “Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” This highlights Juliet’s willingness to abandon her family name for love.
Romeo’s most romantic line is, “Did my heart love till now? Foreswear it, sight, for I never saw true beauty till this night.” It captures the instant he falls in love at first sight.
Two significant quotes are: “A plague o’ both your houses!” (highlighting the tragic consequences of the families’ feud) and “Parting is such sweet sorrow” (capturing the bittersweet reality of love).
Three direct quotes from Romeo are: “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”, “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun,” and “O, I am fortune’s fool!” These lines show his love and despair.
Four key quotes from Juliet are: “That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet,” “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” “My bounty is as boundless as the sea,” and “O happy dagger!” They show her love and tragic fate.
Conclusion
The most famous Romeo and Juliet quotes about love, conflict, fate, stars, and death show how love, conflict, and tragic fate intertwine. They are presented through symbols like poison and the dagger, as well as literary devices like foreshadowing and irony. It remains a book you need to read to this day!
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