Romeo and Juliet quote bank

Point / Act Scene / Who is speaking / Evidence/Quote / What the quote means / Explanation
Prince Escalus breaks up a fight between the two families. / Act 1
Scene 1 / Prince Escalus / If ever you disturb our streets again
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. / If any of you fight in the street again you will be executed. / .
Juliet is very important and precious to Lord Capulet. / Act 1
Scene 2 / Lord Capulet / Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she;
She is the hopeful lady of my earth, / My other children have all died. She is my only child and the most precious thing in my life.
The Capulets and the Montagues hate each other. / Act 1
Scene 5 / Tybalt / Now by the stock and honour of my kin
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin. / I am going to kill him, for the sake of my family’s honour.
Romeo loves Juliet very much and thinks she is very beautiful. / Act 1 Scene 5
At the Capulets’ party / Romeo / O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! / She is so beautiful that she shines more than the torches lighting the room.
The Nurse meets Romeo at the party and tells him about Juliet. / Act 1
Scene 5 / The Nurse / I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks. / I can tell you that the man who marries her will be very rich (she is the daughter of a very rich man).
The Montagues and the Capulets are enemies so it is a big problem that Romeo and Juliet are in love. / Act 2
Scene 1
The balcony scene / Juliet / ’Tis but thy name that is mine enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. / The only problem is your name. You would still be the same person if you were not a Montague.
Juliet is in love with Romeo but needs to be sure of his love for her. / Act 2
Scene 2 / Juliet / O, swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circle orb / Don’t swear how much you love me by the moon. The moon changes all the time and your love might change as well.
Romeo tells Friar Lawrence that Juliet returns his love. / Act 2
Scene 3 / Romeo / Her I love now
Doth grace for grace and love for love allow. / The woman I love now is in love with me as well.
Friar Lawrence is upset about the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets and wishes there could be peace between the families. / Act 2
Scene 3 / Friar Lawrence / For this alliance may so happy prove,
To turn your households’ rancour to pure love. / This marriage may be a way of ending the feud between your families and building a good relationship.
Friar Lawrence is a wise man who often gives good advice. / Act 2
Scene 3 / Friar Lawrence / Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast. / Don’t rush! People who run too fast often fall over.
The Nurse always wants to help Juliet / Act 2
Scene 5 / The Nurse / Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’s cell.
There stays a husband to make you a wife. / Hurry up and go to Friar Lawrence’s cell. Your future husband is waiting there to marry you.
Benvolio doesn’t want Mercutio to get into a fight. / Act 3
Scene 1
In the street / Benvolio / I pray thee good Mercutio let’s retire
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And if we meet, we shall not ’scape a brawl / Please, Mercutio, let’s go home! It’s a very hot day, the Capulets are out and about and if we meet them there will be a fight.
Benvolio tries to calm Mercutio down. / Act 3
Scene 1 / Benvolio / Either withdraw unto some private place,
Or reason coldly of your grievances,
Or else depart. / You should go somewhere private and discuss things calmly, or go home.
Tybalt hates Romeo and all Montagues. He is a quarrelsome, hot-tempered young man. / Act 3
Scene 1 / Tybalt / Well, peace be with you Sir, here comes my man. / I’m not going to fight you, sir.Here comes the man I want to fight.
Mercutio makes fun of Tybalt and wants to fight him. / Act 3
Scene 1 / Mercutio / Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk? / Tybalt – are you walking away from a fight? (making fun of Tybalt’s name by saying it’s a bit like ‘Tibbles’ which is a cat’s name)
Mercutio is dying and blames the Capulets and the Montagues / Act 3
Scene 1 / Mercutio / A plague on both your houses!
They have made worms’ meat of me. / I curse both your families. Your quarrel has been the cause of my death (worms will eat my body).
Romeo thinks he is unlucky. / Act 3
Scene 1
Romeo has killed Tybalt. / Romeo / O, I am fortune’s fool! / I am so unlucky!
(Fortune is laughing at me.)
Juliet is shocked that Romeo killed Tybalt / Act 3
Scene 2 / Juliet / O, serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? / Oh what an evil heart hidden inside such a beautiful body – like a dragon hiding inside a beautiful cave!
Romeo is very upset about being banished from Verona. / Act 3
Scene 3 / Romeo / There is no world without Verona’s walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself. / Being anywhere in the world except Verona is like being tortured or being in hell.
Friar Lawrence helps Romeo when he is in trouble / Act 3
Scene 3 / Friar Lawrence / Go get thee to thy love, as was decreed,
Ascend her chamber, hence and comfort her. / Go and find your wife, as you’d arranged. Climb up to her bedroom and comfort her.
The Nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris. / Act 3
Scene 5 / The Nurse / I think it best you married with the County.
O he’s a lovely gentleman. / I advise you to marry Count Paris – he’s a very nice man
Lord Capulet is very angry and says that Juliet must marry Paris, or he will send her away. / Act 3
Scene 5 / Lord Capulet / And you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend
And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets. / If you do what I say, I’ll arrange your marriage with my friend. If you don’t, you must go away and I don’t care if you have to beg or if you starve or die in the streets.
Juliet trusts Friar Lawrence to help and advise her when she is very unhappy. / Act 3
Scene 5
At home / Juliet / I’ll to the Friar to know his remedy.
If all else fail, myself have power to die. / I’ll go and ask Friar Lawrence’s advice. If he can’t help me I will kill myself.
Romeo and Juliet are dead and the feud ends. / Act 5
Scene 3 / Prince Escalus / See what a scourge is laid upon your hate
That heaven finds means to kill your joy with love. / God has punished you for your feud, by sending this love to kill your children.

© British Council 2015