Act 1 Scene 3-5
Posted by msjjohnson on April 14, 2008
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a bit different than our first blog post. I am going to give an option of responding to one of three discussion prompts. I think this will eliminate everyone from commenting on the same exact post; it will give a little life to our discussions. Again, you do not have to comment on all three topics; however, I would like to see more people commenting on others comments. Take the time to read what your peers wrote and then comment. This is a form of discussion. This must be done by Sunday by 11:59 p.m. (yeah, I know, I have to get the time stamp together. I am working on it!)
Remember, you only have to respond to one and it has to be at least 100 words long. Include text support, be inventive, and attempt to comment on peer’s comments. For those of you that are dying to write on more than just one prompt, go for it. A small extra credit incentive may be available.
1. Compare the love that Romeo feels for Juliet to the love that he felt for Rosaline.
2. Explain the imagery of light and dark in Act I and how it is used as symbols for Rosaline and Juliet.
3. How does Shakespeare use humor in Act I?
msjjohnson said
OK everyone, I think I have the time stamp corrected…hehehe
LaQuetta Cade said
I am responding to prompt number 1: Romeo immediately shows his feelings for Juliet from those he had for Rosaline. Romeo said that “Did my heart love till now?”. From my understanding he was trying to say that what he feels for Juliet is greater than what he feels for Rosaline. It’s like he didn’t love Rosaline at all compared to Juliet now. Romeo really likes juliet, and says that “she doth teach the torches to burn bright”. The first of those examples is a lot like the one saying how Juliet is like a flower and the other women are dead leaves. In the same way, Juliet seems to stand out from the other Dead leaves like a beautiful flower. What Romeo says about Juliet teaching the torches to burn bright means that she lights the room more than the torches do, and stands out more as well. It is like the torches, which provide the light and warmth, are forgotten by Juliet’s presence;but sooner or later conflict is going to accompany their love.
msjjohnson said
Good point LaQuetta. Romeo knew that he wasn’t truly in love with Rosaline as soon as he saw Juliet. If you refer back to the previous scenes, Romeo is completely down and out because of Rosaline. But when he laid his eyes on Juliet, he forgot all about…what’s her name. It was almost like he felt a totally new feeling. However, I am not convinced that it was “love”. Before Romeo had the opportunity to talk with Juliet, he was just in awe with her beauty. Romeo immediately admires her beauty by saying “For I ne’ver saw true beauty until tonight”. Being that it was love or admiration that attracted Romeo to Juliet, you are correct; a conflict will accompany their love oh too soon.
tina brooks aka lala said
Romeo’s love for Rosaline does not match the love that he feels for Juliet because he is taking the feelings for Rosaline an puting them in the place for Juliet. Romeo is not infact in love with Juliet he has seen a pretty face that has caught his attention, an is using her beauty as a visual icon. He has saw her an replaced his emotions.The light and the Dark of Rosaline and Juliet are that Rosaline is in the past. When Romeo seen Juliet he totally forgot about Rosaline.Instantly when he saw Juliet he saw something brand new someone that he had a new chance with.
Frederick Simpson *Mr Superstar* said
I agree with you 100% Laquetta!!!!!!!! That’s what I’m talking about Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s what I call “true intelligence”. Romeo really does like Juliet, when he says “she doth teach the torches to burn bright.” Anyone who goes out of their way for someone, like I said before, that’s true love. Love doesn’t come overnight, it comes naturally, and at its own time. Romeo loved Rosaline truly, but she was too blind too realize what she had in front of her so she missed out on a good opportunity. Juliet is young, attractive, and she’s very polite to Romeo. Rosaline on the other hand, is stuck-up, stingy, and totally different from Juliet. Romeo’s heart is searching for the right love, and with the dissatisfaction of Rosaline, his only hope is to score Juliet. They’re both young and into each other, he feels like he would put his life on the line for Juliet.
Ms.Johnson said
Tina, I think you and I are both on the same page about Juliet just being “eye candy” for Romeo. Now, when the qustion asks about the imagery of light and dark in the play, it is referring to actually darkness. For example, when we first hear of Romeo, his father, Montague, describes him as being “Away from light steals home my heavy son, and private in his chamber pen himself, shuts up his windows, locks fait daylight out, and makes himself an artificial light”. Here is is love sick over Roasline; thus, the imagery of darkness. Can anyone find other dark imagery used when speaking about Rosaline? How about the light imagery used for Juliet?
Tina, be careful when you type. “An” and “And” does not mean the same thing.
Antwan C. said
Romeo’s love for Juliet is so much more powerful then what he felt for Roasline. I agree what Laquetta and Frederick both about the love that Romeo has for Juliet. From what romeo think of juliet is powerful because when he first seen Juliet he felt in love at that moment. Romeo knew that he had to do something because if he didnt he would die if he never see her again. When Romeo first seen juliet he gave her a kiss, that show that he really love her. Romeo did not have this kind of felling about Rosaline. He had deep feelings about Rosaline but still not as dep as Juliet. If Romeo didnt have Juliet I think that he would personaly kill himself thats how much love he have for Juliet.
msjjohnson said
Freddy, how can you “prove” that Rosaline is stuck-up? You are correct when you say he feels like he will put his heart on the line for her. In Act 2, we will begin to see this happening.
Actually, Antwan and Freddy are correct about how much Romeo is in love with Juliet that he will almost risk his life to be with her.
Rick Fleming said
I also agree with mrs. cade Romeo was lust for Rosealine something that he thought was love. when he said ” Did my Heart love till now ” he was asking him self was he really in love with Rosealine. Romeo is more in love with Juliet when he first see’s her than he ever was in love with Rosealine. Romeo only put his heart on the line for Rosealine while he is willing to risk his life for juliet.When Juliet came in the picture it’s like Romeo completely for got about Roesaline. She was his golden apple but juliet was his princess holding his golden apple. When they first made eye contact they instantly knew they wanted to be together know matter what the consicunses where.
Latosha a.k.a Tosha b.k.a Ms.Red said
I totally agree with Quetta …Romeo was madly in love with Juliet when he first laid eyes on her at the caputlet’s ball. Yes it’s true that Romeo was in love with Rosealine for a while but, that love all went down the drain when he saw pretty young Juliet.When Romeo laid eyes on Juliet he was amazed with her beauty. I believe it more of a lust thing going on instead of love with Romeos’ feelings for Juliet.It was a little too early and too soon for Romeo and Juliet to fall in love. It was only her beauty that really just caught Romeos’ attention. “For I ne’ver saw true beauty till this night” he was stund at her beauty which really made him fall madly in love with Juliet so soon.”Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear”. When Romeo said that, I knew he was truely feeling Juliet more than he loved Rosaline.Sooner or later Romeo is going to figure out if hes making the biggest mistake in his life, and who he really wants to spend the rest of his life with…Rosaline or Juliet.
Derrick Newman said
Shakespeare uses humor in various ways throughout the scenes of Act 1 in Romeo and Juliet. He mainly uses humor through puns,irony and jokes. He uses humor to give his audiences comedic relief from the tragedies and romance that occur in the play. This is also done to keep the audience interested. Shakespeare mainly uses the characters of Mercutio and the Nurse to express this humor in the play. He first begins to really use puns and jokes during scene four of Act 1 when Romeo and Mercutio are having a conversation. Mercutio insists that Romeo must dance, but Romeo replies, “You have dancing shoes. With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead. So stakes me to the ground I cannot move”. The pun being “soles…soul”, though is not a humorous pun in my opinion.
Leecia Barnes said
Well everybody has made some nice points, and Ms.Johnson i like the word extra credit so I’ll respond to all three. Now it’s apparent that Romeo does not have the same feelings for both Rosaline and Juliet. As far as Rosaline goes i agree with all who said Romeo was just lusting for her, he “luved” he instead of loving her. For i believe Romeo is the type that just needs someone to love constantly whether it’s “luv” or love, so when Rosaline left he had no one to love making him one sad puppy. But Juliet on the other hand made him drop Rosaline like a hot potatoe,once again showing that he didn’t really care for her that much -on the low he just wanted what every man wants, because initally Romeo intended on going to the ball and winning Rosaline back but when he saw Juliet his every intention involving Rosaline was scratched. He spoke of Juilet in a way of how he didn’t speak of Rosaline -”Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” Simply to say Rosaline don’t have nothing on Juliet. Even with light, for when Romeo uses light to express a point Rosaline’s example is always a form of destructive or potentially dangerous form of light – “Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs”, now if you don’t know allow me to tell you that people who die in fires don’t die from the burning they die from suffocation due to smoke inhalation, now why would Romeo compare Rosaline to something like that (sarcasim). But when he describes Juliet he uses natural light (natural beauty maybe?) – “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright”, and torches are used to assist people, is he trying to say that Juliet is his “Good Thang” (the song -good thang- by pretty willie you all know what I’m talking about). But look at what he says that looks like he’s trying to say juliet is soooooooo HOT that she could give the torches a lesson on burning up. In ActI humor was shown in a variety of things. I think that the humor lies in the simple things. Like when in the very beginnning where Sampson, Gregory, Tybalt, and Abraham were “biting thumbs” at one another. That’s funny! They all were afraid to fight on some for real for real type stuff, that’s like going to a boxing match and all the boxers do is hop in circles around the ring because they’re scared of a little contact, well boxing is not the sport for you boo. But really “Biting Thumbs” what type of crazy stuff is that?. Even when Romeo dissed Rosaline on the low low, because when he said something about not seeing true beauty until this night, he was practically calling Rosaline ugly! Now that’s comedy! lol But in closing all i have to say is Romeo is just one big over dramatic looking montague, who needs to man up and quit all that whining over a female who apparently didn’t want him anyway, he spent too much time moping over Rosaline!
O yes Ms.Johnson I’m looking forward to some extra credit
lol -remember what you said!-
And that’s all folks
~:~Leecia~:~
Leecia Barnes said
Hey Ms. Johnson we can put our pictures on here because technically when you put your website on here -which i put my mysace- it shows your default picture
;D ;D ;D
~:~ So hey everybody check out my default pic lol ~:~
Philesha said
In the beginning romeo was madly in love with rosaline. But rosaline was not interested in romeo at all. Romeo did all he could to impress her. he even knew that she was not interrested in him but everywhere she went he was there. the difference between the love that romeo has for juliet and has for rosaline is that with juliet he his love was at first sight and he did even know her but he knew it was love there with out him even knowing who she was. With rosaline it was like he loved her but it was no spark there. the love he had for her was like a battery with a one end charge, he did not have enough to go on. the love that he had for both of them was completely different, after he met juliet he has not though about rosaline since so thet shows that what he had for her was not real!
Philesha
A.K.A
Mz.Cunningham
p.s
i had a wonderful vacaton!!
Philesha said
Wats good erbody hope u all had a wonderful vacation i know i did, it was some drama but it was all good… i enjoyed the plays we did everyone did excellent!!
love u alls favorite honors peer,
Philesha Cunningham
msjjohnson said
Wonderful comments everyone! Mz. Cunningham, I almost deleted your message; I didn’t realize it was you Philesha.
Derrick, I am thrilled that you addressed the comedy in Act 1. Yes, Mercurtio is specificly known for his pun on words, thus, creating comedy. Since it is written in Shakespearian, it is difficult to acknowledge all of the jokes that were intended for the audience; however, the puns or jokes that we do notice usually isnt that funny to us. Oh way.
Leecia, you did get extra credit for addressing all prompts. I’m glad you informed us how Romeo compared Rosaline to “Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs”, which could mean he is dying from the suffocation of her love or lack of.
LaTosha happy to see that you have joined us tonight!
T-Burt said
As recently stated by many of my fellow peers, student, and advisors; Romeo’s has been blind-sided by his oblivious love connection with Rosaline. That was until of course, he went to the party and was again swept off of his feet(no homo)by the beauty, grace, and the lady-ness Juliet carries herself with. I do agree with Fred when he stated ‘true love causes people to go out of their way’ and take risks they ordinarilly would’nt take for a something that is thought of as a “fluke”. Although the love between Romeo and Rosaline was’nt really displayed and/or illistrated; by the small bit that WAS discussed, Romeo was verry fond of the romance that he shared with Rosaline. While when he got to know Juliet and bons with her, he slowly began to forget about his previous affair and eventually sending it into the oblivious all while realizing that he really was’nt in love with Rosaline, but was in love with the fact that he had someone to be with. Romeo felt his love for Juliet a lot greater than he did for Rosaline because he exhibited with the way he first approached Juliet and engaged her. This is an exaple which showed that Mercrutio’s plan worked. That is a way Romeo easily displayed his love difference between Rosaline, a not stuck-up person, but someone unaquantined with her actions; and his new found love, Juliet.
T-Burt said
Sorry for the tardiness
Antwon Edwards said
Man the way things should be said is that at the beginning Romeo was love sick from the brake up between him and Rosaline. When they broke up Romeo was not the same he was really in love with her and he couldnt get over being “PLAYED” by this beautiful girl name Rosaline. For example he locked himself in a room with no sunlight just darkness. But when it came down to the Capulet’s Ball he went there and the name Rosaline didnt run through his mind one time, He went to the party and had fun and that when he came across the Lord Capulet’s daughter Julliet. He instantly fell in love wit her after then he just been more up and about. He not down not more he down no more, he doing everything and he really love Julliet and from what it seems he would do anything for her. The meaning of light and dark, and how it relates to Rosaline and Julliet is that when he knew Rosaline, well after they broke up he was down, depressed, and less energetic. But when he met Julliet he was more energetic, out, happy, and etc. And thats how light and dark protain to Rosaline and Julliet.
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Yea I know it good