

Also, Friar Lawrence is well aware of the fickle nature of Romeo’s affections considering his unrequited love for Rosaline at the start of the play.įriar Lawrence argues he’s bringing Romeo and Juliet together to help repair relations between the Capulets and Montagues, which it does…once Romeo and Juliet are found dead by family members. It is Friar Lawrence who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, even though he knows these two lovers only met a few weeks ago.

It’s interesting that Friar Lawrence is always counseling Romeo and Juliet to love moderately, yet the Friar is a driving force that brings the two lovebirds together (and, some might argue, a major factor in their untimely demise). While this is all sound advice, we could also read this short sermon as foreshadowing Romeo and Juliet’s “violent ends” that come as a result of their “violent delights.” In the same way, while rushing into a loving relationship is tempting, it’s far wiser to be moderate with our passions if we want a marriage that will endure for a lifetime.

In this quote, the friar uses the example of honey, which, although delicious to our taste buds, can cause serious stomach pains if we eat too much too quickly. Spoken by Friar Lawrence before he marries Romeo off to Juliet, this short speech counsels the young lover to temper his amorous passions. Therefore love moderately: long love doth so. Which, as they kiss, consume: the sweetest honey These violent delights have violent ends,Īnd in their triumph die like fire and powder, With the above in mind, here’s a collection of 17 Romeo and Juliet love quotes that truly stand the test of time. Who said “But loft! What light through yonder window breaks?” Besides Romeo and Juliet, who were some of the other characters who had a large impact on the story? What’s the actual context for these quotes, including the surrounding circumstances of the characters at the time? Romeo and Juliet’s love is one of the most beloved, and tragic, in all of classic literature.īut though it’s possibly the most famous love story ever written, many of its quotes are difficult to remember and hard to place within the larger context of the story.

The play follows the lives and deaths of Romeo and Juliet, two young star-crossed lovers from feuding families in Verona. More commonly known simply as Romeo and Juliet, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous works.
