In
the opening scene of Shakespeare's , there's a brawl in the streets of
Verona between the family members, friends, and servants of the House of Montague and the House
of Capulet. Prince Escalus appears on the scene, reprimands the combatants for rioting in the
streets for the fourth time in recent memory, and issues a stern warning to everyone
involved.
PRINCE ESCALUS. If ever you disturb our streets
again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. (1.1.92-93)
The crowd disperses, and Lord andspeak to 's friend, , about what
might be troubling Romeo. Benvolio says that he saw Romeo that morning in a grove of sycamore
trees, but when he approached him, Romeo hid away in the woods.
remarks that
he's seen Romeo there in the mornings, too, "With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew,
/ Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs" (1.1.128-129) When the sun comes up,
Romeo goes back home and closes himself up in his room.
Romeo arrives on the
scene, and Benvolio tells Lord Montague "I'll know his grievance, or be much denied"
(1.1.153)
Benvolio asks Romeo what's been bothering him lately, and Romeo
launches into a sad, sorrowful, and overly dramatic tale about how the woman he loves has
rejected him.
Their conversation continues into the next scene, with Romeo
still yearning for his lost love. Oddly, Romeo never mentions her name. Benvolio assumes,
however, that the woman who's broken Romeo's heart and seemingly ruined his life forever is
"the fair Rosaline."
Benvolio suggest that Romeo go with him to a
feast that the Capulets are hosting that evening. Rosaline is likely to be there, Benvolio tells
Romeo, and Romeo can compare her to all the other young women at the party, and perhaps Romeo
will find someone else on whom to focus his attention.
Romeo mocks Benvolio
for suggesting that there is anyone more beautiful and worthy of his love than
Rosaline.
ROMEO. One fairer than my love? The all-seeing
sun
Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun. (1.2.96-97)
Romeo nevertheless agrees to go to the Capulet's feast with
Benvolio, if only to get another look at Rosaline.
Jumping ahead a few scene
to act 2, scene 3, to give some background to Romeo's love for Rosaline, Romeo goes to visit his
friend and confidant, .
The Friar remarks to Romeo that Romeo looks like he's
been up all night.
ROMEO. That last is truethe sweeter
rest was mine.
The Friar jumps to a reasonable
conclusion.
FRIAR. God pardon sin! Wast thou with
Rosaline? (2.3.44-45)
Romeo says that he's already
forgotten about Rosaline, and he's now in love with "the fair daughter of rich
Capulet...".
Friar Laurence is confused and a little dismayed by this
turn of events and the sudden change in the direction of Romeo's affection. He remembers how
many tears Romeo shed over Rosaline, and how much he said he loved her.
FRIAR. Holy Saint Francis! What a change is here!
Is
Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear,
So soon forsaken? ...
Hath wash'd thy
sallow cheeks for Rosaline!
How much salt water thrown away in waste,
To
season love, that of it doth not taste!
The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven
clears,
Thy old groans ring yet in mine ancient ears.
Lo, here upon thy cheek
the stain doth sit
Of an old tear that is not wash'd off yet.
If e'er thou
wast thyself, and these woes thine,
Thou and these woes were all for
Rosaline.
And art thou chang'd? (2.3.66 -80)
Back to the Capulet's feast, in act 1, scene 5, where Romeo hopes to see Rosaline, but
instead sees , with whom he falls in love at first sight.
What happened to
Romeo's all-consuming love for Rosaline? Like Romeo tells Friar Laurence a few scenes later,
"I have forgot that name..." (2.3.47)
It might be argued that Romeo
didn't truly love Rosaline. The Friar, for one, believed that Romeo's feelings for Rosaline were
only an infatuation, not true love.
ROMEO. Thou chid'st me
oft for loving Rosaline.FRIAR. For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.
(2.3.82-83)
, too, doesn't seem to take Romeo's
exaggerated declarations of his love for Rosaline very seriously. In act 2, scene 1 (the scene
following the Capulet's feast where Romeo met Juliet), Mercutio and Benvolio are looking for
Romeo, and Mercutio mocks Romeo's description of Rosaline.
MERCUTIO. Romeo! humours! madman! passion! lover! ...
I conjure thee by
Rosaline's bright eyes.
By her high forehead and her scarlet lip,
By her fine
foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh,
And the demesnes that there adjacent
lie,
That in thy likeness thou appear to us! (2.1.9-23)
The last time that Rosaline is mentioned in the play is in a scene with Mercutio and
Benvolio that directly follows the scene with Romeo and Friar Laurence. Benvolio and Mercutio
are again looking for Romeo, and again they can't find him. This gives Mercutio one more chance
to make fun of Romeo's undying love for Rosaline.
MERCUTIO. Why, that same pale hard-hearted wench,
that Rosaline, torments him
so that he will sure run mad. (2.4.4-5)
It remains to be
seen whether Romeo's love for Juliet is more substantive and lasting than his already forgotten
love for Rosaline.
No comments:
Post a Comment