Romeo and Juliet;
Act 1 Scene 5
Chorus
Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
and young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd is now not fair.
Now romeo is belov'd, and loves again,
Alike bewitched by the charm of looks;
But his foe suppos'd he must complain,
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear,
As she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new-beloved any where:
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Temp'ring extremities with extreme sweet.
Explain the meaning of this in modern english.
I really really need help on this :( please, anyone help mee? :)
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@Writeacher the part im looking for isnt there :(
@SraJMcGin i do understand their story, i just don't understand what the chorus is trying to say -___-
In this excerpt from Act 1, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus describes the situation between Romeo and Juliet. Here is a breakdown of the meaning in modern English:
"Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie, and young affection gapes to be his heir;"
This means that Romeo, who was once infatuated with someone else, has now shifted his attention to Juliet. His old desire for someone else is fading away, and his new affection for Juliet is becoming stronger.
"That fair for which love groan'd for and would die, With tender Juliet match'd is now not fair."
This line suggests that the person Romeo was previously infatuated with is no longer attractive or important compared to Juliet. Juliet has become the new object of his affection.
"Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks;"
Here, it is mentioned that Romeo is now loved by someone (presumably Juliet) and he, too, loves her. They are both drawn towards each other due to their physical attractiveness.
"But his foe suppos'd he must complain, And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks."
Romeo is considered an enemy by Juliet's family, so he cannot openly express his love for her. They have to keep their love a secret, as Juliet's family would prevent them from being together. However, their love for each other is strong and cannot be easily deterred.
"Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear, As she as much in love, her means much less To meet her new-beloved anywhere:"
Because of the circumstances, Romeo doesn't have the opportunity to express his love to Juliet through traditional means, like making vows. Similarly, Juliet, despite being equally in love, has limited chances to meet with Romeo.
"But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, Temp'ring extremities with extreme sweet."
Yet, their intense passion for each other provides them with the opportunity and motivation to meet secretly. They make use of whatever time they can find to spend together, balancing the risks they face with the sweetness of being together.
So, in plain English, this excerpt highlights that Romeo and Juliet are deeply in love with each other, despite being in a complicated situation where their families are enemies. Their desire for each other fuels their determination to find ways to meet clandestinely.