Adam Murphy Mrs.

McCrystal English 1 February 26, 2013 Romeo and Juliet Quote #1 Juliet says a lot by making this statement. She states the if Romeo were to have a different name or title she would still love him just the same. She references the name to a rose. Had a rose been called anything else it would still smell and be just as sweet. The quote is significant because it shows how she wants to forget all of the names put upon them. To forget their families rivalry and to just love each other. She says this because she realizes that even though she loves a sworn enemy his family name does not define who he is. She is saying that names are not a person. They are simply a title given to them so that they may reference them properly. Anything could be called by a different name and all of its qualities would still be preserved. The other characters in the play feel that names define everything. They feel that since they were born into rivaling families they must be rivals as well. Even if they have not gotten the chance to know each other. One example of this is with Tybalt during the party "This, by his voice, should be a Montague.(to his PAGE) Fetch me my rapier, boy.What, dares the slave. Come hither, covered with an antic face, to fleer and scorn at our solemnity? Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, to strike him dead I hold it not a sin". This quote by Tybalt shows that when he recognized that Romeo (who is a sworn rival) is at the party he feels he must kill him due to the honor of his family. Therefore he believes that since he holds his family name he must be Romeo's rival.

The comparison with the rose can mean many things. We feel that a rose is beautiful and smells sweet. What Juliet is saying that if everything is like a rose then if Romeo were to be called by any other name he would still have the same qualities he had now. That they would still be together regardless of name. She is more so referencing that if his last name were to be different then he would still be just as perfect as he is now. She says that Romeo if he did not have that name would still be just as perfect as he is. Therefore she wants to know why it matters the Romeo comes from a rival family. She thinks it should not matter where he comes from or what name he bears but simply who he is inside. Therefore, Romeo would still be just as perfect had his parents given him any other name.