Tracing the Motif of Flowers Bud in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Charlize Garcia Period 2
“Verona’s summer hath not such a f lower. Nay, he’s a f lower, in faith--a very flower.” (1.3.81-82)
The nurse and Lady Capulet are saying that you won't find a lot of “flowers” like him. They are using the word flower as a way of saying he is nice and pleasant. Flowers are seen as something that people enjoy looking at. They are saying that he is a fine flower and truly a flower to the people in Verona. This is most likely being said about him because they want him to have a good first impression with Juliet. Additionally, “flower” is used to represent that Paris is a man. Unlike Romeo, who is compared to a bud at the beginning of this story rather than a flower. This represents the growth of Romeo going from a boy to a man. Flowers can also represent men that are possibly suitable for Juliet. She has to try and pick the right flower. The Nurse and Lady Capulet are trying to convince her that Paris is the best flower and that she should pick him.
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“This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous f lower w hen next we meet.” (2.2.127-128)
Juliet is saying that their love represents a flower bud in the summer's air. However, the next time they meet, it could become a full bloomed and beautiful flower. This shows that Juliet believes that their love will become even stronger as time goes on. They’ve only just now begun to feel love for each other, so it is still almost in its younger stages. There is still room for their love to grow and blossom.
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“I must up-fill this osier cage of ours With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.” (2.3.7-8) Friar Laurence is saying that he must fill up this basket with his poisonous weeds along with his precious flowers. This is in order to help him make-up medicines for people in order to heal them. He is basically putting importance to these flowers and herbs because they play a large part in healing others. Without them, he would not be able to make specific potions and juices. This could also represent the good and evil in the world, including in Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. While their relationship is precious to them, the feud of their family would be like the poisonous flowers. These both play a big part in their love, but are also both just as powerful.
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“Within the infant rind of this small flower Poison hath residence, and medicine power;” (2.3.23-24) Friar Laurence is stating that inside of the rind of this small (and most likely weak) flower holds both poison and medicine. In other words, this little flower could either make you feel good or kill you. This represents that there are always opposite elements in everything. There are even opposite elements in people, like good and evil. This is a possible foreshadowing for later in the story. For example, Romeo and Juliet may end up making the wrong decisions, which represents the poison in the flower. This is what would end up leading to their death.
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“Pink for flower. Right. Why, then is my pump well-flower’d.” (2.4.57-59) Romeo is saying that his pump is “well-flower’d” because he is playing along with Mercutio teasing him. A pump would be a shoe and fancy shoes were pinked with having decorative holes cut into them. Romeo is asking Mercutio if he is using “pink” as “flower.” After he says that he is, then Romeo states that his pump that he wore to the Capulet feast is well-flower’d. Mercutio is teasing him for this because he thinks that Romeo is still in love with Rosaline and spent the whole night chasing after her.
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“O serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face!” (3.2.76) After finding out that Romeo killed Tybalt, Juliet is saying that Romeo is like a serpent disguised as a flower. This is because a flower is seen as a beautiful thing, just like how Juliet saw Romeo as. She sees him as someone very handsome and with a kind heart. However, she is saying he is secretly a serpent because he killed her cousin, which would be seen as ruthless or horrible. So while he is still seen as a flower because of how good looking he is, he is only disguised as one because on the inside he seems to be as violent as a serpent to Juliet. Romeo is also now being compared to a flower rather than a bud after he has killed a man.
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“Flower as she was, deflowered by him” (4.5.40) This statement shows that Lord Capulet, along with everyone else besides the Nurse and Friar Laurence thinks that Juliet died as a virgin. Lord Capulet is saying that Juliet was a flower, but death deflowered her. In other words, she died a virgin; however, she did not actually die a virgin since she consummated her marriage with Romeo.
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“Our bridal f lowers serve for a buried corse;” (4.5.92) The flowers that were going to be used for the wedding are now going to be used for her funeral. This is a good example of irony, seeing as the things that were meant to be used for a happy day are now being used for a very sad event. The flowers that the bride was going to hold are now going to be covering her corpse. This would not only show irony but also a turning point in the story because what was supposed to be one of the happiest days has turned into one of the saddest days.
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“Sweet flower, with f lowers thy bridal bed I strew (O woe! Thy canopy is dust and stones) Which with sweet water nightly I will dew;” (5.3.12-14)
Paris has brought flowers to “strew” across Juliet's canopy. He calls it her “bridal bed” most likely because she was about to get married to him. Paris seems to want the canopy to match her beauty rather than just be dust and stones. He also says that he will water them nightly with “sweet water.” This could mean that he would be watering the flowers with love every night. This also goes back to her being called a flower, most likely because she died a virgin along with being beautiful.
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The motif of flowers bud helps to represent the growth of the characters in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. At the beginning of the story, for example, Romeo is referred to as a bud. Then, throughout the story, he is said to be a flower after he killed Tybalt. In other words, he has blossomed from a boy to a man after he has killed someone. This shows that the “flowers bud” motif can symbolize a man and whether he is seen as a flower or just a bud. When Lady Capulet and the Nurse tell Juliet about Paris, they refer to him as a flower. This would mean that they are telling Juliet that he is a man, which is supposed to make him seem more appealing; however, Paris is just a flower among many other flowers. The Nurse and Lady Capulet are trying to get Juliet to pick the “right flower.” The motif of flowers bud does not only personify this, but it also depicts Romeo and Juliet’s love. When Romeo visits Juliet’s balcony, Juliet talks about how their bud of love will bloom into a beautiful flower. Friar Laurence, however, foreshadows the fact that there is a type of toxic factor in their relationship that could end up killing them. In Friar Laurence’s soliloquy, before Romeo walks in, he talks about flowers that he has that can either help someone or kill them. This illuminates how there is both good and evil in everyone and everything. While the love between Romeo and Juliet is sweet and makes them feel alive, the feud between their families is the toxic part that eventually leads to their deaths. The bud becoming a flower not only portrays Romeo growing as a person, but it’s also about Juliet and Romeo’s sweet but toxic love for each other.
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References Shakespeare, W. (1597/2005). The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Clayton, DE: Prestwick House. Poison T-Shirt. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://www.disturbia.co.uk/products/mens-shirts/posion-tshirt Mary Evans Picture Library. (n.d.). A Girl Picking Tulips Date by Mary Evans Picture Library. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-girl-picking-tulips---date-mary-eva ns-picture-library.html Johnny Van Haeften Art Expert: 'Old Masters' Values Have Gone Up And Up'. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://www.justcollecting.com/miscellania/johnny-van-haeften-art-expert -old-masters-values-have-gone-up-and-up Neel. (n.d.). 25 Beautiful Rose Drawings and Paintings for your inspiration. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from http://webneel.com/rose-drawings-paintings “From Boring To Blooming.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com.au/pin/328481366560134574/. “Rasmus Lindgren (lindgren3045).” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/lindgren3045/. “Rose Petals Tattoo.” Pinterest, 8 June 2017, www.pinterest.com/tattoomaze/rose-petals-tattoo/. Decorative coffin in flash tattoo style with dark romantic flowers and human skull. Vector illustration isolated. Adult color... | Inspiring Tattoo Ideas | Creepy tattoos, Coffin tattoo, Tattoos. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69735494214574569/?lp=true Bride in a casket. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2019, from http://www.angelaslatter.com/tag/bride-in-a-casket/
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