Allusions in R&J – Device and Thematic Analysis
Allusions to Cupid,
Pyramus, Dido,
Cleopatra, Helen
and
Helios/Phatheon
and John
18:11/Matthew
20:22
(#s 1, 4, 5, 7, 11)
Allusions to
Aurora and
Cynthia
(#2 and #3)
Through the allusion to these mythological beings associated with love and famous mythical love
stories, Shakespeare shows the dangerous path that passionate love can take and brings in the
association of love based on lust. Cupid, the god of love, shoots lovers with arrows to make
them fall in love with the first person or thing they see, presenting the idea that passionate love is
based on appearance or physical beauty. In the play, Romeo and Juliet decide they love one
another at first sight; they have not even exchanged 100 words before deciding to get married!
In the myth of Helios and Phaethon, Phaethon is given permission to drive the sun-chariot, but
damages the Earth and dies because he did not know how to drive and therefore could not be in
control. This myth suggests that passionate love is dangerous because the people involved
often are overly confident or blinded to reason, and it ends in destruction. Similarly, Romeo and
Juliet are not able to control their feelings and the situation they have gotten themselves into,
leading to the deaths of 6 people. The myths of Pyramus, Dido, Cleopatra and Helen are all
famous love stories that end in suicide or death, showing that passionate love cannot be
sustained and foreshadowing that Romeo and Juliet’s rushed, lustful love can only result in a
“violent end”. While all of these allusions deal with romantic love, Shakespeare adds familial
love to the motif through the allusion to John 18:11 and Matthew 20:22, bringing in the context of
Peter trying to delay the arrest of Jesus, which would eventually lead to his crucifixion, and the
idea that people are not aware of the reality and severity of their actions. Through these
allusions, Shakespeare presents the theme that one must strive for a love that is patient
and built on virtue, not rushed, lustful, and passionate, for the latter love cannot be
sustained and often ends in pain, suffering, or tragedy. Shakespeare warns us against this
love and proves his theme through the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, which starts
violently, and ends with the suicides of Romeo and Juliet, as well as the familial love the
Montagues and Capulets have for their respective households, which in the end causes the
death of 4 other people.
Shakespeare incorporates the allusions of Aurora, Diana and Cynthia to bring the motifs of light
and dark to his play. Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn, is alluded to when Montague
speaks of Romeo avoiding the light while in his depressive state after Rosaline’s rejection – he
makes his own “artificial night” in order to “shut fair daylight out”; Cynthia, the epithet for the
Greek goddess of the moon Artemis, is referred to in Act 3 when Romeo and Juliet must depart
so that Romeo can safely escape to Mantua and Romeo says he will pretend that the sunlight is
the reflection of the moon, or “Cynthia’s brow,” suggesting that they are only safe and able to be
together in the safety of the night, or the dark. These opposites are continually contrasted in
many scenes with Romeo and Juliet. Through these allusions, Shakespeare presents the
theme that concealing one’s true feelings or concealing reality can result in severe
consequences: when things are hidden in the dark, they can be misconstrued and often
shadow what truly exists. In this case, Romeo hides himself in the dark and from his friends
and family, demanding that only love can make him feel light, or happy, again, which leads to the
outcome of the play. (Perhaps had he been open to expressing and working through his feelings
with his father or Benvolio, the tragedy may have been avoided.) Moreover, the fact that Romeo
and Juliet’s love must be concealed, or kept in the dark/private, shows that their families cannot
recognize it, which leads to the 6 deaths in the play.
Allusions in R&J – Device and Thematic Analysis
Allusions to Echo,
Paris and Peter
3:7
(#12, 6, 8)
Allusions to
Pilgrims and
Cupid (#1 and 10)
Allusion to
Lammastide (#9)
(Schultz)
Shakespeare uses the allusions to Echo, Paris and Peter 3:7 to address the issue of sexism in
his play. In the myth, Echo was a nymph who was doomed to only be able to repeat the things
that others said, having no true voice of her own. Juliet can be compared to Echo because in
the time period of the play’s publication, women, especially women like Juliet who were of a
higher class, were not allowed to make decisions for themselves or voice their opinions. For
example, Juliet was verbally abused by her father when she does not agree to marry the man he
has chosen for him; he tells her to “die, beg, hang, starve” as a result of her disobedience.
Likewise, giving Juliet’s betrothed the name Paris brings to light Paris of Troy. Paris was
promised by Aphrodite to be given Helen, the most beautiful woman on Earth, as a wife. As a
result, Paris takes Helen without Helen’s consent from her husband. As a parallel, Juliet’s father
arranges for Juliet to be married to Paris of Verona without her consent, and does not heed any
of her warnings that if he proceeds with the wedding she will kill herself. Lastly, Shakespeare
includes the allusion to Peter 3:7, a passage that urges men to protect and honor their wives,
and twists it in the mouths of the Capulet’s servants, who misunderstand the passage to mean
that women are vulnerable and therefore can be violated. Opening the play with this violent
language against women explains why the subjugation of women was perpetuated, and also the
misogynistic and violent view that many men had of women. Shakespeare includes such
allusions in order to illustrate the theme that suppression of others, in this instance
women, often leads the subjugated persons to perform dangerous tasks or take risks in
order to prove his/her equality, worth or individuality. In this case, Juliet makes a rash
decision to marry Romeo, perhaps because of her parent’s introduction of a suitor at the party, in
order to prove her ability to make a choice for herself or at the very least assert her
independence and individuality.
Shakespeare includes the allusion to pilgrims when Romeo and Juliet meet to include the idea
for virtuous love in his play. Pilgrims are religious subscribers who travel, or make a pilgrimage,
to a holy land in order to fully demonstrate their dedication to their religion. They travel to
worship at the feet of statues and in temples and other holy buildings. After their pilgrimage,
many would carry palms to show proof of their voyage, thus the name “palmers”. As this is an
act that requires great devotion, time, and internal growth, Shakespeare uses this to show that if
Romeo were to truly be a pilgrim, he would honor Juliet by spending time and making great effort
to prove his feelings for her, and as this is the term used in their first exchange, this is the
expectation that should be met if an offer of love is to be considered pure and well-intended.
This idea is reinforced in the allusion to Cupid in I.i when Romeo says that Rosaline will not be
hit “with Cupid’s arrow”, suggesting that Rosaline is not easily and quickly persuaded to love him.
Shakespeare uses these to connect to theme that one should pursue virtuous love over
passionate love because often rewards the lovers with a long-lasting partnership. Because
Romeo and Juliet rushed into their relationship, and perhaps for non-virtuous reasons, alluded to
through Diana, their relationship was unable to last for any length of time.
Shakespeare specifies that Juliet was born on Lammas Eve to present the allusion to
Lammastide. Lammastide was a holiday held to celebrate the harvest; a mass was held during
which members of the community would offer up, or sacrifice, a loaf of bread to commemorate a
bountiful crop. Similarly, in the play, Juliet operates as a sacrifice that allows for a reward: it is
through her death that her family is able to end its feud with the Montagues. Shakespeare’s
allusion to Lammastide brings to light the motifs of sacrifice and death. Through these,
Shakespeare brings forth the theme that often in life, one’s sins or wrongdoings can only be
forgiven through sacrifice. In the play, the Capulet’s sins are their selfish desires of power and
wealth and only valuing their daughter for the honor she can bring the family and not for the role
she played in their lives, proven when the Friar scolds them on the morning of Juliet’s “funeral.”
The family is only purged of these wrongdoings, and the feud, through the realization of what
they had done after finding Juliet had killed herself at the end of the play.
Allusions in R&J – Device and Thematic Analysis