Read the excerpt from the prologue to act II of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Which lines convey the idea that Romeo a
nd Juliet will fight for their love despite the obstacles? 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 beloved and loves again,
Alike betwitched by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed 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;
And 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
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
The lines that convey the idea that Romeo and Juliet will fight for their love despite the obstacles are these: "But passion lends them power, time means, / to meet / Tempering extremities with extreme sweet." In the preceding lines the narrator is relating that Romeo is not in love (with Rosaline) anymore. Now he loves Juliet, and she loves him back. However, they are supposed to be enemies, so Romeo must complain to her and cannot court her properly, and Juliet must fear him and cannot meet with him when and where she wants. In spite of it, their passion and their love give them power, and time gives them the opportunity to meet, making their obstacles more enticing due to the intense delight that they will experience after overcoming them.
