Assessment task- Shakespeare, Option 1
The sonnet in Romeo and Juliet – Act 1, Scene 5 (sonnet provided) is about how much he wanted to kiss her, how beautiful she was, how perfect her hands were, but mainly that he wanted to kiss her. They fell in love at first sight.
The first line “if I profane with my unworthiest hand” is about how Romeo feels the need to touch Juliets hand but also feels too privileged and doesn’t deserve to be in her presence.
The line “my lips two blushing pilgrims, ready stand” means his lips are ready to kiss her but won’t unless she wants him to.
The line “to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” means his hands are rough and he wants to be forgiven and the best way for her to let him know he is forgiven is through a kiss.
The line “good pilgrim, you do wrong your hands too much” is Juliet meaning that Romeo doesn’t give himself enough credit.
The line “for saints have hands that pilgrims hands do touch” means that Romeos hands are holy and are worthy enough to touch the statues of saints hands.
The line “and palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss” means that holding a palm against another (holding hands) is just like a kiss.
The line “have not saints lips and holy palmers too?” is Romeo asking if saints and pilgrims have lips too?
The line “lips that they must use in prayer” means that the saints use their lips to pray.
The line “then dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair” is Romeo still trying to convince Juliet to let him kiss her by saying that his prayer is for her to kiss him and using his faith as an excuse for it to happen or he will lose his faith.
The line “saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake” is Juliet teasing still with an excuse meaning that saints don’t move, even when they grant prayers. Romeo then replies with “then move not, while my prayers effect I take” meaning that she may stay still and he will kiss her.
Romeo kept trying to find a way to kiss her. Juliet kept finding an excuse for him to not kiss her because she found it entertaining to tease him, but eventually she let him do what he desired so dearly. Romeo fell in love with Juliet when they first saw each other, their eyes interlocked and they fell in love and Romeo couldn’t stop himself from bringing her into his presence.
The song ‘The Power Of Love’ by Gabrielle Aplin is about how strong love is, about the intensity of love, how overwhelming the emotions can be that are involved, and that love can control you.
The line “love is the light scaring darkness away” is a metaphor meaning that love is so pure and strong that it scares evil and bad feelings away.
The line “ a force from above” means that love comes from heaven, a pure place.
The line “`flame on burn desire” and “sparkling light” mean passion. Fire is a representation of passion when it comes to describing love.
The line “purge the soul” means clean the soul, which means purify it through love.
The line “love is danger, love is pleasure” means love is
