Transcript Romeo and Juliet and the Punning of Sex

An analysis of 2.1 and 3.5
Based on scholarship by Stephen Greenblatt and
Pauline Kiernan
ROMEO AND JULIET AND THE
PUNNING OF SEX
ONE PATH, TWO LOCATIONS
Wordplay’s logic—no one word, one thing
connection
 Slippage in sound and meaning = possibilities

COMEDY OR TRAGEDY?
Tragic bawdiness
 Plethora of sexual puns
 One meaning-interpretations give unwarranted
levity: subtext essential
 Conversion of comedy to tragedy

ACT 2, SCENE 1: MERCUTIO’S PUNNING
Mercutio I conjure thee
by Rosaline’s bright
eyes,
By her high forehead
and her scarlet lip,
By her fine foot, straight
leg, and quivering
thigh,
And the demesnes that
there adjacent lie…
Mercutio I c**t-jure you
by Roasline’s bright
c**t, by
her high hymen and her
scarlet clitoris, by her
admirable rump,
straight leg and
wanking thigh, and
the
c**t and arse that there
adjacent lie.
MORE MERCUTIO, MORE 2.1
Mercutio If love be blind,
love cannot hit the
mark.
Now will he sit under a
medlar tree
And wish his mistress
were that kind of fruit
As maids call medlars
when they laugh alone.
O Romeo, that she were, O
that she were
An open arse, and thou a
popp’rin’ pear.
Mercutio If love be blind,
he won’t be able to fuck
the
vagina. He’ll sit under a
medlar tree and wish
his
mistress were that kind of
fruit that girls call openarses
when they’re talking dirty
on their own. O Romeo,
if
only she were, O if only
she were an open arse,
and you
an erect penis popping it
in her.
ACT 3, SCENE 5: A FATHER’S LOVE, A
FATHER’S HATE
Capulet Fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next
To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church,
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.
Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage,
You tallow-face!...
Juliet [kneels down] Good father, I beseech you on
my
knees,
Hear me with patience but to speak a word.
Capulet Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient
wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face.
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me.
[Juliet rises]
My fingers itch…
Out on her, hilding!...
Graze where you will, you shall not house with me.
…beg, starve, die in the streets,
For, by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee…
Capulet Get your genitals ready for a thrashing on
Thursday next to go to Saint Peter’s Church with
Paris,
or I’ll drag you there on a whore’s cart. Whore! You
pox-diseased piece of dead, putrefying flesh! You
whore!
You pestilent slut. You greasy-c**t!
Juliet [kneels down] Good father, I beseech you on
my
knees, hear me, please be patient and let me say a
word.
Capulet Go and act the pimp and hire yourself out,
young whore, disobedient wretch! I tell you what. Get
you to church Thursday, or never afterwards look me
in
the face. Speak not, reply not, do not answer me!
[Juliet rises]
Capulet Live as a whore wherever you want to,
you’re
not living in my house any more. Whore, starve, have
sexual orgasms like a whore in the street, because by
my
soul, I’ll disown you, I’ll never acknowledge you
again!