Name: __________________
Date: __________Per: _____
Romeo and Juliet: Act II.iii (The Grey-Eyed Morn)
Part I: Please read and annotate this passage to the BEST of your ability. Use a dictionary and the
footnotes in your book and on page 2 of this handout to help you out.
The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light,
And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels:
Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,
I must up-fill this osier cage of ours
With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.
The earth that's nature's mother is her tomb;
What is her burying grave that is her womb,
And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find,
Many for many virtues excellent,
None but for some and yet all different.
O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give,
Nor aught so good but strain'd from that fair use
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;
And vice sometimes by action dignified.
Within the infant rind of this small flower
Poison hath residence and medicine power:
For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.
Two such opposed kings encamp them still
In man as well as herbs, grace and rude will;
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.
(Turn Over)
Footnotes for Friar Lawrence’s Soliloquy:
Flecked: dappled with streaks of red (like a
drunkard’s face)
From forth: out of the way
Titan’s fiery wheels: the burning wheels of the
chariot of the sun-god, Apollo.
Osier Cage: a willow basket
Baleful: harmful, poisonous
Divers: various
Sucking on: receiving nourishment from
None but for some: all of them have some good
qualities
Mickle: great
Grace: Healing virtue
Strain’d: forced, perverted
True birth: its proper nature
Stumbling on abuse: finding some harmful
application
Vice sometime by action dignified: evil sometimes
made good by the right action
Infant: undeveloped
Poison hath residence, and medicine power:
these resides both poison and the healing power of
medicine
That part: its scent
Still: always
Grace and rude will: divine virtue and unruly
(human) desire
Part II: Now please re-read the passage and find examples of the following literary devices—write them
down and explain them below.
Literary Term
Definition
Textual Example
Personification
The giving of human
qualities to a non human
or inanimate object.
Metaphor
The direct comparison
between two unlike
objects.
Simile
A comparison between
two unlike objects using
like, as, or than.
Classical allusion
Reference to another
text, musical
composition, piece of
art, etc. that originates
from ancient Greek,
Roman, or biblical
tradition.
Direct contrast or
opposition of two ideas.
Antithesis
Example: "It was the
best of times, it was the
worst of times, it was
the age of wisdom, it
was the age of
foolishness..."
Opposites: best and
worst; wisdom and
foolishness
(Turn Over)
Explanation of
Meaning
Part III: Now please draw the images described by Friar Lawrence—use the graphic organizer on the
next page
Image 1:
Image 2:
Image 3:
1. “The grey-eyed morn smiles
2. “I must up-fill this osier cage of
3. “The earth that's nature's
on the frowning night,
Chequering the eastern clouds
with streaks of light,“
ours With baleful weeds and
precious-juiced flowers.”
mother is her tomb; What is her
burying grave that is her womb,”
Image 4:
Image 5:
Image 6:
4. “Within the infant rind of this
5. “For this, being smelt, with that 6. “Two such opposed kings
small flower/ Poison hath
residence and medicine power:”
part cheers each part; Being
tasted, slays all senses with the
heart.”
Image 7:
7. “And where the worser is
predominant, Full soon the
canker death eats up that plant.”
(Turn Over)
encamp them still / In man as
well as herbs, grace and rude
will;”
Part IV: Putting it together
Directions: Based upon all of the work that you have done above, please write a page long analysis of
the Friar’s soliloquy. Please answer the following questions in your written analysis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is Friar Lawrence observing about the natural world and the nature of herbs?
How does this nature lesson apply to life in general?
According to the Friar, what happens when things get out of balance?
How does this nature lesson apply to the relationship between Romeo and Juliet?
How does Friar Lawrence use language tricks, especially antithesis and personification to help
strengthen his message?
Your analysis of the Friar’s Soliloquy (in complete sentences and using textual evidence):
(Turn Over)