Thus with a Kiss I Die
| What does it mean? | Romeo’s thoughts and actions | |
| O my love! my wife! Death, that hath suck’d the honey of my breath Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty: Thou art not conquer’d; beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advanced there | This means despite that death has taken Juliet, she is still beautiful, with her lips and cheeks remaining as beautiful as if she is alive. The text implies that death has not taken the beauty of Juliet away. | Romeo thinks that death cannot harm her and thinks she is so beautiful to be dead. |
| Tybalt, liest thou there in the bloody sheet? O, what more favour can I do to thee, Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain To sunder his that was thine enemy? Forgive me, cousin! | This line means that Romeo is asking Juliet what favor he can do other than revenge for the man who killed you. He also asks for forgiveness from her. | Romeo is thinking of revenge for the person who killed her while she was still young. |
| Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour? For fear of that, I still will stay with thee, And never from this palace of dim night Depart again. Here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chamber maids. Oh, here Will I set up my everlasting rest, And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh
| Romeo is wondering how Juliet is so beautiful, yet she is dead. She thinks that death took her away to be his mistress, which makes him a bit jealous and vows to stay there with her forever and forget all the problems he has faced. | Romeo is jealous, he doesn’t like the idea that death might have taken her beautiful soul to be his mistress, and he then vows to stay with Juliet and promises never to leave. |
| Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death. | Mean that let him look, embrace, and kiss her for the last time. | Romeo looks at Juliet for the last time, embraces her, and then kisses her for the last time before taking out a poison. |
| Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide. Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark. Here’s to my love! O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
| Romeo takes the bitter poison, which will not solve his desperation but lead to his death immediately just beside her lover’s body. He dies beside Juliet’s body with a kiss. Moreover, the poison kills him quickly, just like the pharmacists told him. | Romeo drinks the poison |