Romeo and Juliet Quote Analysis
Quote I

They say the lady is fair. 'Tis a truth, I can bear them witness. And virtuous—'tis so, I cannot reprove it. And wise, but for loving me. By my troth, it is no addition to her wit—nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. (II.iii.204–208).

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Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro have been discussing Beatrice's love, albeit fabricated, for Benedick, and he (Benedick) has overheard. On stage, alone, he thinks about these developments and resolves to reciprocate the love. He quips, "for I will be terribly in love with her" (II.iii.208). This section is obviously meant to elicit humor, as it is realistically impossible to fall so deeply in love with a person just by knowing their virtues. The intention to elicit humor can also be perceived in the use of the word "horribly." From a literal point of view, this section is an indication of the battle of wits between these two.

Indeed, there has been competition between the two. It isn't sufficient for Benedick to return Beatrice's love and passions. He must exceed them, perhaps to outcompete her and win. The role of Benedick has several choices in executing the soliloquy. One of these strategies to not lose is to deny the love he feels for her. As a result, he must mask these feelings by adopting a logical view to falling in love rather than the rational one. In so doing, he would stay in the battle, and by deciding how he loves her, give him a stride towards wining.

Quote 2

"Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years? O that he were here to write me down an ass! But masters, remember that I am an ass. Though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass. No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow, and which...…all these, Hero has lost her attractive heroic traits. "Fare thee well most foul, most fair, farewell." This line shows the literal skill by Shakespeare to use homophones, while at the same time communicating logical text relevant to the current events. The soundings of "fair" is said thrice in one line, which underscores the desperation by Claudio to unravel that the outward beauty by Hero covers up an evil spirit, just as he ponders. In this context, the use of the word "fair" also goes to indicate beauty and a sense of justice because, according to Claudio, Hero is not just unfair and foul anymore. The compressing of foul and fair in the same line and "pure impiety" and "impious purity" in the line that follows exemplifies a rhetorical style that distinguishes Shakespeare from many other writers of his time. Rhetoric has been used in this case to emphasize a given emotion; for example, Claudio's use of opposites goes to highlight her frustrations with Hero's apparent outside beauty and the foul…