[Enter Chorus.]
CHORUS.
Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for, and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again,
Alike bewitched by the charm of looks;
But to his foe suppos'd he must complain,
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks:
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers us'd to swear;
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new beloved anywhere:
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
[Exit.]
Glossary
foe supposed that is, because Juliet is a Capulet.
complain lament as a lover.
she steal . . . hooks emphasizes the pleasures and dangers of Romeo and Juliet's love for each other. The love is a sweet bait or lure and the fearful hooks allude to Romeo's status as a Montague.
use are accustomed to.
tempering . . . extreme sweet mixing the difficulties facing Romeo and Juliet's relationship with love. Tempering refers to the process used to make steel, and here it is implied that Romeo and Juliet's love is strengthened by the obstacles they face as members of opposing families.
