Act I

When you begin reading Act I of Romeo and Juliet in this topic, it may not seem at first that a "match made in heaven" between the young teenagers is not meant to be. You will find that Juliet is being matched with another fellow, and Romeo is pining over the unrequited love of another girl. However, once Romeo and Juliet do finally meet toward the end of Act I, their love blossoms immediately when they share their first kiss.

Shakespeare masterfully portrays their first conversation in a sonnet, a poem of fourteen lines with a structured rhyme scheme. You may remember this type of poem from your study of poetry. The lines of this romantic sonnet are spoken by both Romeo and Juliet. As Romeo tries to woo Juliet, she playfully resists him. This makes him pursue her even more.

If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.