What are the puns in Romeo and Juliet?

Question:- What are the puns in Romeo and Juliet?

Answer

In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, puns are used throughout the play to bring extra meaning as well as laughter. This can be exemplified by the various recurring puns like using words as “grave” and “death” to mean not only mortality but also seriousness or weight. For example, when Romeo first sees Juliet, he says “For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” Juliet then responds “If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: / For the lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand/ To kiss that rough palm with a tender lip”. Here Juliet puns on palmer meaning as well as “palm” owing to her hand. Shakespeare also puns on Romeo’s name using “rome” which means wander or roam. The play is also foreshadowing the couple’s fate with pun on death, Romeo says that he and Juliet are ‘death-marked love’. Through skillful use of this wordplay Shakespeare adds a multiplicity symbolism in his dialogue as well demonstrates mastery over English language. The puns also bring out the hidden implications and associations while adding some comic element to an otherwise depressing play.