A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a quotation from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, meant to say that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.[1]

Contents

Origin

In the play Romeo and Juliet, the line is said by Juliet in reference to Romeo's house, Montague which would imply that his name means nothing and they should be together.

Juliet:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

Romeo:

I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

In culture

See also

References

  1. ^ A rose by any other name would smell as sweet The Phrase Finder
  2. ^ A Rose By Any Other Name The Modern World / Umberto Eco
  3. ^ Claire Frederick, Shirley McNeal, Inner strengths, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cMNix5ICLKAC&pg=PA23