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All Site ContentRomeo and JulietAct 1Scene 3
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"married lineament," "content," and "volume"
Wordplay
Act 1,
Scene 3
Lines 81-90

An explanation of Lady Capulet’s comparison of Paris to a book in Act 1, Scene 3 of myShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Lady Capulet

What say you? Can you love the gentleman?
This night you shall behold him at our feast.
Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,
And find delight writ there with beauty's pen.
Examine every married lineament,
And see how one another lends content.
And, what obscured in this fair volume lies,
Find written in the margent of his eyes.
This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
To beautify him, only lacks a cover.

These lines make use of several moments of wordplay to offer two possible interpretations:

  • Lady Capulet wants Juliet to read Paris like a book (volume), in which the subject matter (content) is adorned with harmonious and beautiful illustrations (married lineament).
  • The shape (volume) of Paris' face, with its harmonious features (married lineaments) will make her happy (content).