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All Site ContentRomeo and JulietAct 1Scene 5
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Word Nerd: "portly"
Context and Language Videos
Act 1,
Scene 5
Lines 63a-73

An explanation of the word "portly" in Act 1, Scene 5 of myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 

myShakespeare | Romeo and Juliet 1.5 Word Nerd: "portly"

Capulet

Young Romeo is it?

Tybalt

                                   'Tis he, that villain Romeo.

Capulet

Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone.
He bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town
Here in my house do him disparagement.
Therefore be patient, take no note of him.                     
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
Video Transcript: 

RALPH: Portly derives from the latin, portāre, to carry. Originally, portly described someone who carried themselves well, who had a stately manner. In general, this meant a member of the upper class.

SARAH: But the word soon was being used to refer to a visible sign of the well-fed, non-working aristocratic class – big bellies.

RALPH: For most working people, it was a struggle just getting enough calories to support their labor intensive lifestyles.

SARAH: In the 1930’s, men’s pants were sold in sizes regular, short, long, and portly

RALPH: But Lord Capulet is using the original meaning when he describes Romeo as a portly, that is, well-mannered gentleman.