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"solely singular"
Context and Language Videos
Act 2,
Scene 4
Lines 57-61

An explanation of the wordplay on "solely singular" in Act 2, Scene 4 of myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

myShakespeare | Romeo and Juliet 2.4 Wordplay: “solely singular”

Mercutio

Sure wit. Follow me this jest now till thou hast worn
out thy pump, that when the single sole of it is worn
the jest may remain, after the wearing, solely singular.

Romeo

O single-soled jest, solely singular for the singleness.  

Mercutio

Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits faints!
Video Transcript: 

RALPH: At this point, Romeo and Mercutio’s wordplay gets very complex, so we’re going to walk you through this long complicated joke, or “jest” as Mercutio refers to it.

SARAH: Mercutio begins by telling Romeo to follow along: 

RALPH: Follow me this jest now

SARAH: And then he continues as if Romeo were to physically follow him until he has worn out the soles of his lightweight dancing shoes, his pumps.

RALPH: Romeo is now left holding the jest, which Mercutio describes as being “solely singular.”

SARAH: The descriptive phrase “solely singular” has a double meaning. In one sense the jest has been left alone, “singular”, by the sole which has been worn away – it has been left sole-ly ... singular, all alone and sole-less.

RALPH: In a second sense, Mercutio is saying that his jest is totally unusual. It is singular in the sense that it has no equal in cleverness.

SARAH: Romeo then picks up on this second meaning and makes a stinging jest of his own. 

RALPH: O single-soled jest, solely singular for the singleness.

SARAH: He agrees that Mercutio’s “single-soled jest” is totally unusual, but he’s saying it’s unusual for its “singleness,” or simpleness – ouch!                     

RALPH: Although Romeo may call Mercutio’s jest simple, trying to decipher these witticisms is making my head spin. 

SARAH: And Mercutio must feel the same way because he now calls on Benvolio to step in and stop this war of wits between him and Romeo.

RALPH: Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits faint!

SARAH: It’s hard to imagine that anyone in an audience hearing these lines for the first time could possibly follow all this complicated wordplay. 

RALPH: Perhaps all this jesting was also “solely singular” in the sense that only one person could follow it, and that person was Shakespeare himself.