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Word Nerd: "copest"
Context and Language Videos
Act 4,
Scene 1
Lines 68-76

An explanation of the word "copest" in Act 4, Scene 1 of myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 

myShakespeare | Romeo and Juliet 4.1 Word Nerd: cope

Friar Laurence

Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope,
Which craves as desperate an execution
As that is desperate which we would prevent.               
If rather than to marry County Paris
Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,
Then is it likely thou wilt undertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That cop'st with death himself to scape from it;
And if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy.
Video Transcript: 

RALPH: One sense of cope derives from the latin word colaphus, which means a blow with the fist—a punch. 

SARAH: In Shakespeare’s day, to cope with someone meant to engage them in a fight. Only later did the word take on its modern meaning: to deal with a situation or problem.

RALPH: The Friars’ plan requires Juliet to take a potion which will almost kill her; she will have to be willing to fight with death. 

SARAH: Another sense of cope derives from the latin cāpa, a long cape. 

RALPH: In this sense, the plan requires that Juliet cope herself with death, that is, put on the appearance of death—wear death’s cape, so to speak.

SARAH: In either sense, Juliet will have to cope with death, in order to be with Romeo.