SARAH: Monument derives from the latin verb, monēre, to remind or serve as a warning. 

RALPH: The latin noun, monumentum, referred to a building, tomb, statue, or even a written work which served as a reminder of a deceased important person.

SARAH: By Shakespeare’s time, monument was starting to be used in this broad sense, but up to this time it had primarily been used to refer to what we call a mausoleum, an ornate above-ground burial chamber that housed the remains of one or a number of related persons.

RALPH: That’s how Shakespeare is using it here, He’s referring to the Capulet family’s mausoleum which would have housed the remains of her noble ancestors.

SARAH: As an interesting aside, the word “mausoleum” derives from King Mausolus, who reigned over a small kingdom in southern Turkey in the fourth century BCE.

RALPH: To commemorate him and to house his body, his widow constructed a magnificent monument, which was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.