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Question: What does this segment from romeo and juliet mean!?
"Romeo
If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss!.
Juliet
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss!."
i also dont understand what the "pilgrims" bit is supposed to represent as well as the holy palmers kiss
thanks xWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
People of fortune, in that era, would go on pilgrimages to various holy sites in Europe, Asia and the Holy Land!. This would usually involve traveling great distances to the shrines of martyred saints!. Romeo is comparing Juliet to a statue of a saint, and himself (particularly his lips) to a pilgrim!. He's saying that at long last, he's finally found the object of his reverence!. He has taken her by the hand, and basically offered to kiss away any damage he may have done or sacrilege he may have committed in the process!. He's flirting!.
Juliet is flirting back when she says that pilgrims often do touch the statues of saints, but she's also reproving him a bit when she says "palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss!." "Palmer" was a synonym for "pilgrim"!. In other words, that the only thing a true pilgrim should be doing with his lips is using them in prayer (and "palm to palm" is a reference to praying hands)!.
They banter back and forth about this, as Romeo reveals that the only thing he's praying for is to be allowed to kiss her!. And he does!.Www@QuestionHome@Com