All 4 Uses of
wanton
in
Romeo and Juliet
- 'Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone.
And yet no farther than a wanton's bird,
That lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
So loving-jealous of his liberty.p. 80.9wanton = spoiled child
- Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence' cell.
There stays a husband to make you a wife.
Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks.
They'll be in scarlet straight at any news.p. 114.6 *wanton = from sexual thoughts
- Here comes the lady:—O, so light a foot Will ne'er wear out the everlasting flint: A lover may bestride the gossamer That idles in the wanton summer air And yet not fall; so light is vanity.
p. 116.8wanton = sexually promiscuous
- A torch for me: let wantons, light of heart,
Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels;
For I am proverb'd with a grandsire phrase,—
I'll be a candle-holder and look on,—
The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done.†p. 42.4
Definitions:
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(1)
(wanton) of something considered bad: excessive, thoughtless indulgence -- such as waste, cruelty, violence, and (especially in the past) sexual promiscuity
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(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) In classic literature, wanton can also describe people who are playful or plants that are growing profusely.