Both Uses of
herald
in
Romeo and Juliet
- ...Love's heralds should be thoughts,
Which ten times faster glide than the sun's beams,p. 110.2heralds = messengers
- It was the lark, the herald of the morn,
p. 164.3 *herald = announcer
Definitions:
-
(1)
(herald as in: heralds the coming of...) a sign that something will happen -- especially something important and good
or:
to announce or welcome -- especially with enthusiasm -
(2)
(herald as in: announced by herald & trumpet) a person who announces important news -- especially a king's representative
-
(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely, herald can also refer to an official whose specialty is heraldry (the study of coats of arms -- symbols once used to signify the right to bear arms).
Historically a herald was a person who made announcements at jousting matches, or (much more rarely) any prestigious assistant in a dignified setting such as a courthouse or royal palace.