A rose by any other name would smell as sweet - wikipedia A rose by any other name would smell as sweet `` A rose by any other name would smell as sweet '' is a popular reference to William Shakespeare 's play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet seems to argue that it does not matter that Romeo is from her family 's rival house of Montague, that is, that he is named `` Montague ''. The reference is often used to imply that the names of things do not affect what they really are. This formulation is, however, a paraphrase of Shakespeare 's actual language. Juliet compares Romeo to a rose saying that if he was not named Romeo he would still be handsome and be Juliet 's love. This states that if he was not Romeo, then he would not be a Montague and she would be able to get married with no problem at all. Contents 1 Origin 2 Original texts 3 See also 4 References Origin In Act II, Scene II of the play, the line is said by Juliet in reference to Romeo 's house, Montague which would imply that his name means nothing and they should be together. Juliet : O Romeo, Romeo ! wherefore art thou Romeo ? Deny thy father and refuse thy name ; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I 'll no longer be a Capulet Romeo : ( Aside ) Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this ? Juliet : ' Tis but thy name that is my enemy ; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What 's Montague ? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name ! What 's in a name ? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet ; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call 'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. Romeo : I take thee at thy word : Call me but love, and I 'll be new baptized ; Henceforth I never will be Romeo. Original texts Although it is one of the most famous quotes from the work of Shakespeare, no printing in Shakespeare 's lifetime presents the text in the form known to modern readers : it is a skillful amalgam assembled by Edmond Malone, an editor in the eighteenth century. Romeo and Juliet was published twice, in two very different versions. The first version of 1597, named `` Q1 '', is believed to have been an unauthorised pirate copy or bad quarto provided to the printer by actors off the books : a memorial reconstruction. It may also, separately, represent a version of the play improved and trimmed after rehearsals for more dramatic impact. It runs : ' Tis but thy name that is mine enemy : What 's Montague ? It is not hand nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part. What 's in a name ? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet. Q2, a superior 1599 printing, is believed to be a more official version printed from Shakespeare 's original manuscript although perhaps not with Shakespeare 's personal input. This is believed since there are textual oddities such as `` false starts '' for speeches that were presumably not clearly crossed out enough for the printer to spot. It uses the text : ' Tis but thy name that is my enemy : Thou art thyself, though not a Montague, What 's Montague ? It is not hand nor foot, Nor arm nor face. O be some other name, belonging to a man ! What 's in a name ? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet. Malone reasoned that the awkward half - line of ' belonging to a man ' could be reconnected into verse through correction with Q1. Modern editors have generally concurred. See also Law of identity Rhetorical device The Importance of Being Earnest References Wikisource has original text related to this article : The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Jump up ^ Romeo and Juliet on MIT 's website Jump up ^ Belsey, Catherine ( 2014 ). Romeo and Juliet Language and Writing. London : Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472539441. William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet Characters Romeo Juliet Mercutio Tybalt Benvolio Friar Laurence Nurse Paris Rosaline Queen Mab Atomy Sources The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet Pyramus and Thisbe Palace of Pleasure Troilus and Criseyde Ballets Romeo and Juliet ( 1938, Prokofiev ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1962, Cranko ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1965, MacMillan ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1977, Nureyev ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1965, Lavery ) Radio and Juliet ( 2005 ) Romeo + Juliet ( 2007, Martins ) Romeo and Juliet ( 2008, Pastor ) Operas Romeo und Julie ( 1776, Benda ) Giulietta e Romeo ( 1796, Zingarelli ) Giulietta e Romeo ( 1825, Vaccai ) I Capuleti ei Montecchi ( 1830, Bellini ) Gloria ( 1874, Cilea ) Roméo et Juliette ( 1867, Gounod ) A Village Romeo and Juliet ( 1907, Delius ) Romeo und Julia ( 1940, Sutermeister ) Musicals The Belle of Mayfair ( 1906 ) West Side Story ( 1957 ) Once on This Island ( 1990 ) Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour ( 2001 ) Giulietta e Romeo ( 2007 ) Classical Beethoven 's String Quartet No. 1 ( c. 1800 ) Roméo et Juliette ( 1839, Berlioz ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1870, Tchaikovsky ) On screen 1900 1908 1916 Metro Pictures 1916 Fox 1936 1953 1954 1955 1964 1968 1978 ( TV ) 1992 ( TV ) 2006 2007 2013 Film adaptations English Beneath the 12 - Mile Reef ( 1953 ) Romanoff and Juliet ( 1961 ) West Side Story ( 1961 ) Gonks Go Beat ( 1965 ) Lonesome Cowboys ( 1968 ) Romie - 0 and Julie - 8 ( TV ; 1979 ) The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet ( 1982 ) Valley Girl ( 1983 ) Bullies ( 1986 ) China Girl ( 1987 ) Romeo. Juliet ( 1990 ) Tromeo and Juliet ( 1996 ) Love Is All There Is ( 1996 ) Rose by Any Other Name... ( 1997 ) The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride ( 1998 ) Shakespeare in Love ( 1998 ) The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns ( 1999 ) Romeo Must Die ( 2000 ) Brooklyn Babylon ( 2001 ) Pizza My Heart ( TV ; 2005 ) West Bank Story ( 2005 ) Life and Lyrics ( 2006 ) Romeo & Juliet : Sealed with a Kiss ( 2006 ) Rome & Jewel ( 2006 ) David & Fatima ( 2008 ) The Cross Road ( 2008 ) Vicious Circle ( 2008 ) Gnomeo & Juliet ( 2011 ) Private Romeo ( 2011 ) Warm Bodies ( 2013 ) Make Your Move ( 2013 ) Romeo & Juliet ( 2013 ) Hindi Ek Duuje Ke Liye ( 1981 ) Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak ( 1988 ) Saudagar ( 1991 ) Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein ( 2002 ) Bollywood Queen ( 2002 ) Ishaqzaade ( 2012 ) Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram - Leela ( 2013 ) Issaq ( 2013 ) Telugu Maro Charitra ( 1978 ) Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi ( 1996 ) Kalisundam Raa ( 2000 ) Maro Charitra ( 2010 ) Spanish Romeo and Juliet ( 1940 ) Los Tarantos ( 1963 ) 30 : e november ( Swedish / Spanish 1995 ) Amar te duele ( 2002 ) Italian Fury of Johnny Kid ( 1967 ) Ma che musica maestro ( 1971 ) Portuguese Mônica e Cebolinha : No Mundo de Romeu e Julieta ( 1979 ) O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta ( 2005 ) Other Ambikapathy ( Tamil 1937 ) Les amants de Vérone ( French 1949 ) Romeo, Juliet and Darkness ( Czech 1960 ) The Phantom Lover ( Mandarin 1995 ) Chicken Rice War ( Cantonese / English 2000 ) Ondagona Baa ( Kannada 2003 ) Mamay ( Ukrainian 2003 ) The District ! ( Hungarian 2004 ) In Fair Palestine : A Story of Romeo and Juliet ( 2006 ) The Bubble ( Hebrew / Arabic 2006 ) Priyatama ( Marathi 2014 ) Arshinagar ( Bengali 2015 ) Eeda ( Malayalam 2017 ) The Sea Prince and the Fire Child ( Japanese 1981 ) TV series Sons and Daughters ( 1982 ) Family and Friends ( 1990 ) Villa Quintana ( 1995 ) Yo amo a Paquita Gallego ( 1998 ) Skin ( 2003 ) A Touch Away ( 2006 ) Dangerous ( 2007 ) Romeo × Juliet ( 2007 ) Romeo y Julieta ( 2007 ) Saints & Sinners ( 2007 ) Harina de otro costal ( 2010 ) Villa Quintana ( 2013 ) Westside ( 2013 pilot ) Star - Crossed ( 2014 ) Still Star - Crossed ( 2017 ) Plays Romanoff and Juliet ( 1956 ) Romeo and Juliet ( 2013 ) Songs Lan và Điệp ( 1930s ) `` Montagues and Capulets '' ( 1935 ) `` Fever '' ( 1956 ) Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet ( 1968 ) `` ( Do n't Fear ) The Reaper '' ( 1976 ) `` Angelo '' ( 1978 ) `` Romeo and Juliet '' ( 1978 ) `` Romeo and Juliet '' ( 1981 ) `` Cherish '' ( 1989 ) `` Amor Prohibido '' ( 1994 ) `` Kissing You '' ( 1996 ) `` Exit Music '' ( 1997 ) `` Starcrossed '' ( 2004 ) `` Peut - être toi '' ( 2006 ) `` Mademoiselle Juliette '' ( 2007 ) `` Love Story '' ( 2008 ) `` Love Me Again '' `` Laal Ishq '' `` Mor Bani Thanghat Kare '' `` Nagada Sang Dhol '' `` Ram Chahe Leela '' ( 2013 ) Albums Romeo and Juliet ( 1968 ) Romeo + Juliet ( 1996 ) Romeo & Julia ( 2006 ) Tragic Lovers ( 2008 ) Literature Les Chouans The Wandering Jew ( 1844 ) The Stolen Dormouse ( 1941 ) The Faraway Lurs ( 1963 ) Romiette and Julio ( 2001 ) New Moon ( 2006 ) Warm Bodies ( 2010 ) Art Romeo and Juliet : the Tomb Scene ( 1790 ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1978 ) Phrases `` Star - crossed '' `` A rose by any other name would smell as sweet '' Story within a story Nicholas Nickleby 1912 film 1947 film 1980 play 2001 film 2002 film The Picture of Dorian Gray 1910 film 1913 film 1915 film 1916 film 1917 film 1918 film 1945 film 1976 TV special 2009 film Harlequinade W Juliet `` Nothing Broken but My Heart '' Panic Button Bare : A Pop Opera `` '' Into the Light '' Bolji život The Sky Is Everywhere Pay as You Exit The White Mercedes She Died a Lady `` Moonshine River '' Rendez - vous Fame `` I Am Unicorn '' The Frog Prince Molly Smart Girls Get What They Want Tumbleweeds `` The Thief of Baghead '' The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke Prince Charming Km. 0 Phileine Says Sorry Hamateur Night `` Say You 'll Be Mine '' Into the Gauntlet Wandering Son K - On ! Foreign stories Adam Khan and Durkhanai Tum Teav Yusuf Khan and Sherbano Solomon & Gaenor Butterfly Lovers Hani and Sheh Mureed Lục Vân Tiên film Teav Aek Layla and Majnun Lovers of Teruel film Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie Ishaqzaade Other Such Tweet Sorrow Romeo and Juliet effect After Juliet `` Upper West Side Story '' ( 2012 ) Millennium Dome Show Inge Sylten and Heinz Drosihn Boys Do n't Cry My Wedding and Other Secrets Donkey in Lahore Upside Down Letters to Juliet Sherlock Gnomes Book : Romeo and Juliet Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_rose_by_any_other_name_would_smell_as_sweet&oldid=840315279 '' Categories : Quotations Shakespearean phrases Romeo and Juliet Philosophy of love Identity Metaphors referring to objects Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Edit links This page was last edited on 9 May 2018, at 02 : 43. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: what does the phrase by any other name mean
Answer: to imply that the names of things do not affect what they really are