[Guest]

On the first day of January, Romeo marries Juliet.

That night, in a dream, Juliet sees a hand writing this on a wall: "11 is not 11".

When she wakes, Juliet tells her nurse who interprets the dream.

The nurse tells Juliet she's pregnant and will give birth to cute identical twins around September.

How did the nurse work these things out?

How old is Juliet according to her dream?

Edited August 21, 2010 by merobedinvet

[Guest]

In the time of R+J sex before marriage would be a disgrace. It could then be assumed that the marriage was concecrated on 1st January (giving nine months to a september birth).

After that, I'll have to think a little,

11 15 not 11, perhaps?

[Guest]

The nurse probably guessed that Juliet would have twins from the number [11] in the dream. [11] is probably intended as in [2].

Juliet would be expecting twins on September after nine months od marriage in January.

Juliet is probably 15 or 16 years old, she saw a hand writing on a wall "11 is not 11", Juliet's exact age depends whether the one in 11 is counted with the five fingers or not.

[Guest]

Maybe she was eleven?

[Guest]

Past midnight on 1/1, the date becomes 2/1; Juliet could then be 21 and not 11

[Guest]

Why was there a nurse to begin with? Is Juliet sick?

[Guest]

i think it might have been written as I I X I I that can be interpreted as I=1, IX=9, II=2 that means on 1.09 she will give birth to 2 babies/1 twins.

[Guest]

Why was there a nurse to begin with? Is Juliet sick?

The nurse was actually a nursery-maid. A nursery-maid is a lot like a babysitter. So, being the royal snobs they are, Juliet's parents left Juliet in the care of a nurse rather than caring for her themselves. CRUEL WORLD!

[Guest]

i think it might have been written as I I X I I that can be interpreted as I=1, IX=9, II=2 that means on 1.09 she will give birth to 2 babies/1 twins.

I must disagree that it was written any other way than "11 is not 11", as it is given in quotes which implies it is exactly as stated, or at least, as close to an exact translation as possible.

What we know from the story "Romeo and Juliet", is Juliet is only thirteen when she is married, with the help of Friar Laurence, to Romeo. Angelica, Juliet's personal servant, former wetnurse and confidante, would most likely have been aware of the elopement, and would have assumed the marriage was consummated, and if Juliet were impregnated, the birth would be nine-months hence.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Dej Mar

[fabpig]

I wonder if there's a mirror involved here. If the message appears as "XI e non XI" to a drowsy Juliet it would have been written as "IX none IX" ( nine ninth nine).