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Romeo and Juliet Glossary
goes to the wall (1.1)

    That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes
    to the wall. (12-13)

goes to the wall, is thrust against the wall; a proverbial expression for getting the worst of a dispute. Schmidt (Lex.) quotes from the Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell (a play sometimes attributed to Shakespeare), iii.3, "though the drops be small, Yet have they force to force men to the wall."

Back to Romeo and Juliet (1.1)

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Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. K. Deighton. New York: MacMillan and Co., 1903. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/romeoandjuliet/romeoglosswall.html >.

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