Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Direct Act 2 Scene 2, the balcony scene
Romeo has clambered over the wall into the orchard of the Capulet family when he sees the candlelight appear in Juliet's bedroom window, which he immediately compares to the rising sun; he says, "what light through yonder window breaks?" Though it is late at night and all that is shinning is the moons light, Juliet's surpassing beauty makes Romeo imagine that she is the sun, transforming the darkness into daylight.
Romeo says Juliet is the sun and says, "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon", this is a very strong image and personifies the sun to make it more of a real rival to Juliet's beauty as well as alluding to the violence and tension in the plot. Romeo goes on by personifying the moon, calling it "sick and pale with grief" at the fact that Juliet, the sun, is far brighter and more beautiful. This quote is important because in addition to initiating one of the play's most beautiful and famous sequences of poetry, it is a prime example of the light/dark motif that runs throughout the play. Many scenes in Romeo and Juliet are set either late at night or early in the morning and Shakespeare often uses the contrast between night and day to explore opposing alternatives in a given situation. Here, Romeo imagines Juliet transforming darkness into light; later, after their wedding night, Juliet convinces Romeo momentarily that the daylight is actually night (so that he doesn't yet have to leave her room).
Romeo goes on by comparing Juliet's eyes to the stars he says, "Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven," claiming that she eclipses the stars as daylight overpowers a lamp. Her eyes alone shine so bright that they will convince the birds to sing at night as if it were day he says, "birds would sing at night and think it were not night." At this moment Romeo has a look of desperation as he is looking at the silhouette of Juliet in her window and wishes to see speak and touch her. When Juliet appears on the balcony walking out of the wooden French doors, through the white drapes which are flickering with the flow of the calm wind, wearing a white nightgown dress, she sighs, stretching her arms and says, "Ay me!" whilst moving towards the edge of the balcony and sits tilting her hands on the parapet. As soon as Romeo hears Juliet speak he moves towards the balcony, discreetly, he says, "O speak again, bright angel" hoping that he can finally hear voice which he has so desperately been waiting for. Romeo uses extreme language comparing Juliet to an angel making out that Juliet is as perfect and lovely as an angel from the heavens living on earth.
Shakespeare uses Romeo to show the contrast between feelings learned from books and poetry and genuine emotions gained from experience with the contrasts between his courtly love for Rosaline and his genuine love for Juliet for example when he first sees Juliet and says, "Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!" Romeo is questioning with himself that did he really love someone before he saw this incredible beauty standing in front of his eyes.
Juliet, musing to herself declares her love for Romeo in spite of his belonging to the hated Montagues, she says, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" she asks herself why Romeo must be Romeo-why he must be a Montague, the son of her family's greatest enemy, leaning out of her upstairs window, unaware that Romeo is below in the orchard. Still unaware of Romeo's presence, she asks him to deny his family for her love. She adds, however, that if he will not, she will deny her family in order to be with him if he merely ...
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Juliet, musing to herself declares her love for Romeo in spite of his belonging to the hated Montagues, she says, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" she asks herself why Romeo must be Romeo-why he must be a Montague, the son of her family's greatest enemy, leaning out of her upstairs window, unaware that Romeo is below in the orchard. Still unaware of Romeo's presence, she asks him to deny his family for her love. She adds, however, that if he will not, she will deny her family in order to be with him if he merely tells her that he loves her. Romeo overhears what Juliet says out loud but does not speak directly to her at first. He says, "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" Juliet carries on speaking looking confused and worried as she is thinking out loud; whilst Romeo is listening intensively, she goes on by saying, "Tis but thy name that is my enemy". A major theme in Romeo and Juliet is the tension between social and family identity (represented by one's name), and one's inner identity. Juliet believes that love stems from one's inner identity, and that the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets is a product of the outer identity, based only on names. She thinks of Romeo in individual terms, and therefore her love for him overrides her family's hatred for the Montague name. She says that if Romeo were not called "Romeo" or "Montague," he would still be the person she loves. "What's in a name?" she asks whilst picking up and looking into a rose which are growing up on the balcony from the garden below. She says, "That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet" whilst she is smiling and gently touching the rose petals as if she cares for the rose deeply. Juliet is expressing that even if a rose wasn't called a rose but was called something else it could still have the sweet smell because she believes that a name does not define or change who you are inside.
Light and darkness usually have very definitive meanings in human psychology. Traditionally, light is considered "good" because it allows us to perceive the world around us and to work within it. Conversely, dark is usually viewed as "evil" due to our inability to see and the fear that such a state brings. Therefore day and night, which are distinguished by the amount of light available, have similar connotations. However, while typical notions of light and dark do appear in Romeo and Juliet, day and night are reversed. Night becomes good because it aids Romeo and Juliet, and day becomes evil because they are unable to see each other because their families will see them. An example of this is act 3 scene 5 on their wedding night together, Juliet tries to persuade Romeo that it is not yet dawn, not yet time for him to leave her she says, "it is not yet day: / It was the nightingale, and not the lark". The use of bird imagery means that the "lark" is the bird that sings in the early morning however, the "nightingale" comes out at night. She wants it to still be night because she doesn't want Romeo to leave her but if it is day time then he will have to.
Shakespeare often uses the language to reflect the themes of the play. Probably the cleverest way language is used in this play is to show the contrast between language and reality. Shakespeare shows how something as simple as a name can create prejudice and hatred, so much as hearing Romeo's voice in act 1, scene 5 at Capulet's party angers Tybalt, despite Capulet telling him that Romeo is "a well governed youth". This is contrasted with the love of Romeo and Juliet, which looks beyond names, to the people they represent like we see in act 2 scenes 2.
Romeo breaks his silence and reveals himself after Juliet confesses her private thoughts for him unknowing of his presence she innocently says, "Take all myself". Juliet is talking to herself and saying "Romeo, doff thy name," meaning cast off with your name and then we can be together. Then Romeo suddenly jumps out from the bushes beneath her window, enthusiastically and says, "I take thee at thy word: / Call me but love, and I'll be new baptised". Romeo is saying that he will lose his name for her, and because he belongs to the Roman Catholic Church because it's medieval Italy he says if you call me your lover I will get baptised again and will no longer be Romeo.
When they meet Juliet becomes puzzled and curious about his presence. Juliet has a shocked look as she cannot understand how it is possible for a man especially Romeo the son of a Montague to climb and get into the orchard, she says "What man art thou that thus bescreened in night / So stumblest on my counsel?" she is saying that who is this man hidden from me invading my private thoughts? When she knows it is Romeo she becomes astonished as the light of the moon flashes on his face as she first sees him and suddenly questions him on how he got there. Romeo replies, "love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls," meaning love has given me wings to rise from the walls and come to you.
Juliet fears for Romeo's safety if he is found in the Capulets grounds. She says, "If any of my kinsmen find thee here" meaning if any of Juliet's guards see Romeo then he may be placed death if they catch him. Romeo climbs the tree whilst he yells, "thy kinsmen are no stop to me" then he finally climbs enough to lean onto the balcony as she quickly rushes over to him and covers his mouth with her hand so know one can hear him.
Juliet is used to living a very sheltered life within the confines of her home as befitting a girl in medieval Italy. When we first meet Juliet she acts like 'A good girl' and she always does what she is told and always acts with great courtesy "Madam, I am here. What is your will?" But her attitude changes when she meets Romeo because it is love at first sight and she doesn't act like her normal self. Shakespeare's attitude to this is that she has been good all her life and now that she has met Romeo a power has over come her. Juliet becomes embarrassed that her words of love might have been overheard because she first talks about her love for Romeo very formally and then later on she becomes more simple and direct in her language.
There are many examples of dramatic irony in the play, often to do with the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet at the end of the play. From the opening scenes of the play these two children of feuding families were destined to fall in love together and eventually die together. We know this because in the prologue it calls them 'star-crossed lovers' meaning they will be lovers, whose fate will be doomed. Another example of this is in the prologue when it refers to them having "death-marked love" meaning their love will be the cause of their deaths. Shakespeare deliberately puts ironic language within the play for instance when Romeo says in act 2 scene 2, to Juliet, "And but thou love me, let them find me here; / My life better ended by their hate / Than death prorogued". This is ironic because the audience knows from the prologue and from the end of the play that Romeo will die therefore Shakespeare is trying to build up the concern for the audience.
Juliet admits she feels as strongly about Romeo as he professes his love for her, but she worries that perhaps Romeo will prove inconstant or false, or will think Juliet too easily won. Romeo begins to swear to her, but she stops him, concerned that everything is happening too quickly. Juliet fears the suddenness of their love, she refers to the suddenness of there love as, "too sudden, / Too like the lightening". She uses a simile to describe to Romeo how she's feeling about their rapid exchange of love. Romeo also fears because he feels what is happening seems dream-like and unreal whilst touching Juliet's hand, he says "all this is but a dream, / Too flattering-sweet to be substantial." He is expressing to her very poetically that this must only be a dream because it is too wonderful to be real.
Romeo's character is unbalanced and not focused. He is immature in his approach and gradually matures by the end of the scene. During act 2 scenes 2 he expresses his love for Juliet in an idealistic, poetic and romantic way. He likes to flirt and tries to touch the sentiments of Juliet. On the other hand Juliet is a person who is mature in her views. From the beginning till the end of the balcony scene she remains sober and focused about her views and expression. Her character remains being practical and down to earth. She shows passion towards Romeo at all times but with control emotions and feelings. We know this because when Romeo says, "O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" Juliet turns looks at him and quite fiercely says, "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?" Juliet thinks that Romeo is making sexual connotations to her therefore she becomes a bit distanced from him. However, when Romeo replies to her question he innocently says, "Th'exchange of loves faithful vow for mine." Juliet then rushes to his arms with a sense of relief that he doesn't want her just for her physical body he expresses that he is deeply in love with her emotionally. This is and example of Juliet being very cautious of Romeo and his feelings for her.
When Romeo and Juliet exchange vows of love they gaze in one another's eyes, their fingertips touch, whilst the candle lights are flickering with the soft soothing bird song in the background as they move in closer and closer with each other they kiss fleetingly. Suddenly the Nurse calls for Juliet and the music on the scene becomes very jolly, and the Nurse says very loudly "Madam"! They both jump and their heartbeats begin to beat faster as Juliet starts to say goodnight and Romeo climbs down the balcony. Juliet says "good night" on line 142 however it takes them much longer to separate. This suggests that even though they are very young they do truly love each other and that they do not want to ever part from each other. The Nurse calls Juliet again "Madam!" Juliet rushes inside for a moment.
Whilst Juliet is of the stage Romeo softly sighs and then starts to talk to himself. Romeo is not far from his own schooldays. When he says, "Love goes towards love as schoolboys from their books, / But love from love, towards school with heavy looks". He reminisces from his own experience and attitude to school and then uses a simile to describe his love for Juliet. He explains that his and Juliet's love for one another is like schoolboys going away from their books and him and Juliet parting from each other is like schoolboys hesitating to go to school. This is showing a stereotype because usually most boys wouldn't want to go to school and would usually walk really slowly into school because there not enthusiastic going to school, just like Romeo is not enthusiastic parting with Juliet.
Falconry and hunting with birds of prey was a popular sport in Shakespeare's day among the nobility. The falconer, or huntsman, used a lure (or bait) and a special call to bring the bird back to captivity of his hand. When Juliet reappears she wants to lure Romeo back. Touching his face using her hand she says, "O for a falc'ner's voice, / To lure this tassel-gentle back again" meaning Juliet likens Romeo to a "tassel-gentle", a male peregrine falcon, the bird of princes so she can always bring Romeo back to her by her side. Romeo calls Juliet whilst touching a white nightgown "My niësse?" this suggests that Juliet is an unfledged hawk meaning she is a virgin. The significance of her wearing a white nightgown dress is that it suggests sense of innocence, purity and that she still got her virginity.
Juliet then tells Romeo that she will send someone to him the next day to see if his love is honourable and if he intends to wed her. The Nurse calls again, and again Juliet withdraws. She appears at the window once more to set a time when her emissary should call on him: they settle on nine in the morning. They exult in their love for another moment before saying good night. Juliet goes back inside her chamber.
Romeo and Juliet reluctantly part. She compares him to a captive bird that can never escape from its owner. Romeo promises to seek Friar Lawrence's help.