Juliet suddenly appears at a window above the spot where Romeo is standing.
Many of the most important scenes in the play take place either very late at night like this one, or very early in the morning. The theme of light/dark often appears - for example, in Romeo’s long, impassioned description of Juliet here. Romeo imagines that Juliet is the sun, rising from the east to banish the night; he says that she is transforming night into day.:
“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East and Juliet is the sun!”
Juliet, unaware that Romeo is listening, reflects on the enmity between the families;
“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name”.
But she then realises:
“What’s in name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet”.
Their conversation shows the differences between them and their reactions to being in love. Juliet is strong and practical. Her questions are direct and to the point while Romeo replies in more poetic language. Juliet asks how he got there:
“The orchard walls are high and hard to climb”
and Romeo replies:
“With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls.
For stony limits cannot hold love out”.
Juliet worries that perhaps Romeo will prove inconstant or false, or will think Juliet too easily won.
Romeo swears by the moon but Juliet says that the moon is “inconstant”, changeable.
Romeo is intoxicated by his passion but Juliet has a sudden foreboding - echoing the theme of fate in the play:
“I have no joy of this contract tonight.
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”
And she is right - their love will indeed be like a brief wondrous flash of light in the darkness of the feud between the two families.
Juliet uses the imagery of growth, “their bud of love” and these references reveal that their love is as natural as the seasons.
Romeo is afraid that this wonderful meeting has only been a dream. Juliet is the one who returns with practical plans for them to meet again and arrangements for their marriage.
Juliet uses imagery of birds and flight - swiftness and flight will soon become important in the action.
This is a beautiful, poetic scene in which we learn much about the lovers but which also foreshadows the darker times ahead.