The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet

Authors Avatar

Act 2, Scene 2     THE BALCONY SCENE


“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”

The lovers have just discovered they come from opposing families. Juliet cries:
“My only love sprung from my only hate”.

 Having left the feast, Romeo decides that he cannot go home. He must instead try to find Juliet. He climbs a wall bordering the Capulet property and leaps down into the orchard.

Act II is the happiest and least tragic act in the play. It explores the positive, joyful, and romantic aspects of young love and we learn more about the two lovers. The balcony scene  is one of the most famous scenes because of its beautiful  poetry.

Join now!

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!”

...

This is a preview of the whole essay