Act II Scene II Romeo and Juliet.

English Coursework: Act II Scene II

Romeo and Juliet is a romantic but tragic story of how two teenagers fall in love despite their families being mortal enemies. Romeo (a Montague) and Juliet (a Capulet) first meet at the ‘Capulet Ball’ where Romeo originally was to seek Rosaline. However this plan was not fulfilled as Romeo met Juliet coincidently. It was love at first sight as the two shared a sonnet and kisses. Romeo had now completely forgotten about Rosaline and had fallen head over heels over Juliet. It seemed this love would be short lived as Romeo found out that Juliet was a Capulet and Juliet found out from her nurse that Romeo was a Montague.

Romeo had somehow managed to slip away from the company of his companions and made his way the Capulet orchard which is where Shakespeare’s use of language is at its best.

‘He jests at scars that never felt a wound’

At this particular part of the play Romeo is hiding amongst the bushes in the Capulet’s orchard and is talking about the fact that he laughs at other people’s pain and yet he has not felt that same pain. This use of language is a comparison as he compares himself to others.

‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun’

In this quotation, Shakespeare compares the light in the door Juliet is coming out of as the east and uses Juliet as the sun, because Juliet comes out of her room door as if the sun is rising from the east. This is personification as well as being metaphorical as Shakespeare uses humans as an example of something else.

‘Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon’

‘Who is already sick and pale with grief’

‘Be not her maid, since she is envious;’

‘Her vestal liverary is but sick and green’

Each of these quotations refers to how Juliet is radiant, the first quotation uses personification and says how Juliet should rise as the sun and kill the envious moon. The next quotation is still referring to how sick and pale the moon is whereas the third quotation is a metaphor and says how Juliet should not become like the moon as it is envious of her. The final quotation includes personification and metaphorical use of language ...

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‘Who is already sick and pale with grief’

‘Be not her maid, since she is envious;’

‘Her vestal liverary is but sick and green’

‘Her eyes discourses’

In this quotation Romeo talks of how Juliet’s eyes speak eloquently which is use of personification, as eyes cannot really speak.

‘Two of the fairest stars…do entreat her eyes’

Romeo has noticed that Juliet has her eyes fixated on two bright stars and is saying that she is brighter than the sun and the moon so her eyes are shining on the stars.

‘To twinkle in their spheres’

This quote just refers to the stars twinkling in their orbits, which is a metaphor.

‘What if her eyes were there…the brightness of her cheek would shame those stars’

In this quotation Romeo says that Juliet’s cheeks are so radiant that they would put the brightness of the stars and her eyes to shame. This use of language is an extended metaphor.

‘As daylight doth a lamp: her eyes in heaven’

Here Shakespeare’s uses a simile and comparison use of language to describe Juliet’s beauty when Romeo says that the brightness of a lamp compared to daylight is the same as Juliet’s eyes compared to heaven, her eye’s brightness is more intense then the lights of heaven. Romeo here is still commenting on how radiant Juliet looks.

‘That birds sing and think it were not night’

Romeo continues complimenting Juliet on how radiant she is looking by using the image of birds singing as if it were not night. Here Shakespeare’s language is metaphorical.

‘O speak again bright angel…’

(‘As glorious to this night, being o’er my head

‘As is a winged messenger of heaven’)

Both of these quotations refer to Juliet as a winged messenger from heaven. The first quotation is a metaphor and says that Juliet is so radiant that she is a angel however Shakespeare juxtapositioned her so she was deliberately above Romeo and therefore making her look like an angel. The second quotation is a simile as Romeo says Juliet is LIKE a winged messenger of heaven, an angel.

‘When he bestrides the lazy puffing cloud’

‘And sail upon the bosom of the air’

Romeo at this part of the play is still watching Juliet from the orchard and has started to talk Juliet flying as an angel. Here Shakespeare here uses a metaphor to describe Juliet’s radiance.

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy’

‘What’s Montague? It is nor hand not foot, nor arm nor face’

‘What’s in a name? That which we call rose by any other name would smell as sweet;’

Juliet has now began to speak and is speaking of Romeo and how why her first love had to be her family’s enemy however her argument is that it is only the name Montague that is her enemy not the person itself. This is personification as names cannot be enemies. The second quotation also refers to how the person itself is not the enemy and that the name is not an issue in love and that it is only a name. The final quotation Juliet raises a valid point by contesting that if a rose had a horrible name such as odour it would still smell as sweet, so even if Romeo has the name that is detested by all of her family it is still possible for her to love him. This last quotation is a figure of speech

‘Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title’

Juliet continues to comment on names and how a name is only a sound, which comes out of your mouth and it does not mean anything what so ever. Juliet continues to reassure herself that it’s only the name and that he kind and loving. Here Shakespeare has used metaphorical use of language.

‘Romeo…doff thy name’

Here Juliet continues to ask Romeo inadvertently to take off his name, which is impossible, as you cannot take off a name. Shakespeare uses personification here.

‘Thus bescreened at night’

Romeo has now made himself known to Juliet and she is now asking who is the man who is hiding in the shadows below.

‘My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself’

‘Had I it written, I would tear the word’

After hearing everything Juliet has said about his name, Romeo continuously curses his own name by agreeing with Juliet saying he hates his name just as much as her, the use of language in this quotation is metaphorical. In the second quotation, Romeo is saying that if he had his name written on paper he would tear the word into pieces. Shakespeare’s use of language here is metaphorical.

‘My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words’

Shakespeare has used personification in this quotation where Juliet says her ears have not yet heard one hundred words from Romeo however she says her ears have not yet DRUNK one hundred words which is impossible, as ears cannot drink.

‘With love’s light wings did o’er per’ch these walls’

Metaphorical use of language is used here as Juliet is worried some of her kinsmen will find Romeo, however Romeo says that he flew over the wall with love’s light wings because a stone wall could not keep him from seeing Juliet.

‘Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of there swords’

‘And I am proof against their enmity’

Even though Juliet is worried about whether her kinsmen or cousins or family will find Romeo says that he finds her more enchanting then dangerous in the first quotation. In the second quotation Romeo uses himself as an example of Juliet’s cousin’s hostility. Shakespeare’s use of language is metaphorical in these two quotations.

‘I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes’

Romeo reassures Juliet that she has nothing to be worried about and that he will be able to escape from the orchard unnoticed because he will hide under his cloak. Shakespeare’s imagery is metaphorical as it is literally night’s cloak.

‘My life were better ended by their hate,

Than death prorogued, wanting of the love’

Romeo, in a way hassles Juliet for commitment asking for her hand in marriage. His language now becomes intimate when he tells Juliet that he would rather die with Juliet than stay alive without her.