Textual Analysis: Capulet's orchard

The text we are going to analyze is an extract from the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”, one of Shakespeare’s most famous works. This passage belongs to the second act of the tragedy (scene II).

The title introduces to the reader that the scene is set in the Capulet's orchard, below Juliet's balcony. As a consequence the reader starts to imagine the setting and he becomes curious to understand what the characters are doing. Although the reader wants to know why the playwright chose this particular place.

Considering the layout the intelligent reader understands that the text is a dialogue in poetical form, because there are two characters talking to each other. The text is arranged into eleven stanzas with different numbers of lines. Although the reader is aware that it is a play, because at the beginning the characters are introduced by "Enter Romeo" and "Juliet appears above at a window". Indeed the two characters are called Romeo and Juliet.

The first stanza is Romeo's soliloquy. In the first line Romeo suggests that only men who have never felt the pain of true love can laugh at it. Suddenly he is interrupted when a light appears at Juliet's window. He compares her to the sun rising and he tells her to kill the moon, which is jealous of her radiance. He believes that the sun is the maid of the moon, but is much more beautiful and tells her not to be her maid, since she is so jealous.

The white gown of the moon is ill and green with envy. Only fools wear this gown and Romeo orders the moon to throw it away. Shakespeare personifies the moon and associates her to Diana, the goddess of hunting. The playwright wants to embody man’s courting. Romeo wants to declare his love and wishes she knew what he felt. The function of the exclamation marks at the end of the lines is to emphasize the power of his feelings. The possessive adjective “My” focuses the reader attention on the idea of possession: in the Middle Ages God owned everything, on the contrary during the Renaissance man’s position was revalued and everything was considered in function of him. Romeo feels as though her gaze is talking and he wants to reply. Juliet communicates her thoughts with her expression and she seems to have so many things to say. Romeo is too presumptuous in believing that she is talking to him, this shows Romeo's humility. He thinks that she may be communicating with two of the most beautiful stars in the sky, who are asking for her eyes to take their place for a while. Romeo thinks that her face is even more beautiful than her eyes, like the light of the day is superior to the light of a lamp. Her eyes in heaven would be so bright, that with their light birds would start singing because they thought it was morning.

Shakespeare gives the reader the idea Juliet illuminates the night as a divine creature in a supernatural way. In the last three lines Romeo expresses his desire to be Juliet's glove and to touch her cheek, because she is resting her face on her hand: he considers Juliet a creature so pure and delicate that he would not touch her skin with his rude hand because he is afraid to violate Juliet’s purity and beauty. Romeo looks to Juliet as unique, divine, pure and fair according to medieval codes: indeed women were considered almost like angels, but he also desires her: Shakespeare appeals to the language of sense impression, mainly sight and touch, that unveils his desire.

By the use of the word "O" and the exclamation marks the reader is able to feel the strength of Romeo's feelings.

Shakespeare plays on contrast (East/West, sun/moon, Eternity/ temporariness, innocence/ guilt) and the Manichean vision of society of the Middle Ages.

Romeo listens to Juliet's voice and asks her to go on talking. When Juliet begins to speak Romeo uses similes (“as glorious as a winged messenger”) and metaphors (“bright angel”) to describe and celebrate his love. Once again he associates her to the light and a heavenly creature: she is different from and superior to ordinary mortals. The phrase “ bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air” emphasizes her angelic nature.

Juliet wonders if is Romeo who is speaking and asks him to “deny thy father and refuse thy name”. The use of a verb in the imperative expresses a strong desire of Juliet: if he will not be a Montague they could live their love. She is willing to refute her family to love him. As for the first stanza, the playwright uses an exclamation mark to emphasize strong emotions.

Romeo is now wondering if he has to hear more or speak. It can be seen that he is confused by the repetition of the word “shall", that expresses doubt.

Juliet goes on by saying that his name is her true enemy, not Romeo: the very important thing is the person himself and not the title. Juliet makes a comparison with a rose that “ by any other name would smell as sweet”. She asks Romeo to renounce his name and replace it with herself: she is offering herself to him.

In the following stanza Romeo renounces his name for his love. His feelings are more important than family ties and from now on Juliet's love will define his identity.

Juliet replies asking who is listening to her secret thoughts during the night. She seems embarrassed. The word "stumblest" gives the reader the idea that someone unknown has been eavesdropping.

Romeo doesn't know how to explain who he is to Juliet, because his family name doesn't represent him. He says that he hates his name because it is an enemy to his love. Romeo calls Juliet "saint" to demonstrate his adulation for her. If he had written his name, he would destroy it. Using this strong image Romeo transmits how he is ready to give up everything for her.

Juliet says that from what little he have said she understands exactly who he is and asks him if she is right.

The word "drunk" shows the pleasure she had listening to him.

In the last stanza Romeo says that if either of his names trouble her, he will give them up.