Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II

Analysis of "The balcony scene"

We are going to analyse the second scene of the second act of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

This poem is a tragedy and is about two lovers (Romeo and Juliet), who lived a love story full of difficulties because they belonged to two different families in Verona, which were in conflict: the Capulets and the Montagues.

The scene can be divided into three parts:

In the first one there is Romeo’s soliloquy;

In this second part Juliet speaks but she does not know that Romeo is listening;

There is the dialogue between Romeo and Juliet.

After the soliloquy, the layout makes clear the poem is arranged into dialogues between Romeo and Juliet and there are eleven stanzas. The line lengths are compact in all the text except in the first dialogue. There are no rhymes.

As regards the punctuation, an intelligent reader could notice that Shakespeare ranged with question marks, exclamation points, colons, semicolons and so on.

In addition, this emphasizes what Romeo and Juliet said, and involves the readers creating suspense and curiosity.

From Romeo’s soliloquy words, it is possible to understand that this scene is set at night; indeed Romeo compares Juliet to the most beautiful star that makes the pale moon envious. Moreover, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun, because she comes out on her balcony that is on east, where the sun raises up. He also compares her to the daylight, and compares her eyes to the heaven; he praises her like an angel.Then he adds that he would be her glove and so touch her cheek. It follows that this stanza is full of metaphors. Furthermore, in many lines an intelligent reader should notice some run on lines; for example in the second-third line, but also in the fifth-six line, etc. The last line presents a consonance.

After that, Juliet talks for the first time only saying: "Ay me!"

Romeo, amazed to her voice, wants her to talk again and he compares her to a winged angel once more. Here, as in the whole composition, is underlined his high consideration of Juliet’s beauty. The importance which Romeo gives to her is a fundamental characteristic of courtly love.

So, Juliet answers asking him (without knowing that he is there)" O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore are you Romeo?". She asks him to swear his love and she will no longer be a Capulet. They wanted to be free to love each other, because Capulet is only a name, and a name could not prevent their love.

Romeo asks himself if he should hear more or talk to her, and it seems like there is an interruption in which Romeo has a doubt and asks for advice somebody; then Juliet starts to talk.

Juliet says that even Montague is only a name and a name should not define a man; because Romeo would be himself with any other name. Even here there are three run on lines (the third-fourth line, the sixth seventh, the eleventh twelfth).

So, after Juliet’s words, Romeo asks her to swear her love so he could change his name, to freely love her. Romeo’s name is an enemy for him because it is an obstacle for their love.

Juliet wants to listen to Romeo speak again and she asks him if he is not Romeo and a Montague. In this stanza there is a synaesthesia ("my ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue’s utterance…") and a run on line in the first-second line.

In conclusion, Romeo answers with few words "neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike".