Romeo & Juliet - Act 2 Scene 2
Capulet's orchard.
Enter ROMEO
The early moments of this scene echo Mercutio's mockery of love-conventions, but now those same conventions are presented sincerely.
ROMEO
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
JULIET appears above at a window
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
There's some question as to when precisely Juliet appears. She may arrive later in the speech, so that Romeo starts out addressing an idealized, imaginary love, and must then adjust to her real, physical presence.
Romeo's words may be spoken to himself, or directly to the audience, creating both intimacy and complicity in the scene.
Often confused in popular culture, ‘wherefore’ means ‘why’ and not ‘where’
Romeo has heard Juliet's confession of love, but she has not heard his, which gives him an advantage and a certain amount of power over her.
JULIET
Ay me!
ROMEO
She speaks.
O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a wingèd messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturnèd wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
ROMEO
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
Does Juliet recognize Romeo right away? Is her question genuine, or is it an attempt to regain her poise? Either way, it serves as a reminder to the audience that Romeo can see her, but Juliet cannot see him.
"Dear saint" is a reminder of the sonnet-exchange in 1.5, a hint of identity without mentioning a name.
JULIET
What man art thou that thus bescreened in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET
My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
Juliet continually draws attention to the material reality of the situation (the impropriety of a night-time visit, the danger posed by her kinsmen), while Romeo insists on the power of love to overcome all obstacles.
ROMEO
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.
JULIET
How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
ROMEO
With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.
JULIET
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
ROMEO
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
JULIET
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
ROMEO
I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes;
And but thou love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
JULIET
By whose direction found'st thou out this place?
ROMEO
By love, that first did prompt me to inquire.
He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes.
I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far
As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for such merchandise.
Juliet finds herself in an unusual and precarious position: she has confessed her love, thus making herself vulnerable. She pushes past poetic conventions here, finding her way to something more genuine: having given more of herself than she should have, she must find a new way forward through honest communication.
JULIET
Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I have spoke; but farewell compliment!
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,'
And I will take thy word; yet if thou swear'st,
Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries
They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
I'll frown and be perverse an say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light;
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware,
My true love's passion. Therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discoverèd.
Romeo is still stuck in conventional tropes, looking for pre-fabricated poetic forms. Unlike his relationship with Rosaline, his love here is forcefully returned, and poetry hasn't prepared him for the next steps.
ROMEO
Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—
JULIET
O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
ROMEO
What shall I swear by?
JULIET
Do not swear at all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.
ROMEO
If my heart's dear love—
Juliet describes their new love both as a potentially destructive force and as a tender, fragile bud.
JULIET
Well, do not swear; although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract tonight.
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!
ROMEO
O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
JULIET
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
ROMEO
The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.
JULIET
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;
And yet I would it were to give again.
ROMEO
Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
The confession of love functions as a metaphor for virginity. Juliet laments that there can be only one first time, but realizes that she can keep confessing her love endlessly, with increasing results.
JULIET
But to be frank, and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have:
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
Nurse calls within
For the second time, Juliet offers a rhyming couplet, which would traditionally end a scene. This time, she herself disrupts that conclusion.
I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
Exit, above
ROMEO
O blessèd, blessèd night! I am afeard,
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too flattering-sweet to be substantial.
Re-enter JULIET, above
JULIET
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
By one that I'll procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay,
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
Nurse
[Within]
Madam!
For the second time, Juliet offers a rhyming couplet, which would traditionally end a scene. This time, she herself disrupts that conclusion.
JULIET
I come, anon – But if thou mean'st not well,
I do beseech thee —
Nurse
[Within]
Madam!
JULIET
By and by, I come –
To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief.
Tomorrow will I send.
ROMEO
So thrive my soul —
JULIET
A thousand times good night!
Exit, above
Here we have a split couplet, followed by another scene-ending couplet from Romeo, the content of which suggests that he is exiting as he speaks, before Juliet re-enters and the scene continues once more.
ROMEO
A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.
[Retiring]
Re-enter JULIET, above
Despite Juliet's initial rejection of Romeo's name, she's spoken it repeatedly through the scene, and now wishes she could shout it aloud.
JULIET
Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice,
To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine
With repetition of my Romeo's name.
ROMEO
It is my soul that calls upon my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears!
JULIET
Romeo!
ROMEO
My dear?
JULIET
What o'clock tomorrow
Shall I send to thee?
ROMEO
At the hour of nine.
After all the heightened language and poetic convention, the lovers take delight in simple speech and the plain pleasure of each other's company.
JULIET
I will not fail. 'Tis twenty years till then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.
ROMEO
Let me stand here till thou remember it.
JULIET
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembering how I love thy company.
ROMEO
And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.
Perhaps a strange image for love, but apt for describing the desire for closeness and connection that defines a new relationship.
JULIET
'Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone;
And yet no further than a wanton's bird,
That lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silken thread plucks it back again,
So loving-jealous of his liberty.
ROMEO
I would I were thy bird.
There's a reminder here of the danger of the feud. The bird also becomes an image for Romeo and Juliet's marriage, which dies through being protected too much.
JULIET
Sweet, so would I;
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
Exit above
ROMEO
Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!
Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell,
His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
Exit