Act 2, Scene 2

Romeo stands below Juliet’s balcony, marveling at her beauty. Not knowing he’s there, Juliet speaks,
wondering why Romeo must be a Montague, and she a Capulet. She thinks a name is simply a word, and
it would be easy for Romeo to take a new name, and therefore not be forbidden to her. Romeo reveals
himself, agreeing to forsake the name Romeo if he can have her love. Juliet warns him that, as a
Montague, he’ll be killed if he’s spotted with her, but Romeo doesn’t care. After much discussion, the
two swear their love for each other and agree to be married.

Romeo:Mercutio’s mocking my love and he’s never been in love himself.

[Romeo sees a light coming form an upstairs bedroom]

Wait. What’s that light coming from the window over there? It’s like the east, with Juliet as the morning
sun! Rise, Juliet, beautiful sun, and kill the jealous moon who’s already fading and sad because you are
far more beautiful than she is. Don’t swear off men like the virgin moon goddess Diana—the moon
envies you anyway. Her virginal appearance is weak and pale and only fools want to emulate it. Get rid
of it.

[Juliet appears above at a window]

It’s my lady! Oh, it’s my love. Oh, if only she knew I love her. She’s talking but I can’t hear anything.
What does it matter?

Her expression means something and I can answer that. No, I’m being too forward. She’s not talking to
me. Oh, if two of the most beautiful stars had to leave heaven on important business, they’d ask her
eyes to do the twinkling for them while they were gone! What if her eyes took their places in the sky
and those stars became her eyes? Her beautiful face would outshine those stars in her head like daylight
outshines lamps, while her eyes in the sky would be so bright at nighttime that birds would be convinced
it was day. Look at how she leans her cheek on her hand. I wish I were a glove on her hand so I could
touch her cheek!

Juliet :Oh my.

Romeo:She’s speaking. Oh speak again, bright angel. After all, you look as glorious above me as an angel
in heaven sailing through the lazy clouds would look to mortals gazing up in wonder.

Juliet:O Romeo, Romeo! Why are you named Romeo? Disown your family and refuse your name. Or, if
you will not, then swear that you love me and I’ll stop being a Capulet.

Romeo:[Aside] Shall I wait for her to say more, or shall I answer her now?
Juliet:It’s only your name which is my enemy. You are who you are, even if you weren’t a Montague.
What is a Montague? It’s not a hand, nor a foot, nor an arm, nor a face, nor any other concrete part of
the body. Oh, be some other name! What’s in a name? A rose would smell just as sweet if we called it by
any other name. Romeo, if he had a different name besides “Romeo,” would be just as perfect as he is
with that name now. Romeo, take off your name, and in exchange for that superficial part of you, take
all of me.

Romeo:I’ll take you at your word. Just call me love, and I’ll re-baptize myself with a different name. From
now on I won’t be Romeo.

Juliet:Who is this man who’s hiding in the night and overhearing my private thoughts?

Romeo:I don’t know how to tell you who I am by using my name. My name, my dear saint, is now awful
to me, since it’s your enemy. If I had my name written down somewhere, I’d tear up that paper.

Juliet:I haven’t even heard that tongue speak a hundred words, but I recognize the voice. Aren’t you
Romeo, and a Montague?

Romeo:Neither, beautiful saint, if either one displeases you.

Juliet:How did you come here, and why? Tell me. The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and if
you’re found here by any one of my family you would be killed, considering who you are.

Romeo:I flew over these walls with Cupid’s light wings, for stone barriers cannot keep love out. Love will
dare to attempt to do whatever it can do. Therefore, your kinsmen are no obstacle to me.

Juliet:If they do see you here, they’ll murder you.

Romeo:What, there’s more risk in your eyes than in twenty of their swords. If you would just look
lovingly at me, it would be enough protection from their hatred.

Juliet:I wouldn’t have them see you here for the whole world.
Romeo:I have the dark cloak of the night to hide me from their sight. And unless you will love me back,
let them find me here. It’s better that my life be ended by their hatred than prolonged without your
love.

Juliet:Who gave you directions to my house?

Romeo:Love prompted me to ask where you live. He gave me directions, and I lent him my eyes to find
where you live. I’m no ship’s navigator, but I would make the most venturesome voyage to the most
distant shore for such a valuable treasure as you.

Juliet:You know my face is masked by the darkness, otherwise you’d see a young girl’s blush on my
cheeks for everything you heard me say tonight. I wish I could have thought about the way I said it. I
wish I could deny what I said. But oh well, goodbye formality! Do you love me? I know you’ll say yes and
I’ll believe you. But if you swear it, I worry that you might be lying. As they say, “Jove laughs at lovers’
betrayals.” Oh, gentle Romeo, if you do love me, tell me with good faith. Or, if you think I’ve been won
over to quickly, I can pout and play hard to get so that you’ll have to woo me. But if you don’t think that
I’m too hasty to fall in love, I would not refuse you for the world.

In truth, dear Montague, I’m too much in love. And so I suppose you might think I’m behaving
improperly. But trust me, I’ll prove to be a truer lover than those with more cleverness to play games. I
should have made you try more, I must confess, but then you overheard my true passionate feelings of
love before I knew you were there. So please pardon me for my boldness, and don’t think I’m taking this
lightly in the dark night.

Romeo:Dear lady, I swear by the blessed moon that gives a silver glow to these orchard tree tops--

Juliet:Don’t swear by the changing moon that varies during its monthly orbit--you might prove just as
variable.

Romeo:What should I swear by?

Juliet:Don’t swear at all. Or if you want to swear, swear by yourself, the idol I worship, and then I’ll
believe you.

Romeo:If my beloved--
Juliet:Wait, don’t swear. Although I’m so happy with you, I can’t be happy about making a commitment
tonight. It’s too rash, too sudden. We haven’t thought it through. It seems too much like lightning that
disappears before anyone can even say “Look, light.” Sweetheart, goodnight! This promise of love might
bloom when we next meet like a bud matured into a flower under the heat of summer. Good night,
good night! May you be as content and glad at heart as I am!

Romeo:Oh, are you going to leave me so unsatisfied?

Juliet:What kind of satisfaction can you expect tonight?

Romeo:The exchange of our vows of love.

Juliet:I’ve already given you my vow of love before you asked for it, and yet I wish I could give it again for
the first time.

Romeo:You’d take it back? For what purpose, my love?

Juliet:Just to be generous and give it to you again. And yet I already have the only thing I want. My
desire to give to you is as big as the sea, and my love is as deep. The more I give to you, the more I have,
for both my love and the sea are infinite.

[Nurse calls from offstage]

I hear someone calling me inside. Good-bye, my love. [To Nurse] I’m coming, dear Nurse. [To Romeo]
Stay just a little while--I’ll come back.

Romeo:Oh, blessed, blessed night! I’m afraid, since it’s night, that this is just a dream, too wonderful to
be real.

Juliet:Just a brief word, dear Romeo, and then good night indeed. If your intentions are honorable, and
you’d like to marry me, send me a message tomorrow night about where and what time you’d like to
meet me. I’ll send a messenger. I’ll leave my future at your feet and follow you throughout the world,
my lord.

Nurse:[Within] Madam!

Juliet:I’m coming. [To Romeo] But if you’re not serious, then I beg you …

Nurse:[Within] Madam!

Juliet:I’m on my way--just a minute. [To Romeo] ...to quit pursuing me and leave me to my grief. I’ll send
someone to you tomorrow.
Romeo:That’s the way my soul will prosper.

Juliet:A thousand times good night!

Romeo:I’m a thousand time worse off without the light you give.A lover goes towards his love like a
schoolboy runs away from his books, but a lover leaves his love like a schooboy trudges to school again.

Juliet:Psst! Romeo, psst! If only I could call Romeo like a skilled falconer calls his bird to return. But being
bound by my family’s attitude toward the Montagues, I’m stuck using a hoarse whisper. Otherwise, I
would make Romeo’s name echo off the mountains and make the goddess Echo herself hoarse from
repeating “Romeo” so much.

Romeo:Your voice seems to come from my very soul. By night, sweet lovers’ voices are like the softest
music!

Juliet:Romeo!

Romeo:My dear?

Juliet:What time tomorrow should I send a messenger to you?

Romeo:At the hour of nine.

Juliet:I won’t fail. It feels like twenty years until then. I forgot why I called you back.

Romeo:I’ll happily stand here until you remember.

Juliet:I shall forget what I was thinking so that you’ll have to stay here, and I’ll remember only how much
I love your company.

Romeo:And I’ll stay forever, having you forget forever, forgetting any other home but this.

Juliet:It’s almost morning and I want you to go. Oh but I don’t want you to go further than a little hop
from my hand before you’re pulled back, like the bird of a spoiled child who keeps the thing like a poor
prisoner, out of jealousy for its freedom.

Romeo:I wish I were your bird.

Juliet:Dear, so do I. But I would kill you with too much affection. Good night, good night! Parting is such
a sweet sadness that I would willingly say goodbye over and over until the next morning.

Romeo:May sleep be in your eyes, and peace in your heart. If only I could be sleep and peace to rest
there. I’ll go to the cell of my priest, ask his help and tell him about my good fortune.