ROMEO and JULIET and the theme of LIGHT

THE BALCONY SCENE

SOFT IS THE SUN

ROMEO imagines that it is Juliet herself who produces the light as though she were the rising sun

THE ENVIOUS MOON

ROMEO says that the moon is jealous of this sun because she’s more beautiful

O That I were a glove….

ROMEO says he would like to be a glove on Juliet’s hand to be able to touch her cheek

Two of the fairest stars…till they return

ROMEO imagines that Juliet’s eyes are in conversation with two stars

What if her eyes….doth a lamp

ROMEO says that if there were stars in place of Juliet’s eyes their light would be shamed by the brightness of her skin

Her eye in heaven….it were not night

ROMEO says that if Juliet’s eyes replaced the stars in the sky, the light they shone would make the birds think it was day

O speak again, bright angel…to gaze on him

ROMEO compares Juliet’s voice to that of an angel who makes mortal men turn their eyes to the sky

ROMEO and JULIET and the theme of REALITY vs APPEARANCE

THE BALCONY SCENE

Juliet is aware of the problems that arise from the quarrel between the two rival families.

She wants Romeo to give up his family name, saying that if he does not she will do so.

She seems to be REALISTIC and UNCONVENTIONAL.

JULIET says that a rose by any other word would smell as sweet

Therefore she reflects upon the symbolical order of language and its links to reality. Her reflection shakes the medieval code since she tries to separate the name from the thing…

REMEMBER one of the main themes is appearance vs reality

In this passage Juliet begins by comparing the function of Romeo’s family name, Montague, to that of the names of objects. She concludes that Montague, unlike hand or foot does not refer to any specific object but is arbitrary and actually meaningless.

Then she reflects on the values of names in general. A rose retains its essential characteristic even if it’s not called rose; indeed it could be called anything at all.