Act 2

• • Character: Romeo
  • Theme: Love, Passion
  • Analysis: Romeo dismisses Mercutio’s mockery of love, highlighting his deep emotional connection with Juliet. This line emphasizes Romeo’s passionate nature and the transformative effect Juliet has on him.


  "He jests at scars that never felt a wound."
• • Character: Romeo
  • Theme: Love, Idealization
  • Analysis: Romeo compares Juliet to the sun, elevating her to a celestial, life-giving force. This metaphor reflects his idealization of her and highlights the intensity of his infatuation.


  "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
• • Character: Juliet
  • Theme: Love, Conflict
  • Analysis: Juliet laments Romeo’s identity as a Montague, showing her awareness of the feud’s impact on their relationship. This line encapsulates the central conflict between their love and their families' enmity.


  "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
• • Character: Juliet
  • Theme: Love, Identity
  • Analysis: Juliet’s willingness to abandon her family name for Romeo underscores her commitment and the transformative power of love. It highlights the tension between personal desires and societal expectations.

  "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."
• • Character: Romeo
  • Theme: Love, Courage
  • Analysis: Romeo’s metaphor of love as wings shows his romantic idealism and his disregard for danger when pursuing Juliet. This reflects the theme of love transcending barriers, both physical and social.


  "With love’s light wings did I o’er-perch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out."
• • Character: Romeo
  • Theme: Love, Fate
  • Analysis: Romeo declares that he would rather die than live without Juliet’s love. His hyperbolic expression of devotion foreshadows the tragic consequences of their intense passion.


  "My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."
• • Character: Juliet
  • Theme: Love, Constancy
  • Analysis: Juliet rejects Romeo’s comparison of his love to the moon, as it changes phases. This reflects her desire for a stable, enduring love, highlighting her maturity compared to Romeo’s impulsive passion.


  "O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon."
• • Character: Juliet
  • Theme: Love, Longing
  • Analysis: Juliet’s oxymoron of "sweet sorrow" captures the bittersweet nature of their parting. It reflects the intensity of their connection and their yearning to be together despite the challenges they face.


  "Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow."
• • Character: Friar Lawrence
  • Theme: Love, Impulsiveness
  • Analysis: Friar Lawrence critiques Romeo’s fickle nature, noting how quickly he has moved from Rosaline to Juliet. This line underscores the theme of youthful impulsiveness and foreshadows the hasty decisions to come.


  "Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes."
• • Character: Friar Lawrence
  • Theme: Love, Reconciliation
  • Analysis: The Friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, hoping their union will end the feud. This reflects his idealistic belief in love’s power to reconcile, though his plan ultimately contributes to tragedy.


  "For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancour to pure love."
• • Character: Friar Lawrence
  • Theme: Caution, Impulsiveness
  • Analysis: The Friar advises Romeo to proceed carefully, warning of the dangers of hasty actions. This foreshadows the tragic consequences of Romeo and Juliet’s impulsive decisions.


  "Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast."
• • Character: Nurse
  • Theme: Loyalty, Love
  • Analysis: The Nurse defends Juliet by warning Romeo against deceiving her. Her protective nature highlights her role as Juliet’s confidante and emphasizes the importance of loyalty in relationships.


  "If ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behaviour."
• • Character: Juliet
  • Theme: Love, Impatience
  • Analysis: Juliet laments the Nurse’s slow return with news of Romeo, revealing her impatience and youthful excitement. This highlights the intensity and urgency of her feelings for Romeo.


  "Love’s heralds should be thoughts, which ten times faster glide than the sun’s beams."
• • Character: Friar Lawrence
  • Theme: Love, Fate
  • Analysis: The Friar warns that intense passions can lead to destructive outcomes. This foreshadows the tragic conclusion of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, driven by their unrestrained love


  "These violent delights have violent ends."
• • Character: Friar Lawrence
  • Theme: Love, Moderation
  • Analysis: The Friar advises Romeo to temper his passion, suggesting that enduring love requires balance. This contrasts with Romeo and Juliet’s all-consuming love, which ultimately leads to their downfall.


  "Therefore love moderately; long love doth so."
• • Character: Friar Lawrence
  • Theme: Fate, Hope
  • Analysis: The Friar hopes that the marriage will be blessed and free from misfortune. This line reflects his optimism, though it is ironically overshadowed by the impending tragedy.

  "So smile the heavens upon this holy act, That after hours with sorrow chide us not."