Friday, March 3, 2017

At what time of day do Romeo and Juliet speak in Scene 2? Why do they meet at this time? How does the time of day fit the mood of their meeting?

The famous balcony scene in Act II Scene II of Romeo and Juliet takes place at night. This is a handy metaphor for the two young lovers' burgeoning relationship. For their love is shrouded in darkness, concealed by necessity from an uncomprehending world. Neither Romeo or Juliet can reveal their love to anyone else at this moment; their families are at war, engaged in a long-standing bloody feud, and so their folks would do everything in their power to wreck their romance if they knew about it.
But there's still hope. And that hope is represented by the metaphor of light. Juliet is the sun, ready to rise up and kill "the jealous moon," a symbol of her virginity. Her beauty shines through to such an extent that the brightness of her cheek outshines the stars as daylight does a lamp. For now, this rapidly blossoming love affair must remain hidden from their respective families. But in the light of Juliet's love, and the radiant light of her beauty, Romeo sees hope that one day all the world shall know of their true feelings for each other.


I assume you are referring to the famous balcony scene in act II scene II, when Romeo visits Juliet below her balcony. At the beginning of the scene, Romeo declares that Juliet is a "light" breaking through a window, but later he stipulates that she is a light to "this night." The time of day is important because it signifies the necessary secrecy of the relationship. They are forced to meet in the cover of darkness because they know their families would not approve of their association. Their conversation reflects this covertness, both mentioning their need to "deny" themselves and conceal their names. Both toy with this theme to an extent that suggests some level of mutual thrill in the secrecy of their relationship, much as it poses difficulties for them. At the same time, the image of Juliet as the sun announcing the dawn of a new day represents the promise both see in their new emergent relationship.

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