William Shakespeare "Romeo & Juliet"

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The balcony scene allows Juliet and Romeo to come to grips with the essential problem with which they are faced: that she is a Capulet and he a Montague. Because of an age-long feud between the two families, they could never hope to marry.

Juliet therefore explores the basic philosophy: what's in a name? If Romeo were any name other than a Montague, they could marry. Likewise if she were anything other than a Capulet, they could marry.

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:

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 call'd,
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.

JULIET
What man art thou that thus bescreen'd 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?
ROMEO
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

TEST YOURSELF!

Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy."

What does Juliet mean by this? (4)

[Need help?]

Juliet has fallen in love with Romeo after their meeting at the Capulet ball. The problem, however, is that she is a Capulet whereas Romeo is a Montague, and the two families have been feuding with each other for centuries.
In the days of arranged marriages where marital unions were brought about for financial or political reasons, it was hardly likely that Juliet's influential parents would agree to such an affair.
Romeo is their enemy because he is a Montague. A union between Romeo and Juliet would therefore be abhorrent.

"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."

Explain in your own words Juliet's reasoning as is shown in these lines. (5)

[Need help?]

This passage, of course, has become one of the most famous for providing us with useful cliches: "What's in a name?" and "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet".
Juliet's soliloquy forms a deeply philosophical and poetic consideration for one both so young and so deeply in love. She is asking what it is that makes the essence of a person: "What's Montague?"
She rightly points out that a person's name does not constitute the person bearing that name. A person is much, much more than this. "It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face".
Indeed, if Romeo were to have any name other than Montague, he would be acceptable to her family. What therefore constitutes a name?
A name is merely a title by which a person is addressed but the essential nature of the person lies elsewhere.
The essence of a rose is its wonderful fragrance. Using another name for that flower will not take away that exquisite fragrance.

"Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself."

Rewrite her words in modern English. (4)

[Need help?]

What about, "Romeo, give up the name of Montague which, after all, is not the essential part of you. If you do so, I will reward by offering you all of myself."
Note that Juliet is talking sexually here, i.e. she will offer him her body if he will give up his name.

"I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo."

What does Romeo mean? (4)

[Need help?]

Romeo tells Juliet that he takes her literally. She need not call him "Romeo" anymore. She can call him "Love" -- a term of endearment reserved for one's husband or lover. Then he will be "new baptised".

Why would Romeo be "new baptized"? (4)

[Need help?]

The expression "new baptised" is, of course, a Christian concept.
Baptism was considered essential if one were to attain salvation, i.e. move from an earthly life into a heavenly one.
Romeo says that, if Juliet were only to express her love to him, he would give up his old life as a Montague and enter into a new existence with her, i.e. in love with and married to a Capulet.

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
So stumblest on my counsel?"

Why does Juliet ask this? (4)

[Need help?]

Juliet was alone on the balcony of her bedroom. The garden beneath her balcony was a private place, cut off from the public by high walls.
She should therefore have been private, and her thoughts spoken out loud -- "my counsel" -- should have been uttered in secret.
Romeo, however, has managed to climb into the garden. She could not see him, of course, because it is dark. He is probably also hiding in the bushes or in the branches of a tree.
Franco Zifferelli's film presents this scene very well. If you haven't viewed his version of the play, then do yourself a favour and do so! It's much better than Baz Luhrmann's more recent version.

"My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word."

Why does Romeo refer to Juliet as "dear saint"? (4)

[Need help?]

This, of course, is a reminder to Juliet of who he is. When they had met earlier that evening at the Capulet ball, Romeo had invented the metaphor of Juliet being the saint and he being the uncouth peasant in need of salvation.
When he had first seen her, he had said "I'll watch her place of stand, | And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand", i.e. touching her saintly hand would sanctify his own.
Later he touches her hand but, in doing so, apologises that his "unworthiest hand" should profane her "holy shrine". He continues this metaphor when he kisses her, commenting that her lips will purge his lips of all sin.
In this current scene, the moment Romeo addresses Juliet as "dear saint", therefore, she will be reminded of that conversation and their kiss, and she will know immediately who he is.

What does Romeo mean when he says, "Had I it written, I would tear the word"? (2)

[Need help?]

Does he not mean that, if he had written his name on a piece of paper, he would immediately tear that paper to shreds rather than offend Juliet by allowing her to read it?

"My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound."

Comment on Juliet's use of the word "drunk". (2)

[Need help?]

The word "drunk" can have two possible meanings.
It could mean that Romeo's words are quenching her thirst for him. Or perhaps there is the implication that his words are intoxicating to her, as when one is drinking much of a beautiful wine.

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See also:

Knowledge4Africa.com

Romeo & Juliet homepage

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