Romeo and Juliet has been immortalised in ballets, paintings and operas. Why does Shakespeare's play still captivate audiences? Is it because it is about the age-old idea that love conquers all?
Romeo and Juliet
The most famous scene in Romeo and Juliet is Act 2, Scene 2, which is commonly referred to as the balcony scene, even if Shakespeare did not mention any balcony in his play. Romeo has just met Juliet at the ball arranged by her family and instantly falls in love with the young girl. Because of a feud Romeo's family, the Montagues, have with Juliet's family, the Capulets, Romeo is in disguise. In this scene, we meet Romeo after he has climbed the wall into the Capulets' garden. Candlelight appears in Juliet's bedroom window and this enthralls him.
Search for Romeo, Juliet, balcony scene, 1968 on YouTube. In the 1968 version of the movie the seventeen year old Olivia Hussey is starring in the role as Juliet. Watch the scene.
What is referred to as the Balcony Scene, is Act II, Scene II. Read the full script here. Use the vocabulary list and Romeo and Juliet - explanatory notes when necessary.
Vocabulary
| yonder | over there |
| that | because |
| thou her maid art | you her maid is |
| vestal livery | virginal costume worn by the ancient Roman goddesses |
| discourse | narrate, tell |
| entreat | beg |
| doth | does |
| thou art | you are |
| wherefore | why |
| bestride | step across |
| thy | your |
| thou wilt not | you will not |
| thyself | yourself |
| owes | owns |
| doff | get rid of |
| and for thy name | and in exchange of |
| thus bescreened | concealed that way |
| stumblest on my counsel | talk |
| if either thee dislike | if you don’t like any of the names |
| how camest thou hither | how did you come here |
| kinsmen | relatives |
| henceforth | from now on |
| o’erpertch | climb over |
| no stop | no obstacle |
| alack | alas |
| enmity | hostility |
| and but thou love me | unless you love me |
| prorogued | postponed |
| wanting | lacking |
| prompt me to inquire | made me ask |
| wert thou | were you |
| else | otherwise |
| bepaint | paint with colour |
| fain | willingly |
| dwell on form | do things correctly |
| dost thou | do you |
| Jove | Jove, or Jupiter, was the king of Gods, he was repeatedly unfaithful |
| nay | no |
| too fond | too foolish |
| havior | behaviour |
| strange | distant |
| but that thou overheard'st | except that you overheard it |
| ere I was ware | before I was aware of it |
| impute | relate to |
| discovered | revealed |
| yonder | the distant |
| orb | the elliptical path the moon has around the Earth |
| lest | for fear that |
| idolatry | worship of idols |
| beauteous flow'r | beautiful flower |
| frank | generous |
| anon | right now |
| afeard | afraid |
| procure | manage |
| beseech | beg |
| falc'ner's voice | a person that hunts with falcons calling for his falcon |
| to lure this tassel gentle back again | the falcon is lured back by his master's call |
| Echo | a nymph in Greek mythology who loved her own voice |
| attending | listening |
| wanton | a person that is playful or immoral |
| gyves | fetters |
Further Activities
Compare Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story
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