Romeo and Juliet: Act 2, scene 1

The color-coded bars in this section make it easy to track the themes throughout the work. Each color corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart. For instance, indicates that all five themes apply to that part of the summary.

Summary Analysis Themes

Instead of leaving the party with Benvolio and Mercutio, Romeo jumps the wall into the Capulet garden to try to find Juliet. Benvolio and Mercutio call after him, and Mercutio laughingly mocks Romeo’s passion and love for Rosaline. Finally, they give up and leave.

Another social pressure that Romeo must face: his friends. For the rest of the play, by the way, Romeo’s friends continue to think Romeo loves Rosaline.

Just then, Romeo sees Juliet walk out onto a balcony. In a whisper he compares her to the sun, and hides beneath her balcony.

Light/dark imagery. Juliet is a sun, lighting up the night.

Juliet speaks: she asks why Romeo must be Romeo. She asks him to forswear his name, to give up being a Montague, then offers to give up being a Capulet if Romeo will love her.

Juliet tries to use language, name-changing, to escape from the social world in order to love freely.

Romeo emerges from his hiding place, startling Juliet. She says that if Romeo is noticed he’ll be killed, but Romeo responds that he would rather die than live without her love.

Romeo’s passion for Juliet is so great it is almost violent, and makes him think nothing of death.

As the Nurse calls from Juliet’s room, Juliet hurriedly asks Romeo, if his “love be honorable” (2.1.185), to send her word tomorrow whether he will marry her. He tells her to send the Nurse to him at nine. They exchange more hurried words of love, then exit.

Even head over heels in love, Juliet, as a woman, must protect her honor. Society demands it.