"Romeo and Juliet - balcony scene" by William Shakespeare (poetry reading)

Romeo is about 16 years old (nobody knows exactly) and Juliet is 13. Any comment arguing about their ages will be deleted. They're both fictitious. I'm too old to be Romeo but I can read his speech.

I'd like to point out some common misconceptions introduced by producers, mostly to make the play more salacious. There was no balcony for Romeo to climb. Shakespeare never said there was a balcony. Juliet appears at her window as Romeo says, "What light though yonder window breaks?"

At the start of the scene, Juliet doesn't know that Romeo is watching her. Romeo can hear what she says, but she can't hear him, that's dramatic licence and it helps the plot along. So she is giving voice to her wishes, not talking to him when she says:
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
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.

That would be an offensive thing to say to Romeo directly. Most people know that she isn't asking where he is, and that "wherefore" means "why" - but there is a subtle difference. "Wherefore" usually referred to reasons from the past, "why" referred to motivation for action in the future. Later she says, "How cam'st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?" and a little later on, "I have forgot why I did call thee back..." It's a small difference. Anyway Juliet goes on:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, ... 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. "

She still doesn't know he can hear her, so she is daydreaming about giving herself to him if they can both renounce their family names. At this point he speaks up and makes his presence known.

Later before Romeo leaves he says, "O, will you leave me so unsatisfied? "

Juliet replies, "What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?"

Romeo answers, "Th exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine."

So the scene leads to an exchange of vows. Romeo doesn't climb up for a kiss and there's no making-out. It's a confounded liberty that every production ignores this vital point, because it makes nonsense out of Juliet's conduct. A girl from such a noble family would have allowed no physical contact with a man outside of wedlock. Her reply is a model of propriety and worth learning by heart:

"If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow,
By one that I'll procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world. "

Romeo and Juliet were already married before there was any physical contact between them.

The still is from Franco Zeffirelli's film of 1968

There are some excellent notes here:
http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet-text/act-ii-scene-ii

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• Romeo
• and
• Juliet
• balcony
• Shakespeare

[lesmiserable38]

is that Charles Bukowski reading?

[SpokenVerse]

@lesmiserable38 No - but I have read some poems by Bukowski on YouTube which may cause the confusion. I don't sound anything like him - he's American, I'm English.

[katherineXchi]

The nurse stops it? I thought the nurse just kept repeating for Juliet to come back inside.. I didn't know the nurse was watching them...

[SpokenVerse]

@katherineXchi After Juliet says "You kiss by the book" the nurse intervenes and says "Madam, your mother craves a word with you." That happend in a former scene, at the party at the Capulets house. There's no kissing in this window scene in the original play.  Juliet stays at her window and Romeo stays outside.

[belzondium]

That was a fine reading. Your notes are mostly sound, except in saying there was *no* physical contact between Romeo and Juliet before marriage - haven't they already exchanged a kiss at the party, before the 'balcony scene'? But your point is well taken.

[SpokenVerse]

@belzondium Perhaps I should reword it. I used "physical contact" to mean more sexual contact than was allowed by etiquette. When they first meet Juliet is chaperoned by her nurse who is still present in the window scene too. They flirt, and do kiss decorously twice. Juliet says provocatively, "You kiss by the book". Then Juliet's nurse stops it because it's getting out of hand. Juliet, of course, would have been played by a boy.

[michelledubignon]

my best writer ever, oh how i wish i could of touched his creative hand just once,

[LaughingGor888]

Mercutio: "A plague o' both your houses!" best part of the story. (my points of view)

[TheIcelandicPatriot]

So simple and yet so complex. So beutifull.

[katherineXchi]

Yes; however, I thought you meant the nurse knew exactly that Romeo was there with her. & she felt as if she needed to stop them from communicating. So I was just confused.

[sbrnrzv]

Sir! your voice is amazing! I've never read or had interest in reading or watching the movie, but after reading your explanation and hearing you read. I'm so impressed! wish I had a teacher like you lol!

[OlderBrotherCo]

sooo... you definently need to get ahold of NPR and send in an application