Romeo and Juliet II PU English Summary | Romeo and Juliet II PU English Notes

Introduction

William Shakespeare is an English playwright and poet, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English Language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is well-known to the world through his timeless characters that are universal in their appeal. The themes that he deals with also touch human lives across the globe.

Theme / Summary

The extracts from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet express the implicit feelings of Romeo and Juliet for each other. These verses are known for their rich imagery laced with powerful emotions.

Romeo, though uninvited, makes his presence at the Grand Supper hosted by Old Lord Capulet, just to meet Roseline. He finds Juliet so attractive on the dance floor that he is overwhelmed with strong emotions.

Soliloquy 1

(Act I Scence V)

He wonders if her beauty teaches the torches to burn bright. He makes two lovely comparisons. First, Juliet’s beauty is compared to a jewel worn by an Ethiopian which is too precious and too divine to be buried on earth. She is also compared to a snowy dove in the company of crows. The contrasting imagery used highlights the sparkling beauty of Juliet. Romeo wishes to meet her once the dance is over and wants to touch her hand in order to make his rude hand blessed. At this moment, he is driven by a feeling, 'if he ever loved', for her beauty and presence had blinded him. So, he wants to reject all the love and the beauty he had experienced in the past before the magnificent beauty of Juliet. Thus, Romeo expresses his admiration for Juliet’s beauty.

Soliloquy 2

(Act III Scence II)

The second soliloquy begins with Juliet inviting night, for Romeo can only be seen in darkness. She is immensely attracted to his charming aspect. She compares him to day in night. He looks whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. Juliet praises night with sweet words and asks night to bring Romeo to her . She asks night to cut him into little stars and decorate the night sky in the event of her death. With this appeal, she wishes to immortalise her love for him. She is sure that the starlit sky then looks even richer than the shining beauty of the day. The world then starts admiring the beauty of night and stops glorifying the bright day. This is how Juliet expresses her admiration for Romeo's charm.

Conclusion

These two soliloquies depict the deep feelings of the two star crossed lovers for each other. Besides, they also demonstrate William Shakespeare’s genius as a gifted writer. The poetic lines stand out as the best lines bedecked with greater emotions captured through the voices of Romeo and Juliet.

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