Sunday, March 20, 2011

In Romeo and Juliet, is it true or false that Romeo gets courage to proclaim his love from overhearing Juliet's balcony speech?

It is true that Romeo gains the courage to speak to Juliet as a result of overhearing what she is saying.  As she steps out onto the balcony, she is unable to see him.  There, she thinks through their recent meeting, and thinks through the ramifications of loving a Montague.  It is in this scene that we get famous lines like, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (Act 2, Scene 2, line 33).


After Juliet discourses on the problem of loving a Montague, Romeo asks himself, "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"  (line 37).  He ultimately decides to listen longer.  When she ends the next part of her soliloquy by saying that she would take Romeo, should he choose to forgo his name, Romeo feels emboldened by her speech.  At this point, he comes out of the shadows and addresses Juliet directly.

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