ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare
Act II, Scene ii
Tips on performing the monologue
Note about the monologue. This monogue while romantic is also very funny. Romeo is innocent in the ways of love so his hormones are out of control. Romeo acts as a narrator for the audience in this scene, so it works well if Romeo can engage the audience and get them on his side. It is important that the consonants are made clear and the long vowel sounds are made long-stretched out. The long vowel sounds simulate emotion and the crisp pronunciation of the consonants gives the speech its richness.
Romeo alternates between bold action, indecision and passionate contemplation of her beauty. He compares Juliet to the sun and to the stars in the sky and to daylight. The common theme is how bright her beauty is. All of God's creations pale in comparsion to her beauty. He sees her speaking, perhaps pretending to talk to Romeo but Romeo feels unworthy of her and imagines that she is speaking in her imagination to some other young man, The monologue ends with Romeo imagining what it would be like to touch her cheek. A simple glove becomes more important to Romeo than the heavenly bodies he has been comparing her to.
Romeo is about to risk everything for Juliet which ends up dooming these star-crossed lovers. The delivery of the monologue should suggest Romeo's future path and the fact he would die for Juliet.
