directory
home contact

Romeo and Juliet: Balcony Scene Glossary (2.2)

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? (35)

i.e., O Romeo, Romeo! why are you Romeo?

Juliet laments her misfortune that Romeo is a Montague – the son of her father's enemy.

Note that in this line Shakespeare uses apostrophe: a literary device in which the speaker addresses someone absent or dead or an inanimate object.

At this point in the scene Juliet is at her window overlooking the garden, talking to herself, unaware that Romeo is listening in the shadows.

Back to the Balcony Scene

How to cite this article:

Mabillard, Amanda. Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/whereforartthou.html >.
_________

Related Articles

 Themes in Romeo and Juliet
 Annotated Balcony Scene, Act 2
 Sources for Romeo and Juliet
 Romeo and Juliet Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2)
 Romeo and Juliet Plot Summary (Acts 3, 4 and 5)
 Introduction to Romeo
 Introduction to Juliet
 Shakespeare on Fate

 Famous Quotations from Romeo and Juliet
 Stage History of Romeo and Juliet
 Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics
 Romeo and Juliet: Q & A
 All About Queen Mab

 How Many Plays Did Shakespeare Write?
 Shakespeare's First Folio
 Just what is a quarto?
 Why Shakespeare is so Important
 Shakespeare's Language
 Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers
 Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels
 Shakespeare Quotations (by Play)
 Shakespeare Quotations (by Theme)
 Quotations About William Shakespeare