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.

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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 >.

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