Romeo and Juliet Free Response Question

In Act II, Scene ii, the mood is very vividly portrayed through the speech and emotions given off by Romeo and Juliet throughout their discourse. Juliet’s feelings about Romeo being in her garden are obviously rather tense and worried. She’s very practical in her questioning, whereas Romeo is obviously in some sort of love induced high. He is a young, impassioned, and romantic, pouring out his heart and capturing hers in the most profound language and poetry he can muster. He has no caution, which concerns Juliet even more. The whole feeling of this scene is a one of secret passion.

Throughout the scene Romeo coins phrases such as “love’s light wings” and “night’s cloak to hide me” portraying a mood of poetry and romance undercover. Other phrases he says also show his stubbornness and so his charm to Juliet, “As that vast shore, wash’d with the farthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise.” This can also be looked at as foreshadowing of their death where Romeo follows her to this distant shore that seems inaccessible. Reference to death continually springs up in Romeo’s speech as the ultimate sacrifice of his love for her. As the practical one she rebuffs him, warning him and trying to calm this mad rampage of love.

Romeo’s dialogue is poetic and spread out; he takes a long time to say not a lot. He seems almost courageous in his stupidity in this lover’s euphoria. Nothing can hinder him. Juliet however is not sharing his joy however. She continually tries to shake him out of it by warning him of the perils he’s in for in short, succinct, practical reminders of his stupidity in coming for her. However she loosens up after his constant poetic genius, admitting to this love and giving in to the mood of the scene.

Another thing that contributes to the mood of the scene is the fact that they are both speaking in blank verse. This iambic pentameter makes it feel as though the lovers are singing to each other making it feel more romantic. Also, the setting of this dark, secretive garden under the cover of night with the stars for their light also plays into the mood of these two young lovers. The passion with which they converse when coming form such hated rivals after simply going for looks amazes me.

Throughout this scene, the feelings of these impassioned young lovers sets the mood in their premature fantasy. The precautionary Juliet versus the exuberant, careless Romeo causes the scene to take on the characteristic of secret romance. The very different sentence structures, of short and practical, and long and frivolous, also helps to see these two moods taking place. Primarily, Romeo is the one who uses different phrases to get the feeling of this encounter. Through lines like “My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.” He is able to set the mood and capture Juliet’s love and approval.