Romeo and Juliet: ''But soft! What light..."

Royal Shakespeare Company

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Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, often referred to as "The Balcony Scene," is one of the most iconic moments in the play, capturing the essence of Shakespeare's exploration of love, identity, fate, and the destructive consequences of familial feuds.

Here, the intensity and transformative power of love are illuminated as Romeo, hiding from his friends, spots Juliet on her Balcony. Enraptured, he delivers the famous monologue, ''But soft, what light through yonder window breaks. It is the east and Juliet is the sun.'' It is no longer night when Juliet is around.

Juliet, unaware of Romeo's presence below, muses aloud why Romeo must be her enemy. She sees Romeo for the contents of his character, not his family name, ''That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet.'' This pivotal reflection highlights the theme of love transcending societal constraints. Overhearing this, Romeo reveals himself, and they both affirm their love, daring to defy the longstanding feud between their families.

In Erica Whyman's 2018 production from The Royal Shakespeare Company, Romeo (Bally Gill) and Juliet (Karen Fishwick) are depicted as modern-day teenagers, deeply immersed in the passion of first love. This contemporary setting underscores the timelessness of Shakespeare's themes, demonstrating how challenging love can be both ancient and strikingly current.