Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Summary
Act 2, Scene 1
Location: Outside Capulet’s orchard
Characters: Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio
Time: Late Sunday night
Events: Romeo goes back to Capulet’s house and Benvolio and Mercutio are looking for him. They are calling out to him and they are joking about Romeo’s love for Rosaline, as they don’t know about Juliet yet. They think he is blind in love and they leave the scene.
‘Blind is his love, and best befits the dark’ – Benvolio
Act 2, Scene 2
Location: Outside Capulet’s Orchard
Characters: Romeo, Juliet, Nurse
Time: Very late Sunday night / early Monday morning
Events: Juliet’s talks to herself about Romeo, unaware that Romeo was listening. Romeo and Juliet talk about their problems and their love. They talk about how it doesn’t matter that they are from different houses and that it can’t stop their love. Nurse calls out to her and she has to go to bed. Romeo asks for her hand in marriage and they decide to get married.
‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet;’ – Juliet
‘O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?’ – Juliet
‘I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far, as that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,’ – Romeo
Act 2, Scene 3
Location: Friar Lawrence’s cell
Characters: Friar Lawrence (Priest), Romeo
Time: Early Monday Morning
Events: Romeo is talking to Friar Lawrence and saying his plans to get married to Juliet. Friar Lawrence says that Romeo has only just got over Rosaline and he moved on quick. Friar Lawrence thinks Romeo only wants to marry her because of her appearance. Friar Lawrence agreed to marry them because he thinks its going to solve the feud between the two families and bring the families together.
‘Two such opposed kings encamp them still, in man as well as herbs, grace and rude will’ – Friar Lawrence
‘Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit, of an old tear that is not washed off yet.’ – Friar Lawrence
Act 2, Scene 4
Location: On a street in Verona
Characters: Mercutio, Benvolio, Romeo, Peter, Nurse
Time: Midday on Monday
Events: Benvolio and Mercutio are joking about Romeo and are talking about how Tybalt’s death threat to Romeo. They see Nurse and Benvolio and Mercutio are insulting her. Nurse asks if Romeo will carry on with the marriage. Nurse plans to pass that information onto Juliet.
‘Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead, stabbed with a white wench’s back eye, run through the ear with a love song, the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow-boy’s butt-shaft; and is he a man to encounter Tybalt.’ – Mercutio
Act 2, Scene 5
Location: Capulet’s house
Characters: Juliet, Nurse, Peter (doesn’t speak)
Time: Midday on Monday (Same time as scene 4, act 2)
Events: Juliet sent away the Nurse to see Juliet to see about the marriage. Nurse procrastinates about telling Juliet and talks about her aching bones and headaches, resulting in Juliet getting very impatient. Eventually, Nurse tells Juliet about the plans.
‘How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath, To say to me that thou art out of breath?’ – Juliet
Act 2, Scene 6
Location: Friar Lawrence’s cell
Characters: Friar Lawrence, Romeo, Juliet
Time: Monday Afternoon
Events: They get married
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