Romeo and Juliet

[Jeri Lynn]

Can anyone tell me which speech is the most referred to in Romeo and Juliet?

Thanks!

[PirateLover]

I would think it would be the balcony scene... you have Romeo coming in with "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!"
And then you have Juliet responding with the classic "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name." etc etc.

[ibrowse17]

"Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find a grave man..." I always liked Mercuito's death scene:thumbsup:

[J9]

I would think it would be the balcony scene... you have Romeo coming in with "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!"
And then you have Juliet responding with the classic "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name." etc etc.

I completely agree. I think that's the same scene where they say "Parting is such sweet sorrow" too! Honestly, I can't think of any other famous quotes from R&J that didn't come from the balcony scene! hahaha

[TheMartellFamily]

This is how it ened. For never was a story of more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

[MushuMulan]

"Or bid me go into a new-made grave,
And hide me with a dead man in his shroud -
Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble -
And I will do it without fear or doubt,
To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love."

Although I also think the balcony scene is equally as important, it's filled with eloquent (if not a little overdone) dialogue. I remember once that I had to memorize Romeo's part in the balcony scene for a school project. It was probably one of the hardest things I've had to memorize, but oddly, I've never forgotten it.

[crazypoohbear]

I was thinking it would be the
Romeo Romeo where for art thou, deny thy father and refuse thy name etc.
then I thought maybe it's "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But, I dont even know if this is from Romeo and Juliet?!!

[DisneyOtaku]

I was thinking it would be the
Romeo Romeo where for art thou, deny thy father and refuse thy name etc.
then I thought maybe it's "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But, I dont even know if this is from Romeo and Juliet?!!


Yes, that part is from Romeo and Juliet :thumbsup:

And the balcony scene is what most people remember from the play.

[Gooftroop5]

I would have to agree with the majority op its the balcony scene. That is the only one that I remember from AP English. I had to do more with Hamlet. I know more to the lines in that one.

[poeticeclipse]

Coming from someone who LOVES Romeo and Juliet... I would most defintiely say that the most well know part would be the balcony scene.

If anyone out there has never read it... please do. I also suggest the movie with Leonardo Dicaprio in it. I've seen the older versions and I don't care for them as much.

[Ian]

Definitely would have to be the balcony scene, I think ...

[Rhetoric2000]

If you're talking about the most well known in poular culture then it would certainly be "Romeo, Romeo" within the balcony scene.

However from a literary point of view the most frequently studied speech would probably be "Gallop apace you fiery footed steeds to Phoebus lodging" - it occerus later in the play and is considerably more dramatically complex that the more famous scene (which consists of beatuiful peotry but is decidedly one-note in tone), as Juliet's character contradicts and changes within the speech itself and is the climax of her child/adult contrast as she displays elements of both the passionate lover and the petulant child.

Aside from the romance the most frequently performed speech for auditions, showcases and the like is probably Mercutio's Queen Mab speech which really can be analysed alone without recourse to the rest of the play: it is a Fantastic journey through the imagination of a frustrated and angry mind which has animated its thoughts as characters.

For an amazing, easily read book which explores how to study Shakespeare speeches (Primarily for the performer, but also the literary student) may I suggest you get "Shakespeare's advice to the players" by Peter Hall.

[Jeri Lynn]

Thanks everyone, I've been helping my HS freshman son prepare for his final exam!

[crazypoohbear]

Good Luck with the finals.
We just had to suffer through Hamlet with my DS. Finally finished that up he ended up with a 76 but that was a good grade!
I had posted on here looking for help, we did spark notes, cliff notes, shakespeare made easy etc.
turns out at his Graduation party my friend tells me that her husband... The biker/ truck driver is a HUGE shakespeare buff, even drove from MA to NYC for the day to see Hamlet last month on broadway (he and his son apparently love shakespeare)
I almost fell over. I never even thought of asking him for help, turns out he lives for shakespeare. Go figure a HD riding, beer drinking, cigar smoking truck driver who loves the classics?!!