Shakespeare: From the Balcony Scene

Shakespeare: From the Balcony Scene
Resource Page for Activity
Thought Balloons, or
Why Are We Stopping Here?
Act II, Sc ii, 54–81
Enter Romeo.
Juliet appears above at a window.
Juliet
What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
Romeo
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
Juliet
My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue’s utterance, yet I know the
sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
Romeo
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.
Juliet
How camest thou hither, tell me, and
wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
Enter Romeo.
Juliet appears above at a window.
Juliet
What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
Romeo
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
Juliet
My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue’s utterance, yet I know the
sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
Romeo
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.
Juliet
How camest thou hither, tell me, and
wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
Act II, Sc ii, 1–60
Enter Romeo.
Juliet appears above at a window.
Romeo
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
But, soft! what light through yonder window
breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, ‘tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those
stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not
night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
Juliet
Ay me!
Romeo
She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o’er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
Juliet
Romeo
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
Romeo
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
Juliet
‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
Juliet
What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
Romeo
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
Thinking in Song:
From the Barbier/Carré Libretto
Resource Page for Activity
Thought Balloons, or
Why Are We Stopping Here?
French/English Comparison
ROMÉO
ROMÉO
L’amour, l’amour! Oui, son ardeur
A troublé tout mon être!
(a light appears in Juliette’s window)
Mais quelle soudaine clarté
Resplendit à cette fenêtre?
C’est là que dans la nuit
Rayonne sa beauté!
Ah! lève-toi, soleil! Fait pâlir les étoiles
Qui, dans l’azur sans voiles,
Brillent au firmament.
Ah! lève-toi! Ah! lève-toi!
Parais! Parais!
Astre pur et charmant!
Elle rêve, elle dénoue
Une boucle de cheveux
Qui vient caresser sa joue.
Amour! Amour! porte-lui mes voeux!
Elle parle! Qu’elle est belle!
Ah! Je n’ai rien entendu!
Mais ses yeux parlent pour elle!
Et mon coeur a répondu!
Ah! lève-toi, soleil! fais pâlir ..etc.
...viens, parais!
Love, love! yes, its ardor
Has troubled all of my being!
But, what sudden light
Dazzles at that window?
It is there that in the night
Radiates her beauty!
Ah! rise, sun! Make pale the stars
Which, in the azure, without veils,
Glitter in the firmament.
Ah, arise! Ah, arise!
Appear! Appear!
Star—pure and charming!
She is dreaming, she unties
A lock of hair
Which comes to caresse her cheek.
Love! Love! carry to her my vows!
She speaks! How beautiful she is!
Ah! I heard nothing!
But her eyes speak for her!
And my heart has responded!
Ah! arise, sun! make pale, etc.
..come, appear!
JULIETTE
Hélas! moi, le haïr!
Haine aveugle et barbare!
O Roméo, pourquoi ce nom est-il le tien?
Abjure-le, ce nom fatal qui nous sépare,
Ou j’abjure le mien.
JULIETTE
Alas! I? to hate him??
Hatred – blind and barbarous!
O, Roméo, why is this name yours?
Deny it, this fatal name which separates us,
Or I will abjure mine.
ROMÉO (advancing)
Est-il vrai? L’as-tu dit?
Ah! dissipe le doute
D’un coeur trop heureux!
Is it true? Did you say it?
Ah! dissipate the doubt
In a heart (which is) too happy!
JULIETTE
Qui m’écoute et surprends mes secrets
Dans l’ombre de la nuit?
JULIETTE
Who listens to me and surprises my secrets
In the shadow of the night?
ROMÉO
Je n’ose, en me nommant,
Te dire qui je suis!
ROMÉO
I dare not, in naming myself
Tell you who I am!