YEARS: 7–8, 9–10
Romeo and Juliet Act 3.2 1–31
Have you ever waited for someone with such anticipation that you felt you might burst?
That's exactly the feeling experienced by Juliet, played by Miranda Tapsell of Bell Shakespeare, in this soliloquy as she calls on night to arrive and bring her new husband.
Shakespeare's masterful use of dramatic irony puts the audience in agony as we look on, knowing full well that her true love is in big trouble.
Things to think about
- 1.Have you ever watched a film or television show where you, as the audience, know something that the character on screen doesn't know yet? How does that make you feel as you watch? Why do you think writers of these shows choose to put audiences in this position?
- 2.In Greek mythology, Phoebus' 'fiery-footed steeds' pull the sun across the sky towards his 'lodging'. Why is Juliet waiting impatiently for night to come? How does Juliet both liken and contrast Romeo with night? Find three quotes that suggest Juliet's love for Romeo. Why will all the world 'be in love with night'? Describe Juliet's state of mind in this soliloquy.
- 3.
What reasons can you give as to why Juliet wants to be shrouded in night's 'black mantle' for her visit from Romeo? What does this soliloquy tell you about her character? The audience already knows Romeo has killed Tybalt. How does this soliloquy make the audience feel? Knowing this, what other symbolic meaning does the audience gain from the imagery of darkness?
- 4.
Compare the use of the imagery of light and shadow in this scene with Act 2.2. Who was the source of light in Act 2.2? Who is the source of light here? What might this suggest? Darkness becomes a motif for Romeo and Juliet's relationship throughout the play. What does their affinity with the darkness suggest about their love?
Teachers
Visit Bell Shakespeare's website
Discover programs, workshops and more performances at one of Australia's great theatre companies.
Download a PDF with the full synopsis for each play.
Full plot summaries of Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet.
Acknowledgements
Created by ABC Splash in collaboration with Bell Shakespeare.
Production Date: 2014
Copyright
Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).