Romeo is now alone in the orchard and seeing Juliet at her window, he pays tribute to her beauty through a moving soliloquy:
“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.”
It is clear through Romeo’s soliloquy that the love he feels for Juliet cannot be compared to any love or even any feeling that he has ever experienced before. After he has finished speaking, he hears Juliet start to speak. She repeats his name over and over and laments the fact that he is a Montague, the enemy of her family. Finally, she comes to her senses and tells herself that it is the name only that is the enemy, not Romeo himself, and that without the name Romeo could have all of her love:
“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.”
Here, through Juliet’s monologue, it is clear that Juliet is deeply in love with Romeo to the point where she is willing to denounce her family to be with him. After hearing Juliet speak, Romeo answers saying that he would give up his name for her, expressing his true and utter love, declaring “I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” Naturally, Juliet, having believed she was alone, is startled to hear his voice and is immediately alarmed for his safety, as she knows his fate if any of her kinsmen were to discover him. Romeo, however, is indifferent to the danger – all he cares about is speaking to Juliet. Juliet is then paranoid that Romeo will think her “too quickly won” since she has already expressed her love for him in such a short time.
Romeo then also vows his love for her but then Juliet is concerned that things are moving far too quickly. Juliet’s nurse calls her inside and she leaves Romeo briefly. She quickly returns and bids Romeo goodnight and tells Romeo that she will send a messenger to him tomorrow. She tells him that if he is sincere, he can tell the messenger when and where Juliet can meet him to be married; if he is not sincere she begs him to leave to wallow alone for her lost love. Juliet, after hearing Romeo’s assurances and tender goodnight, retires for the evening. Romeo goes immediately to see his confidant Friar Lawrence and tells him of his good news: he has found true love!
