Act 3 Scene 2

Juliet is alone and through her soliloquy it is clear that she is impatiently waiting for the night which will bring Romeo to her. She is unaware of the events that have just unfolded in the street. Juliet’s Nurse arrives and brings with her the news of Tybalt’s death. The Nurse takes a long time to relay the news that for a moment she believes that it is Romeo who has died. Finally, she is made aware that it is Tybalt who has been killed at the hands of Romeo and that her now husband has been banished – “Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banished. Romeo that killed him – he is banished.” Through the repetition of the word “banished,” it is clear that such a sentence is permanent, and it will have enduring consequences for Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. Despite this significant change in circumstances, the Nurse promises Juliet that Romeo will still be with her on her wedding night and leaves to talk to him at Friar Lawrence’s cell, taking a ring of Juliet’s as a token of faith.