Romeo and Juliet: Act 3, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

Juliet, in her chambers, begs night to fall so that Romeo can at last “leap” into her arms and perform the “amorous rites” of love. Juliet is excited to sleep with Romeo so that they can both cast off their “stainless maidenhoods.” She wants Romeo—her “day in night”—to come to her on the “wings of night.” She predicts that when she “die[s],” the constellations will cut Romeo’s face into stars, arrange themselves in his image, and cause the whole world to fall in love with night while scorning the “garish sun.” The day has grown terribly tedious as she waits, like an “impatient child,” to wear her “new robes” and possess the “mansion of a love” she has recently bought. 

The nurse enters with Romeo’s rope ladder, and Juliet asks if she brings any news. The nurse calls out mournfully, “He’s dead, he’s dead,” and Juliet of course believes she is speaking of Romeo. When Juliet asks if Romeo has died, the nurse will not answer, and continues talking about the bloody corpse she has just seen lying in the street. Juliet believes that Romeo is dead—but the nurse calls out that it is Tybalt who has died, while Romeo is banished for Tybalt’s murder. Juliet, horrified that Romeo would kill one of her kinsmen, laments angrily “that deceit should dwell in such a gorgeous palace.” The nurse agrees with her and states that all men are wicked liars, then wishes aloud for great shame to come to Romeo. Juliet instantly chides her nurse for speaking ill of Romeo.

The nurse points out that Romeo did kill Juliet’s cousin. Juliet wrestles with the emotional and moral conundrum before her—Tybalt, she says, would have killed Romeo had Romeo not killed him first. She admits she is happy that Romeo is alive, but quickly grows anxious as she realizes that being banished from Verona is as good as being dead. Juliet asks where her parents are, and her nurse tells her they are crying over Tybalt’s body. Juliet says she refuses to cry for Tybalt—her tears must only be for Romeo, who has condemned her to “die maiden-widowèd.” The nurse, seeing Juliet’s pain, says she’ll go out to find Romeo and bring him back to Juliet so that she may be comforted. Juliet begs her nurse to make haste.