Language as Identity in Romeo and Juliet’s Way “The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse; In half an hour she promised to return.” – Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene 5 People say that words are mightier than swords. As I read Romeo and Juliet’s Act II, I can attest that this proposition is indeed true. Most parts of this act happened with a soliloquy of the characters. We heard how Romeo is deeply in love with Juliet and the same way how Juliet is to Romeo. The friar, on the other hand, also used soliloquy to express his sentiments.1 Clearly as it may sound, soliloquy was used as an identity in this second act. William Shakespeare acquaint us with the theme of ‘identity’ in the second act. It is through soliloquy that the audience get to know deeper the characters—their feelings and their roles. In addition, …show more content…
In the second act, Shakespeare broke this ‘identity’ of soliloquy when Romeo overhears Juliet’s soliloquy. This action, moreover, created an impression to the audience on being true to oneself. This suggests that to be true to others, you have to be true to yourself. Thus, you have to know your real identity as a person. On the other hand, the moment when Juliet said: “What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet”, it can be said that Romeo was compared and described with feminine attributes (rose). Also, it is through Juliet’s soliloquy that she expressed her impatience to the nurse when she sent the nurse to ask Romeo about their marriage. This scene implies that it was Juliet who “proposed” the marriage to Romeo—something that a woman in a conventional society does. It then suggests that Juliet resisted the limits set by the society to women like her and followed her ‘identity’ and her individual passion to fully be with her loved one,