Most Beautiful Lines from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare: Iconic Quotes, Meaning & Analysis

Table of Contents S ome lines in literature feel less written than overheard. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is full of them. The play is young, reckless, and almost painfully alive, and its most memorable passages still stop readers in their tracks more than four hundred years later. What follows is a selection of the most beautiful and enduring lines, presented with enough context to feel their original force and enough close attention to see why they continue to work. 1. The Balcony Speech: Juliet as the Sun 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. Romeo, Act 2, Scene 2 Romeo has just slipped into the Capulet orchard. He sees Juliet at her window and immediately transforms her into a celestial body. The language is extravagant, almost reckless in its elevation. Calling her the sun does more than praise her beau…