Hello and welcome to "Read it and (Don't) Weep," the podcast that will help you breeze through your high school literature classes. Are you tired of struggling to understand the themes and characters in classic works of literature? Well, I’ve got you covered! I am your host, Jackey Taggart, and I taught high school English for almost 20 years. 

Join me each episode as I dive into the world of high school literature and break down the essential elements of each work. From Shakespeare to Steinbeck, I'll cover it all. My goal is to give you valuable insights and analysis on some of the most popular high school literary texts, as well as tips and tricks for acing your tests and essays.  Let’s start reading!

Welcome back!  In this episode, we will discuss Act 2, Scene 5 and 6 in Romeo and Juliet which will bring us to the end of Act 2.  These are both very short scenes, but both are also very important. If you have not yet read up to this point in the play, it would be a good idea to get caught up with your reading and listen to my other episodes before continuing.

Act 2, Scene 5

Let’s get started.  In Act 2, Scene 5, Juliet is anxiously waiting in the orchard for the Nurse's return. She's growing impatient, noting that the Nurse is taking longer than promised. Juliet delivers a soliloquy, reflecting on the differences between youth and age, highlighting her impatience. In her soliloquy, she expresses her anxiousness to hear news from Romeo and is frustrated by the Nurse's delay. Her soliloquy contrasts the swiftness of young love in the lines  - “Had she affections and warm, youthful blood, / She would be as swift in motion as a ball;” with the slow pace of the elderly in the lines – “”But old folks, many feign as they were dead; / Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.”

When the Nurse finally arrives, she's moving slowly and appears weary. Juliet eagerly asks about Romeo's message. The Nurse, however, delays the news, complaining of exhaustion and aching feet. Juliet persists, urging the Nurse to reveal the news. The Nurse teases Juliet about her affection for Romeo, commenting on his good looks and character – “Your love says, like an honest gentleman, and a / courteous, and a kind,  and a handsome, and I warrant, / A virtuous – Where is your mother?” This makes Juliet crazy saying, “What do you mean where is my mother? Please just tell me what Romeo said?” Quick side note, the Nurse is not really tired.  She is teasing Juliet.  This shows the close relationship Juliet has with the Nurse, unlike her relationship with her mother, which is distant and respectful. This scene also provides a bit of comic relief and lighthearted banter for the audience.  

The Nurse eventually reveals that Juliet should ask her parents to let her go to church for confession, but instead, Juliet will go to Friar Lawrence's cell, where Romeo will be waiting to marry her. The scene concludes with the Nurse mentioning a rope ladder, which Romeo's servants will bring so Romeo can climb up to her room for their wedding night.

Act 2, Scene 6

Moving on to Act 2, scene 6, this scene is brief but also important. Friar Lawrence greets a very happy Romeo, who eagerly waits for Juliet's arrival. Friar Lawrence again cautions Romeo, advising him to go slowly in love saying, "These violent delights have violent ends." Basically, Friar Lawrence is telling Romeo that sometimes when feelings are really strong, things can change quickly and not always for the better. Essentially, he is suggesting that extreme emotions, like love, sorrow, hatred, fear, do not last forever and can also lead to unintended outcomes.  Friar Lawrence wants Romeo to remain calm and use restraint in his feelings and actions.  Based on what we know of Romeo, this is not in his character.  He is impulsive and reactive, which foreshadows the climax of the play in Act 3. 

But Romeo is distracted from Friar Lawrence’s cautions because Juliet arrives.  Friar Lawrence leads them into his cell, where he marries them. This scene marks the conclusion of Act 2 and represents the last happy moment in the play, as Act 3 will bring about the reversal of fortune for our protagonists. 

Before I end this episode, I want you to think about Juillet for just a moment.  Is she committing an act of betrayal by marrying Romeo, or do you think her actions justified? Take a few minutes to jot your ideas down in your reading journal.  You may want to include specific details from the text to support your response.

And that concludes Act 2 in Romeo and Juliet.  Our rising action is coming to a climactic conclusion, and our protagonists’ good fortune is about to take a turn for the worse. 

Thanks for listening to this episode of Read it and (Don’t) Weep. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you will be notified when new episodes are released. If you liked today’s show, please leave a review so others can discover my show.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, drop me an email at readitanddontweep@gmail.com, or reach out to me on social media. I would love to hear from you. The links are in the show notes.  

Thank you for listening.  I am Jackey Taggart and remember to Read It and Don’t Weep. 

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