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Year 8 · English · Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet · Lesson 3

The balcony scene

The balcony scene: Romeo's sun metaphor, ‘wherefore art thou Romeo’, names and the feud, the secret marriage plan, and the Friar's warnings.

Whiteboard video lesson: The balcony scene

22-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Analyse the sun metaphor
  • Explain ‘wherefore art thou Romeo?’
  • Explain Juliet's argument about names
  • Identify foreshadowing
  • Understand iambic pentameter

The method

  1. Translate old words (wherefore = why, thou = you, thy = your).
  2. Identify the technique (metaphor, oxymoron, soliloquy, foreshadowing).
  3. Explain what it shows about love or danger.
  4. Link to fate and the tragic ending.

Key words: metaphor, soliloquy, oxymoron, foreshadowing, iambic pentameter, wherefore.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

Where is Juliet when Romeo sees her in this scene?

  1. Step 1: At her window / on her balcony

Answer: At her window (on the balcony)

Question 2

Why is Romeo in danger in the Capulets' orchard?

  1. Step 1: He's a Montague on Capulet land
  2. Step 2: If caught, he could be killed

Answer: He's a Montague on enemy land and could be killed

Question 3

What does ‘But, soft!’ mean?

  1. Step 1: ‘Wait, quiet!’

Answer: Wait, be quiet!