O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father refuse thy name, thou art thyself thou not a montegue, what is montegue? tis nor hand nor foot nor any other part belonging to a man What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, So Romeo would were he not Romeo called retain such dear perfection to which he owes without that title, Romeo, Doth thy name! And for that name which is no part of thee, take all thyself.

Summary

In this quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Juliet laments Romeo's name as a barrier to their love, asking why he had to be born a Montague, a name associated with her family's enemies. She argues that a name is inconsequential as it does not define one's true identity, using the example that a rose would still have its delightful fragrance regardless of the name it is given. Juliet suggests that Romeo should abandon his name, as it is not a true reflection of who he is, and she asks him to give himself entirely to her rather than being bound by his name.

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