1. Act II, Scene II: In the famous balcony scene, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun and says that her beauty makes the stars "pale their ineffectual fire." He refers to her as "day in night" and "light in darkness," expressing that her presence brings brightness and joy into his life, even amidst the ongoing conflict between their families.
2. Act III, Scene V: When Juliet learns that Romeo has been banished from Verona for killing Tybalt, she laments, "O, break, my heart! Poor bankrupt, break, at once! / Go, you celestial lights, and leave me dark!" In this context, Juliet sees Romeo as the source of her happiness and life ("celestial lights"), and his absence leaves her in a state of despair and darkness.
3. Act IV, Scene I: As dawn approaches, Paris arrives at Juliet's tomb to mourn her death. He says, "Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew, / O woe! Thy canopy is dusk and dew." In this instance, dawn symbolizes the beginning of a new day, but for Paris, it is a day marked by grief and loss.
4. Act V, Scene III: In the final scene of the play, when Romeo and Juliet reunite in the tomb, Romeo says, "Here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes / This vault a feasting presence full of light." Even in death, Juliet's beauty and love for Romeo continue to illuminate the darkness and bring solace to him.
Overall, in Romeo and Juliet, dawn and light are used as symbols of hope, renewal, love's transformative power, and the contrast between joy and sorrow, life and death.