ROMEO           Then plainly know, my heart’s dear love is set

                        On the fair daughter of rich Capulet;

                        As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine,

                        And all combined, save what thou must combine

                        By holy marriage. When and where and how

                        We met, we wooed, and made exchange of vow,

                        I’ll tell thee as we pass, but this I pray,

                        That thou consent to marry us today. (2.3.57-64)

Another nice pick-up of the Friar’s plain, with plainly, and Romeo finally gets to the point, with that succession of straightforward nouns and adjectives: dear love,  fair daughter, rich Capulet– and, the ultimate point, holy marriage (the holy physic Romeo has teased the Friar with). (Why doesn’t he use Juliet’s name, though? Why rich Capulet? Let’s be charitable again and say, demands of meter.) The chiastic construction (As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine) neatly mirrors what Romeo’s saying: we are already combined as far as we can be without being married, and that’s why we need you. I want to tell you everything – when and where and how– but this is URGENT, so I’ll tell you the rest while we’re walking (presumably to the cell, if they’ve met outside?) We met, we wooed, we made exchange of vow is about as succinct a summary as possible of their relationship so far, but this whole speech is about urgency, driving towards its final line, consent to marry us, and especially the final word: today.