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"Night"
Imagery
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 4-7

An explanation of a "close curtain" in myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 2.

Juliet

And bring in cloudy night immediately.
Spread thy close curtain, love-performing "night,"
That runaways’ eyes may wink and Romeo
Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen.

A close curtain is the curtain surrounding a four poster bed, which the occupants can draw closed for privacy. Juliet is calling on the personified night (whom she calls “love-performing,” since most love-making is performed at night) to bring darkness which will hide the two lovers like a close curtain. Who are the runaways whose eyes would just wink at Romeo and Juliet going to bed together? Scholars have yet to come up with a conclusive theory about to whom Shakespeare was referring.