Explain Juliet’s monologue about the importance of names.

Juliet is trying to find justification in dating a Montague: the sworn enemy of her family. Juliet questions what really a name means anyway. One could call a rose a skunk yet the rose smells just as sweet. Juliet is trying to say Romeo is wonderful no matter what last name he has.

JULIET

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.