Final answer:
The rising action in Act II of 'Romeo and Juliet' develops the central conflict as the two lovers cannot escape their families' feud and contains the famous balcony scene, where they pledge their love.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rising action in Act II of Romeo and Juliet develops the conflict at the heart of the drama. As Romeo and Juliet fall deeply in love, they cannot hide from the reality of their families' ongoing feud. This act contains one of the most iconic scenes in literature—the balcony scene. Here, the star-crossed lovers pledge their love to one another, a love that ultimately defies their families' animosity.
As the rising action unfolds, it involves various key actions such as Romeo and Juliet enlisting the Nurse's help, their secret marriage, plans to escape Verona, and Juliet's decision to take a sleeping potion—all constituting steps that escalate the central conflict and lead the audience toward the climax. The climax occurs when Juliet is in the tomb, presumably dead, and Romeo, unaware of her deception, takes his life. Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead and, in turn, ends her own life.
This sequence of events leads into the falling action, where the Friar and both families discover the tragic outcome too late, and the moral resolution that hate begets only tragedy.