“… will be rul’d
In all respects by me;”
However Juliet has grown and because the relationship between her and her parents is weak, they have not seen her change. After meeting Romeo, she has transformed from a shy and dutiful daughter, to a mature and confident bride, without her parents noticing. When speaking with her mother Juliet must conceal her true feelings for Romeo.
“Indeed, I shall never behold him –dead-“
Juliet’s growth is internal and emotional, she is no longer the respectful and dutiful daughter of Capulet but he still assumes that he can rule her.
Juliet’s love and devotion for Romeo, and hatred towards her parents is shown in Act 3 Scene 5, her disobedience towards her parents is unleashed. Juliet’s parents bring news of the marriage proposal from Paris but Juliet is “not proud” that they have brought news “but thankful” that they have endeavoured to find her a husband. Juliet speaks in riddles because she so confused. Juliet is scared that she will reveal the secret marriage to her parents. Shakespeare is showing that Juliet is still a child at heart. Although she may have matured sexually towards Romeo, she is still scared of confronting parents, this shows limited personal growth. If her parents want Juliet to marry Paris Juliet wants them to “make the bridal bed In that dim monument where Tybalt lies”. This tells the audience that Juliet would rather die than marry somebody other than Romeo. This is devotion for her love and shows that she is rapidly advancing towards adulthood as she feels that by marrying Romeo she has fulfilled her life and is contented. Juliet knows that if the marriage with Paris progresses, she has the “power to die”. Juliet’s only escape from the world is death; it is her only sanctuary, where she will be at ease.
Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses the Nurse to contrast both physically and emotionally with Juliet. Both characters enter the stage during the same scene, Act 1 Scene 3 but they are very different. The Nurse id old, comical, matronly, bawdy and coarse,
“’Yea’, quoth my husband, ‘fall’st upon thy face
Then wilt fall backward when thous com’st to age;”
This comment helps to depict Juliet as an adolescent on the border of womanhood. The nurse is like a mother figure to her she asks the nurse, “What is yond gentleman?”. Juliet is being disobedient to her parents but she knows that she can trust the nurse. When Juliet realises that Romeo is in fact a Montague she is distraught. She knows that she has fallen in love with him and that it is too late, to just forget about him, “Too early seen unknown, and known too late!”
When Juliet realises that her relationship with her parents has concluded, she looks to the Nurse for aid. The nurse is the only person in the play who has seen Juliet’s growth, but even she realises that Juliet must marry Paris.
“I think it best you married with the county.
Oh! He’s a lovely gentleman;
Romeo’s a disclout to him:”
As Romeo is now banished, the Nurse is left as Juliet’s only adult companion. When the Nurse disagrees with her Juliet feels isolated from the adult world. We see her revert to childish behaviour being rude and sarcastic towards the Nurse. Juliet does not think that the Nurse has “comforted” her a lot, Juliet sees the Nurse as a “wicked fiend”. Juliet’s behaviour towards the Nurse is childish, this does not show much growth, but some is shown because Juliet has grown away from the Nurse towards Romeo, which is why Juliet is rude to her. Juliet’s childish behaviour triggered by the Nurse’s undermining remark about Romeo shows that her loyalties now lie with Romeo rather than the Nurse who raised her from birth.
It is at the ball where Juliet meets with Romeo, it is also here where Juliet makes the transaction from obedient child to rebellious young lady. Although she yet does not know that Romeo is a Montague, Juliet is still disobeying her parents by speaking to another man. Not only is she speaking to Romeo but she is being playful with him.
“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrim’s hands do touch.
And palm to palm is holy plamers’ kiss
Juliet knows that Romeo wants to kiss her and she is torn between her parents wish and her own inquisitive nature. Once they kiss for the first time, it is Juliet who initiates the second kiss, “have my lips”. She has now transformed, because earlier in the play Juliet told her parents that she would not go further than liking Paris and now she kissing Romeo. This shows that Juliet has emotionally grown. She has become more assertive and more womanlike.
Act 3 Scene 2 shows Juliet as impatient, this is a new characteristic which represents her growth. She is awaiting Romeo on her wedding night to consummate their marriage.
“Come, gentle night; come, loning, black-brow’d night,
Give me my Romeo;”
Juliet knows that night is the only time when she is left alone from her parents, which is why she wants to close the curtains, to make an artificial night with Romeo away from her family. She wants to “bring in cloudy night immediately” so that her passionate darkness begins earlier. This shows that Juliet is ready to sleep with her husband and wants to spend the whole night with him. On this night Juliet physically becomes a woman, by losing her virginity to Romeo.
After hearing of her cousin Tybalt’s death Juliet’s growth will either be furthered or stunted, as it is this scene where she must decide to either side with her family and retreat to obedience or to side with her husband. Juliet is torn between her “dearest cousin” and her “dearer lord”. In Juliet’s soliloquy Shakespeare uses many oxymorons, symbolising her inner-torment. Juliet compares Romeo to a “dove-feathered raven” meaning that he is a dove on the outside, innocent, but a raven on the inside, evil. Juliet’s confusion, portrayed by the use of oxymorons further reinforces her emotional distress brought on by her constantly changing development. She has declared her love for Romeo, but he has betrayed her by killing Tybalt. Juliet at this precise time has hatred for Romeo. When Juliet feels this anger, she remembers her love for Romeo and she apologises to herself for insulting her husband
“Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?”
Juliet decides that she will further her growth away from her parents towards her husband, taking a plunge towards an independent adult world
Juliet’s growth in terms of her sexual awareness is becoming obvious in Act 2 Scene 2, Juliet matures, as a woman she is demanding commitment from Romeo, “Dost thou love me?” and is taking control and is thinking about marriage. In the beginning of the play, Juliet seemed shy, but now she is confident, “I know thou wilt say ‘Ay”, she is confident that Romeo loves her. The audience can tell that Juliet is changing from an obedient child to a fiery woman. However Juliet feels a sense of foreboding which she is not used to,
“It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
Too like the lighting”,
This is because previously she has always had guidance from her parents and the Nurse and now she is taking control of her emotional and physical needs. Shakespeare is showing her maturity because he tells us that she is prepared to take risks. Juliet has matured sexually because she is pushing Romeo to marry her, “Thy propose marriage, send me word tomorrow, By one that I’ll procure, to come to thee”. This demonstrates further growth from child towards adulthood.
It is also in this scene that Juliet questions her own individuality, she is willing to give up her identity, she would be prepared to
“Deny thy father and refuse thy name
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet”.
She is willing to deny the existence of her parents for Romeo. This is very important in her personal development because it shows that she is no longer dutiful and agreeing to her parents wishes but, denying them. It also represents her love for Romeo which is very strong and she would sacrifice her heritage and identity for him. Not only does this show growth but also irony because later on in the play she does give up her life for Romeo. “I’ll no longer be a Capulet”, indicates that she wants to change her name; indicates that she wants to marry Romeo so that her name does change, to Montague.
Overall I think that during the course of the play, Juliet has grown. She has grown by maturing, emotionally and sexually, she has become a woman. This growth is only seen by Juliet and the nurse. Juliet has also learnt to love, which is shown by her marrying Romeo. She has grown away from her parents, family and the nurse but towards Romeo. She has learnt some new characteristics which have developed her growth; she is disobedient, disrespectful but she is playful and in love. At the beginning of the play Juliet was very obedient towards her parents and childlike but towards the end she has completely transformed. The factors which have made Juliet transform are her parents and Romeo. Her parents made her transform because they treated her as a child, they did not see that Juliet needed to grow. However, probably the biggest factor which made Juliet change was Romeo. It was he who made her into a woman, both physically and emotionally. He made her a bride when she was a child. It was his love for her which made her want to give up her identity and heritage. It was Romeo which made Juliet mature. Juliet has grown to a very large extent throughout the course of the play; she has made the transaction from child to woman, without her parents realising. Juliet’s growth could have been furthered, but it was fate which stopped her, Juliet’s life was written in the stars and her destiny was “death-marked”. It is fate which has forced Juliet to grow to quickly; this is what makes her Shakespeare’s ultimate tragic heroine, an innocent poised on the brink of adulthood.
