The love Romeo feels for Juliet is still extremely superficial, as he has only fallen in love with Juliet’s looks. Romeo speaks confidently on things he has little or no experience of, “ Her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing, and think it were not night,” But his use of romantic language and flattery conveys true love. We see a change in his character as the scene progresses as his speech quickly becomes simpler and the lines are shorter, portraying that he is learning to speak of his true feelings for her. “"It is my lady. O it is my love! O that she knew she were!” He even ends up speaking prophetically, “ My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued wanting of thy love.” He confesses that he would rather die knowing that Juliet loves him, than live and to never have known her love at all.
The lovers' whole situation though is fraught with danger. This is illustrated by the fear that Romeo may be caught by one of Capulet's guards and could be killed. Love compels him to sneak into the garden of his enemy's daughter, risking death simply to catch a glimpse of her; but this love compels him to act immaturely, as he is unconcerned with the danger that faces him, “ therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.” He also shows devotion towards Juliet as he is wiling to change his own name to be with her, “ Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptiz’d; henceforth I never will be Romeo.”
In Act 2, scene 2, Juliet struggle between the need for caution and an overpowering desire to be with Romeo.I feel Juliet appears very mature considering the difficult situation she found herself in, and although she wants to be with Romeo 'Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?, she shows her strong character when she tells him to leave. She choose his safety over her desires.
'What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face,' Referring to that if Romeo was not a Montague the family wouldn't object to them being together. Juliet shows how forward she is in this scene as well by asking Romeo whether he loved her. I believe she does this because she feels anxious. Romeo seems to have genuine feelings for her, but she can’t be sure, as he overheard her declaration, and may be taking advantage of this. Juliet needs proof that his feelings are real, “ If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.” She is also wary about the fact that Romeo’s life is in grave danger, and constantly warns him of this, “ If they do see thee, they will murder thee.” The proposal of marriage is the final way to be sure that the feelings Juliet possess for Romeo are reciprocated. “ Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow.” This is so significant because it was a very odd thing for a woman to do in Elizabethan times.
The first time we see a difference in the character of Romeo is in Act 3, scene 1, just after the marriage of Juliet and himself. Tybalt turns up looking for a fight, but Romeo turns him down because of his love for Juliet, and even states that he loves Tybalt, proving that he has reached a level of maturity, and isn’t acting impulsively. “ And so good Capulet – which name I tender as dearly as mine own – be satisfied,” But anger compels him to eventually kill his wife's cousin in a reckless duel to avenge the death of his friend Mercutio.
In Act 3, scene 3, after hearing that he is to be exiled, Romeo acts with customary drama: he is grief-stricken and overcome by his passion. He collapses on the floor. Romeo refuses to listen to reason and threatens to kill himself. “Hadst thou no poison mix'd, no sharp-ground knife?” Juliet, on the other hand, displays significant progress in her development from the simple, innocent girl of the first act to the brave, mature, and loyal woman of the play's conclusion.
In Act 3, scene 5, the morning after Juliet and Romeo spend their first night together, Juliet tries to deter Romeo from leaving her, and fails to see the danger that Romeo still faces “ Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day.” This sudden change in character I feel might be down to the increasing love that Juliet now feels for Romeo after they have spent the night together, and have become so much closer to one another. Their relationship has become mature and more passionate, this reflects in Juliet’s love, but already this increased affection has led to clouded decisions, and Juliet is becoming increasingly blinded by love.
Romeo on the other hand, unclouded by his affections, realises the dangerous situation he has found himself in, “ I must be gone and live, or stay and die,” and knows that if they are to be together he must leave to ensure his safety. This is in contrast with his previous behaviour in Act 2, Scene2 where he acts foolishly, and it appears that the night with Juliet has matured him.
We also see this impulsive side of Juliet when she is informed that she is to marry Paris in Act 4, scene 1. Juliet is willing to go to any extreme to stop the wedding taking place, and is so distraught that she even considers to kill herself, if the friar is unable to help her, “ If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help. Do thou but call my resolution wise, and with this knife I’ll help it presently.”
She even goes as far to say that she would rather “ Hide me nightly in a charnel house,” or “O’er-cover’d quite with dead men’s rattling bones.” These are not the words of someone who has thought about what to do, but of someone who is only acting on impulse.
Romeo’s character takes a dramatic turn for the worse when being told of the death of Juliet in Act 5, scene 1. Romeo is now completely thinking with his heart, and no longer with his head, “ Well Juliet, I will lie with thee to-night.” He visits an Apothecary and is certain that he wants a poison that will “ Disperse itself through all the veins that the life-weary taker may fall dead.” Despair compels him to commit suicide upon hearing of Juliet's death.
In the last scene of Act 5, scene 3, we see the ultimate sacrifices of Romeo and Juliet’s life for one another. Romeo’s love for Juliet is so strong that he would rather die than live without her, and being so consumed with sadness all logic thought leaves him as he rushes straight in to end his own life, “ Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” Juliet acts in very much the same way, when she finds Romeo’s body. She is so overwhelmed with grief at finding her dead lover, and like Romeo she acts quickly to end her life. “ This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me lie.”
In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet were both very passionate people, and were deeply in love, so in love that they would rather die than continue their lives without each other. The love Juliet shares with Romeo is far deeper, more authentic and unique than the clichéd puppy love Romeo felt for Rosaline at the start of the play. Romeo's love matures over the course of the play, from the shallow desire to be in love, to a profound and intense passion, a passion that leads them both to act foolishly and think irrationally on occasions, following their hearts desires rather than their head.
Had Romeo restrained himself from killing Tybalt, or waited even one day before killing himself after hearing the news of Juliet's death, matters might have ended happily.
But I believe they were never destined to have a happy ending. There were too many obstacles facing the “star-crossed” lovers to ever have enabled them to have a future together. Maybe death was the best option. Maybe in the death they could both finally be together.
Their tragic end may have re-united both the Montague, and the Capulet families, but at the cost of their most beloved children. Romeo and Juliet.
