This first quote has Juliet questioning herself, and her decisions. She loves Romeo, she even quotes that to have Romeo banished is as if slaying her whole family. This uncontrollable love for Romeo promotes her realisation that she must pursue, and “deny thy father” - and his wish to marry Paris, as well as hating the Montagues.
“For then I hope thou wilt not keep him long, but send him back”
Juliet expressing her will to see Romeo, although her family are all teething at him for the murder of Tybalt, showing the single mind that she has. With this single mind comes a strong character in Juliet. In the 1500s it would have taken someone very courageous to stand up to their parents like Juliet does; even risking a beating, she stays to her word, and love, for Romeo.
“Speak not, reply not, do not answer me! My fingers itch.”
To a contemporary audience, this treatment of Juliet, by her father, may seem power hungry and unfair. But, in the Shakespearian times an audience viewing this play would have likely been more shocked by Juliet’s behaviour herself. Children were never seen to have any disobedience to parents. They were seen to grow full of self pride and respect; this was then broken down by the parents and older family so the children would grow up ‘properly’. The fact that a daughter is being this disrespectful, and because it is all for love would have furthered the confused and disrespectful emotions for Juliet from the audience.
Feuding, a major theme in: Romeo and Juliet. The obvious examples of this is between the Motagues and Capulets, and between parents and child. But this feuding in the play is fuelled by love. And love in this play can be seen in its three guises. The early attempts from Capulet and his wife to arrange the marriage, between Paris and Juliet, are for a main reason of financial security. This being one of the guises it is well represented.
The physical lust between two people depicted by Romeo and Juliet’s almost immediate kissing on their first meet.
“Let lips do what hands do”
Showing that lust is passionate and uncontrollable, and very much alive between two people.
Romance is the third recognised form of love and is obviously seen throughout any scene involving Romeo and Juliet. One key example is when Romeo has just left the party. He dares to venture back into Capulet’s land, just to see Juliet.
“Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out?”
This way of displaying love has the effect of creating a good image for Romeo in the audience’s head. This sets them up for when he is later banished, and eventually commits suicide. So the shock is greater.
Part of the reason why an audience of Shakespearian generation would have been shocked by Juliet’s character is the way her character was moulded before she actually appeared on stage. From act one scene two, Capulet is talking to Paris about the proposed marriage. In this conversation Juliet is referred to and described several times. She is said to be a “stranger in the world” and that she hasn’t seen ‘fourteen years’. These two quotes prompt the audience to think of Juliet as a dependant girl, without knowledge of the world or maturity. Then Capulet’s conversation leads the audience into thinking that Juliet is just a girl, not a woman. He even goes as far as to say that:
“Too soon marred are those so early made”.
This development of the character before she is met is a great scheming device, as before this conversation, Juliet’s character was like a blank canvas in the minds of the audience. Although, it is slightly harder for the audience of today, the viewers of this play in the 1500s would have known roughly what to expect, from a high society family like the Capulets. Obviously though Juliet is very different to what is early described by Capulet, amongst others. The small quote of Juliet by the Nurse:
“If he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed,” is a quote that has great effect, it is one of the first glimpses we get of the ‘real Juliet’. The fact that she alone is talking about this boy, and completely forgotten Paris shows her own ability to take up an opinion. She has a mind that can think for its self.
The disobedience of Juliet is pivotal to the plot of the play. It is also very significant in how the audience views the characters. The Capulets dialogue with Juliet is littered throughout the play. But, as the play goes on, the language used, deteriorates. When Capulet first mentions Juliet, it is of good hope and love for her: “Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she,”
Lady Capulet then says in a conversation with Juliet and Nurse, that all is well with Juliet. In fact she wants her to become married.
“Tell me daughter Juliet, how stands your dispositions to be married?”
This quote being a question is influential. It shows that L.Capulet values the opinion of her daughter. She is not going to decide for her. Juliet replies to her mother in a similarly respectful way, saying that marriage is “an honour” and she could “dream not of”. Especially not without the help of her parents, as marriage was reserved for top citizens, such as Lady Capulet herself.
The respectful conversation soon breaks down between Juliet and her parents. Capulet is the main culprit of this, as he seemingly loses all respect for the opinions or wishes of his daughter whilst saying to Juliet’s face that she is a “Mistress minion” that would – or will “proud him no prouds”. This extreme change in the relations of the Capulet family is triggered by Juliet’s disobedience. She persistently denies the chance of marriage to Paris, going against the wishes of her parents. The fact that she cannot provide a reason for her wish to not wed is of great concern to her parents. As this is interpreted by them as a lack of respect towards their opinion on Paris, and how Juliet should live. “How, how, how, how, chopt-logic. What is this?” All this conversation between Juliet and her parents is having the effect of disrespect towards Juliet. 1500s audiences would have seen Juliet as a troubled child, and although they can see why she must not marry Paris, respect to a parents decision was far greater a priority.
The conversation between Capulet and Juliet soon worsens. The quote of “I am ever ruled by you” in 4:2 says to Capulet that Juliet has come to her senses and respected the decision made by him and L.Capulet to marry Paris. But the plot goes much further than that. Juliet manipulates her father into thinking that she is now going to marry Paris, having spoken to Friar Lawrence, when in fact she has plotted to fake her death just to be with someone else. The relationship has now completely broken down on Juliet’s side, stooping to bare faced lying so she can get her own way.
Shakespeare builds up the structure of the play in such a way that it is almost dramatic. From the prologue, we are warned that the play takes “The fearful passage of their death-marked love.” But, as soon as the first scene opens, we are faced with humour. The whole incident between the servants to the two houses – about ‘bite my thumb’ – is comical. Making the opening few scenes of the play light hearted and relaxed, especially with the party. Parties are very much the opposite of a tragedy. As we progress through the play the plot thickens, and the light-hearted mood is broken. Shocking the audience with the murder of Mercutio and Tybalt in one scene is an effective device, as the tragedy is seen as even greater by the effect that the comedy had at the beginning. From happy and light hearted, especially having just seen the wedding of Romeo and Juliet, to what is now murder is quite a contrast. Romeo being banished is a painful realisation by the audience that not all goes well in love. And the final deaths of both Romeo and Juliet also deepen the impact on the audience and of the tragedy.
The last speech by the Prince and the prologue compliment each other. They act as brackets to the play, both commenting similar views on what happened. These brackets remind the audience of how things went wrong for the “star-crossed lovers” and sort out the play in the audience’s minds.
The stage direction of Juliet getting down on her knees before her parents is one of very few in the play. Going down onto knees before your elders was seen as a mark of respect and was practised throughout society. As the audience may be swinging in the direction of Capulet’s view (seeing Juliet as a “disobedient wretch”) the stage direction hesitates this. It shows to the audience that Juliet is not all bad. She may seem disobedient, but she has respect for her parents. It prompts the audience to see Juliet as a matured young woman who can make her own decisions in life.
Overall the play offers a very unusual character in Juliet. Throughout the play we can see her rebelliousness to her parents in conversations, and the ambiguity she shows throughout these. This all adds to an effective play that was years ahead of its current audience, in terms of how characters act and behave around each other.
