Romeo and Juliet fall in love with each other as soon as they meet
“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright” (Romeo about Juliet)
At first Juliet resists Romeo’s advances “good pilgrim you do wrong your hand too much” but it doesn’t take long before she realises how much she likes him and they kiss. As she is no longer chaste she is almost forced to marry him or tell everyone what happened, which would result in her being disowned by her family. This is the first step of Juliet beginning to mature.
Romeo is head over heels in love with Juliet.
“It is my lady, O it is my love”
This is taken from a speech Romeo gives to Juliet. He compares her to an angel “a winged messenger from heaven” he would even be baptised in a different name, just so he could be with her “call me but love and I’ll be new baptised” this shows how deeply in love he is with her, yet is not allowed to see her. This is another stage in Juliet’s development, as she realises they are not allowed to be together, so begins to find ways round this. The nurse does Juliet favours by not telling Lord & Lady Capulet that Juliet is secretly seeing Romeo
Juliet wants Romeo to prove he loves her
“If that thy bent of love be honourable”
This could have various meanings but it seems she wants him to be honourable by her and prove he loves her by marrying her; something forbidden by her parents and also by his.
The Friar is unsure whether to marry Romeo and Juliet because he thinks Romeo still loves Rosaline
“Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken.”
The Friar is trying to make peace between the families. He knows they are feuding so he thinks by marrying Romeo and Juliet, he could achieve peace. By asking Romeo if he still loves Rosaline he is making sure he is doing the right thing. He is playing “god” with two lives
Romeo killing Tybalt had a huge, negative impact on Juliet
She had just gotten married, in secret, when Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight. Romeo was now related to Tybalt, therefore for his wife’s sake he didn’t want to fight. However Tybalt persists and ends up getting killed by Romeo. This is punished by the Prince who banishes Romeo. This means Juliet and Romeo will never see each other again. Juliet weeps, and cry’s but her father mistakes the tears as tears of grief for Tybalt.
This also forces Juliet to grow up and she has a conversation with the nurse, who is also grieving for Tybalt.
“Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin”
Juliet responds “shall I speak ill of him that is my Husband”
This makes Juliet think about what to do next.
Lord & Lady Capulet wish for Juliet to marry Paris
“Marry my child, early next Thursday morn”
Of course Lord and Lady Capulet don’t know about Juliet already being married to Romeo, so they see no problem in Juliet getting married. When she refuses her father goes into a wild rage and disowns her telling her she either marries Paris or leaves his household.
But Juliet undergoes one of the most significant changes when the nurse leaves her and sides with her parents on the issue of marriage. The nurse says
“I think its best you married with the county” (Paris)
This is the first time Juliet has been truly alone. Previously the nurse had been with her, for her whole life. Now her best and only real friend was gone and she was alone. This forced her to grow up and start thinking of the consequences of her actions.
Elements of “Fate” are evident within this play
The fact Romeo and Juliet are referred to as “star crossed lovers” is one example of fate, however there are many more examples: The fact they are not allowed to see each other would naturally make them want to be together even more, therefore it is ironical that something described so many times as “true love” was never meant to be.
The biggest change Juliet undergoes is when she loses Romeo.
She went to amazing lengths so they could be together but in the end it was never meant to be. There is nothing in this world Juliet wanted more than to be with Romeo, however fate conspired against her and she was forced to “fake her own death” in a last-ditch attempt to be with him.
“Be not so long to speak, I long to die, if what thou speak’st speak not of a remedy”
Meaning if the friar didn’t have a cure, she would rather be dead than to be without Romeo.
“O bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, from off the battlements of any tower”
Also there are many elements of irony in the play
“Or hide me nightly in a charnel house”
Is ironic because she would rather end up there than marry Paris; however that is exactly where she ends up, without Romeo.
Shakespeare wrote this play for a reason. He wanted to give everyone a message about love and life; no matter how much you want something, no matter how passionate you feel about something, no matter how much desire you have for something, it can be taken away from you in an instant.
