In this instance Juliet says Romeo has taken all her sin and she wants it back. This is the first real introduction to see how Shakespeare changes Juliet’s character in the name of love. She changes from a shy, coy young girl to a witty and romantic girl.
This paragraph is essential in showing Juliet’s love, passion, level headiness and independence. In Act 2 Scene 2 we know Juliet has fallen completely in love with Romeo. There are many ways in which Shakespeare shows us how Juliet has changed since falling in love. One example of this is in Act 2 Scene 2:
Deny the father, and refuse thy name.
Act 2 Scene 2 L34
Shakespeare shows us how serious and in love with Romeo, Juliet really is. He shows us that Juliet would be willing to leave her family to be with Romeo. A vast change, from the Juliet, that use to be a very obedient girl who relied upon her family. At the beginning of the play before meeting Romeo, Juliet was a reserved girl but we see in this scene she has changed, to a passionate, open-hearted woman. We can see this in Act 2 Scene 2, where she says:
Of, if thou wilt,swear by the gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I’ll believe thee.
Act 2 Scene 2 L113-115
This shows that Juliet is trying to win Romeo’s heart by showing her own. She is wearing her heart on her sleeve.
Another example of Juliet’s personality change is shown she compares the love she and Romeo have to a flower, which develops more and more. We can see this in Act 2 Scene 2 where she says:
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath
Act 2 Scene 2 L121
This is an example of Juliet’s personality change because in Act 1, Romeo was the only one to use extended metaphors but now Juliet has started to use them. Here Juliet herself is developing more and more because she is using her own wit to describe her love for Romeo. This shows a more mature Juliet. An additional character change demonstrates by how level headed and independent Juliet has become. After Romeo has proposed to Juliet she says:
It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden
Act 2 Scene 2 L118
By now Juliet has become a woman who now thinks carefully about the decisions she has to make and thinks about the consequences of her actions rather than allowing somebody else to make her decisions for her. She now has a new-found independence; she has found love. In Scene 2 Juliet has still not lost all of her previous character qualities, for example she is still quite insecure.
This insecurity is evident when Juliet says,
“If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.”
Act 2 Scene 2 L94
which illustrates Juliet’s lack of confidence in Romeo’s love for her. She needs to be able to trust him but does not have total trust at this stage in their relationship.
By Scene 5 Shakespeare has transformed Juliet from a patient girl to an impatient lover as she anxiously waits to hear Romeo’s plans of marriage from the Nurse. As she waits the time drags and these words betray her impatience:
Is three long hours, yet she is not come.
Act 2 Scene 5 L11
Juliet also uses personification in this scene. The personification she uses reflects her sexual desire. We also see Juliet become more ill-mannered towards the nurse. We see this when she is waiting for the nurse’s return, when Juliet impatiently exclaims:
“O, she is lame!”
Act 2 Scene 5 L4
Juliet is portrayed in this scene as a thwarted girl, who still carries her childish immaturities:
Had she affections, and warm youthful blood,
She would be as swift in motion as a ball:
Act 2 Scene 5 L12
This quote shows Juliet’s immaturity in the form of selfishness. So engulfed is she in this relationship she thinks about no-one else’s feelings, except her own, thus she takes all her emotional problems out on the nurse.
Here also, Shakespeare introduces a pun, shared by Juliet and her Nurse in Act 2 Scene 5, lines 45-52, on the sounds “ay”, “I” and “eye”. This adds to the confusion and eventually Julet relies on the nurse to explain things clearly:
In Act 3 Scene 2 we see Juliet as a very anxious, confused and besotted girl. Shakespeare presents Juliet in this condition:
Can heaven be so envious?
Act 3 Scene 2 L40
The question serves to illustrate Juliet’s concern that heaven has been spiteful and taken away her Romeo. Shakespeare introduces a confused Juliet. After the news of Tybalt’s death she doesn’t know what to think. Her first reaction is to use emotive language, as in Act 3 Scene 2:
Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical
Act 3 Scene 2 L75
This is when Juliet has discovered her cousin Tybalt has been killed by her love, Romeo. She is overcome by anger towards Romeo but her love for Romeo still surmounts her as well. In this paragraph Shakespeare suggests that Juliet has transformed from a young girl who does not think for herself to a woman of character and depth. As the following quote from Act 3 Scene 2 demonstrates:
O, find him! Give this ring to my true knight.
And bid him come to take his last farewell.
Act 3 Scene 2 L141-142
This is at the end of Act 3 Scene 2 where Juliet apologises to Romeo for doubting him and tries to justify his actions to herself. She concludes that Tybalt would most probably have killed Romeo, if given the chance, so it was better that Romeo struck first. By now Shakespeare has changed Juliet from a young girl, to a woman of grace and one who is able to forgive. He has made her a woman of depth who can think beyond the emotional problems she is faced with. In this scene Shakespeare uses the technique of personification. A good example is: “Come, night” – Act 3 Scene 2 L17. Juliet speaks to the night as a person: this allows Shakespeare to show her impatience for Romeo’s return. She tells the night to hurry-up which is a command; an order and suggests that her love for Romeo is driving her impulses. Shakespeare uses imperatives to show Juliet’s impatience:
Ah me! what news? Why dost thou wring thy hands?
This example shows the way in which Shakespeare uses imperatives to show Juliet’s impatience because the first thing Juliet demands is what news and the second thing is another question. The use of the exclamation mark heightens Juliet’s impatience.
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This last paragraph shows Juliet make the decision to break away from her family. In this scene Juliet changes completely. By working independently to resolve her problems, she alienates herself. Shakespeare changes her from a dutiful shy girl to a no longer placid or obedient and subservient woman. In Act 3 Scene 5, Juliet asks her mother to delay her marriage to Paris, but her mother just brushes her off and leaves. So Juliet then turns to the Nurse. Unfortunately for Juliet her close friend the Nurse tells Juliet to forget about Romeo and marry Paris. At first Juliet can’t believe what the Nurse says. She asks her to “Speak’st thou from thy heart” Act 3 Scene 5 L227. When the Nurse replies”yes” Juliet withdraws into herself. Juliet becomes rebellious. After the nurse leaves Juliet says what she really means. She curse the nurse for what she said and declares that their close relationship is over. “Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain” Act 3 Scene 5 L239. Juliet says the Nurse won’t be her confidant any more. She decides she has to leave her family to get what the really wants from life.
From Act 1 Scene 3 to Act 3 Scene 5 we can see the transformation of Juliet from a somewhat immature subservient and obedient young girl to a more confident, assertive, mature, witty and romantic young woman. Such change as brought about by her love for Romeo.
Juliet’s character develops from girlish immaturity by an awakening and heightening of her senses, sharpened by the potency of her love for Romeo. This love generates an increasing commitment and eventual dedication to the object of her love and affection. Her shifting allegiance from family to lover releases her maturity and from that, she derives a new-found strength of character and broader perspective, all of which assists in allowing Juliet to overcome the adversities she finds in allowing full expression of her love. The metamorphosis is complete.
