The queerness of this statement and it being so out of context in the play that as an effect, it gives the audience a sense of foreboding, that life will get worse for the couple after his departure. This prophetic vision would be taken more seriously by the Elizabethian audience as they believed that these visions foretold the future and therefore would have given a strong sense of foreboding to this audience. This in turn, shapes the response towards Juliet, form both audiences to that of mixed horror and sympathy, as this may be the last time that they will be together. There is also an element of unfairness within the audience’s response as Juliet, has had to sacrifice her own happiness due to her family’s petty rivalry. The idea of fortune which Shakespeare has also explored, relates perhaps more with the Elizabethian audience. This idea is most prominent when Juliet talks about fortune, after Romeo has departed and how it brought her good and bad luck ‘fickle fortune’, and also of the idea that fate will bring them together again.
The audience’s response towards Juliet is further shaped when she meets her mother Lady Capulet. We firstly have misconceptions about their relationship when Juliet refers to her as ‘madam’.
This reference is impersonal showing their weak relationship. This makes the audience feel sympathetic to Juliet as she will have very little support from her mother. This weakness in their relationship is further shown as her mother assumes the reason as to her unhappiness is due to the untimely death of her cousin Tybalt. ‘Evermore weeping for you’re your cousin’s death’, emphasises how little she know of her daughter which is surprising for the reader. Another remark which she made was ‘wilt thou wash him from his grave’, also showing Lady Capulet’s insensitivity. The audience’s response to Juliet’s situation is again shaped as she can never reveal to her mother of her love for Romeo, as he is classed as a villain.
The fact that she had to disguise her love from him, shown when she agrees with her mother that she also despises him ‘indeed I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him dead’. This lie shows her desperation to conceal her love for him, causing the audience to pity her.
There is a dramatic point in the scene which is the announcement of her planned marriage. This makes us as an audience sympathetic towards her as she is trapped in an awful situation. Juliet’s response although understandable, is also dramatic as there is an element of rebellion in it.
‘He shall not make me there a joyful bride’. The cold dismissive response which follows from her mother only adds to the audience’s sympathetic response.
Her father, Lord Capulet, provides little support for Juliet. He firstly conveys emotions of sympathy towards Juliet, as he believes that she is unhappy because of Tybalt and is under the impression that she has accepted her arranged marriage. ‘How now a conduit girl’, shows his caring side and as an audience, for a moment we feel that she may get support from her father. However, his reaction of her not wanting to marry is cruel. This sudden change in emotion is dramatic as it emphasises his tyrannical nature and also our response of her is shaped, as she has no support from her father, and her parents have turned against her. His severe treatment shown by his use of words such as ‘worthy as she is’ further reinforce our sorrow to her situation.
Our response is further shaped due to Juliet’s reaction of her father’s cruelness ‘proud can I never be of what I hate’. For a modern day audience there is a hint of rebellion which is understandable, from a girl is so young, too young to marry. An audience may also feel anger towards Lord Capulet, as he knows that realistically she is too young to marry shown in Act 1 scene 2, he refused Paris’s proposal for Juliet’s hand in marriage, admitting she was too young. ‘Let two more summers wither in her pride, ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.’
Shakespeare also makes Lord Capulet’s character dramatic as Lord Capulet gives Juliet an unfair ultimatum ‘you will not wed I’ll pardon you’.
This shapes our response as she is trapped and is unable to marry Paris as she has already married Romeo. We also have a sense, at this point,
that perhaps she has deceived her family by her marriage and the reason as to why she is rebelling is in order to disguise her deceit and to find a way out of this proposed marriage.
The nurse initially sticks up for Juliet by saying ‘god bless her’. However, as the scene reaches its end the nurse also turns against her by suggesting that she marries Paris ‘I think it best you married with the County’. This contradicting reaction shapes our response to one of shock and pity as the nurse who had literally brought up Juliet contrasts to Act 2 scene 5 as she acts as the messenger between her and Romeo. The audience is shocked that the nurse, who has been a mother figure to Juliet, has abandoned her for selfish reasons in her time of need. Shakespeare makes the scene so dramatic as Juliet is isolated from Lady Capulet, Capulet and the nurse and is without her love Romeo and because of this, she is contemplating suicide ‘if all else fail myself have power to die’.
The main reason for the audience’s response of modern day is of pity towards Juliet because she is of a far too young to marry however, to an Elizabetian audience it may have been more acceptable for Juliet to marry at this age.
