Through the play we see her become increasingly sympathetic to Juliet. Could it be that she remembers her own tears before her wedding? She begs her husband not to move the wedding closer, and she protects Juliet from Lord Capulet's fury. Still, when Juliet needs her most, she chooses to withdraw from the situation, telling Juliet, "Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee." (Act III, v, line 205)
-
Montague: The Montagues are close-knit and loving. Romeo's parents, Lord and Lady Montague, care a lot about Romeo, and do everything they can to find out what's bothering him.
Romeo's parents know Romeo's friends. At the beginning of the play, they ask Benvolio to find out why Romeo's depressed; and in Act II, Scene iv, Mercutio and Benvolio are going to have supper at the Montague's house, and they hope Romeo will come along.
Lady Montague's only fault is her obsessive love of Romeo. She dies of grief when he's banished, before news comes that he's dead.
Lord Montague's only fault is his willingness to fight in the feud. The only time that he isn't reasonable and loving is in the first scene when he charges onto the stage, calling, "Thou Villain Capulet!"
- Tybalt, a Capulet, is trouble from the beginning. He's so hot-tempered and full of hate that even his family thinks he's a "saucy boy." He can be seen as the embodiment of the feud. During the play, he fights Benvolio, Lord Capulet, Mercutio, and Romeo. (My reasons for putting this in are explained later)
Romeo and Juliet is unique because it merges three distinct styles.
The first two acts are comedy: characters meet, fall in love, have funny friends and bawdy servants. These acts follow an Italian style, which usually had two honourable lovers, old fathers who kept them apart, and servants who made comments about sex/foreigners/old enemies etc.
But the Prologue sets up a tragedy, and the last three acts bring it about. Suddenly, a feud that seemed silly is deadly, and Mercutio and Tybalt are killed. The lovers become isolated, and come to understand the cruelty of the world and how it preys on them. Human failure and tragic accidents work against them, and they must die.
Romeo and Juliet is also romantic. Not only does it deal with love, but it includes many different types of romantic poetry. Just before he wrote this play, Shakespeare had written two long narrative romantic poems, as well as some romantic sonnets, and these poetic styles turn up over and over again in the play.
Juliet and her life:
In Juliet, we watch something fascinating: a girl blossoming into a woman in the space of five days.
We first see Juliet like a child, surrounded by her nurse and her mother. She doesn't say much, and obediently, she says she'll try to like the man her parents wish her to marry. She hasn't seriously thought about her life as an adult: she says marriage is "an honour I dream not of."
But that night, she meets Romeo and falls in love, and everything changes. She begins to think and act for herself. By the end of the evening, she has taken her future into her own hands, and has become engaged.
We see at this point that she is practical but idealistic. She knows there are problems in the world, but she is confident that love can overcome them.
For Juliet, marriage and sexual awakening are the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Before her wedding night she sees herself standing between the experienced matron (married woman) she is to become and the impatient child she still feels like. Juliet takes her adult role as a wife seriously. Even though she's still living at home, she gives her loyalty to Romeo over her family, even after he's killed her cousin.
At the beginning of the play, Juliet still needs her nurse, but by the end of the play she's outgrown her. Her nurse can't understand the seriousness of Juliet's predicament, and the young woman must make adult decisions by herself.
Act 1 Scene V
Now in the Capulets' house a party is beginning, and Lord Capulet is in his element, happily greeting and welcoming all his guests. He's thrilled to see the young men in masks- it reminds him of his bachelor days when he did the same thing. (I am assuming this as some of the words at this point are slightly hard to understand in this context)
We now see what is happening in a beautiful hall in a wealthy man's house, with plenty of food, musicians playing, and lovely women dancing with dashing men. Benvolio joins in almost as soon as he enters with Romeo. Rosaline (the girl who Romeo used to be in love with) is at the party as well, but Romeo doesn't have time for her; he's already seen Juliet.
Juliet is breathtakingly beautiful, both Paris and Romeo are enchanted by her looks before they even meet her. But something more is going on here: Romeo is so entranced that he's forgotten that he ever had a crush on anyone else (goodbye Roseline). The silly, repetitious praises he gave to Rosaline become wonderful, mature poetry as he exclaims about Juliet:
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
(I, v, 46-50)
Romeo is talking to himself as he says this, (which was quite acceptable in those time). But, unbeknown to Romeo, someone overhears him; and, unfortunately, that someone is Tybalt.(See above).
Tybalt is furious. He recognizes Romeo and wants to kill him on the spot, but Lord Capulet stops him. Capulet calls Romeo "a virtuous and well-governed youth" while calling Tybalt "a saucy boy" and "a princox." For the first time we see Capulet unleash his anger on someone who doesn't instantly obey him. In the same speech, he goes back and forth between speaking jovially to his guests and calling Tybalt ugly names. In my opinion Tybalt deserves it; but later Capulet acts the same way towards someone who doesn't deserve it.
While this little quarrel is taking place between Tybalt and Capulet, Romeo finally meets Juliet. They're not formally introduced and so they don't know each other's names. Romeo reverently calls her "dear saint," and likens her hand to a shrine, and his lips to two pilgrims who've come to the shrine to be forgiven their sins. Juliet is instantly smitten with this mysterious young man, but she gives him a run for his money. He asks if saints have lips as well as hands, and she says yes, but lips are used for prayer. When he does finally kiss her lips to absolve his "sin", she asks if her lips now have the sin, and makes him kiss her again to take it back. It's almost ironic that from the beginning Romeo claims that kissing Juliet pardons his sins, when some feel that their passion is the sin that leads to their downfall. In fact this part of the story is so important that it forms a sonnet (lines 96 to 109). It seems that Shakespeare felt that the moment was so beautiful it had to be preserved as a poem.
The young soon-to-be lovers are interrupted by the Nurse, who tells Juliet that her mother wishes to see her. Romeo asks the Nurse who Juliet's mother is, and when he finds out, he exclaims:
Is she a Capulet?
O dear account! My life is my foe's debt!
(I, v, 119-20)
As the party draws to an end, Juliet casually asks the Nurse to identify several young men, including Romeo. When the Nurse goes off to find out who he is, Juliet whispers to herself, "If he is married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed."
When Juliet learns his identity, her cry echos Romeo's:
My only love, sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
(I, v, 140-141)
Act 3 Scene 5
While Lord Capulet is making arrangements for Juliet's marriage to Paris, Juliet is secretly in her bedroom with Romeo. This scene, which is slow compared to several of the pervious, the two lovers revel in each other's presence as if they were not subject to the mundane things such as life and time. They speak tenderly to each other, and their language is mature (especially for their age). It is clear that their love has never been deeper.
Romeo says it's almost day and he has to leave for Mantua, but Juliet begs him to stay. Overcome with the joy of being with her, Romeo throws caution to the wind. Then Juliet realizes it really is near day, and he really is in danger, and she begs him to go quickly. It seems that even nature is working against them: light and day, which used to be their friend, is now their enemy:
Juliet: O, now be gone! More light and light it grows.
Romeo: More light and light- more dark and dark our woes.
(III, v, 35-36)
They are upset that time seems to have changed as time was their friend and helped them meet in secret. But now time, too, is keeping them apart. Juliet says:
I must hear from thee every day in the hour
For in a minute there are many days.
O, by this count I shall be much in years
Ere I again behold my Romeo!
(III, v, 44-47)
As Romeo finally drops to the ground from Juliet's window, she has a terrible feeling of foreboding: she thinks she sees Romeo, not on the ground, but "as one dead in the bottom of a tomb."
As Romeo leaves, Juliet pleads to Fortune(who is classically a goddess) to send him back to her quickly.
The Nurse warns Juliet that her mother is coming, and Juliet's startled- it's well before dawn.
When Lady Capulet finds Juliet crying, she assumes Juliet's grief is for Tybalt (who was killed in Act 3 Scene I, by Romeo). She tells her daughter that she's carrying it too far; tears can't bring Tybalt back. The real tragedy, she says, is that Tybalt's murderer is still alive. Lady Capulet's dearest wish is to send someone to Mantua to poison Romeo.
Through their whole conversation, Juliet talks in double meanings. To her mother it sounds like she mourns for Tybalt and hates Romeo; but she means just the opposite.
Lady Capulet says she has happy news for Juliet: she will marry Paris on Thursday. The mother seems genuinely happy for her daughter: Paris is gallant, young and noble- everything her own husband is not.
Juliet angrily refuses to marry Paris. Why should she marry someone who hasn't even wooed(meaning: to try for the affection of) her? She swears by the saints she won't marry anyone, and if she does it will more likely be Romeo, whom her parents hate, than Paris. She ends with an emphatic "These are news indeed!", (nowadays it would be: "So what do you think about that!")
Lady Capulet knows better than to get caught between her daughter's temper and her husband's. She tells Juliet, "Here comes your father. Tell him so yourself and see how he will take it at your hands."
It's obvious that Juliet doesn't want to marry Paris. But, instead of trying to find out why and counsel her, her parents angrily disown her.
When her father and her Nurse arrive at her bedroom, her father asks Lady Capulet if she's given Juliet the news. She answers:
Ay sir; but she will none, she gives you thanks.
I would the fool were married to her grave!
(III, v, 139-41)
Lord Capulet explodes with anger when he discovers what Juliet has said. Lady Capulet tries to bring him to his senses, telling him he's acting uncivilised; but in the end, only the Nurse stands up for Juliet.
Still nothing calms her father down. He yells that his whole life has been devoted to finding Juliet a worthy match; and now that he's found the best one possible, she refuses, whining like a fool. He lays down a final ultimatum: if she doesn't marry Paris on Thursday, she can:
Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,
For, by my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee.
(III, v, 194-95)
Juliet turns to her mother one last time: "O sweet my mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month, a week." But it's no use. Her mother says, "Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee."
Deserted by her parents, Juliet turns to her faithful Nurse for advice. The Nurse's advice is simple- forget Romeo and marry Paris. Paris is so fine, she says, that Romeo is an insignificant person in comparison.
Juliet is shocked. "Speakest thou from your heart?" she asks. Juliet has a serious problem. Legally, morally, and in her heart she is already married. Instead of offering a solution for her problem, the Nurse suggests that she ignore it, pretend it hadn't happened, and start again.
This is the worst betrayal of all. Juliet still hides her feelings, and tells the Nurse that she has comforted her "marvellous much." But she loses the final line to her childhood. Alone, Juliet says of her Nurse, "Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain."
Juliet has only one hope left, Friar Lawrence. She resolves to go to church to confess displeasing her father. At this point, Juliet has taken responsibility for her own fate. "If all else fail, myself have power to die," she vows.
Conclusion:
In the tomb, at the end of the play, the full story is finally heard by the two families.
Prince Escalus pronounces that heaven has already sentenced those who caused (whether or not they knew it) the deaths: "See what a scourge is laid upon your hate / That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love." What the Prince is saying is that, the Capulet and Montague’s fight, caused people who they each loved to die. The Capulets have lost Juliet and Tybalt; the Montagues, Romeo and Lady Montague. The Prince has also lost two relatives: Mercutio (a good friend of the Montagues) and Paris (who would have married into the Capulets).
In the midst of their grief, the two families are reunited. Lord Capulet takes Lord Montague's hand. He says this friendship is Juliet's marriage dowry. Lord Montague says he'll build a gold statue of Juliet, and Lord Capulet offers to build one of Romeo next to it.
The Prince adds, "A glooming peace this morning with it brings / The sun for sorrow will not show his head." A literal translation would be: The morning will be calm and covered with clouds, and this is because the sun is mourning and will not show itself for it is sad. I think it may be a metaphor, showing the sadness of the families, who are blaming themselves not each other. This is the calm gloom. It also shows that while the sun may not be around today, it may appear tomorrow. I think the sun may be representing the new found friendship of the two families, which even though we cant see it, is there and may come out very soon.
Peace has come out of a desperate night, but it's not a joyous peace that brings light. Finally, through love, there is an end to the feud, and order is restored. Although some must be punished, some will be pardoned. There will finally be mercy and peace once more in Verona.
