In this scene Romeo and Juliet connect straight away and fall in love immediately like “two star-struck lover”. When Romeo and Juliet meet they are so in love with each other that they speak in a sonnet “pilgrim’s ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss”. Juliet speaks to Romeo very sexually and flirtatiously which was very unusual for an Elizabethan woman to do. To show their love for each other they kiss and Juliet says after “you kiss by the book”. At this point the Audience is starting to see Juliet’s character grow stronger in confidence and see that she is not necessarily a stereotypical Elizabethan woman.
Before Romeo leaves Juliet asks the nurse to find out Romeo name and if he is married “ask his name if he be married”. Juliet is so much in love with Romeo she says that she would rather die than love anyone else “my grave is like to be my wedding bed”. This part shows Juliet is desperate and that she is still a child unlike an adult who would get over it instead of taking her own life. The nurse tells Juliet that his name is Romeo, he is not married but he is a Montague. Juliet now knows that the way she feels has come from her family background this she expresses as “my only love sprang from my only hate.
In the balcony scene we are able to compare Juliet with Romeo. Juliet is being practical when on the other hand Romeo language is very romantic and over the top about their relationship, “by yonder moon I swear”. Romeo swears on the moon about his love for Juliet. Juliet is being level headed and questions Romeo “o swear not by the moon the inconsistent moon”. Juliet language is so practical she tells Romeo she thinks their love is growing too quick “to inadvisable too sudden, to like the lightning”.
But after all her questioning and practical language she looks ahead and says to Romeo from her heart lets get married “ send me word tomorrow” this was unusual for an Elizabethan women to do. The audience sees Juliet’s practical and truthful side throughout this scene and how her childish character is disappearing.
In this scene Juliet trust the nurse to take a message to Romeo to tell him where to meet her tonight after they are married. Juliet trust the nurse because she has had a special bond with her for 14 year after the nurses daughter died who was born on the same day, Which enabled the nurse to breast feed Juliet acting as a motherly figure in her life.
Juliet goes off to marry Romeo in Friar Laurence cell. Juliet is deceitful to her parents by using religion as an excuse by saying she is going to church for confession when she is really going to marry Romeo behind her parent’s backs. This lie would be the most deceitful horrible excuse you could use because religion was a big thing in everyday life. Juliet strong character carries her through this scene by using religion as an excuse marry a Montague “ have you got leave to go to shrift”- “ I have”.
Once Juliet and Romeo are married Juliet is suddenly forced to grow up very quickly as many terrible events happen in a short space of time. The tragedies that in folds on Juliet are her cousin Tybalt being killed my Romeo “Romeo slew Tybalt” the pain of Romeo’s banishment “immediately we do exile him”. All of these events put pressure on Juliet but the audience still sees Juliet strength as she try’s to cope unlike suicidal Romeo “thou no poison mixed, no sharp ground knife”. Unlike Juliet all of these events are advantages for Juliet’s fathers wedding plans.
Juliet refuses to marry Paris saying, “He shall not make me a joyful
Bride”. Her parents are shocked and angry, as this was unusual for an Elizabethan woman. Her father threatens her and he is no longer indulgent. Juliet starts to feel isolated after her mother turns against her. After Juliet stubbiness towards her parents about her marriage she turns to the nurse who also turns her back on her. By this point Juliet feels that she can not trust anyone. But Juliet strong character gives her the determination to decide to make up with her father and pretend to proceed with his wishes. Juliet talks to Paris outside the cell of the only person she can trust friar Laurence. The audience sees that Juliet is cunning by the way she agrees on everything that he says to her so it makes out that she loves him.
Juliet accepts friar Laurence plan to pretend to die because she knows that she has no other way of getting out of this marriage, this shows Juliet’s desperation. Juliet knows that she can not trust anyone else with her and friar Laurence plan “I must go alone”. She writes a letter telling Romeo about her plan so nothing could go wrong “Romeo by letter”, she is confident that the plan will work and she will wake to see Romeo. Throughout this scene the audience sees Juliet as a cunning and selfish character who doesn’t think of anyone else’s feelings apart from hers.
The next we see of Juliet is when she awakes in the tomb she immediately says, “Where is my Romeo” as she is confident that her plan has worked. She sees that Romeo is dead and refuses to leave, and then her final adult deserts her friar Laurence “go get thee hence, for I will not wait”. Juliet becomes desperate to die she kisses the lips of Romeo hoping to find a drop of poison but it is unsuccessful, “ I will kiss the lips haply for some poison” – “thy lip are warm”. Her strong character forces her to stab herself “O happy dagger this is thy sheath”. Juliet is childish unlike a mature adult who would do not such of a thing for love.
At the start of Romeo and Juliet we see Juliet as a typical 14 year Elizabethan women who agrees with her arranged marriage with Paris. But as the play progress she matures when she gets married and has to deal with terrible event that happen in a short space of time. In the last scene we see that she was a child all along as she takes her life, which a responsible adult would not do. Juliet changes from a typical Elizabethan to a typical modern day woman.
