Taking into account the Social and Historical context of the play, analyze Shakespeare's presentation of Juliet. Explore how this character might be portrayed in performance.

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Sameul Islam        English Coursework – Romeo And Juliet        Miss Watson

Taking into account the Social and Historical context of the play, analyze Shakespeare’s presentation of Juliet. Explore how this character might be portrayed in performance.

Juliet’s character is an assortment of innocence, youth and inner strength. Her portrayal, however, did not fit well with the stereotypical view of Elizabethan women who had to conform to societal rules by obeying their fathers and husbands. They were not granted free will or free speech, and so Juliet’s initial portrayal depicts her as a dutiful daughter, who goes on to shock by deceiving her name to break the barriers of true love.

  Act 1 scene 3 is Juliet’s first scene, where her Nurse and mother, Lady Capulet, accompany her. In this scene, Juliet is portrayed as youthful, innocent and obedient. The Nurse’s constant references to her babyhood portray the childlike perception people hold of Juliet. The fact that she is not married “It is an honour that I dream not of.” is evident of her preservation as a child, which is so because she was the only child of Lord and Lady Capulet to survive. She proves innocent and obedient “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move…Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.” When she states that she has given no thought to the idea of marriage, yet however she will love Paris if asked to. Elizabethan audiences would have observed Juliet’s indisputable loyalty for her parents as typical behaviour for a girl. Shakespeare uses this predictable behaviour as a lull in action, in order to foundation the impact Juliet evokes upon the Elizabethan audience when she betrays her family name for her only enemy. Romeo and Juliet’s first encounter occurs in Act 1 scene 5, during the Capulet’s feast. Here, Juliet is completely infatuated with Romeo, as he is with her, and this causes a change in her portrayal since she acts coquettishly “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much.” She teases Romeo, only enough to keep him interested in her. This proves her character to be changing, since she contradicts her youth in Act 1 scene 3, where she had not considered love. She also challenges her innocence, by unexpectedly kissing Romeo “You kiss by the book.” Juliet’s abrupt change in character would have surprised Elizabethan’s, since she had altered herself from being the dutiful daughter that was expected of her, to an ill behaved child that would have been frowned upon. Above that, Juliet’s reference to religion would have appalled, since it was being used in conjunction with her intolerable deeds, such as betraying her family name to woo her only enemy.

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It is in Act 2 scene 2 where Romeo and Juliet truly declare their love for one another, and this happens by Juliet’s balcony at the Capulet household. In this scene, Juliet abandons her youth when she portrays herself persistent and assertive in order to keep her love. She discontinues her courtship with Romeo in order to bring in the prospect of love, “Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I’ll frown a be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo-.” As opposed to her initial depiction, where she had not given it a single thought. ...

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