Juliet also takes the lead in suggesting a meeting for their marriage ceremony she says ‘thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow’, this shows she is independent and able enough to organize her own wedding.
She also declares her love for Romeo confidently on the balcony and is even willing to ‘refuse thy name’ for Romeo, ‘and I’ll no longer be a Capulet’.
At the beginning of the play Juliet is dependant on her mother and nurse. She is obedient. She is ready to please and to fall in with the wishes of her parents. When her mother mentions Paris she is willing to consider him as a husband she says that ‘I’ll look to like, if looking liking move’.
However, as the play continues, Juliet becomes more independent.
When the nurse comes with the news about Tybalts death Juliet gets the wrong impression. She thinks that Romeo is dead ‘hath Romeo slain himself?’ she says. Juliet’s approach to the matter at hand clearly shows that she was confident enough to be able to take upon any consequences concerning Romeo which she believed to be possible. However on the odd occasion when faced with issues Juliet was unable to handle them successfully such as ‘o break, my heart, poor bankrupt, break at once’.
When Juliet’s mother comes in and sees Juliet crying, she assumes that she is crying for her cousin Tybalt who has just died but she is crying for Romeo. Her mother says to her ‘evermore weeping for your cousin’s death?’ Lady Capulet tries to explain to her that crying over it will not help ‘what, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears?’ but Juliet tells her mum to just let her cry ‘yet let me weep for such a feeling loss’ this shows that although Juliet knows that her crying wont help she still feels the need of expressing her feelings buy crying. Juliet appears to agree with her mothers opinions about Romeo, but uses words that can also mean that she is in love with Romeo such as ‘indeed I shall never be satisfied with Romeo,’
When Juliet’s parents mention her wedding with Paris, she refuses straight away by saying ‘I will not marry yet’ this shows that she does not even need to think about it. When her father hears about this he is furious and calls her names like ‘mistress minion you’ and ‘ you tallow face-face’ and even threatens to disown her ‘or never after look me in the face’ considering all this grief and cruelty she still refuses to marry Paris, this shows how strong she is and how faithful she becomes to Romeo. At the end of act 3 scene 2 she is left alone and feels abandoned by everyone but yet she does not give in and break down this shows how strong and brave she can be.
When Juliet meets Paris outside F.Lawrence’s cell she speaks to him as an like when Juliet enters and Paris says to her ‘Happily met, my lady and my wife.’ She replies to him in a straight forward and blunt way by saying ‘that may be sir, when I may be a wife.’ The way she responds to him shows that she is independent and knows what she wants.
When Juliet goes to visit F.Lawrence she asks him for help as he is her only hope left. It was very brave of Juliet to take the potion that he gives her even though she knows all the consequences of what the potion can do, this shows how loyal she is to Romeo, she is willing to put her life at risk for him.
Before Juliet takes the potion to talks to herself. She speaks of how she feels ‘I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins’. She says ‘my dismal scene I needs must act alone.’ This shows that she is willing to be by herself and not seek any comfort from anyone this also shows how brave she is being. Juliet starts to have some doubts about the whole situation such as perhaps it wont work, may be it really is a potion because the Friar wants her dead to save his reputation and also the thought of her lying amongst her dead ancestors and seeing their ghosts. Considering all these doubts Juliet still had the courage and ability to pull her self together and convince herself to take the potion.