Act 1 Scene 5 is the scene set at the party at the Capulet’s household. Juliet’s mother introduces her to the County Paris, but before that, she sets eyes on Romeo, of the House of Montague.
Romeo is not aware the Juliet is from the house of Capulet, he thinks she is exceptionally beautiful. He describes her as “a snowy dove, trooping with crows”, the dove symbolises purity, peace and is associated with the colour white, however crows symbolise hatred and are usually associated with the colour black. This can be linked to the theme of the feud which exists between the two households, Juliet is pure, but the rest of her house is filled with hatred and distrust.
We then see Juliet’s first move to disobey her mother, she leaves the hall of the ball with Romeo. We see the beginning of Juliet’s journey from a child into an independent woman. We are also made aware of her emerging sexuality. Romeo uses an extended metaphor in an attempt to get Juliet to kiss him; he describes her as a saintly being and himself as a sinner who needs his sins cleansing. Juliet knows exactly what it is that Romeo wants, but she is deliberately delaying kissing him. After they kiss Romeo tells Juliet that all his sin is gone, “Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged”. Juliet’s nurse saying, “Madam your mother craves a word”, interrupts their romantic interlude. After Juliet has left, Romeo asks the Nurse who Juliet’s mother is, she replies with a simple yet devastating answer “her mother is the lady of the house”. Juliet asks the same question about Romeo, she realises who he really is and then says that, ”My only love sprang from my only hate” This tells us that she has gone against her mother’s will, instead of looking to like Paris, she loves Romeo, the son of the much-hated enemy, the Montague’s.
In Act 2 Scene 2, we see that Romeo is in the grounds of the Capulet mansion, just below Juliet’s bedroom window. Romeo has gone to Juliet after the party with the intent to see her. Juliet’s journey form a child to an independent woman takes a dramatic turn when Romeo visits her at her house. Romeo uses hyperbolic flattery when describing Juliet. This transcends their love, it propels it to a higher level, and it is propelled to more of a spiritual level. This is shown by the wide amount of religious imagery used. He uses a lot of things associated with heaven and angels to describe her, for example a “Bright Angel” and a “winged messenger of heaven”. What is important in this scene is that we see the importance of the night, the night is a blessing for Romeo and Juliet as it helps to conceal their love and secret meetings. This is further evidence of the way that Juliet is moving away from her parents control and is becoming a lot more independent and self-sufficient and secretive.
As Romeo finishes talking of his love for Juliet we hear her talking from her balcony, this is where the famous Romeo and Juliet line is spoken which is, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo”. Juliet then goes on and says that she would “Deny thy father, and refuse thy name…and I’ll no longer be a Capulet”, these words are of huge importance Juliet is basically saying that she would forfeit her family for Romeo which shows how committed she is to Romeo. The words also signify a fracture in Juliet’s relationship with her family. She is torn between her family, as she is a Capulet and to be a loyal Capulet she would have nothing to do with the Montague’s as is said in the ancient grudge, which stands between the two families. She is also torn by her newfound love Romeo whom she should be with as it is their fate, it was written in the stars, but this would be seen as a sense of betrayal as she is disregarding her family for the only son of their much-hated enemy.
Juliet is very philosophical, “Tis but thy name that is my enemy”, she says it is only her name that holds her back from being with him, if she was not a Capulet or he not a Montague then everything would be fine and they could be together, she shows a great sense of maturity here and is exploring the nature of her identity.
During Act 2 Scene 2 we see Juliet urging Romeo to commit himself to the lifelong commitment of marriage, she asks him that “If thou dost love” to “pronounce it faithfully”. She then initiates and provokes marriage, by telling him how her “love is as boundless as the sea” and her “love as deep; the more I give to thee”. She tells him that her love is boundless, that there is nothing that she would not do for him. When Juliet is trying to persuade Romeo to marry her she urges him not to “swear...by the inconstant moon”. If you swear by the moon your love may be inconstant and it may wane as the moon is forever changing its shape. She tells Romeo that he is the “god of my idolatry”, that her world revolves around him.
Juliet then tells Romeo that she thinks that the night’s passion had been “too rash, too unadvised, and too sudden”, to make a decision about their future that night. She describes their love, as “too like the lightening” it is too sudden and unreal. Romeo tells Juliet that he feels he has been left “so unsatisfied”, he wants an “exchange of…love’s faithful vow”. Juliet replies saying that, “I gave thee mine before thou didst request it”. With that, Romeo seems a little more satisfied. Juliet goes on to tell Romeo that for “thy purpose of marriage send word tomorrow”. The only person Juliet tells of this secretive arrangement is her nurse, who really has been more of a mother to Juliet than her actual mother has. This shows us a fracture beginning to form between Juliet and her parents.
In Act scene 2, we have seen Romeo go to Juliet’s house with the intent to see her. He does see her and they exchange vows of love and agree to send each other word of their marriage. This is one of the scenes in the play which clearly show Juliet pulling away from her parents control, she has begun living her own life and making her own decisions without consulting her parents.
Act 2 Scene 3 is not really of any real importance’s, it is the scene where the Friar and Romeo get together to organise the wedding. Act 2 scene 4 is the scene where Romeo meets Juliet’s Nurse to tell her of the wedding arrangements, the Nurse is sent to meet Romeo so as not to arouse any suspicion, the nurses then passed on the information from Romeo to Juliet. After this scene there is nothing that is of any real importance relating to how Juliet is changing from a child into a woman until Act 3 scene 2, which is the scene of Juliet’s soliloquy.
Juliet’s soliloquy takes place on the night after her secretive marriage to Romeo; and after the death of her cousin Tybalt, whom Romeo killed. In Juliet’s soliloquy we see her emerging sexuality and her journey into adulthood. She wants to spend her wedding night and become a woman with her husband “Give me my Romeo”, she wants him with her as soon as possible but she does not want to wait for the night to come which signals safety for their secret love. She wants the day to end and the night to come so that she can be with Romeo, so she can become a woman.
She personifies the night and says “come civil night”, she speaks to it as though it were a person, as though if she talked to it adequately it would come sooner, so that she and Romeo could be together. Juliet uses a metaphorical image in her soliloquy, she describes her body and Romeo’s body as a “mansion”, she tells of how she had “bought the mansion of a love” but she had not yet “possessed it” she says that “even though I am sold” she had not yet been “enjoyed”. Selling and being sold is a metaphorical way of describing the sexual fruits and pleasures of her married life.
At the end of Juliet’s soliloquy Juliet’s nurse comes out to speak with her. The nurse tells Juliet of the news, that Tybalt has been Killed. At first Juliet thinks that that the Nurse is telling her that “Romeo” has “slain himself”. She asks “is Romeo slaughtered? And Tybalt dead?” She describes Tybalt as her “dearest cousin” and Romeo as her “dearer Lord”. Juliet does love her cousin but her loyalties now lie more with her husband Romeo. Juliet experiences divided loyalties, there is a significant fracture between Juliet and her family, although throughout everything she keeps up the pretense of grieving for the loss of her cousin Tybalt, whereas in fact she is actually grieving the fact that Romeo has been “banished”. This is where we see a change in Juliet’s character. She appears to her family and family friends very differently than she actually is in reality. For example. It appears to the Capulet’s that she is a loving loyal daughter, whereas in reality she is actually a loyal and loving wife to Romeo. These divided loyalties further extend the fracture between Juliet and her family. To her family Juliet is grieving the loss of her dear cousin Tybalt, but we know that she is in fact grieving Romeo’s banishment.
Juliet’s nurse changes from liking Romeo to wishing that “these grief’s, these woes, and these sorrows, which make me old” would “come to Romeo”. With this Juliet gets very defensive, “blistr’d be thy tongue for such a wish”, for “he was not born to shame”. The act of murder sits unnaturally on Romeo’s conscience. It should not be there, as he is a kind person. She tries to protect her husband as that is where her loyalties now lie.
Juliet is rational, controlled and logical when her nurse asks her if she “will speak ill of him”, him being Romeo. Juliet replies asking, “Shall I speak ill of him that is my Husband”. She does not want to speak ill of him as she has only been married for three hours, “I thy three-hour wife”. She defends Romeo by saying “that villain cousin would have killed my husband” she also says that she should not get too upset because she is not a widow, Romeo is still alive, “and Tybalt’s dead that would have slain my husband”. Juliet feels that if Tybalt had not died then he would have killed her husband. This shows us that she does not have much loyalty towards her family anymore.
Juliet believes that hearing that Romeo has been banished is worse than hearing of Tybalt’s death, “some word there were was, worser than Tybalt’s death”. Here Juliet is suggesting an act of Treachery, she is not mourning the loss of her cousin.
This scene basically shows us the complete separation of Juliet’s family and Juliet, this is mainly due to Tybalt’s death and Juliet’s secret love affair with Romeo.
Act 3 Scene 4 is the complete antithesis to Act 1 scene 2. In Act 1 Scene 2 Capulet is trying to delay the marriage of Paris and Juliet, but in Act 3 Scene 4 Capulet still thinks that he can control Juliet, although she is married and independent. Capulet tries to hurry up the marriage between Paris and Juliet. “I think she will be rul’d in all aspects by me”. This is an example of patriarchy,. “she will be rul’d” tells us of Capulet’s power and authority. It may also help to explain why Juliet has kept her relationship with Romeo a secret. In her parents eyes Juliet is still a child.
In Act 3 Scene 5 Romeo, spend the night with Juliet before he flees Verona, as he has been banished. Nighttime is Romeo and Juliet’s friend; it enables their secret love to be kept exactly that, a secret. Juliet is wishing that the night will stay and that the day will not come. Romeo says to Juliet that “I must be gone and live, or stay and die”. This is ironic as Romeo comes back to Verona and dies. Romeo has to leave Juliet be cause the light of the morning is coming, Juliet tells Romeo to use the window to exit to keep their love secret, “then window, let day in, and let life out”, this in itself is ironic as within a few hours they both die. Juliet has a prophecy in which she sees Romeo dead, this is dramatic irony “as one dead in the bottom of a tomb”. She sees Romeo dead in the tomb, which is where he actually dies. One of the last things Juliet says to Romeo is “O thinks’t thou we shall ever meet again”, they do not meet again until they are both dead.
Lady Capulet comes to speak to her daughter, she asks Juliet why she is still in bed, we know that it is because Romeo had been with her, Juliet however tells her mother that it is because she feels unwell. Lady Capulet questions Juliet saying are you “evermore weeping for your cousins death?”. Lady Capulet then goes on to talk about Romeo the “villain” who killed Tybalt. Juliet replies to this saying, “Indeed, I will not be satisfied, With Romeo, until I behold him-dead”. Juliet adds the word dead as an afterthought to stop her mother from becoming suspicious. Juliet then says “O how my heart abhors to hear him named”, Lady Capulet thinks she is saying this because it was him who killed Tybalt, this is ironic as she is in fact saying it as it reminds her that Romeo has been banished.
Lady Capulet then breeches the subject of marriage to the Nobleman Paris, she says “Marry my child, early next Thursday morn, The gallant, young, and noble gentleman, The County Paris”. Lady Capulet would like her daughter to be married to such a “nobleman”. However Juliet refutes her mothers proposal for marriage and says” I will not marry yet, and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, Rather than Paris”. Juliet says to her mother that she would rather marry their families great enemy and killer of her cousin then a noble man, unbeknown to lady Capulet Juliet is already married to Romeo. When Juliet finishes talking Lady Capulet replies only with “here comes your father, tell him so yourself”. When Juliet starts to talk to Capulet we see a split and fracture between her and the adult world. There is a shift in Capulet’s style and tone when he starts to speak to Juliet, he speaks to her impersonally in the 3rd person “God has sent us but this only child”. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Capulet cannot understand why she would not want to as he is noble and a gentleman.
Juliet then says to her parents, “Delay this marriage for a month, a week, Or if you do not, make the bridal bed In that dim monument where Tybalt lies”. She says that if you do not delay the marriage, to make the bridal in the tomb, because she will be dead.
Juliet’s parents then abandon her by saying “Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee”. The only person Juliet still talks to in the adult world is her nurse but even that relationship comes to an abrupt end when she offers no sympathy to Juliet.
This leaves Juliet totally alone, she had been shunned by her family as she refuses to marry the county Paris, and her husband has been banished.
Throughout the play we have seen Juliet change enormously, she has changed from a naïve, gullible child to an independent married woman.