Having been introduced to Romeo and his situation we are then introduced to Juliet! Juliet is the daughter of the wealthy Lord Capulet and is extremely obedient of her parents, She knows she is expected to marry a wealthy man chosen by her father and is aware of how serious the consequences could be if she dare disobey, including her parents disowning her. At this time a wealthy man named Paris is working on taking Juliet’s hand in marriage. However Juliet has her own beliefs and views on marriage, she believes you fall in love with the right person at the right time not when your parents think it is the right time to get married. “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move: but no more deep will I endart mine eye. By saying that your consent gives strength to make it fly.” Juliet is basically saying, but I need your permission to let myself fall in love!
Juliet’s father is very protective of his daughter and when Paris makes his proposition he believes his daughter is too young for marriage at that present time. “My child is yet a stranger in the world; she hath not seen the change of fourteen years:” He asks Paris to wait for her until she is a bit older and actually ready to marry him. ‘ Let two more summers wither in their pride Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. He asks Paris to woo her so that their love is real between them. ‘ But woo her gently Paris, get her heart;’ he wants the best for his only daughter and genuinely believes that Paris is right for her, but in time. Despite this, after Tybalt’s death he is anxious for Julitet to marry Paris and will take no disobedience, love does not appear to be a priority.
Juliet’s mother however, has quite a different view on the whole situation and makes her enthusiasm for the couple known to her, she really believes the marriage should happen and couldn’t be more excited when telling her daughter what she sees as good news. She is unaware of Juliet’s feelings about this arranged marriage and does not give her the chance to respond to the news. Juliet’s nurse has been more of a mother figure to her than her own mother and the nurse’s response to the news is far more practical that that of her mother. The nurse knows you can’t fall in love with just anyone, but she tells Juliet that men can grow on you in time. The double meaning here, referring to pregnancy, underlines the connection the nurse makes between love and sex. In contrast, when Romeo and Juliet fall in love it is very special. “Women grow by men”. At the same time she is excited by the fact that someone so eligible is interested in marrying Juliet. At this point in the play the audience are aware of the situations Romeo and Juliet are in, before they’ve even met.
When Romeo first sees Juliet at the ball it is practically love at first sight. ‘Beauty too rich for use, for earth too death,’ he is immediately struck by her beauty and is soon watching her every move. He describes her with such passion; by saying ‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright.’ This metaphor shows her beauty dazzles Romeo and he continues to use terms of light for her throughout the scene. His love for Juliet makes Romeo realise his feelings for Rosaline were not real. He now knows his new love for Juliet is real and what he felt for Rosaline was no more than pretend love.
The ball was the ideal place for them to meet because although the families hated one another, they are able to dance and socialize together unobserved as they are surrounded by numerous guests. Lord Capulet has warned Tybalt not to create trouble with Romeo, which means the couple can speak to each other and share a much-anticipated kiss.
When Romeo and Juliet first meet the language used was religious. When Romeo kisses Juliet’s hand he says ‘This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,’ by this he means Juliet’s hand is the sacred statue that he has kissed. He treats Juliet as if she is a saint; Her response is “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much which mannerly devotion is this.” Juliet is asking what kind of devotion is this? She later goes on to say ‘Ay, pilgrims lips that they must use in prayer’ which means Juliet is not prepared to grant the kiss immediately, but doesn’t mean that she doesn’t feel for Romeo. The pair use this language to emphasise their love for each other, and that they see each other as more than people, Romeo sees Juliet as a saint and Juliet sees Romeo as a pilgrim. The religious language lifts their love above ordinary love.
The poetry he uses to describe Juliet differs from the way he described Rosaline. He speaks of Juliet as if she is a saint “O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do.” He thinks of her as a saint however when speaking of Rosaline it was without the passion he has for Juliet. Shakespeare was making the point that the love shared by Romeo and Juliet was real. Shakespeare tries to show that their love for each other is very special.
Within minutes of meeting each other they have already shared their first kiss and fallen in love with each other. This shows the audience that a connection between two has happened and a bond formed very quickly.
It was not long ago that Romeo was declaring his love for Rosaline and that Juliet was to marry another man. At this point in the play the audience is beginning to realise that Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love with no thought of Rosaline or Paris, which suggests the feelings and attraction they have for one another is something they have never experienced before. The audience is apprehensive knowing this is a forbidden love, when the hatred between the families is known the apprehension will in crease along with the realisation a tragedy is about to happen.
When Romeo and Juliet become aware they are from enemy families they are extremely shocked and saddened, but refuse to deny or compromise their love for one another. At this point they can only use obstacles to show the depth of their love, and despite their families dislike for each other they refuse to let this affect their love. Romeo is the first to learn of the feud between the families; “Is she a Capulet? O dear account. My life is my foes death”. Juliet is then made aware of the situation from her nurse; “My only love sprung from my only hate. Too early seen unknown, and known too late. Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.” The juxtaposition of love and hate underline the situation and the themes.
By quickly declaring their love for each other within hours of meeting, this shows what young lovers they are, by acting on impulse without any consideration for anything or anyone else. The mood at the end of this scene is one of happiness excitement and fearful anticipation.
In act two scene one, which is after the ball has ended, Mercutio and Benvolio are searching for Romeo who disappeared during the ball; ‘He ran this way and leapt this orchard wall. ‘Call, good Mercutio’. The scene takes a light hearted turn when Mercutio and Benvolio jokingly discuss different scenarios as to what has happened to their friend Mercutio comments ‘”If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark” this is meant in a sexual way suggesting that maybe Romeo is not capable of hitting the spot. This also implies that they believe that Romeo has met someone at the ball and has now disappeared with them to more intimate surroundings. What they are unaware of is yes he did indeed meet someone at the ball but his intentions are not what they are implying. He believes he has true deep feelings for Juliet and would never disrespect her in anyway.
The anticipation felt at the end of the last scene is carried into this scene when Romeo goes to Juliet’s balcony. The situation is very new to them both and they don’t know what to expect. A discussion has not yet taken place about the family feud; this places uncertainty in their relationship. When Romeo goes to Julie’s balcony the audience is made aware of the danger they are in when Juliet say’s “If they do see thee, they will murder thee, but Romeo is not put off in anyway, ‘with love wings did I O ‘erperch these walls, for story limits cannot hold love out; And what love can do that dares love attempt: Therefore thy kinsman are no stop to me.” He then goes on “Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of there swords. Look thou but sweet and I am proof against their enmity.” Romeo is saying there is more danger in his eyes than that of twenty swords if any kinsman tried to stop him seeing Juliet. He would be more hurt by Juliet not loving him.
Their feelings for each are revealed by their actions, like Romeo leaving his friends at the ball to pursue Juliet, putting himself in danger by climbing a wall to get to the balcony. They give very little thought to anything or anybody else and soon declare their love for one another and share their first kiss.
When Romeo first arrives at Juliet’s balcony he doesn’t immediately make his presence known, he spends some time just watching what she does. Describing his growing his growing feelings for her he uses the metaphor ‘It is the east and Juliet is the Sun.’To describe his newfound love, he tries to convince Juliet of his feelings by swearing his love for her on the moon. ‘”Lady by yonder blessed moon I vow. That tips with silver all these fruit treetops.” Juliet is unhappy about this, as she knows the moon changes it’s cycle every month and she does not want Romeo’s feelings to change. “O swear not by the moon, th’ in constant moon. That monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable.”
There are notable differences in Juliet’s character in this scene, she is a lot more open about her feelings, and she is also quite forward in telling him what she wants. She tells Romeo they must get on with the relationship and starts by telling him she loves him and want things to make things work between them. “My love is as boundless as the sea. My love as deep the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.” Before she met Romeo she would never have had any contact with a man without a chaperone, and would never have allowed him to be at her balcony when any member of the Capulet household could have discovered them but such are feelings for him that she is prepared to take risks if it means they can be together. At the end of this scene Romeo and Juliet decide they want to marry, the audience are aware that the marriage would bring trouble for them in the future and are left wondering who would actually marry them given the circumstances.
These scenes show the complications in various ways, the family feud, and the couple’s love for each other and how it has to be kept a secret. Tybalt’s revenge on Romeo comes swiftly after their marriage, but the pair being married, makes Tybalt his cousin. Romeo is aware of this and tries to end the fighting between the two households. “Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee both much excuse the appertaining rage,” but Tybalt is still raging about the Montague’s appearing at the ball and responds with this comment “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou has done me, therefore turn and draw.” When Romeo refuses to fight, Tybalt realises how serious he is about ending the fighting. A fight takes place and ends in tradgedy when Tybalt kills Mecrutio, this infuriates Romeo and in outrage and anger kills Tybalt. The prince then banishes Romeo from Verona forever. “Else when he’s found, that hour is his last.” Now the question is where does his marriage to Juliet stand?
Throughout the whole of the play the events have happened at great speed and even as it nears the end the drama continues with devastating consequences. During Lord Capulet’s grieving period for Tybalt, he changes his mind about Juliet marrying Paris. When Lady Capulet gives this news to Juliet she is very upset and tells her parents she could never love Paris but understands that her father has done this dreadful thing because he loves her. Her father is very angry and forcefully tells her when he responds “To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s church, or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.” What this means is if she does not agree to marry Paris then she will be taken there on hurdle, which in Shakespeare’s time was used to tape traitors to as they were transported to their place of execution. These events continue when Romeo doesn’t receive the message from Juliet telling him the plan to prevent her marriage to Paris, We go on to see the deaths of both Romeo and Juliet when they tragically die for one another, which proves to the audience as well as their families just how strong their love is. This proves how the headlong speed of events maintains the same intense theme throughout the whole play.
I think that it’s Shakespeare’s ideas of intense passion that creates the tragedy that begins in these scenes. Being a writer, who at some point in his life would have experienced being in love must have had some inspiration as well as actual knowledge of over powering emotions love can bring. As all generations change who’s to say that youthful love is any different to how Shakespeare portrays it.
