During the balcony scene, there is evidence of Juliet’s character starting to develop. It is therefore a key scene in the play. This is because it shows the audience the type of relationship shared between Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is starting to become rebellious to whatever stands in the way of herself and Romeo, for example: “Deny thy father and refuse thy name”. When she realizes Romeo has been listening in on her thoughts (delivered out loud in the form of a soliloquy) she is both embarrassed and angry: “What man art thou, thus bescreened in night, so stumblest on my counsel?” and “A maiden blush has come upon my cheeks”. However, her impatience shows through as she impetuously suggests marriage: “If that thy bent of love be honourable, thy purpose marriage”. This is a very rash thing to say as she has clearly not thought this idea through but she does display some signs of practicality when she says: “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”. She also starts to make use of oxymorons in her speech, indicating an ever more intricate character developing: “parting with such sweet-sorrow”.
A different side of Juliet is shown to the audience in act 2, scene 5. She is extremely impatient and she shows how irritated she feels, which is unusual for her, marking another stage in her character development. Whilst Juliet is waiting for Nurse, she is impatient and resentful towards her: “It is three long hours yet she is not come”. She also speaks quite badly of her in her impatience: “Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead”. She is clearly resentful of the fact that Nurse is so slow and old. However, when Nurse arrives, Juliet uses flattery to gain information from her, indicating a breakdown in their once close relationship which has been reduced to Juliet simply using Nurse: “O honey Nurse, what news?” It shows that her character has changed dramatically. She has obviously given up Nurse’s love for Romeo’s. Juliet’s impatience and irritation towards Nurse becomes plain for even Nurse to see when she says: “Is thy news good or bad? Answer me that”. It shows how Juliet has finally “snapped”.
During act 3 scene 2, Juliet’s newfound independence becomes clear for the audience to see. She has sent Nurse to get a message for her from Romeo, and she is very impatient: “Gallop apace, you fiery footed steeds”. She says this to convey her impatience. When she realizes that Romeo has killed Tybalt, she is angry with him, and her feelings for him only confuse her: “dammed saint, honourable villain”. This is clearly an intelligent use of an oxymoron, indicating her confusion. However, Juliet’s true feelings for Romeo emerge when Nurse categorises all men and calls them dishonest. Her statement angers Juliet so she says: “Blistered be thy tongue for such a wish!” This is a stark contrast from her original intimacy with Nurse earlier on. This suggests that she does not have the relationship with Nurse that she had before she met Romeo, therefore indicating that she merely uses Nurse to run errands for her. At the end of the scene, Juliet refers to Romeo as: “O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!” indicating she has not yet fully forgiven Romeo, despite her feelings for him. She is extremely confused by the dramatic turn of events occurring over such a short period of time and she frequently uses soliloquys to express how she is feeling. This is a crucial point in the play as her character changes, her whole self becomes more dependent on Romeo. Her love for him is re-inforced as if she didn’t love him as much as she did, she would have separated herself from him and ended the relationship rather than lose her family.
After Juliet’s wedding night, her behaviour changes dramatically. She is far more outspoken: “He shall not make me there a joyful bride”. She boldly tells her parents that she will not marry Paris and this makes them extremely angry as she has never disobeyed them before, or even stood up to them, something she would never have dared to do before. They even threaten to throw her out. Juliet appears to be very ruthless regarding anything that stands between herself and Romeo. Now, she is totally loyal to Romeo that she even claims at the end of act 3, she would kill herself if forced to marry Paris: “If all else fail, myself have power to die”. When Juliet talks to her mother, she pretends to be upset about the death of Tybalt: “I cannot…friend”. Juliet also pretends not to know certain things: “What villain, madam?” These would also suggest that Juliet has learnt how to manipulate people for her own purpose and that she is more loyal to Romeo than her own family.
Juliet realises more than ever that this struggle is hers alone. She realises that she cannot trust anyone and that she has to face the problem with no moral support. This is due to the fact she cannot rely on her mother, or even Nurse: “Talk not to me”. An example of Nurse’s degree of betrayal to Juliet is: “I think it best if you marry with the county” and “Romeos a dishclout to him”. Juliet realises that she has to get help from Friar Lawrence. She is desperate to devise a plan to get out of the awkward situation. She goes to see him but tells Nurse she has gone to tell her father she has gone to have confession and to be absolved from her “disobedience”. This shows how Juliet has become deceptive and talks to Nurse in imperatives. A new aspect of Juliet’s character is revealed here, she is much more grown up and independent. When Juliet takes the potion From Friar Lawrence, she renders a speech in the form of a soliloquy, it shows the full extent of damage caused to her by the recent goings on in the forms of stress and anxiety. She has become anxious, desperate, afraid, and her whole character has become far more intricate and complex.
Juliet’s soliloquy at the end of act 4 scene 3, shows her loyalty and devotion to Romeo. It also portrays her as afraid and desperate. She also shows immense bravery as she is scared of being placed in a tomb along with Tybalt as she is afraid Tybalt’s spirit will avenge his death on her: “O if I wake…with all these hideous fears”. Even though she doubts the potions contents “what if this mixture should not work at all?” she drinks it to Romeo “Romeo! Romeo! Romeo! I drink to thee!” The audience is reminded Juliet is still a child when she refers to being afraid of being in a tomb as she is afraid of ghosts: “environed…hideous fears”. This is because a sensible adult would not be so afraid as they know that they can not be harmed by a tomb full of dead bodies. This tells th audience that she is brave, loyal and truly in love with Romeo. However, the Juliet wakes up after the sleeping potion administered to her by Friar Lawrence wears off to discover Romeo dead by her side. He was dead as he entered the tomb and saw what he believed to be her dead body and took a fatal dose of poison. What strikes the audience so hard is her bravery and resolute frame of mind in the situation and this marks an extraordinary alteration of character. She realizes that this is her problem that she must face alone so when Friar Lawrence tries to get her to leave the tomb, knowing the trouble they would get in if found, Juliet firmly says no. I.e.; “Go thee hence for I will not away”. This goes to show how much more mature and independent Juliet has become during the course of the entire play. Another way Juliet has shown immense courage is by using irony and oxymorons in her speech, also highlighting a more complicated character and indicating the depth of her love for Romeo. For example;”O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly drop”. In this instance, Juliet is implying that there was no poison left for her to take and die with him. Juliet is then interrupted and therefore decides to act quickly; “Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief”. Yet again she uses an oxymoron which is in this case extremely ironic; “O happy dagger”. In this case, Juliet is implying that she can use the dagger to kill herself and hence join Romeo in the life after death (most probably visualized or depicted as heaven in her mind or the play).
In the final scene of the play, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s, as well as the Prince meet up at the Capulet’s monument (their family tomb). They all realize Romeo killed Paris in order to get to Juliet (un-willingly) as Paris must have tried to stop Romeo entering the tomb, as he must have thought Romeo was about to commit vandalism to the monument or something of a similar type. Friar Lawrence tells them about Romeo’s and Juliet’s secret life and why they both killed themselves as well as all the other “goings on” that had happened. They all seem to be talking about Juliet extremely favourably and Juliet is remembered as an honest, obedient and faithful woman desperately in love with Romeo, a mature young man. For example; “…Then she comes to me, and, with wild looks, bid me devise some mean to rid her of this second marriage”. She is praised and honoured by everyone, even the Montagues, who in turn become friends with the Caplulets. For example; “There shall no figure at such rate be set, as that of true and faithful Juliet”. In other words, all of the remaining characters remember Juliet as being a strong, young woman. The Prince seems to realize how sad and ironic the whole situation is and fittingly ends the play by stating; ”For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and Romeo”.
During the course of the play, we see Juliet’s character constantly developing. At the start, Juliet has been very much hidden away and kept in the dark about life and has grown up in very comfortable surroundings and is extremely obedient, especially towards her parents. However, a dramatic reform of her whole character occurs the night she meets Romeo, without knowing he was a Montague, her family’s rival. Juliet lies and turns to deceit for her own means. She has also developed a far more intricate personality and character. Such changes have been illustrated by her use of language such as irony, oxymorons, soliloquys being a few examples.
