Act 1 Scene 5 is the first scene in which we meet both Romeo and Juliet at the same time.
Romeo enters the party looking for Rosalyne until he spots Juliet.
What lady’s that which doth enrich the
Hand
Of Yonder Knight?
The reply he gets from the Serving man, I know not, sir. proves how isolated Juliet really is.
The sonnet that follows is the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet and immediately Romeo’s ‘love for love’ comes into play. Within seconds of meeting Juliet he has forgotten Rosalyne and is now star struck with Juliet. It seems to be love at first sight and the fourth line of Romeo’s first words to her is offering To smooth that rough touch with a kiss. This brings out a weakness in Romeo, the fact that he is obsessed and blinded by love. Juliet responds with arguably her greatest strength: her maturity.
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this.
However, the child in her comes through and she gives in to Romeo.
Then have my lips the sin that they have took..
The sudden separation of Romeo & Juliet, is followed by the revealing of each other’s identity. Romeo is told Juliet’s identity by Benvolio. O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt. In response to this, he leaves the party with his friends, leaving Juliet behind.
The nurse tells Juliet that His name is Romeo, and a Montague. Juliet’s reaction is more obvious, she is disappointed knowing that My only love sprung from my only hate!
Act 1 Scene 3 is the point at which we, the audience, are introduced to Juliet. She is rather reluctant when the proposal of marriage is first placed upon her.
It is an honour that I dream not of
A modern audience would consider this a fairly normal statement, as today it is extremely rare for a girl of thirteen to get married. However, in Elizabethan times, this would be considered acceptable. Lady Capulet makes this point clear when she tells Juliet that girls Younger than you…are made already mothers. Her father on the other hand advises caution to Juliet. Making a remark that would seem somewhat more sensible to modern audiences.
Let two more summers wither in their pride
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
Act 4 Scene 3, we find Juliet, in her bedroom, preparing to take the potion given to her by the friar.
She shows signs of great strength throughout this scene, which unknown to her will lead to her death. She is brave in the fact that she has fully gained independence. She no longer needs the nurse or her mother to make decisions for her, as she dismisses them at the beginning of the scene
So please you, let me be now be left alone.
She is showing her true love to Romeo as to take the potion is the only way that they can be together. She shows great loyalty and respect for him, as she never doubts him, and is willing to leave her family and her normal life for him. This proves that she is a faithful wife to Romeo.
In contrast, she shows a considerable amount of weakness in her spoken language. She believes she is alone in the world, abandoned by her parents, and her dismissal of the nurse. She fears her trust in the friar, that it may be a trick, that she may wake up the following morning and have to be married to Paris, and lead a miserable life without Romeo. Or even a potion that would kill her.
What if it be a potion which the friar
Subtly hath ministered to have me dead.
Her reasons for being suspicious of the friar come from the fact that her marriage is a sin. She married without her parent’s permission. Juliet believes that the friar may be dishonoured by his actions and would no try and undo his ways, so he may continue his life as a holy man.
Lest in this marriage should he be dishonoured,
Because he should be dishonoured,
Because he married me before to Romeo?
Juliet contemplates death, considering her marriage is based on a sin, believing to be condemned straight to hell.
She is scared for her own safety as she considers the consequences of the potion. She is afraid that she may wake up too early and find herself surrounded by her dead relatives, including the recently murdered Tybalt. She is anxious for her sanity, she fears that if she is to wake too soon, she will go mad among her relatives dead bodies.
And madly play with my forefathers’ joints.
And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud,
And in this rage , with some great kinsman’s bone,
As with a club, dash out my desp’rate brains?
The language she uses is frantic and hurried. She uses little punctuation and asks herself rhetorical question when considering the consequences.
The scene concludes with a huge act of bravery. She takes the potion. This reflects her true love to Romeo.
Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink – I drink to thee.
Act 3 scene 2, we find Juliet awaiting the return of Romeo. When the nurse enters, she is full of mixed emotions showing both strength and weakness.
Convinced Romeo is dead she is heartbroken. O break, my heart…break at once!
Confusion sets in at the news of Tybalts death Is Romeo slaughtered? And is Tybalt dead?
Showing a sign of great strength while proving her loyalty to Romeo she says, My dearest cousin, and my dearer lord? However could be seen as weakness as she places Romeo higher than Tybalt. Feeling betrayed by Romeo’s actions she says. O God did Romeo’s hand shed Tybalts blood?
Hearing of Romeo’s banishment, she then uses oxymoronic phrases to show her feelings on the situation.
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical!
She shows loyalty to Romeo and defends him when the nurse ‘insults’ him.
Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband.
She then insults Tybalt when she realises That villain cousin would have killed my husband.
Juliet then begins to fully support Romeo. She seems to accept Tybalts death, which could be seen as a sign of great emotional strength. She now has certainly placed Romeo above Tybalt.
My husband lives that Tybalt would have slain,
And Tybalts dead that would have slain my husband.
Beginning to understand Romeo’s banishment, she seems more hurt about this than she does about Tybalts death. She is extremely distressed at the banishment saying that Tybalt’s death was woe enough if it had ended there.
Picking up her strength she shows a great act of loyalty and respect to him when she asks the nurse to Give this ring to my true Knight, And bid him to come take his last farewell.
Act 5 Scene 1, we find Romeo in Mantua, awaiting the return of Balthazar.
He seems content with life in Mantua. However he is oblivious to the friars plan with Juliet. He is unaware of the potion.
Upon Balthazar’s return, he is anxious to know of life in Verona. He asks of his families well being and of Juliet’s health.
Is my father well?...How doth my Juliet?
This shows a strong point of Romeo showing he cares for his family as well as Juliet.
Romeo now has a new strength within him. He has lost everything that matters to him, therefore he now has nothing to lose and consequently he has nothing to fear. He buys a potion from the Apothecary, and sets off to Verona. He risks his life just to see Juliet once more, despite her death.
In Act 3 Scene 3, Romeo begins his gradual decline in maturity. He contemplates death, rather than banishment. Thou cut’st my head off with a golden axe, and smilest upon the stroke that murders me.
He feels ashamed of his banishment. They are free men, but I am banished. He contemplates death yet again asking the friar Hast thou no poison mixed?
He gets angry, in a juvenile way, at the friar. Thou canst not speak of what thou dost not feel.
Following the arrival of the nurse, Romeo becomes traumatised. The friar says that he is in his own tears made drunk. Once he recovers he is worried for Juliet. Speakest thou of Juliet? How is it with her? He attempts to commit suicide however the nurse prevents him. Hold thy desperate hand! He is then comforted by the friars plan for him and Juliet. How well my comfort is revived by this.
In the second part of Act 1 Scene 1 we are introduced to Romeo. His first words indicate that he feels alone and unloved by his family.
Was that my father that went hence so fast?
He follows up this statement with another weakness stating that he is out…of love
Following this he uses ‘rehearsed’ oxymorons about his unrequited love to Rosalyne.
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health
To a modern audience this would seem rather immature, however for an Elizabethan audience it would be common for love to be spoken through rehearsed poetry and oxymoronic phrases.
He talks about how Rosalyne is the love of his life, despite never having met her. Saying that: With Cupid’s arrow, she hath Dian’s wit, he appears to be ‘ in love with being in love.’ After reading the play it is easy to see that it is not true love as despite him saying it is, that night in Act 2 Scene 2 he proposes to Juliet.
Benvolio suggests that Romeo should Examine other beauties. Romeo disagrees, convinced his ‘love’ for Rosalyne is real.
Farewell, thou canst not teach me to forget.
Act 5 Scene 3,the final scene. Romeo enters the temple to find Paris, praying for Juliet. Despite not being aware of Paris’ arranged marriage to Juliet, Romeo kills Paris nevertheless. Out of sheer anger and frustration, he takes an innocent life. He then speaks over Juliet, before taking the potion and dying. Juliet wakes up soon after and then stabs herself, seeing Romeo dead.
Even in death Juliet shows more ‘strength’ than Romeo. One would say Romeo takes the easy path to death. One drop of potion and he dies quickly and painlessly. Juliet on the other hand, stabs herself. Presumably a much slower and more painful end to life. Juliet has the will inside her to thrust the dagger into her flesh, and the strength of mind to refrain from removing it. This is a sign of great strength by Juliet, despite the fact that she kills herself.
The evaluation above, shows many strengths and weaknesses of both Romeo and Juliet. However, when you look at the play and this evaluation. It is fairly clear to see that Juliet is indeed a stronger character than Romeo.
She is mature and sensible for her age. She has control over the relationship in the Balcony Scene. When coping with loss, she overcame it and reacted responsibly. Even in death, she endured Romeo in strength of will and mind.
I conclude this evaluation by firmly stating that Juliet is a stronger character than Romeo.
