Romeo and Juliet: Juliet

Who is Juliet Capulet?

Juliet is the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet who is stuck in the middle of a family feud - and even more so, when she falls in love with her ‘loathed enemy’s’ son. In a short period of 3 days, she falls in love with Romeo Montague and spends the next few days sorting out the lies she told her parents, such as getting married in secret, faking her death to run away with Romeo and then finally killing herself as a proclamation of her love to Romeo and that she cannot live without him.

Traits

• Naïve
• Innocent
• Determined
• Passionate
• Loyal
• Loving

Examples:

• At first, Juliet is presented as a young naïve girl who is obedient to her parents.

  • “Marriage as an honour that I do not dream of”

• When the idea of marriage to Paris is placed before her, she acquiesces, saying:

  • “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move.”

• “Parting is such a sweet sorrow”

  • Juliet talks to a Romeo in ^^Act 2 Scene 2,^^ just before he leaves her. She shows that she is innocent and young and has no experience in love and falls in love easily. Juliet doesn't think that there are repercussions to her actions, all she can think about is herself and Romeo.

• “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden.”

  • Juliet shows maturity when she hesitates to marry Romeo. She is still young but she shows that she know what could happen if they were married.

• “That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”

  • Juliet is an accepting person, who doesn't care what someone's name is or how they look like - this shows how deep she has fallen in love with Romeo and how quick she is to do so

Juliet: A surprising Character

These are very surprising changes to occur in any character, but are extremely surprising and mature for a thirteen year old, especially in Shakespearean times.

• Although she had just told her parents that she was not thinking of marriage at all, she quickly falls for Romeo and agrees to marry him. She falls for Romeo even though she swore she could never love a Montague.

  • “ My only love sprung from my only hate.”
  • “Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.”

• “Be but sworn my love and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” Juliet shows her true feelings for her family and Romeo. She shows that she thinks little of her mother and father and thinks much of a Romeo. She declares that Romeo has to say he loves her and she will leave everything behind.

• She stands up for herself and refuses to marry Paris, incurring her father’s anger. He threatens that he will disown her if she doesn't marry Paris. She willingly trades loyalty to her family for loyalty to Romeo - she will not betray Romeo by committing bigamy. She seems to have abandoned the obedient and innocent traits that she had in ^^Act 1^^.

  • “An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets”

Challenges

• Juliet is affected by many challenges throughout the play. This is due to the family feuds between the Montagues and Capulets, her father's need to control her life and her own character development throughout the play

• “My only love sprung from my only hate.”

• Juliet is confused by who she loves. She needs to choose who she wants to be with. Should she betray her family and be with Romeo? Or should he stay with her father and mother but, deny Romeo’s love? This matures her into making impulsive decisions that abandons her obedience and innocence; which leads her to her fated death.

• “An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets.” When Juliet chooses Romeo over her family, her father reacts badly as he wants to control Juliet. He cares more about his image than his daughter. At that time, it is normal for men having power and authority over their wives and daughters, and therefore, when Juliet fights back, he threatens that he will disown her if she doesn't marry Paris.

• “What is it be a poison which the Friar subtly hath ministered to have me dead.”

• Juliet faces the decision of taking a strange potion that Friar Lawrence had given her. This is part of her plan to be with Romeo. In her soliloquy, she weighs her choice wisely. She knows that she could be disowned for what she has done, however, she is scared that the potion could not work or work to well and kill her.

Relationships

• “It is the east and Juliet is the sun.”
• Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight. They don't know each other's names yet, but they are sure that they are the one. Here, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun - the light of his life that he cannot live without.