Romeo and Juliet - The Character of Juliet Romeo Juliet Essays

Romeo and Juliet - The Character of Juliet

In William Shakespeare's the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, love transforms Juliet. Early in the play, Juliet is a young girl who is very faithful to her family. After this young girl meets Romeo Montague, she begins to change. By the end of the play, Juliet is changed into a woman who is now very faithful to her husband, instead of her family.

In the beginning of the play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet when Juliet is first introduced, she is introduced as a young girl who is very faithful to her family, the Capulet family. In being faithful to her family, she is very compliant to the elders in her family. When the Capulet family's nurse calls Juliet, Juliet comes promptly. Then, she politely asks why she was called. Juliet also calls her mother, Lady Capulet, "madam" (1.3.5). Juliet is also compliant to her family when she is at the feast that her family throws. Not long after Juliet meets Romeo, her mother calls her. When she hears this, she immediately ends her conversation with Romeo to go and see why her mother called her. In addition to being very compliant to her family, she is also very compliant when she is asked to do anything. When Juliet's mother, Lady Capulet, asks her daughter Juliet about her opinions on marriage, Juliet is very respectful with her answer. She says, "It is and honor that I dream not of." (1.3.66). Juliet is very compliant when her mother, Lady Capulet, is discussing Paris's proposal with Juliet. Lady Capulet is pleased with the proposal by Paris and wants Juliet to consider it. Even though Juliet is not interested in marrying Paris, or anyone else, she agrees to consider the idea because that is what her mother, Lady Capulet, wants her to do. Juliet is faithful to her family through her compliance to them.

Once this compliant young girl who is faithful to her family meets Romeo, the love she experiences begins to transform her. After Juliet meets Romeo, many of her opinions and interests begin to change. Juliet is now more excepting of love. While in the beginning of the play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet seems uninterested in loving anyone. But, after she meets Romeo, her opinion changes. Juliet is now more willing to love. She even confesses her love to Romeo on her balcony by saying, "Take all myself" (2.2.49). Juliet's interests in marriage also changes when she meets Romeo. Before Juliet had met Romeo, she was uninterested in marriage, "It is an honor that I dream not of." (1.3.66). Juliet had said this to her mother, Lady Capulet, when the general topic of marriage was being discussed. But after the feast where Juliet met Romeo, she tells him in her garden that she wishes to be married. She came to this decision to accept marriage because of the fact that she met and now loves Romeo. Juliet's is no longer as faithful to her family through compliance after she meets Romeo. Juliet is no longer as obedient to her family. When her father, Lord Capulet, tells her that he has arranged for Juliet to be married to Paris, she objects. By doing this she is being faithful to her own morals and being faithful to her husband. She is willing to comfort her father, Lord Capulet, in order to have what she believes is right and stay faithful to her husband even though her father threatens to disown her. Juliet is also no longer faithful to her family. After the feast her family throws and Juliet learns that the one she loves is her family's enemy, she is willing to give up her name, the Capulet name, for this love of hers. Juliet says "And I'll no longer be a Capuelt." (2.2.36) if Romeo will not give up his name in for their love.

By the end of William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is completely transformed by love into a woman who is faithful to her husband, Romeo, instead of her family, the Capulet family. Juliet is willing to deceive her family in order to be with Romeo. Juliet keeps her relationship with Romeo from her family. It is kept a secret from Lord and Lady Capulet that Romeo was even near Juliet. The only person who knows about the relationship is the Capulet's nurse and she keeps the secret and delivers messages to Romeo for Juliet. Juliet is also willing to do anything to be with her husband, Romeo. When Romeo was banished from Verona, Juliet and the friar devised a plan to help the two newlyweds be together. The friar gave Juliet a potion that will make her appear dead to everyone around. Then, the friar was going to send for Romeo. Even though Juliet had many fears about taking the potion, she still took it because she loved her husband and wanted to be with him. Juliet is also willing to kill herself to be with her husband. After she wakes up from the potion and finds Romeo dead, she immediately takes a dagger and kills herself so that she can be with Romeo, even in death.

In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is transformed by the love of Romeo. In the beginning of the play, she is a young girl who is very faithful to her family, the Capulet family. Once she meets Romeo, that all changes. She becomes a woman who is now extremely loyal to the man she loves, her husband Romeo.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Elements of Literature Third Course. Ed. Kathleen Daniel et. al. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. 735-851.