Juliet's Evolvement Throughout William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Juliet's Evolvement Throughout William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's earliest tragedies. The

character in question, Juliet Capulet, is arguably the most intriguing

character in the play. The daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, one of

the richest families in the setting of Verona, her life should have

been one of comfort and pleasure, but this is not to be, as the

introductory prologue tells us. Amid the tale of fierce family feuds

and 'star-cross'd lovers', she develops from an immature and compliant

girl, naive even for her young age of thirteen, to a defiant and

resolute young woman, passionately in love with the husband she

married without her family's knowledge or consent.

The first appearance of Juliet in the play is in Act I Scene III. Here

she is shown in the role of a typical daughter of the period: she is

dutiful, quiet and eager to please her parents, having experienced

nothing of the world. When her mother requires her, she replies

'Madam, I am here. What is your will?'

This reserved address of her mother shows us two things: Juliet is

very respectful of her mother and their relationship is not what we

would now consider a typical mother/daughter relationship. They are

distant towards each other and this indicates that Juliet was probably

raised more by her Nurse than her actual mother, although this was

common during the time period.

Juliet's innocence is demonstrated when Lady Capulet introduces the

idea of marriage to Juliet. When asked if she was consent to Paris as

a husband, she responds

'I'll look to like, if looking liking move'

This shows both Juliet's ...

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...know his remedy: if all else fail, myself

have the power to die'.

When Juliet makes this astounding revelation, it shows not only her

determinism but also her newly found devious mind. She doesn't panic,

instead lying to her parents about her attitude towards Paris's

proposal.

Juliet prepares to take the sleeping draught, but shows her resolve

when despite many fears, she takes the draught. She is extremely

apprehensive, disturbed by fears of ' the horrible conceit of death

and night' and Tybalt 'festering in his shroud. Despite this Juliet

takes the draught, showing her indisputable change from the nervous

teenager to a strong woman.

Through the course of the play, Juliet Capulet has displayed a

remarkable yet believable change from a young and immature girl to a

resolute and self-reliant tragic heroine.