Dmitri Kritikos
Ms. Dawson
English 3
24 April 2017
Juliet’s Change Throughout the Play
It’s very unusual for the heroine of a play to change and develop more than the hero. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the reader is introduced to Juliet a young girl who falls in love with a guy named Romeo. Juliet begins the play off very obedient and confined then continues throughout the play to become a more disobedient and free character. While on the other hand Romeo, the hero of the play stays very undisciplined and emotional throughout.
In the beginning of the play Juliet is a very obedient and confined character while Romeo is undisciplined and emotional. When the reader first meets Juliet her mother asked her thoughts about marrying Paris and she responded, “I’ll look to like if looking liking more. But no more deep will I endart mine eye. Then your consent gives strength to make it fly.” (1.3.100) This quote means Juliet will only love Paris as much as her mother will allow. That is important because it shows Juliet is very obedient and confined. While Romeo in the beginning of the play is very sad and emotional. In this quote said by his father “Away from light steals home my heavy son and private in his chamber pens himself, shuts up his windows locks fair day light out and makes himself and artificial night.”(1.1.35) This means Romeo is in his room staying in his room because something is making him feel great sorrow. This characters behavior shows us that he is very emotional.
In the middle of the play Juliet in becoming more disobedient and free individual while Romeo is still very emotional and undisciplined. In the beginning of Act two Romeo jumps over the Capulet orchard wall and trespasses on their property to see Juliet. This shows he is very emotional and undisciplined. In the next scene Romeo and Juliet are on her balcony talking and she says “Three words, dear Romeo and good night indeed, If that thy hent of love honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow by one that I’ll procure to come to thee where and what time thou wilt preform the rite.”(2.2.145) This is Juliet saying if Romeo really loves her that they should get married and if so send word tomorrow. This matters because it shows that Juliet is becoming more free and disobedient asking Romeo to marry her.
At the end of the play Juliet has become totally disobedient and free while Romeo is still very emotional and undisciplined. In the beginning of act 4 Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence after complaining about Paris and says “Do thou but call my resolution wise and with this knife I’ll help it presently (shows him knife). God joined my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands and ere this hand by thee to Romeo sealed shall be the label to another deed, or my true heart with treacherous revolt turn to another this shall slay them both.”(4.1.50-60) This means Juliet would rather kill her self then marry Paris. Juliet’s behavior in this scene shows us that she is defying her mother’s wishes to marry Paris meaning she is disobedient and free. In the middle of act 5 Romeo finds Juliet “dead” in her family’s tomb and says without thought “O what more favor an I do to thee than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain. To sander his that was thine enemy? Forgive me cousin.”(Stabs himself) This means Romeo killed himself to avenge the death of Tybalt and because Juliet is dead. This shows the reader Romeo is still emotional and undisciplined.
By comparing Romeo to Juliet we see the Juliet changes and develops more then Romeo throughout the play.