Juliet: From Mouse To Woman Essay, Research Paper

In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the two main characters are Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Both teenagers matured and changed during the play, but Juliet?s changes stood out the most. Juliet transformed in less then a week, which says she did not change much, but there is a definite difference in her personality from before she met Romeo to after she married him. There are many events in the book that support that idea. Most of which interact with her mother. Many events towards the ending of the play suggest she is very obstinate, which is quite different from the begging of the play before Juliet even thought of marriage or defying her parents and family.

In Juliet?s first scene she is talking to her Mother and the Nurse. Her Mother brought up the topic of marriage and Lord Paris. This is when we first see a young girl who has just begun to grow up. She replies with the fact that she hasn?t considered marriage yet. Most girls of her age would have been wives by now, so it was slightly uncommon that she hadn?t even thought of her marriage. Also in this scene we see in her willingness and obedience, when she does not object to her Mother?s thoughts of her marring Lord Paris soon. When her Mother asks her if she could love Paris she replies, ?I?ll look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly.? (I, iv, 102-105) I interpreted her to mean she will try to love him, but she will not look deeper than her mother wishes. She reminds me of a mouse in a way, meek and a pushover. This scene is right before the ball.

Later when Juliet is at the ball she meets Romeo, and falls in love at first sight. Later Romeo follows her to her balcony where she confesses her love for Romeo to herself. Overhearing her, Romeo shows himself and also confesses his love for her. Taken over by her first feelings of love and lust, she defies her parents just by speaking to him in that manner. Before this, which was only about five or six hours ago, she would not have spoken to him at all, let alone that time of night. Romeo soon proposes to Juliet and she says yes. Her parents have made it very clear that she is supposed to marry Paris. She disobeyed them greatly by making plans, behind their backs to marry an enemy of theirs. Also during this scene Juliet?s Nurse calls her a number of times, and Juliet probably would have hurried to the Nurse immediately. Instead she kept on saying she would be right there. Although not many there are already signs of change in Juliet?s personality and how she deals with her own feelings.

More changes begin to show when Juliet wakes up from her wedding night. After Romeo leaves her mother comes in and tells her that in three days she will marry Paris. In the beginning she said she would try to like Paris if her mother wished. After her Mother gave her the news, she replied with: ?Now by Saint Peter?s church and by Peter too, He shall not make me there a joyful bride! I wonder at this haste that I must wed ere he that should be my husband comes to woo. I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam, I will not marry yet, and when I do I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, Rather than Paris. These are news indeed!? (III, v, 121-128) After saying that she has totally disregarded her family. This and many other items have convinced me that Juliet went from a meek little mouse, to a woman capable of making her own choices. Even if those choices happen to be killing ones self.

All in all, in Shakespeare?s tragedy Romeo and Juliet I think Juliet matured from being a immature daddy?s girl, to a dedicated strong willed wife killing herself for her husband. I think if she had not killed herself and the play continued realistically she would have gotten over her lust for Romeo and gone back to that same sweet disposition. In the beginning she was a little less selfish also. The drastic changes that Juliet went through in such a short amount of time shows how powerful love is.