GCSE English Lit Romeo and Juliet

At the beginning of the play, Juliet is presented as an exemplary aristocratic daughter, who is obedient to her parents’ wishes. Her first lines in the play establish her as submissive to her parents' will, which is shown in the line: “Madam I am here. What is your will?” Juliet addresses her mother formally using the noun “madam” which shows the immense respect she has for her mother. Juliet here speaks in a formal tone suggesting the formality of their relationship, which would be common in mother-daughter relationships in noble families such as the Capulets. Furthermore, her question “what is your will?” highlights that Juliet is willing to do whatever her mother commands, which was expected of Elizabethan daughters of the time. Elizabethan daughters were expected to follow their parents' wishes, without questioning them, and this is mirrored in Juliet’s character. Juliet’s speech is also short and contained as she is silenced and oppressed by the ideals the patriarchal society imposes on her. Furthermore, in response to her mother’s wishes that she marry Paris, Juliet responds that she will “look to like if looking liking move.” Whilst Juliet seems to be compliant with her mother’s request to marry Paris, Juliet shows early signs of rebellion towards her mother. The alliterative “l” gives Juliet’s language a playful feel and combined with the iambic pentameter, it suggests her control over her language. This could suggest her desire for some form of control, which foreshadows her defiance of the patriarchy later in the play. However, despite this, Juliet does not have the power to do so, as she is limited by her parents’ control and the patriarchal society. Shakespeare could be criticising the burdening restrictions of the patriarchal society, which forces young girls such as Juliet into unhappy marriages, through Juliet’s desire for control. Although Shakespeare presents Juliet as a submissive typical Elizabethan daughter, the audience is aware due to the dramatic irony of the prologue, that Juliet will defy her parents and marry a man not of their choice.

In the extract, Juliet is presented as bold and defiant of her parents’ wishes as well as the typical role of an Elizabethan woman as she is now fully independent. However, Juliet’s impetuosity to do so ultimately leads to her tragedy. During Juliet’s soliloquy, she claims she will “no longer be a Capulet”. Juliet is forgoing her lineage for the sake of Romeo whom she has just met. This declaration not only highlights Juliet as a passionate lover to Romeo, but she is also rejecting any loyalty to her family and openly betraying her parents and the Capulet house. As this is a soliloquy, the audience would know that these are Juliet’s true thoughts, which present her to be a defiant woman. The motif of night when she meets Romeo shows how she is separate from the regular world as she is awake during unusual hours therefore, she does not belong within the feud-driven Verona, suggesting her independence from her parents. Furthermore, Juliet is openly blasphemous, claiming Romeo is “the god of [her idolatry].” The use of paganistic language shows how Juliet has denied God, dedicating her life to Romeo. This would have been recognised by an Elizabethan audience as going against the Great Chain of Being. The Great Chain of Being was the belief that God created the world with a clear hierarchical structure where men were seen as above women, so women were expected to be subordinate to men. As the Great Chain of Being was the foundation of life, Juliet’s refusal of this would only lead to her tragedy, through eternal punishment from God. Perhaps Juliet is the reason for her tragedy, as she challenges God naively. However, Juliet's hastiness to refuse her family and all social constructs for Romeo, whom she has just met, presents her as impulsive and so Juliet’s hamartia is her impulsiveness. Although she claims that Romeo’s rush is “too ill advis’d”, Juliet contrasts this at the end of the scene, agreeing to marry Romeo, further highlighting her impulsive nature. Shakespeare may be warning of the impetuosity of youth and their hastiness in love as this is contributes to Juliet’s inevitable downfall.

Finally, Juliet is presented as although independent, she is overruled by her inescapable fate causing her tragedy. In the extract, Juliet appears fiery and defiant when she claims she will “no longer be a Capulet”. These characteristics present Juliet as a typical Leo in her personality. We are also aware at the start of the play that Juliet is born in “Lammas Eve” which makes us aware that she is a Leo. Elizabethans believed celestial bodies to have an enormous influence over someone’s disposition which explains why Juliet embodies these traits. However, this suggests the immense power of fate from the beginning of the play, which Juliet cannot escape. In Act 3 Scene 5, after Romeo has left for Mantua, Juliet asks fortune to be “fickle” and “send [Romeo]” back soon. Juliet is aware of the power which fate has through her pleading for fortune to change its mind and bring Romeo soon. This could be an example of dramatic irony as Romeo does indeed return soon but however, when he does return, he thinks Juliet is dead and poisons himself, fulfilling the prophecy from the prologue of their “death mark’d love.” At the end of the play, Juliet ends her life with her “happy dagger”. Although the adjective “happy” suggests her control over her death as it has positive connotations, the act of death was foreshadowed in the prologue, suggesting her ultimate lack of control in her fate. Shakespeare may be suggesting that although we cannot change our destiny, we should do our best to enjoy the short happiness of life, like Juliet across the play.

In conclusion, Shakespeare criticises the patriarchal control over women in Elizabethan society. Through the construct of Juliet, Shakespeare highlights the dangers of hastiness in passion, as whilst this does not cause Juliet’s death at the end of the play, it certainly exacerbates her fate.