LITERARY ESSAY TOPIC 4
By the end, both Romeo and Juliet have grown into very different characters
from who they were at the start of the play. Discuss.
In the drama, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
are naive, innocent and vulnerable young teenagers. However, they discover
love and become mature, responsible and assertive young lovers who have a
deep love connection. Their love is the catalyst that eventually ends a lifelong feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.
Romeo Montague is a young teenager who is obsessed with a young Capulet
lady called Rosaline. He knows this love could never be as the two
households hate each other. He mopes and and shuts himself away from the
world and feels depressed because Rosaline does not return his affection. He
is engrossed in himself and has little time for anyone else. His parents even
ask Benvolio what is wrong with Romeo. This behaviour is immature and
shallow. He is a dreamer and is very unrealistic about what a relationship
and love should be. He does not want to look at anyone else even though
Benvolio suggests it - he sees other women as “passing fair”. At this point in
the drama, it seems that Romeo is more in love with the idea of love than
the real thing.
Juliet is thirteen years old. She is the epitome of a sixteen century young
girl. She is innocent - she still plays childhood games with her Nurse
companion in the castle garden. She is vulnerable and sheltered from the
world by very rich, but distant parents. She has a pure heart and an angelic
nature, something that Romeo sees in her later and sees her as a “saint”.
She has a very close relationship with her Nurse who is her “mother” in
many ways. The nurse breast fed her and has witnessed her tears, every
cut, and fall as a toddler. Juliet is very unaware of love and marriage. Lady
Capulet asks Juliet how she feels about marrying Paris, a handsome young
prince. Juliet is an obedient and submissive daughter and honestly replies
that she has not even thought about such a serious matter. At this point it
seems that her parents want to arrange a marriage with this gentleman,
Paris. He will provide her with financial security and she will provide him with
heirs.
After Juliet and Romeo meet at the Capulet Ball, a love that is deep,
passionate begins. They are soul mates destined to be together. When he
sees Juliet, compared with other girls, she is a white dove among black
crows. He realises that he never realised what real love was and that he was
infatuated with Rosaline but is now in love with Juliet. He compares her to
the sun. He is so deeply in love with her, that he is prepared to give up his
name, Romeo Montague if she will marry him. He shows maturity when he
marries Juliet and is prepared to be a loyal and responsible husband. It can
be seen that he shows commitment and loyalty to the end when he is
prepared to take his life so that he can be with his star-crossed lover, Juliet.
Juliet is a sensible and realistic character, who is not thrown by flowery
language and metaphoric comparisons from Romeo. She is practical is
realises she has met her soul mate. She is passionately in love with him and
knows immediately that she would like to marry him, if he is serious about
their love. She shows maturity, commitment and assertiveness when she
refuses to marry Paris. She knows that she has taken vows and is sure of
her deep love for Romeo. She is prepared to take her life rather than go
back on her vows with Romeo. This demonstrates maturity responsibility.
After meeting Romeo she becomes a decisive independent young lady who
knows what true love and loyalty mean.
The drama of Romeo and Juliet clearly shows that these two young
teenagers, were innocent, immature and naive at the start of the story.
However, they were star-crossed lovers whose destinies were written in the
stars. Through their true, deep and passionate love they matured, and
showed loyalty and commitment to each other.