® ENGLISH GCSE – ROMEO AND JULIET
Juliet
® Feminine and masculine are contrasted greatly in the play. Most of
the men have scenes set in the outdoors however the majority of
Juliet’s occur indoors demonstrating the domesticity Juliet is subjected
to. Juliet can be considered equal to Romeo in the play as she is
intelligent enough to finish Romeo’s rhymes which Benvolio and
Mercutio are seen doing also showing the power of their bond. It does
indicate that Juliet is well educated and able to keep up with the
men – she is seen as a revolutionary character(doesn’t fit the
narrative archetype). Juliet rejects her social status, rules &
expectations contrasting that of Elizabethan Britain.
® It takes a lot of guts for women to get married in secret in
Shakespeare times let alone women of such high status. She’s
rebelling against society’s expectations and her family
QUALITIES:
Loving:
® Juliet’s love is complete and romantic. She is the foil for Rosaline who
symbolises unrequited and the abstract concept to love. This can be
seen through how Juliet reciprocates love. The fact they passionately
kiss when they first meet contrasts an Elizabethan tradition but
symbolises their physical, tangible love for one another. The dialogue
between them is spoken in iambic pentameter and they finish each
others rhymes as well, sometimes the rhymes are. In the Sonnet form
and so can signify their compatibility and unbreakable bond. From
this we see that Juliet really is the embodiment of love that
undermines the tradition of Petrarchan courtly love.
o ‘Love is a smoke made with a fume of sighs’ - Act 1 Scene 1
o ‘locks fair daylight and makes himself an artificial night’ - Act 1 Scene
1
o ‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright’- Act 1 Scene 5
o ‘Did my heart love till now?’ - Act 1 Scene 5
o ‘Give me my sin again’ - Act 1 Scene 5
o ‘Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d’ - Act 2 Scene 2
Fate:
® Juliet is coherently tied into fate throughout the play and is
challenged by arbitrary fate – she’s Capulet, Romeo is Montague,
and she has been arranged to marry Paris, but she has very little
freedom to say what she wants. Juliet becomes increasingly
®
Copyright © 2022 Revision Guru | All rights reserved
Juliet
® Feminine and masculine are contrasted greatly in the play. Most of
the men have scenes set in the outdoors however the majority of
Juliet’s occur indoors demonstrating the domesticity Juliet is subjected
to. Juliet can be considered equal to Romeo in the play as she is
intelligent enough to finish Romeo’s rhymes which Benvolio and
Mercutio are seen doing also showing the power of their bond. It does
indicate that Juliet is well educated and able to keep up with the
men – she is seen as a revolutionary character(doesn’t fit the
narrative archetype). Juliet rejects her social status, rules &
expectations contrasting that of Elizabethan Britain.
® It takes a lot of guts for women to get married in secret in
Shakespeare times let alone women of such high status. She’s
rebelling against society’s expectations and her family
QUALITIES:
Loving:
® Juliet’s love is complete and romantic. She is the foil for Rosaline who
symbolises unrequited and the abstract concept to love. This can be
seen through how Juliet reciprocates love. The fact they passionately
kiss when they first meet contrasts an Elizabethan tradition but
symbolises their physical, tangible love for one another. The dialogue
between them is spoken in iambic pentameter and they finish each
others rhymes as well, sometimes the rhymes are. In the Sonnet form
and so can signify their compatibility and unbreakable bond. From
this we see that Juliet really is the embodiment of love that
undermines the tradition of Petrarchan courtly love.
o ‘Love is a smoke made with a fume of sighs’ - Act 1 Scene 1
o ‘locks fair daylight and makes himself an artificial night’ - Act 1 Scene
1
o ‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright’- Act 1 Scene 5
o ‘Did my heart love till now?’ - Act 1 Scene 5
o ‘Give me my sin again’ - Act 1 Scene 5
o ‘Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d’ - Act 2 Scene 2
Fate:
® Juliet is coherently tied into fate throughout the play and is
challenged by arbitrary fate – she’s Capulet, Romeo is Montague,
and she has been arranged to marry Paris, but she has very little
freedom to say what she wants. Juliet becomes increasingly
®
Copyright © 2022 Revision Guru | All rights reserved
