Catherine Overend

Love as Tragedy: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers who come of age in two very different ways and in a world full of hate.Juliet rises above the other characters as a courageous and strong willed woman.She is Shakespeare’s first great tragic figure.

The audience first sees Juliet as a child.She is very hesitant to grow up and mature.This is illustrated with her first response to marriage.“It is an honor that I dream not of” (1.3.66).She doesn’t consider the possibility of marriage and is keeping it at somewhat of a distance.Her immaturity is also shown by the fact that she always wants to please her parents.“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” (1.3.97-99).Juliet is not yet the strong independent woman that she becomes later on in the play.She has not found the love that will transform her childhood fantasies to adult passion.

Once Juliet meets Romeo, however, her entire life changes its course.These lovers struggle for a mature love, but the social world around them is always against this.Juliet comes of age in an active way.She transforms very quickly for such a young age.Her passionate characteristic comes through in her speech in Act three, scene two.Her love is not only religious or spiritual, but also very passionate.She does not make excuses as Romeo does when he faults fate and not himself.She surrenders herself to love and fights the world to keep it safe.Juliet becomes a figure of will and independence unlike any other heroine.Romeo on the other hand becomes more passive as he comes of age.Their love for each other, no matter how strong, is destroyed by the social world around them.

Both Romeo and Juliet are clueless to the larger world at the time of their marriage.Juliet especially falls victim to the world.In Act three, scene five, she challenges her parents and everything that kept her innocent.She is independent and has an independent will.After her refusal to marry Paris, she is utterly alone in the world. (With) Romeo banished to Mantua and her entire family against her, Juliet has to steer her own course of action.She finally realizes that when she takes the death seeming potion, that she is isolated.Her innocence is gone, but her courage is not.Her love for Romeo conquers all her fears and directs her path.
Although it loses some focus near the end, this is on the whole an excellent response to the question of J's maturation.  The two middle paragraphs do a fine job of detailing the ways in which she comes of age, her active nature, her ability to rebel against her family, and the passion of her love.  Overall a very good job.  9.5