Juliets Struggle and Self Reliance: A Response to Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet

By Mina Projansky Ono

In Shakespeare's epic tale of Romeo and Juliet, readers recognize the couples perilous love affair along with the consequences that follow. Because of this, some believe that Shakespeare created the very idea of rebellious teenagers, and that Juliet was one of the first. She was hopelessly in love with Romeo for the majority of the play, but there is a less obvious reason for her escape. Juliet's parents had been oppressive for the entirety of her life, and to find a way out of the marriage they had arranged was her one chance at freedom. Juliet had to alter her life entirely to be with Romeo. Alike, research has shown that being in love causes people to take extensive measures. This effect, no doubt, had influenced the star-crossed couple. Yet the passionate love between Romeo and Juliet did not play out only as "love at first sight." Rather, I would call it an impulsive protest that ultimately helped Juliet avoid her parents. This desperate act of escape led to an existence rich with deception, courageous acts, and revolutionary decisions. Through the story of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare illustrates how adolescents often take risks to flee a compromised life. He additionally conveys the remarkable limits of teenagers to his audience. One could say, William Shakespeare practically invented the idea of the unique and glorious adolescent and "defined what it means to be 'star-crossed (How Shakespeare Invented Teenagers). In a way, the image of teenagers people have now in media, literature, and everyday life was envisioned by the beloved playwright we all know. In order to create a cheerier image, Shakespeares play is frequently seen as a story of "love at first sight." Then again, Romeo and Juliet can be more deeply understood as a story

about Juliet removing herself from an arranged marriage (with County Paris). Her family had not offered the support and encouragement that she needed to find true love. Her rebellious act of falling in love was swayed by the situation she was in at the time. Her father, the leader of the Capulets, had exploded and threatened Juliet when she expressed discontent toward marrying Paris. I would argue that her departure and marriage to another man (Romeo) was not only an act of love, but also a fleeing from home. Juliet made a myriad of drastic changes to her life, and these decisions began even before she had known Romeo. When she was told she must marry Paris, immediately she became dismayed and decided she had to prevent the wedding. When she met Romeo and hastily fell in love, there arose the perfect opportunity for her to remove herself from the arranged marriage. Quickly after falling for Romeo, she pleaded with him to become her husband right away. Romeo agreed to their spontaneous marriage because he was entirely possessed by Juliet as well. The marriage then became another addition to Juliets collection of risky decisions. Later on, Romeo was exiled for the death of Tybalt (a Capulet) and Juliet conveyed her pain for him. In the end, Juliet and Romeo both kill themselves, creating a tragic finale. The decision alone to demonstrate her love with suicide in such a grand way confirms that she possesses implausible integrity. The fact Juliet left her family to become independent is evidence of the agony she endured back at home. Scientific research in an article called "Love and Pain Relief" shows that distraction can, in actuality, relieve pain. In addition, love can undoubtedly become a distraction and even an obsession. Being in love "activates the brain's dopamine system, much as addictive behaviors like gambling or drug use do" (The Brain in Love). Juliet was subconsciously using her love for Romeo as a home far from home and to relieve her previous pain. In a more literal

way, she was also marrying Romeo to liberate herself physically from the wrath of her furious father and the insisting of County Paris. In summation, Juliet ultimately presented herself as a heroic character that found consolation in Romeo. The resulting relief dulled her pain that came from being forced into a marriage she thought of as dreadful. To relish this love, Juliet took action to escape her parents and their judgments. Romeo and Juliets love was encouraged along the way by Juliets unfortunate situation with Paris and her family. Accordingly, she did not only act out of love, but also out of a drive to free herself. By the end of the play, a concept of adolescent rebellion was created, Juliet emerged as an independent person, and she was able to trust her instincts because of love and by the side of Romeo.

Reference List Durban, A. (Ed.). (1985). Shakespeare Made Easy: Romeo and Juliet. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons Educational Series.

Marche, S. (2011, March 25). How Shakespeare Invented Teenagers. New York Times Magazine, 59. Retrieved from <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/magazine/mag-27Riffsidebar-t.html>

Parker-Pope, T. (2010). Love and Pain Relief. New York Times. Retrieved from <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/love-and-pain-relief/?emc=eta1&r=0>