Juliet: From Girl to Woman

As the play develops, Romeo and Juliet go through a process of transformation and maturity. Romeo, for example, faces reality, and he is forced to change his perspective and the way he thinks, acts and love.

But I would like to focus on Juliet. She is the central character and the one who reaches a certain state of maturity through the play—in a more noticeable way than Romeo. Juliet, for instance, plays two roles at the same time: the obedient daughter and innocent kid, and the mature and independent woman and wife. Even though she was supposed to keep playing the role of a daughter—and Paris’ wife—she did what she wanted to do and took responsibility for her own desires. In this regard, Juliet plays both roles as Shakespeare wanted to: play roles as criticism of the play of roles in society.

In this sense, there is also a clear confusion of roles as non of the characters in the play is aware of the change that is happening, unlike us, spectators, that notice and know the reason why Juliet struggles with these roles.

Many of you may say that she went through this process because she was in love and followed her heart. I think Romeo was the excuse she wanted to finally breakaway and show herself as an independent woman. In other words, she went through this process of maturity in a way of rebellion against her father, her family, against the old order. I think she took advantage of this situation to become a woman—an individualistic woman.

Do you think that Juliet just followed her heart because she was blindly in love, or followed her heart because she saw an opportunity to become a woman and stop being treated like a kid?