Juliet Flashcards
How is Juliet introduced to the audience, and what is the significance of this?
“My child is yet a stranger in the world”
-The eponymous character Juliet indirectly to the audience, which shows how disconnected Romeo and Juliet are to the feud. This heightens the tragedy as they suffered the consequence of a feud that they were not even part of
How does Juliet respond to being asked about marriage?
‘It is an honour I dream not of’
-Juliet is deliberately being subtly duplicitous in order to feign obedience to her mother, disguising the fact that She doesn’t want to get married; her naïvety and the fact that she hasn’t thought about marriage yet highlights her youth. However, she could be hiding her aspirations with Romeo
How does Juliet challenge the feud and highlight the futility of it?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet”
-Juliet is exposing the fact that it is not just a name that defines you
How does Juliet warn Romeo about acting impulsively?
“It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden”
- The use of an asyndetic list emphasises the haste at which Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is developing, warning the audience that if they act on passion impulsively, it can lead to tragic outcomes
- The phrase “too unadvised”, criticises society for not giving accurate advice to R+J on love, as no character in the play knows the true meaning of love
How does Juliet show the genuine nature of their love?
“Art thou gone so, love, lord, ay husband, friend?”
- Exposes the genuine love and emphasises it through the asyndetic listing, contradicting her parents who perceive marriage as a tool for social and financial gain.
- However, dramatic irony heightens the tragedy as the audience know that their love is destined to fail.
What phrase shows that even Juliet blames fate?
“O Fortune, Fortune”
-While other characters blame fate instead of taking responsibility for their actions, Juliet’s lack of power is shown here as she has never been given autonomy so she has no other choice but to be dependent on fate.
How does Juliet explicitly show disobedience in terms of marriage?
“I will not marry yet, and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris”
-Juliet is speaking in hyperbole and satirical language to seem as though she is saying she would rather marry Romeo than Paris. This is the closest she can get to confessing that she has married Romeo which shows the lack of female voice and power in society.
What quote shows Juliet’s increasingly impulsive nature?
‘And with this knife I’ll help it presently.’
- Juliet states that she will kill herself if she is unable to prevent her marriage to Paris. This highlights how Juliet has changed over the course of the play from being once cautious to impulsive. Suicide for Juliet is her only way of escape showing how she is trapped and that death will be the ultimate end for her problems.
