Romeo_and_Julliet

How does Shakespeare show us that Juliet loses control over her life in act 3 scene 5 is this scene important in understanding the end of the play' Introduction Juliet Capulet has just married Romeo Montague and on the night of their marriage it is discovered that Romeo has killed Tybalt a member of the Capulet family. Juliet’s parents and family are enraged and Romeo is banished from the kingdom. In this scene Juliet is in complete confusion and despair to lose the love of her life her soul mate so abruptly. Initially she tries to take control of her love life by continually asking Romeo not to go but then quickly changes to make him go. I will try to show how her mood swings affect her judgement and power of her life in this scene. Juliet is trying to control her love life because she does not want to marry Paris and if Juliet can’t correct her love life she can’t do anything. For a small bit she is in control then her father comes in and takes all the control away from her. Her father makes all the choices for her and she can’t do anything about it. At the end of the scene the only thing she has control over is life or death. This scene helps us understand why she kills her self. When her mum and dad reject’s her, the only thing she has is Romeo but when she finds out he is dead she has nothing so she kills her self. Shakespeare further shows Juliet’s losing of control over her life when she and Romeo are in her bedroom the night before they have planned to be married. Romeo and Juliet are in Juliet’s room because the night before it was their wedding; Juliet does not want Romeo to go. Show she says to Romeo the nightingale singing not the lark, because a night gale sings at night and the lark sings in the morning. Also he needs to be gone by the morning or he will be killed. “Are you going' It’s not morning yet. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, that you heard; nightly she sings on that pomegranate tree. Believe me, love, it was nightingale. By this she means she wants Romeo to be the nightingale and stay with her the night as the lark sings in the morning and he will be killed. Juliet at this point does not want Romeo to go. Then Romeo says “I have to go and live, or stay and die.” After Juliet says that it is night not morning so Romeo does not go. “That light is not daylight, I just know it. It is some meteor that the sun spits out to be a torch-bearer for you tonight and light your way to Mantua. Romeo realises that Juliet wants him stay then says “Let me be taken prisoner, let me be put to death;” Now Juliet has the power of life and death over Romeo. Juliet changes and now wants Romeo to go because if he stays he will die. “It is it is! Hie hence, be gone, away”. Juliet has changed to wanting Romeo to stay to wanting Romeo to go away but for Romeo protection Juliet is telling him to go safety. This is a further example of Juliet’s lack of control of her life and her choices. Juliet is deciding to be with Romeo not her family showing her true love for Romeo “Villain and he be many miles as asunder God pardon him I do with all my heart”. Her mother thinks she has power over Juliet but really she has no power over her. Lady Capulet has no control over Juliet’s feelings, Lady Capulet thinks Juliet wants Romeo killed but Juliet wants Romeo alive and safe. Also this is showing she is prepared to rebel against her own family for the love of Romeo. This is also suggesting that Juliet is losing control over her life. Capulet and Lady Capulet are really happy that they have managed to get someone respectable for their daughter but when Juliet finds out instead of being happy it turns in anger. During the scene Capulet is annoyed at Juliet’s ungrateful and negative attitude and becomes very angry. The reason Capulet gets so mad is because he has got a rich and caring man for Juliet. This is really good for Juliet because she is a noble lady. Also women had no rights to have a job or to own anything. Capulet expects Juliet’s response to be happy and joyful but she is angry frustrated. As she feels she should be able to pick her own husband and has already fallen madly in love with Romeo. Shakespeare shows this by showing anger and madness in Capulet “Have you delivered to her our decree” Shakespeare shows Capulet has all the power in the house. When Capulet is shouting at Juliet he says “Thursday next’s to go with Pairs to Saint Peters church or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. Capulet is saying he will drag Juliet to Saint Peters church. If she refuses to go of her own accord Then Capulet says “out you gaeen sickness carrion out you baggage you tallow face” Capulet is insulting Juliet. and also showing that he is hot tempered and unwilling to compromise or understand the way Juliet feels Also Capulet says to Juliet “my fingers itch” which means he will hit Juliet. “That god had lent us but this only child and that have a curse in having her” Capulet wishes that Juliet was not his daughter. Shakespeare shows us that Juliet has no control over her life because she can not choose the person who she really loves which is Romeo. Also another example of Juliet losing power over her life when Capulet is saying either you will marry Pairs or you will be on the streets as a tramp. Both of the options that Capulet has given to Juliet are really bad for her, so no matter what she does in the situation nothing will get any better for her. Juliet has of power over Romeo but Ecalus has a lot of his power because he has banished him. Lady Capulet comes to tell Juliet that she is going to marry Paris “Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn the gallant young noble gentlemen, the country Pairs at Saint Peters Church”. Shakespeare shows us Juliet has some power still, He shows it when Juliet says “He shall not make me there a joyful bride” Juliet is saying if she marries Paris she will not be happy with him and is trying to play on her mothers emotions and make her feel guilty. During the scene Lady Capulet says talk not to me for I will not speak a word showing she is rejecting Juliet’s feelings and wants the marriage to Paris to take place and that she simply has no power to influence or change Capulet’s mind towards their daughter and the overall situation. Lady Capulet is similar to her daughter as Capulet controls them both. The Nurse is saying to Juliet that she should marry Pairs instead of Romeo. “I think it best you married with the country” also “for it excels your first or if it bid not your first or if dead or twere as good he were as living here and you no use of him. Juliet does not like what the Nurse has got to say. “Ancient domination O most wicked friend” Juliet thinks that the Nurse is being two faced. This is because at first she was saying positive things of Romeo and now she is saying she should marry Paris The one thing Juliet has is Romeo and if he is dead Juliet is as good as dead also because she would not have anything. Juliet says “if all else fails, I have the power to die”. The one thing Juliet has power over is her death. At the end of the play Juliet finds Romeo on the tomb dead than she realises that she has nothing and she is really as good as dead. All the things what she has said has become true “if all else fails myself have the power of death”. Juliet starts to loss control over her life when Capulet and Lady Capulet reject’s her. After that she tries to get Romeo back all that happens is Romeo kills him self. Juliet has never had any control over her life because Capulet has done all the things she needs and never let her do anything for her self. Conclusion I have mentioned many situations where Juliet has tried to take control of her life during this scene. We can see that she constantly changes her mind because she does not want her husband to leave but is terrified her parents will abandon her if she does not agree to marry Paris instead. Shakespeare shows us that the lack of control of her life as the question states The confusion between love and respect for family is overwhelming and this shows in the conclusion at the end of the play. Romeo and Juliet are still relevant today in some cultural societies. The way Shakespeare shows Juliet losing control not knowing which way to turn wanting to please the family, but wanting to chose her own love. Today there are still arranged marriages in some cultures and there are many stories of girls made to marry the husband their family choose for when they really want to choose their own husband but can’t speak out against the family. This is especially true in this scene act 3 scene 5 where Juliet feels a loss of control and sees no way out.