Essay, Research Paper: Juliet & Her Child-likeness And Adult-likeness

Juliet is of age of a child but has the likeness of an adult. Though her only love is of the house of
Montague, her blood enemy, she endures. Although the war is with the families and the
meaning is long since forgotten, her father is still at war with the Montages. She is not to
worried about the whole family feud though, as you will see as we continue.
"I'll look to like, if looking liking move. but no more deep will I endart mine eye than you
consent gives strength to make it fly."(1.3.98-100) This was said when Juliet was talking to her
mother about marrying Paris and Juliet says this because she does not want to marry Paris, but
this is before she even meets Romeo. This shows that she is an adult because she does not
want to marry Paris, and her father does, but it also shows she is also a child because she says
she will marry Paris but will not love him. That proves she still wants to follow her fathers
directions.
She says, "My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known
too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy."(1.5.133-136) By
this, I think she was saying that it is ironic that she is to love an enemy, and that she knows that
it is in her destiny. She proves at this part of the story that she is becoming an adult because
she says she loves Romeo but there is still that hint of child Juliet that still wants to hold on to
her father. You can tell that because she is worried about the feud.
"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, Or, if
thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I'll no longer be a Capulet." (2.2.33-36) Juliet says this
from her porch to herself and Romeo just happens to be there. This shows she is an adult
because she can see her destiny. She wants Romeo to deny his name or she will deny hers.
These are not the words of a mere child, they are of a women.
In Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 55-67, Juliet sees Friar Larwence to see if he has any news of
Romeo. She say that she would rather die than be apart from Romeo. The segment is too long to
write out but in a nut shell she says that she will kill herself if she doesn't get to be with Romeo
and Friar Larwence says not to worry, he has a plan.
Juliet seems a bit childlike when she is about to take the potion. She seems to see the
worst of everything, and she seems to want to have a parental kind of reassurance which she
won't get from her parents. She also has an adultlike sense about her. She is about to take a
potion in which show has no idea of the effect and she does it anyway to be with her love Romeo,
whatever the consequence. Also, she questions the whole thing, she doesn't know what she will
do if something goes wrong.
"Go, get thee hense, for I will not away. What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's
hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end. O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to
help me after? ! will kiss thy lips -- Haply some poison yet doth hang on them to make me die
with a restorative." (5.3.160-166) Juliet says this as she kisses Romeo's lips to try and kill
herself. She tells Friar Larwance to leave and that she will not come back. I think this really
shows how much of an adult she is. She is going to kill herself, for her one true love. There are
no regrets, no problems. The plan broke through and it doesn't matter because she is going to
be buried with her love.
Juliet seems to have both the characteristics of a child and an adult. She always is
unsure until the end of the play. She is worried about the differences of the families at the
beginning and then she says that she will deny her name if that is what it takes. Then she
marries Romeo and then she kills herself. Her growth is progressive during the play, but there is
always a childlike sense about her.
I really liked the play. If everyone found a love as of Romeo and Juliet the world would be
a better place and though it is a story it could happen very easily. There is a sense of peace at
the end of the play. I think this is what Shakespeare was aiming for, a soothing aw by all of its
readers.