The Importance Of Teenage Sexuality In Romeo And Juliet

In the beginning of this play Lady Capulet brings up marriage to Juliet, whom states that she had not even thought of marriage, yet she considers marriage an honor. Juliet wants to follow her parent's wishes and agrees to meet Paris, but she is only willing to see if she likes him. When Romeo appears in the balcony scene, Juliet states that she wants to wait and see if her and Romeo’s feeling’s remain the same overnight since she believes that their feelings may just be the heat of the moment

When picking a scene to analyze in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it is easy to go straight to the temptingly classic and romantic balcony scene. Especially in the case of Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation Romeo + Juliet, the director gives viewers plenty to talk about with his innovative staging that puts Romeo and Juliet on the same level. However, a more brief scene that gives way to important insight about the film is Romeo and Juliet’s wedding. In Shakespeare’s play the audience does not actually witness the wedding, so Luhrmann had total creative freedom in what he wanted this scene to look like. When the two young lovers finally reach the end of the aisle together, they quickly evoke the image of children playing dress up. Romeo’s suit is old-fashioned and too big for him, as if he borrowed it from his father’s closet. Juliet wears a 1950’s style halter dress, hanging on her like a costume. Her hair is messily pulled into an updo with strands hanging down by her face, making her look like a kid who has tried to do a fancy new hairdo but does not quite know how and could probably use a haircut besides that. Attire aside, Romeo and Juliet just have very young-looking faces. The actors portraying them, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, are ages 21 and 17 and you can tell by their bright faces and softened features that they are still quite young to be getting married (Rolling Stone). Their clothes and faces combined

This does not allow Juliet to make her own decision. An example of this is when Lady Capulet reinforces the plan in which Paris would be Juliet's husband, rather than letting Juliet choose who she marries. Lady Capulet speaks for Juliet when she says “marry, my child, early next Thursday morn.” Having little to no knowledge aforetime about this news, Juliet is utterly astonished. Lady Capulet continues by saying “[the] young and noble gentleman, the county Paris... shall happily make thee there a joyful bride” (III.v.112-115). After having already prepared her life with Romeo, Juliet is in disbelief that her mother would not attempt to step into her father's plan. Juliet lashes back at her mother by saying “I will not marry yet” and threatening that she would marry Romeo “whom you know I hate” rather than Paris (III.v.115-122). The lack of communication between the two characters makes them distant from one another, and the little effort provided by Lady Capulet to approach her daughter is the main reason for this occurrence. The control Lady Capulet has over different characters and her

Many teenagers make bad decisions, and act in a way most adult would say is unintelligent. Romeo and Juliet was a story about two feuding families with the same wealth living in Verona. After a big fight Prince Escalus tells them that if there is another fight they will be killed.  Later that night Romeo meets Juliet at her father’s party and they both fall in love, after the party Romeo talks with Juliet about getting married and she agrees to have the wedding the very next day. After the wedding the two families get into another fight. Due to the fight Mercutio and Tybalt gets killed. Romeo who was also fighting was sentenced to banishment even

“An intense feeling of deep attraction.” That is the definition of love. Love between a man and a dog, a kid and ice-cream, a mother and her family, and love between two selfless people. This is true love. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, the feeling of attraction between the two main characters is not true love. The setting of this play is the streets of Verona, Italy, during a time when arranged marriages at the age of 14 were socially acceptable. Two young teens, Romeo and Juliet, were convinced that they had feelings for each other, but acted more out of lust than anything else. Lust is defined as “a very strong sexual desire”, and it becomes more apparent as the

Juliet and Lord Capulet at first have a caring relationship but soon after Tybalt’s death this changes. It was planned that she would marry Paris when she was fifteen but after her cousin’s death, the marriage is brought forward. In Shakespearean times, it is not unusual for girls to have marriages arranged by their parents and also to

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare has many conflicts concerning the adults and children of the play. The fault of the numerous conflicts throughout Romeo and Juliet is clearly to blame of the parents and adult figures in the play, clearly shown through the adults forcing the children into unideal circumstances, and the adults attempting to make the problems that were created better. The children although histrionic, were prompted towards bad decisions and convinced towards erroneous plans.

In order to understand Romeo and Juliet, it must be remembered that these two heralds of love were little more than children. In Renaissance England, the category of adolescence was not recognized (Cox 391). A person went from childhood to adulthood without the liberty that is allowed to modern adolescents. Nowadays, the teenage years are accepted as a turbulent period in which defiance of authority and assertion of "self" are not only allowed, but also expected. Adults explain away even the most inexplicable behavior of teenagers as "just a phase". However, as this was not done in Shakespeare’s England, both Romeo and Juliet were expected to take on the roles of adults, and were chastised for their refusal to enter in the adult world as their parents would have them. Juliet is first presented to the audience as a young woman who has come to marrying age: “Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, / Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, / Are made already mothers…Thus then in brief: / The valiant Paris seeks you for his love”(1.3.69-74). Juliet is presented with the idea of marrying Paris with

Juliet and her father definitely had different ideas about her future relationships in this play. Back in that time period, the father of the family was the one who made important decisions for their children, which included who his daughter was allowed to get married to, even if they opposed their preference. So, in the play, Lord Capulet gives his approval to a man named Paris to marry his daughter because he had a promising future and was very prosperous and could provide Juliet with anything she might require. Although she had this option of spouse, she chose

Before being introduced to the contents of the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, understanding of the argument Shakespeare was attempting to convey, is that adolescents are impulsive and cannot make decisions themselves; and if they did, they would be subject to consequences that could ultimately cost them their lives. However, after reading Juliet’s parts, I was able to see that Shakespeare wasn’t arguing such at all. Instead I saw that Shakespeare was asking a question of who is mature, as opposed to stating that children are immature. So, as a reader, my original perspective of maturity between youth and adults within the play was altered because of Juliet’s usage of measurements and quantitative

Lord Capulet is forcing Juliet to get married and doesn’t take into consideration that Juliet doesn’t desire to get married. Lord Capulet conversed to Paris, “ . . . Thursday tell her, she shall be married to this noble earl” (Shakespeare 198). Lord Capulet is indubitable for wanting Juliet ot get married, and arranges the wedding, as she is unaware of this. He plans the wedding thinking it will assist her from her grief of Tybalt dying, but he doesn’t know that for certain, and is planning something that will greatly affect her future, without her consent. Furthermore, this quote shows that when Juliet gave an ixnay on why she did not aspire to marry Paris, Capulet belabored her until she was on the ground crying asking for the nurses aid. Lord Capulet explains to Juliet, “But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next, go with Paris to Saint Peters Church or I will drag thee on a hurdle*” (Shakespeare 214). This proves Capulet wants nothing more for his daughter than to get married to Paris, and it shows the extent he will go to, to receive his wish. Overall, Lord and Lady Capulet want Juliet to get married to Paris more than she wants to. This shows they don’t mind if she’s happy or not, as long as they get what they want. This goes deeper into the accusation that Juliet’s parents are at fault for the adolescents

In the Elizabethan era, children of the high class were expected to obey without question. There was no free will to make their own decisions about their own lives. Few had experiences relating to romance before marriage. They were expected to grow up, get married, get their money, have kids, pass it on, and carry on in the cycle. Juliet’s parents say that she should give her consent to marrying. Marrying Paris would increase their wealth and raise their social status in society. Lady Capulet says of Paris, “…And what obscur’d in this fair volume lies /Find written in the margent of his eyes,/ This precious book of love, this unbound lover, / to beautify him only lacks a cover.” Besides describing his beauty, she also concludes with “So shall you share all that he doth possess by having him making yourself no less.” This means that

<br>This shows how Juliet has passion and faith in her relationship with Romeo, while her parents are old-fashioned; her father arranges a marriage for her, and her mother takes the side of her husband, rather than that of her daughter. This scene also shows how Juliet has changed and has gained the courage to speak against authority.

Romeo and Juliet were facing many obstacles during the time they first encountered one another. Their, so-called, “love” sprung as they were both trying to escape from their present problems. Romeo was previously in love with a beautiful girl named Rosaline, although she couldn’t love him back and fulfill Romeo’s sexual desires because she was becoming a nun. He was heartbroken when he found out about this, and thus, he was left inconsolable. Once he discovered that Rosaline was attending the Capulet ball, he decided to sneak in. Minutes into the ball, Romeo sees Juliet and immediately professes his love for her. Juliet also had her own dilemmas to deal with. Some of which included being forced into marrying Paris, a man whom she did not love. Therefore, her love for Romeo was influenced by her reluctance to marry Paris. Prior to Romeo and Juliet’s encounter at the Capulet party, Juliet comments on marriage stating, “It is an honor that I dream not of,” (1.3.68). This quote shows that Juliet had no interest in getting married anytime soon, although when she meets

Paris knows Juliet does not wish to marry him, yet this only makes him more determined to marry her as he sees Juliet as a prize, to show his superiority over everyone else. In today’s society, we would view Lord Capulet as a cold, unfeeling father because of the way he treats his daughter, but Lord Capulet is a prime example of Shakespearian fathers. His only wish is to make a good marriage for his daughter, but she rejects his help. Capulet doesn’t know Juliet has fallen for Romeo and so cannot be expected to understand why she doesn’t wish to marry Paris.