Juliet Social Norms

In the story Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, it is shown that societal pressures, familial expectations, and cultural norms can really shape someone's decisions and actions. Initially, the constraints prescribed by society seem overwhelming and dictate the fate of young lovers. However, although there are these pressures, Romeo and Juliet defy the societal expectations by prioritizing their love and taking on the limitations of their time. Consequently, their actions lead to the result of tragic times, and sudden deaths.

To start, the feud between the two families Capulet and Montague, changes the decisions of Romeo and Juliet. This eventually leads to hidden meetups and secret love affairs. For example, “Did my heart love you till

Her level of independence is evident in Act 3, Scene 5, this is where she refuses to listen to her father's request to marry Paris, saying “If all else fail, I have power to die" (3.5.242). Similarly, Romeo challenges his gender norms by expressing his emotions openly and bypassing his family's expectations on his masculinity. In Act 3, Scene 3, Romeo’s true love for Juliet creates a force for him to forget social standards and form a duel between himself and Tybalt, which ends in more

Romeo shows this in Act 2 Scene 2 when he breaks the village's rules of banishment and goes to see his love of his life on the balcony. This choice of Romeo depicts that the character described by William Shakespeare is strong enough to overcome these barriers to find the true meaning of life. Although this decision is created by Romeo, it does not conclude to the fact that Juliet does not make these decisions herself. One example of this can be seen when you look at Act 3 Scene 5. Juliet's father Capulet strongly words to Juliet that she is to marry Paris on Thursday morning. This decision is made by Capulet himself and restricts Juliet from making her own decision. Juliet shows her strength by going to Friar Lawrence and together they create a plan to fake Juliet's death, this is to allow Juliet to fall asleep for long enough that it is deemed by the palace that she has passed away the morning of her wedding. To then be picked up by Romeo later that day at the church to live happily ever after. Although this plan does not go through accordingly, she still shows her ability to stand against her father and every force to make her marry