Emotionally Sensible

Olivia Hussey as Juliet

In Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, there are many complex characters with complex conflicts. I think that Juliet is by far my favorite, with her mostly rational behavior and relatable problems (even though she's a girl and I'm a boy). Throughout the story, she is cautious of her relationships but very kind, and she trusts few with her problems, which reminded me of Shakespeare's quote "Love all, trust a few, and do harm to none." I feel like Shakespeare may have modeled some of Juliet after himself, especially her philosophies.

Juliet is a very rational character, seeming to give some structure to Romeo's contrasting wildness. For instance, when she is confronted by her mother with marriage, she speaks cautiously and says that she will consider whoever they choose out of respect for them. She also says that she doesn't believe she is ready to be married, showing that she thinks thirteen is too young an age to be wedded (I think this to be true). She obviously admires her parents and doesn't want to let them down with fury. This seems very honorable, especially coming from a teenager. Shakespeare is probably trying to say that being sensible is important to maintaining relationships.

When she and Romeo fall in love, she also acts logically, worrying that they are moving too fast. When Romeo says: "O, Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" she replies with: "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?" This shows that she is feeling rushed, like she is stumbling on what is supposed to be a smooth road. She can feel Romeo's haste and doesn't like it. I agree with that; I think that taking things slowly is a good thing. It allows more time to think deeply about what's happening and whether you want to continue in it or not. 

However, not everyone can be rational all the time-- it's impossible! Juliet has her emotional moments, but I admire her for having real-seeming emotions that are unlike Romeo's rash thinking. When she finds out that Tybalt is dead and that on top of that it was Romeo who killed him, she has a very complex monologue full of fury and weakness. She feels extremely mixed up inside (represented by oxymorons in the text), as I'm sure anyone would if they were in that situation. I think that with this monologue, Shakespeare is also pointing out that it's important to have emotions and show them. Showing our emotions is also an important part in a relationship, so that two people can relate and help each other. 

I think that Shakespeare is sending a very powerful message with Juliet. He's trying to tell his readers (or audience) how important it is to show your emotions in a rational, real way. When people are easier to relate to, the ability to create and maintain friendships with them is made much easier. Deep down, we all depend on other people for our happiness, and without friends that is a very complicated task. Many of our problems can be solved by talking to others. Having people to trust will help you get through hard moments, and to trust people you need to be on friendly terms with them.