Juliet's Passage Analysis for a Shakespeare Tragedy - Book Report/Review Example

Juliet’s passage: 3,2. In Act Three, Scene Two Juliet enters the Capulet’s Orchard and gives a speech all the time speaking to the nurse. The passage happens in Capulet’s Orchard. Romeo has been accused of killing Tybalt and people want the prince to ensure that justice is done to Tybalt and the public by making sure that Romeo faces murder when he is found. Juliet accuses those who say Romeo is guilty as fiery-footed steeds that do not care about truth and justice. Juliet has been talking to herself showing the love she has for Romeo. She is in deep thought about the whereabouts of Romeo. For instance, Juliet says, “…Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-browed night, Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that the entire world will be in love with night...” (Shakespeare 106) Juliet’s speech characterizes her as a loyal and loving woman whose love cannot be swayed by other people’s ideologies of her lover. Juliet is in deep love with Romeo as seen in the passage. Everyone is accusing Romeo of murdering Tybalt. Romeo has disappeared and is nowhere to be seen. The people are advocating for the murder of Romeo once he reappears. This would serve as justice for Tybalt because they say that Romeo does not have the right to live yet he has taken another person’s life. Juliet, on the other hand, considers this as a ploy and wishes that Romeo comes back to her. She has missed Romeo to the extent that she personifies a cloudy night to have the ability to spread the curtain to cause total darkness like the one existent in a lovemaking night. Juliet's blood is passionately beating in her blushing cheeks, unmanned without Romeo. However, with Romeo, in darkness of the night, her desire is set free, so that she can engage in the acts of love as if they were chastity (Shakespeare 106). A matron, a noble mother and one that is civil, would caution a girl against losing her maidenhood; however, because of the fact that Juliet is married, losing is likened to winning. The loss of virginity that had been forbidden has been accepted and has become the right thing to do because Juliet and Romeo will dedicate the purity of their bodies to each other as husband and wife. In the same manner, Juliet has been filled with emotion to the extent that she blushes with desire and requests the night to wrap her so that her yearning can be shown to anyone other than Romeo. She also personifies the fact that Romeo has disappeared so that it can wink and let Romeo into her arms where no one can see or talk of him. She needs to see Romeo so much that she does not care of what some people see of her or Romeo and the murder he committed. Her helplessness makes her call for help from an unseen world and a world where no man has control of all circumstances. She understands the danger that Romeo is in, at the moment. Therefore, all she can hope for is help from an unseen world. She begs the power of the night to bring her lover back to her. She cannot imagine being a looser because she does not believe that Romeo is guilty of the charges laid against him. She asks the gentle night to teach her how she can lose a winning match. This shows the fact that she cannot bear the lose of her lover. She has confidence that the night will protect Romeo from any harm. Again, she personifies the night to have wings comparing them to the whiteness of snow that can provide a safe place where Romeo can safely sleep until he comes back to her. She loves Romeo to the scope that in the occurrence that he dies, he would be made a hero like the little stars in the night that people would admire more than they do the sun (Shakespeare 107). Through the passage, the reader understands that Juliet Loves Romeo so much, but is afraid that she might not get the chance to be with him as she hoped she would. She has become so impatient to the extent that she likens her love towards Romeo to a mansion of love bought but not yet possessed. She is already tired with all that has happened that day and cannot wait any longer to hear the news of Romeo. Again, she uses a simile to underscore her feelings about the whole situation. She says, “…so tedious is this day (Shakespeare 107). “As is the night before some festival to an impatient child that hath new robes and may not wear them. O, here comes my nurse, and she brings news; and every tongue that speaks, but Romeo's name speaks heavenly eloquence.” (Shakespeare 107). When the nurse enters, she is very anxious to hear the news that she brought with her. Up to this point Juliet believes that all the accusations laid against Romeo are fabrications from people who hate him. She says that despite the fact that people speak it is Romeo’s name that has a heavenly eloquence. Therefore, no one can harm him in any manner. The nurse tried to ignore her question about the news of Romeo’s whereabouts but Juliet insisted that she wanted to hear about him. The nurse responds to her queries without caring of what Juliet might feel or say. She tells her that he is dead because he killed another man who happens to be her cousin (Shakespeare 106). The nurse is so distressed to the extent that she stumbles over the words and makes it clear that Romeo is dead. This makes Juliet assume that Romeo has killed himself, and resigns to killing herself. However, the nurse starts to moan about the death of Tybalt. Juliet is confused and thinks that both Romeo and Tybalt are dead. However, when the nurse puts the story straight and she realizes that Romeo has murdered Tybalt and been condemned to exile, she curses Romeo (Shakespeare 107). Juliet is angered by the nurse to the extent that she calls her a devil that torments her. However, on realizing that Romeo, her husband had killed her cousin, she rejects Romeo and curses him. The nurse joins in; however, Juliet turns on her and tells her that she is not allowed to criticize her husband. Juliet justifies the fact that Romeo killed Tybalt by saying that if he had not killed him, then Tybalt would have killed Romeo. She is clearly torn between the love of Romeo and the love of her cousin. At the start of the third scene, Juliet was profligately excited because of the idea that Romeo was coming to her in the night, and they would make love. This did not last long because a little later, she was similarly agonized by the idea that she would not see Romeo again. After indicating that Romeo’s banishment was worse than the death of her parents, she wanted the Nurse to tell her where her parents were. The Nurse told her they were grieving for Tybalt, and asks Juliet if she would join them. However, she says that after they are over the weeping, she will still be grieving for Romeo's banishment (Shakespeare 106). Juliet has used many stylistic devises in the passage as discussed in the earlier paragraphs of this essay. She has specifically made good use of personification especially with constant referral to the night. She has also used a lot of imagery where she likens her feelings to certain things. These stylistic devices in the passage help the reader to understand deeply the love that Juliet had for Romeo, her parents and her cousin. When the tragedy happens, Juliet is, at first, confused on whose side to take because she loves Romeo and Tybalt differently. Throughout the passage, Juliet is emotional especially about the fact that that night would provide her a chance to make love with the person she loves most. The news about the death that has occurred, however, destroys her mood because she suddenly becomes sad and cannot comprehend what is happening, in the first instances when she hears the story. Juliet is a strong woman whose wish and final preparations for her happiness are destroyed by the death of her cousin and the disappearance of her husband, Romeo (Shakespeare 108). In conclusion, Juliet’s passage is an informative piece on her feelings about Romeo and the night that she would make love with him. The use of stylistic devices has also been used to underscore the love she feels for Romeo. The news that Romeo had killed her cousin confused her at one point, to the extent of cursing Romeo. However, after the news sank she again emphasized on her love for Romeo. She feels dejected knowing that she cannot see Romeo again yet she was excited of the night they would make love together. Therefore, the passage shows the strong love Juliet has for Romeo. Work cited Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. London: Plain Label Books, 1947. Read More