Enlish Lit - PPE 3
“My bounty is as boundless as the sea.” (Act 2, Scene 2)
Juliet - Love
Uses a natural metaphor → love is infinite and powerful
Juliet speaks with emotional maturity, subverting expectations of a young girl
Shows love as pure and overwhelming, not a shallow attraction
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose…” (Act 2, Scene 2)
Juliet - Love
Attacks social identity and inherited conflict
Juliet is philosophical and rational, unlike Romeo’s impulsiveness
Shows love as stronger than social labels
👉 Link to context: Elizabethan importance of family honour.
“O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!” (Act 3, Scene 2)
Juliet - Conflict
Oxymoron reflects Juliet’s inner conflict
Religious and animal imagery → betrayal vs love
Shows her emotional intelligence, processing contradiction
👉 Examiner buzzword: “duality”
“It is an honour that I dream not of.” (Act 1, Scene 3)
Juliet - Patriarchy
Juliet politely resists marriage expectations
Shows women treated as economic/social tools
Early contrast with later defiance of her father
👉 Context gold: Elizabethan arranged marriages.
“My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” (Act 1, Scene 5)
Juliet - Fate
Foreshadowing links love and death
Suggests fate is inescapable from the start
Reinforces tragedy genre expectations
👉 Tie in: Prologue – “star-cross’d lovers”
How is Juliet presented at the start of the play?
Presented as obedient, innocent, and dutiful
Respects parental authority: “It is an honour that I dream not of”
Seen as naïve and controlled by patriarchal expectations
👉 Purpose: reflects Elizabethan ideals of female obedience
How is Juliet presented mid-way through the play?
Becomes emotionally mature and assertive
Expresses love with intellectual depth, not impulsiveness
Challenges social structures: “What’s in a name?”
Shows loyalty and moral strength, even after Romeo kills Tybalt
👉 Purpose: Shakespeare presents Juliet as the voice of reason in love
How is Juliet presented toward the end of the play?
Presented as independent, brave, and decisive
Defies her father and societal norms
Willing to face death rather than lose autonomy
Takes control of her fate through action
👉 Purpose: exposes the cruelty of patriarchy and the cost of repression
How is Juliet presented as a whole throughout the play?
Shakespeare presents Juliet as a character who matures rapidly, challenging patriarchal authority and social conflict, ultimately becoming a tragic figure whose autonomy is destroyed by fate and societal constraints.
“Deny thy father and refuse thy name.” (Act 2, Scene 2)
Juliet - Love/Maturity
Shows active rebellion against family loyalty
Juliet initiates the rejection of patriarchal identity
Love is presented as stronger than blood
“Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight.” (Act 2, Scene 2)
Juliet - Love/Maturity
Juliet is cautious and sensible, unlike Romeo
Presents her as emotionally controlled and realistic
Subverts the stereotype of impulsive female emotion
👉 Examiner keyword: emotional restraint
“Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?” (Act 3, Scene 2)
Juliet - Conflict/Inner Struggle
Juliet resolves internal conflict logically
Demonstrates loyalty and moral clarity
Shows maturity under pressure
👉 Strong contrast with Romeo’s rash behaviour
“I will not marry yet.” (Act 3, Scene 5)
Juliet - Patriarchy/Defiance
Direct defiance of her father
Short, declarative sentence → confidence and independence
Highlights oppression of women in Elizabethan society
👉 Great for questions on parent-child conflict
“O happy dagger!” (Act 5, Scene 3)
Juliet - Fate/Death
Oxymoron links love and death
Juliet takes control of the tragic ending
Challenges the idea that she is passive
👉 Shows her final transformation into an active tragic hero