Understanding Romeo & Juliet, pt 2B

Understanding Romeo and Juliet, Part 2B This is a continuation of Part 2A. We're looking at Acts II and III and asking if Romeo and Juliet are adults with the right to make their own decisions, or if they're still kids. We looked at Romeo, so now we turn to Juliet. So what decisions does Juliet make that might show her to be an adult? For one thing, she chooses her own husband instead of waiting for her father to arrange a marriage, as she's expected to do. And not only any husband, but someone her family would never have chosen. For better or for worse, that shows independence. She makes an independent choice about her own life, a big one. So does Romeo. Is that enough to mark them as adults? Maybe. Does making independent decisions make you an adult? If you say yes, isn't it possible that a child might disobey an authority, might make an independent decision, but still be a child? Next, when Juliet finds out Romeo killed her cousin, her first reaction is to curse him. "O serpent heart hid with a flow'ring face." That isn't a surprise. But then she thinks better of it and declares her unwavering loyalty to Romeo over her family. She says, "My husband lives, who Tybalt would have slain. And Tybalt's dead, that would have slain my husband. All this is comfort. Wherefore weep I then?" Wherefore means "why," not "where." This choice can be interpreted in more than one way. Some people might say this is a sign of her immaturity, because she isn't showing an appropriate degree of grief for Tybalt, and is in fact, siding with the killer whom she met yesterday and married earlier today! It does sound kind of crazy. However, an Elizabethan audience, for the most part, would see this as good and right. In 1595, when a woman married, she was no longer a part of her parents' family. She was now part of her husband's family. So, Juliet has asserted her identity as a man's wife, not her parents' child. You know, women weren't seen as legal entities with their own rights back then. But a wife was a woman, an adult. Do you think you become an adult when you assume an adult role, like that of a college student or a full-time worker? Furthermore, when she became Romeo's wife, she became potentially a mother. Even today, there's the argument that as soon as a girl becomes capable of having children, she's no longer a girl-- she's a woman. There's no exact equivalent for boys, but in some primitive societies, you know, like America, some people believe a boy becomes a man when he first has sex. That's kind of similar. Do you think you cease being a kid when you become capable of having kids? Finally, some people might think that the ability to forgive Romeo for killing her cousin is not only mature, but morally noble. Most religions teach that forgiveness is a moral requirement. Christians compare it to the forgiveness extended to mankind by their God. What do you think of Juliet forgiving Romeo? Now, Juliet might have regressed a little bit in Act III, scene 5, though, when she's told that she's going to marry Paris. She is treated like a spoiled child by her mom and dad. She pleads with her father, she pleads with her mother, then she pleads to her closest childhood companion, the Nurse, to spare her. All of this is a passive response to a crisis, consistent with a child's behavior. She turns to others and says, "save me." All of them tell her she must marry Paris, even the Nurse who knows that Juliet is already married. However, at that point, Juliet does something surprising. She lies to the Nurse, breaking that bond. Remember: the Nurse was more like a mother to Juliet than Lady Capulet ever was. Juliet trusted her with her secrets. But now, when the nurse's back is turned, she calls the Nurse a "wicked fiend" and says, "Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain." The Nurse's and Juliet's hearts are now divided from each other forever. The child is letting go of mommy's hand, letting go of her role as a child. Juliet is taking full responsibility for her own future. She's standing alone, on her own two feet. Does assuming full responsibility for your own life make you an adult? And by that, I mean things like paying bills, renting an apartment, helping out in your community, and accepting the adult consequences of your choices. Juliet goes on to say that if she can't find a solution to this problem, she will die rather than dishonor herself by marrying two men. She's making a life-changing decision. Is Juliet an adult at this point? Is Shakespeare really saying that lying to your parents is a sign of adulthood? Is he saying that threatening to commit suicide makes you an adult? No, probably not. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Juliet is a child at this point. Welcome to the real world, where the truth isn't a simple yes-or-no question. So, what do you think? One thing I talk about with young people is that they're just getting to the age where they are starting to have their own opinions, separate from their parents. They're defining who they are. They're trying to create their own adult identities. Their parents may believe one thing, and the adolescents are asking themselves, "is this what I believe? Do I believe different things than my parents do?" This is not just normal, but healthy. Juliet is doing exactly that. Now, you need to decide if Juliet is still just trying on the garment of adulthood or if she's really made that transition. And the same for Romeo. Now, if your teacher asks you to do so, please write a three-paragraph response-journal entry, showing comprehension, reflection, and application. You'll probably want to skim the text to refresh your memory. Feel free to refer back to the videos, but whatever stuck in your mind is probably what you should write about. Here's the URL for my response journal rubric. You're more than welcome to use it. The journal question is: Are Romeo and Juliet adults at the end of Act III? Don't straddle the fence; take a position. Is it more yes or more no? Justify your answer with evidence that supports your opinion. Answering that on a literal level, in the first paragraph, shows comprehension. Show that you really understand the full complexity of the characters. There isn't just one correct answer to this question. In the second paragraph, explain what you think the characteristics of an adult are and why you think so. When you say someone is mature or immature, what does that mean? A good answer will examine your own thoughts or feelings about it, connect it to your first paragraph, and show that you understand it deeply. This is called reflection. In the third paragraph, apply this situation to the real world around you. You might want to compare yourself against the same measuring stick as you used for these two characters. You might want to talk about what happens when we mistake children for adults or adults for children. In this paragraph, you'll get at the heart of the question, which is, what exactly makes someone an adult and how does that apply to me and the world I live in right now? This is what I call application. And, if you're interested, here are 10 words from Acts II and III that are still being used in contemporary English. The page numbers come from my Folger paperback edition. You can take a screenshot. Adolescence is one of the most difficult times in a person's life, because that person is in a state of transformation. Sometimes, it's two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes you want to be an adult; sometimes you still want to be a kid. Some people start acting like adults early. Some never do no matter how old they get. I believe it's a valuable exercise to decide what you think adulthood is and to measure yourself against those criteria. This video is followed by Part 3, which is about Acts IV and V. Be sure to read the rest of the play before watching that one. I promise you, it's gonna be a big finish.