How Does Shakespeare Create Identity In Romeo And Juliet

Identity in Romeo and Juliet

“We know what we are, not what we may be.” - Shakespeare

Who you are (age, gender, family affiliation, social class, et cetera) differentiates from who you make yourself to be. Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers, defy their given identity throughout the play, rebelling against gender and social standards. The two star-crossed lovers faced many of these obstacles while they battled with a fatal secret marriage, betrayal, lies, and violent behavior, just to name a few. Shakespeare created identity as a major role in the play, Romeo and Juliet, by using age, gender, and family affiliation.

Throughout the play, the two lovers’ emotions and words are dismissed as unimportant, mainly because of how old they are.

Romeo, confused, runs to Friar Laurence with his feelings for Juliet, who immediately dispels the feelings as immature and unwise. This is because Romeo is inexperienced because of his age. Love between Romeo and Juliet cannot be taken seriously, simply because of how old they are. Juliet is also not trusted with her parents to decide who she wants to marry, since she’s so ‘inexperienced’. Instead, Capulet and Lady Capulet are attempting to force Juliet into marrying Paris, as we see in both Act 1, Scene 3, as well as Act 3, Scene 5. Juliet’s protests are considered petulant. Youth versus age is a common theme in the play; with the calm, logical, and feuding adults, and the rash, immature teenagers. One of the major conflicts faced are not only the dispute between the feuding adults, but also the betrayal of family. This is because the adults of the families will not listen or understand their children; leading them to take extreme measures. Although the star-crossed lovers do act rash like the adults claim they do, they are doubted in their passion, seeing as the adults were shocked when they had killed themselves, despite the numerous threats of suicide.

Pursuing this further, we see gender as another concept in the play.

In Act I, Juliet’s parents attempt to give her away to Paris, a man who she does not want to marry. We see it again in Act 3, Scene 5, when Capulet threatens to disown Juliet for not wanting to marry Paris. The idea that Juliet belongs to a man, and can be disowned or given away to another man. The same idea is not present in today’s society, but in the Elizabethan times, women were seen as a weak object used as a wife to make children- nothing more and nothing less. Lady Capulet says this as well, in Act 1, Scene 3: “Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,/ Are made already mothers; by my count,/ I was your mother much upon these years.” This quote from Lady Capulet displays how women are not only property of men, but are not allowed to be anything else besides a housewive. The conflict between Juliet and her parents aren’t the only example of gender that’s present in the play. Romeo and Juliet’s attraction for each other is very unique for many reasons, one being that they both defy the common idea of genders in their time. Throughout the play, Juliet rebels against her parents and society, even though women were supposed to obey everything a man says. Romeo, on the other hand, is very sensitive, and is called “womanly” when he shows his

emotions.

Lastly, the family affiliation of Romeo and Juliet is the most iconic conflict, and has all to do about identity. All of the other conflicts revolve around this major idea. In Act 1, Scene 4, when Juliet and Romeo discover the other’s family affiliation, Juliet claims that “My only love sprung from my only hate!/ Too early seen unknown, and known too late!/ Prodigious birth of love it is to me,/ That I love a loathed enemy.” Romeo has a similar reaction to the discovery of their family affiliation, shown when he says, “Is she a Capulet?/ O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” Later on in the play, the two begin to grow a rebellious idea towards the situation, as displayed by Juliet in Act 2, Scene 2, in her soliloquy, commonly referred to as ‘What’s in a Name?’. In the passage, Juliet says ; “What’s a Montague?/ It is nor hand, nor foot,/ Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part/ Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!”. She is debating on whether or not to allow herself to love this boy, simply because their families are feuding.

In essence, identity is a major factor in the Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet, in ways such as age, by which their love is judged on, gender, by which Juliet is seen as, and family affiliation, by which their love is challenged. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is an act of defiance towards identity, one of their main conflicts.