Romeo And Juliet's Decisions Essay

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Romeo and Juliet is an ever-evolving play with many plot twists and unexpected events, and consequently, the characters also change throughout the play. At the start of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet has a strong sense of familial duty; it is the main instigator for many of the decisions she makes. She places family obligations over her desires, often resulting in Juliet not getting what she wants. But as the play progresses and Juliet meets Romeo, she becomes more and more defiant towards her family. Her love for Romeo takes over, and the motivation behind many of her actions and decisions is based on how they will affect her relationship with him. In Act 1, Scene 3, Lady Capulet asks Juliet what her stance on being married is. Juliet responds, stating that “It is an honor that …show more content…

This is a prime example of Juliet putting her family's wishes above her own because she thinks it will make her parents happy. Another example is Juliet keeping her relationship with Romeo a secret. It would be much easier and less stressful for her to be open about the relationship, but Juliet knows that it would be an unfavorable look for her family. So to preserve her family's pride and dignity, she makes the effort to sneak about instead. Here, she sacrifices what would be preferable for herself in an attempt to protect her family, though at this point in the story, you can see her motivations begin to shift away from her familial duty. Juliet is making decisions that her family would not approve of, but is still trying to protect them from the consequences. Meeting Romeo is when we see Juliet begin to defy her family and what is expected of her, starting to base her decisions on her love. First, we see Juliet meeting with Romeo in secret, knowing that if somebody saw them, there would be consequences for both her and her family. But Juliet is so infatuated with Romeo that she is willing to take the

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