Sense Of Responsibility In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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*Some creative title* Juliet’s sense of responsibility is first seen in her interactions with her family. Juliet’s first line in the play is directed towards her mother. A mere four words, she says, “What is your will?” (1.3.8). Those words indicate that Juliet is a daughter who wishes to know the will and wants of her parent. Next, her mother tells her of her father’s meeting with Paris and her wishes for Juliet to meet him at the party. In response, Juliet says, “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move” (1.3.97) meaning she will take a look at him and see if she likes him. Juliet is immediately willing to meet Paris. She understands the importance of this match. Juliet understands her role in it. Although she will see how she feels about him personally, her parents know she will listen to them. Her father says to …show more content…
Her sense of responsibility towards her family shifts to being towards Romeo. This switch is first seen by the audience when the nurse asks Juliet “Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin?” (3.2.96) and she responds “Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? ” (3.2.97). After this exchange, she bluntly refuses to marry Paris, which is contrary to her openness of meeting him at the beginning of the play. After the fight with her father, Juliet now must marry Paris. She goes to the nurse for comfort for her broken-heart, but the nurse simply supports the marriage between Paris and Juliet. Juliet says “Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!/ Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn,/ Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue/ Which she hath praised him with above compare/ So many thousand times? Go, Counselor!/ Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain” about the nurse (3.5.237-42). Juliet is willing to throw away her friendship with the nurse, the person who practically raised her, for Romeo, a boy she met about two days

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