Download Theater Performing Arts Topic: Romeo and Juliet--

Theater Performing Arts Topic: Romeo and Juliet---soliloquy
Name: Monica 9754011 Communication and Technology Department 01
In no doubt, William Shakespeare is one of the most popular playwrights in the world. His
plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than
those of other playwrights.
Indeed, the story of Shakespeare’s play is attracting, for discussing complex humanity,
moral issue, beautiful love and so on. However, the treasure of his play is actually the text. The
poetic lines, which suggest characters’ thoughts, trigger audience to “feel” characters’ hearts. In a
play, soliloquy is often the most interesting part. When writing it, some playwright focus on
explaining the plot or characters’ inner thoughts, some focus on writing beautiful words. While in
Shakespeare’s play, audience could see both at every scene, which is by far the greatest delight of
seeing a play.
Many say that Shakespeare wrote more and more beautiful with time passed, however, in his
early play “Romeo and Juliet”, the soliloquy was already consisted of figurative language,
alliteration, imagery and word-play (*1). Juliet’s parts are especially fascinating. With the perfect
designed lines, Shakespeare successfully convinced the audience “how come a 13 years old girl
dare to chase love”.
Juliet is first appears in act 1, scene 3. In this scene, Juliet is young, inexperienced and
obedient to her family. When Lady Capulet has the nurse call Juliet to tell her of Paris’s proposal.
Juliet is innocent. Just like many other young girls, she regards marriage as a romantic and joyful
thing.
Lady Capulet: Tell me, daughter Juliet. How stands your disposition to be married?
Juliet: It’s an honour that I dream not for.
(Act 1, scene 3)
And when her mother asks Juliet if she will love Paris, she answered politely.
Juliet: I will look to like, if looking liking move,
Which shows that she is willing to obey her mother’s request.
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strengh to make it fly
(Act 1, scene 3)
Still, she has dignity. She is a lady in a prestigious family, so she promises her mother she
will not do anything to embarrass herself and the whole family.
In the party hosted by Capulet, Juliet and Romeo first meet. They fall in love at once.
Romeo’s first word to Juliet begins a sonnet that Juliet shares and ends with a kiss. In this scene,
Juliet seems not just an obedient daughter but cleverer and charming. When Romeo is chasing,
Juliet encourages him instead of shrinks back.
Romeo: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
Juliet: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
Romeo: Oh, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Juliet: saint do mot move, though grant for prayer’s sake.
Romeo: then move mot, while my prayer’s effect I take.
(Act 1, scene 5)
And when enquiring Romeo’s identity, Juliet does not ask directly to the nurse. Instead, she
inquires about two other guests then reaches the one in whom she is really interested. When love
comes, she protects herself in instinct. Juliet is growing up in this scene. From now on, she is no
more passive, but dare to chase her love with courage.
Then Shakespeare writes some important soliloquies for Juliet, which tells the audience
how an innocent girl quickly shrifts to a mature young wife.
1. On the balcony
Juliet found that the guy she met in the party is Romeo Montague, whose family is the
enemy of hers. The young girl soliloquizes on the balcony, trying to find a way to solve this
problem. In her mind, hatred between families is not a big deal, and if he or she changed the
name, they can be together. Juliet starts to think about the future, while still innocent.
Juliet:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
Romeo, doff
thy name,
and for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
(Act2,
scene2)
Through the soliloquy in this scene, Juliet also shows the audience how indulged she is in
love, which suggests that her strong feeling to Romeo is going to break her obedience to family.
2. Waiting for the marry message from Romeo
Juliet sent the nurse to Romeo to discuss about their marriage. To a woman eager to meet
her love, 3 hours’ waiting seems endless.
The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse; In half an hour she promised to return. Perchance she cannot
meet him: that's not so. O, she is lame! love's heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times faster glide than the
sun's beams, Driving back shadows over louring hills: Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love, And
therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings. Now is the sun upon the highmost hill Of this day's journey, and from
nine till twelve Is three long hours, yet she is not come. Had she affections and warm youthful blood, She
would be as swift in motion as a ball; My words would bandy her to my sweet love, And his to me: But old
folks, many feign as they were dead; Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.
(Act2, scene 5)
At this time, Juliet still looks childish. She directly shows the impatience of waiting and her
anticipation to marriage. Also, she lists nimble-pinioned doves and wind-swift Cupid in her
soliloquy, which indicates that Juliet is still a girl who lives in fantasy.
3. After wedding, waiting for the night
Juliet and Romeo finally could get married in front of Friar Lawrence. Juliet soliloquizes her
anticipation of the coming night, in which she will fulfill the obligation of being a wife.
Juliet: Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds
Towards Phoebus' lodging: such a wagoner
As Phaethon would whip you to the west,
And bring in cloudy night immediately.
(act3, scene2)
In the soliloquy, audience could find out that Juliet feels like being a “women”. Her words
indicates that after the wedding, she first waits for night coming, then starts anticipating, and
even imaging the joyful sex with Romeo.
Juliet: And learn me how to lose a winning match, Play'd for a pair of stainless maidenhoods
Juliet: Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow'd night'
Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take
him and cut him out in little stars
(act3,
scene2)
Juliet’s love and devotion to Romeo is the key point to makes her mature.
4. When Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin
Juliet is told that Romeo had quarrel with her cousin, and now her cousin is dead and Romeo
is in big trouble. She turns to the nurse while the nurse is no more on her side. All of her families
now force her to get married.
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, counsellor;
Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain.
(Act 3, scene 5)
Juliet is in rage about the nurse’s rebellion. At the same time, audience can confirm Juliet’s
faithful love to Romeo, and the decision of being independent from family.
I'll to the friar, to know his remedy; If all else fail, myself have power to die
(Act 3, scene 5)
Though deciding to ask Friar Lawrence’s help, Juliet is not afraid of death. At this time,
Juliet thinks she is a growing up, for being willing to sacrifice for pure love.
5. In great fear
Friar Lawrence advised Juliet to drink a mysterious drug, which can help Juliet looks dead
while be alive after a couple of hour. Before drinking the drug, Juliet is fear.
Juliet: Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again
(Act 3, scene 6)
She tries to comfort herself she will meet her lover soon.
What if this mixture do not work at all?
Shall I be married then to-morrow morning
What if it be a poison which the friar
Subtilly hath minist'red to have me dead,
Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour'd
Because he married me before to Romeo?
How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo
Come to redeem me? There's a fearful point!
Shall I not then be stifled in the vault,
To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes?
(Act 3, scene 6)
Juliet’s imagination makes her see what horror it might be after taking the drug.
Romeo, I come! this do I drink to thee.
(Scene 3, act 6)
Juliet’s character grows stronger hour by hour in this play. Though she has enough
imagination to visualize the extent of the horrors that lie before her, she is not deterred from her
resolution. She bravely goes through with the plan, which she believes will bring her and Romeo
together once again.
In the end, for many coincident and mistakes, the story ends up with both Juliet and Romeo
died.
When a story is rounded out with the beauty of the poetry, the development of the characters,
and all the dramatic devices of the playwright, it becomes a work of art (*2). In Romeo and Juliet,
the lines are as usual beautiful. And the characters are divided into two parts: the character whose
characteristic does not change throughout the play (like Juliet’s parents), and developing
character like Romeo and Juliet.
A developing character is more interesting to audience, for they can grow up with the
character and deeply feel the sorrow or delight of them. Through Juliet, I enjoy the journey of
love, though ends up a tragedy, it's still a fascinating experience.
Citation
*1: 彭鏡禧，與獨白對話：莎士比亞戲劇獨白研究, p.16
*2: James L. Roberts, Cliffs notes in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, p.54
Reference
1. James L. Roberts, Cliffs notes in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,
U.S.A., C.K. Hillegass, 1960
2. Brian Gibbons, The Arden Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, U.S.A., Methuen
& Co. Ltd, 1986
3. 彭鏡禧，與獨白對話：莎士比亞戲劇獨白研究，台北市，書林，2009
4. Clifford Leech, The Moral Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, New York,
Critical Essays on Romeo and Juliet, 1997
5. Gayle Whittier, The Sonnet’s Body and the Body Sonnetized in Romeo and
Juliet, New York, Critical Essays on Romeo and Juliet, 1997