1. Answering a Juliet exam question Date: Objectives
Take notes on the female protagonist of the play.
Come to a better understanding of Juliet.
Warm-up – take down all the key words that describe Juliet. Pick one and explain it then.
Inexperienced, loving, frank, faithful, practical, clever, capable, spontaneous, unfortunate

2. Juliet: Bio - Introduction
Juliet is the fourteen year old daughter of the Capulet Family and stands on the border between immaturity and maturity. She is expected to get married, as her mother and other girls did at that age as well. Because she is young, she is not familiar with the world or knowledgeable about love.
(Write a paragraph about your general impression of Juliet, from the book, play or movie)

3. Juliet: immature
When Lady Capulet mentions Paris’ interest in marrying Juliet, Juliet dutifully responds that she will try to see if she can love him, a response that seems childish in its obedience and in its immature conception of love.
“I’ll look to like, if looking liking move.
But no more deep will I endart mine eyes
Than you consent gives strength to make it fly”
(Act 1, scene 3)
(Those finished writing the notes – examine this quote. She expects to like him but everything depends on her mother’s consent. It that strange?

4. Juliet: honest
When it comes to her love for Romeo, Juliet is strong, practical and honest. Hiding in the orchard, Romeo hears Juliet’s words, which outlines what stands in their way;
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or, if thou will not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (Act 2, scene 2)
(Can you understand why a name was important moreso in those days (1300’s)? This is also not a time when woman had that much power? Can you see how strong Juliet is?)

5. Juliet: Strong Juliet leads the conversation between
her and Romeo. Her questions and
comments to Romeo are all direct,
straightforward and practical.
“Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
By whose direction foundest thou out this place?
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight.” (Act 2, scene 2)
(Might Juliet like Romeo for being more effeminate? Write.)

6. Juliet: clever
When Juliet is in serious trouble, separated from Romeo and threatened by her father with dismissal from the family home, she displays how clever she is. She first pretends follow the nurses advise and forget Romeo
“Well, thou hast comforted me marvellous much” (3.5)
She then asks to go see the Friar to seek forgiveness for having displeased her father. She convinces the nurse, and thus her parents, that she regrets her actions.
(Write about how hard it can be to ask for help. What would you do in her situation?)

7. Juliet: courageous
She shows courage when she asks Friar Laurence for help and gets the sleeping potion. She knows several things could go wrong. It could be poison, she may be buried alive unable to breath and also bones could fall on her in the tomb;
“with some great kinsman’s bone,
As with a club dash out my desperate brains?” (Act 4.3)
She overcomes these fears though.
(What else could have gone wrong with pretending to be dead and left in a tomb?)

8. Juliet: final impression
A major criticism of the play is that Juliet does not go with Romeo straight away when he is banished. She is that smart and strong that the audience feels she could have done something. We are told at the beginning that this is fate however. Her end is inevitable and has meaning for everyone.
(What do I mean by this? Write)