Thoughts on Juliet and Women’s Rights:
Her father’s strict code of conduct turns the dial up on her sense of hopelessness. Juliet comes from a place where she feels trapped and doomed so it becomes pointless to ‘grow up’ and stand up for herself. Part of her reckless behavior is because of Romeo’s influence on her that she obeys him.
She knows the ultimate sacrifice she makes and is in fact an emancipated woman because she listen’s to her heart instead of cowering to her father but Juliet’s fate is sealed either way. To marry Paris would mean a part of her dies, if she must die than Romeo is a better choice than living a lie.
Juliet is out of control and stubborn. She is determined to have her way. She is spoiled rotten by her parents who have given her everything and this is a problem as she becomes a woman. She is reckless and irresponsible. She is disrespectful towards her parents because she stands up to them.
Juliet is sworn to Romeo and he is a man. She goes from being a good little girl, to an obedient lover. Now Romeo controls her. He betrays her by killing her cousin and she ignores this painful event because she is blindly following him towards certain death. Is she really that free thinking?
Juliet puts too much trust in people around her and takes herself too seriously. She doesn’t trust herself so she gives in. She is young and weak and so she makes bad decisions. Her impatience makes her do things that get her into trouble.
I think that Juliet’s final freedom comes with her death when she is free from everyone’s judgment. All her life she was told what to do, how to look, what to wear, when to speak, when to wake, to sleep and now she does something completely her own. That one thing is hers and still she follows Romeo to the grave. I wonder at this. How this final act of suicide makes her more of a coward. At the end she is scared and confused. She is alone for the first time. Does she have to give up just because Romeo is dead? She should have stayed to face the music.
I know that my parents tell me to do certain things so that I take responsibility for my life. They are strict with me when it comes to boys. They say that I need to focus and that boys will be a distraction and that there is plenty of time later in my life to have a boyfriend. When I finally have a boyfriend I will want there approval and I hope he passes the ‘test’. There is a difference between parents that truly care about their children and parents that are blind to their children’s interests. Back in history there was less opportunity for a young woman to even consider ‘dating’ there really was no such thing. At least I will get to look around and test out who I like and who I want to be with. Hopefully my parents will approve and trust me to make the right choices. I think they know that I will make mistakes and don’t want me to be hurt by anyone.
If I do make mistakes I won’t feel like I’ve brought shame to my family and be treated like baggage or garbage. I will at least have a chance to live my life with dignity.
I feel sorry for Juliet. She is a sort of tragic hero to me. I wish she died feeling proud of herself. I think a part of her was lost in love and her final death was a desperate act.
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