Notes

Juliet changes more than any other character in Romeo and Juliet. During Juliet’s first scene in the play, she says that she will love, but only if it pleases her parents. This longing for authority shows her immaturity at the play’s beginning. Like a small child, she is afraid to make her own decisions. But when she meets Romeo, she becomes more and more assertive regarding the path of her life. In the Act III, Capulet tells her that she is to marry Paris, but instead of submitting, she goes against her father’s will and professes her love for Romeo. This change is evidence of Juliet’s emotional transformation from a timid adolescent into a bold adult. Fine paragraph, giving a good sense of J's dramatic transformation.
Most of the characters in Romeo and Juliet fail to deal with their problems. Unlike Romeo, Juliet must choose between her family and Romeo. This decision is not made blindly. To choose her family would mean that she must marry Paris and denounce (renounce) her love for Romeo. However, she chooses Romeo, a decision that leaves her to fend for herself. By remaining true to her heart, regardless of the consequences, Juliet proves to be braver than any of the other characters in the play.

As the play progresses, Juliet makes a number of important decisions. She falls in love, gets married, is shunned by her family, and finally kills herself. After experiencing all these things, it is impossible for her to remain as innocent as she once was. Her loss of innocence leads to her downfall. Had she hated Romeo because he is a Montague, as her family did, she would have married Paris and lived a happy, sheltered life. Instead, she realized that she loved Romeo in spite of his name. It was this love that caused her death.