Student Question

What is Juliet's situation at the end of Act 3 in terms of her feelings, marriage, relationship with parents, and the Nurse's advice?

Quick answer:

At the end of Act 3, Juliet is in a serious dilemma, torn between her loyalty to Romeo and her family's demands. She faces disownment if she refuses to marry Paris and feels betrayed by the Nurse, who advises her to marry Paris. Juliet's parents are unsupportive, with her father being domineering and her mother focused on social status. Her only recourse is to seek Friar Laurence's help, contemplating suicide if he can't assist her.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Juliet is involved in a serious dilemma at the end of Act III. She has to decide whether to be disowned from her parents and refuse to marry Paris, realize that she and Romeo have no future because he is banished and will never be accepted by the Capulets,...

See
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

take drastic measures, such as suicide, to get out of the marriage with Paris, or go toFriar Laurence to see what he can do to get them together.
Juliet is definitely afraid of her father who is a "bully" and wants to have authority and dominate others. Her mother is only concerned with social status since women don't inherit it unless they marry into a family. The Nurse has turned against her and is now sideing with her parents. This is a sign of betrayal to Juliet who considered the Nurse to be her "Mother" her whole life.
Her only choice is to turn to Friar Laurence to see if he can remedy the situation and put all her faith and trust in him. If he can't solve the situatio, she will contemplkate suicide. This shows the intensity of her love for Romeo and that this love is more than just physical attraction. She is willing to go to any lengths to be with Romeo.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

In the end of Act III, we find Juliet in quite a predicament. Juliet’s loyalty is torn between her family and her true love, Romeo. We are clearly able to see Juliet’s mixed feelings of love and hate in Act III, scene ii when she first hears of her cousin’s death. She divulges a list of oxymorons to describe the duel nature of Romeo’s character. “O serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face!/ Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?/ Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!/ Dove-feathered raven! Wolvish ravening lamb!…” (III, ii, 75-87)

As we continue reading we find that Juliet begins questioning her loyalties. She exclaims, “Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?” (III, ii, 101) Juliet feels a deep sense of loyalty to Romeo, her husband. The conflict then comes in her devotion to her family. “But, wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have kill’d my husband.” (III, ii, 104, 105) As Juliet gives a ring to the nurse to take to Romeo, we find that she has chosen where her loyalties will lie.

Since Juliet’s devotion and heart lie with her husband, she is able to stand up to her parents in the last scene of Act III when they inform her of her coming marriage to Paris. Her eye is on her future with Romeo. Juliet chooses to break the ties with her family. The nurse is her final connection to the Capulet family. When the nurse tells her to marry Paris, the better of the two, Juliet chooses to seek counsel elsewhere.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Everything has become quite a mess for Juliet by Act III's conclusion. Though she has secretly wed Romeo, her heart's love, all is not well. Romeo has killed her cousin Tybalt and is forced to flee. He has been banished by the Prince and he fears the wrath of Verona's citizenry.

Juliet's parents, who are completely unaware of her marriage to Romeo, further push her to marry Paris They believe this will help assuage her pain over Tybalt's death. Juliet turns to her lifelong companion, her nurse, for advice.

However, the nurse is no fit counsel for Juliet. She is of low status, and though well-meaning, vulgar. Though she had been close to Juliet, she fails to recognize the love-sick signs. Instead, she gushes over the match to the repugnant Paris: "Oh, he's a lovely gentleman./Romeo's a disclout to him. An eagle, madam,/Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye/As Paris hath."

Juliet is disgusted by her nurse's remarks. She vows to seek the advice of the Friar, another adult who ultimately fails her.

Approved by eNotes Editorial