In act 1, scene 2, Old Capulet describes his daughter’s overall attitude towards marriage pretty accurately. She is simply too young to have even considered the possibility; sheltered, coddled, Juliet is in all ways still a child. It is only Paris’s interest that presses the issue, and Capulet is reluctant:
Capulet: Let two more summers wither in their pride
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
And too soon marred are those so early made. (I.ii.13)
Capulet gives Paris consent to woo Juliet, and promises to give consent to the marriage if, and only if, Paris can capture his daughter’s heart.
Meanwhile, Juliet’s first encounter with the idea of marriage comes not from Paris or her father, but her mother.
Lady Capulet: Marry, that “marry” is the very theme
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How stands your dispositions to be married? (1.iii.60-62)
Juliet responds that she considers marriage an honor, but not one that she dreams about. Whether she’s being candid or simply polite is up for debate. Is it simply that she’s never considered the idea until now? Or is she trying to tell her mother, without offending her, that she’s not particularly interested in getting married?
To be fair, the idea of being tied to a complete stranger is a daunting one. But Juliet is cautiously willing to at least give it a try.
Juliet: I'll look to like, if looking liking move, But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. (1.iii.99-101)
At this point, Juliet’s attitude towards marriage is about duty and obedience to her parents. The concept of love doesn’t even enter into the equation.
That changes when Romeo enters the picture. Suddenly, Juliet’s heart is involved. The ensuing romance is heady, intense, passionate, and full of angst. The forbidden aspect of the whole affair gives it a titillating thrill that tosses it from a summer flirtation up to a romance of epic proportions. At the end of scene 5, Juliet is convinced that she is in love with a young lad she’d met only that night, a lad who is not only not Paris, but who is also the only son of her father’s greatest enemy.
Although it wouldn’t be fair to downplay Romeo’s charm and physical attributes, I would say that circumstances have as much to do with Juliet’s feelings as any “love at first sight” chemistry do. Juliet is about to be pushed into a monumental change in her life that she is not sure she wants, and is ripe for rebellion in the matter. On top of that, she is a complete novice in love, having never experienced romance with anyone before meeting Romeo.
On his side, Romeo is on the rebound from “fair Rosaline” and ready to project all those frustrated emotions onto another, which means he would have come on strong to any girl who’d caught his eye. And what...
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pair of teenagers wouldn’t be attracted to a secret, forbidden relationship and the dizzy feeling that it’s the two of them against the world? The idea of star-crossed lovers overcoming the odds is an attractive one, even today. With all that in play, it’s fair to say that Juliet’s ideas of love and marriage are heavy on idealism and imagination, and sorely lacking inrealism.
In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Julietchanges from disinterest in the idea of marriage to Paris in Scene 3 to falling in love with Romeo in Scene 5.
This quick switch in Juliet's perspective exemplifies the theme of impetuous behavior and passion.
First, when her mother asks Juliet if she might consider Paris, who is a cousin to the Prince, as a husband, Juliet expresses her disinterest:
I'll look to like, if looking liking move,But no more deep will I endart mine eyeThan your consent gives strength to make it fly. (1.3.99-101)
Ironically, Juliet's disinterest seems to reflect that of her father, Lord Capulet, who in Scene 2 has told Paris that his child "is yet a stranger in the world" and too young for marriage, although he does not discourage Paris from wooing her and get[ting] her heart."
Then, in Scene 5 after Juliet meets the impassioned Romeo, at first she pushes back from his attempts to kiss her, but then allows him a kiss because as she later declares in this last scene of Act I when the Nurse informs her that Romeo is a Montague,
(aside) My only love sprung from my only hate!....Prodigious birth of love it is to me,That I must love a loathèd enemy. (1.5.138-141)
Juliet, who has expressed no interest in marriage or love earlier, meets Romeo and falls in love with him in only one scene.
In Romeo and Juliet, what does the Nurse think about love and marriage in Act I?
It is Act I scene 3 that you need to examine carefully to find the answer to this question. You might want to think how this scene would be staged. It appears that the Nurse has a comic function as she constantly gives her commentary on what Lady Capulet is trying to say when she has a serious talk with Juliet about the husband her parents have selected for her. Though well-intentioned, it is clear that her interruptions could be viewed as annoying or humorous. Many productions have Lady Capulet either ignoring the Nurse or getting increasingly annoyed with her comments, and some have Juliet moving to protect her.
However, it is clear that the Nurse believes that marriage is a good thing and should be aspired to. No mention of course is made of love. Marriage for the Nurse is obviously about marrying for advancement. Note how the Nurse says that her one wish is to see Juliet married. When Juliet says marriage is "an honour that I dream not of," the Nurse agrees with her, saying she has obviously "sucked wisdom from thy teat." When Lady Capulet announces who the man is, the Nurse's agreement only focuses on the physical appearance of Paris:
A man, young lady! Such a man
As all the world.--Why, he's a man of wax.
The Nurse clearly focuses on the outward appearance. To her, Paris is wealthy, of good social standing and handsome. What more could her Juliet want? Note her comment to Lady Capulet's words that Juliet would make herself "no less" by marrying Paris:
No less? Nay, bigger! Women grow by men.
This is a very revealing remark. From the Nurse's point of view, marriage was the only way for a woman to "grow" and to become more important. Love does not enter into the equation. This is why we can see later on in the play that the Nurse urges Juliet to forget about Romeo and marry Paris. Marriage is an alliance designed to improve your position and nothing more.