When addressing this question, be aware that marriage has traditionally involved the union of two families. (Also, keep in mind the time period during which Shakespeare himself wrote and the sort of society in which Romeo and Juliet itself was set. This was not a modern culture, with modern sensibilities on marriage.)
With that in mind, I'd suggest that the very fact that neither the Montagues nor the Capulets are aware that their children have married establishes, in and of itself, that the marriage was a secret one. Furthermore, pay particular attention to Lord Capulet's insistence that Juliet marry Paris. By this point in the play, she is already married to Romeo. This demand would have been inconceivable if he had known Juliet was already married. The very events in the play, as they unfold, serve as testament to the fact that Romeo and Juliet married in secret—this...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
is the only way that the play makes sense.
In Act 2, scene 4, Romeo is horsing around in the streets with his friends, but when Juliet's nurse approaches him in order to learn what arrangements he has made for his marriage to Juliet, he and she retire to speak privately of it. Romeo purposely gets rid of Benvolio and Mercutio, telling them, "I will follow you," when Mercutio asks if he will go with them to his father's house (2.4.144). Only after Romeo's friends depart does he tell the nurse of his plans. He says, "Bid [Juliet] devise / Some means to come to shrift this afternoon, / And there she shall at Friar Lawrence' cell / Be shrived and married" (2.4.183-185). His instruction, then, is that Juliet should make up a story, some reason that she needs to go to confession this afternoon; instead, however, when she gets there, she and Romeo will be wed. Juliet would not have to lie about the reason for her going to church if the marriage were not a secret. Further, at the end of Act 2, scene 6, it is only Friar Lawrence, Romeo, and Juliet who exit the scene to take part in their wedding; the absence of other guests indicate that the wedding is taking place in secret (2.6.38).