In the final scene of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo reveals his maturity in his interaction with Paris and final words before he commits suicide.
As Romeo enters the tomb, he is stopped by Paris, who holds Romeo responsible for Juliet’s death; he believes that Juliet was grief-stricken because of Tybalt’s death. Upon seeing Romeo, he calls him a “condemned villain” and wants to ensure that Romeo is punished with death. When Romeo was referred to as a villain in the past, it started a duel, which resulted in Tybalt’s death. Romeo pleads that Paris leave him alone (Act V, Scene I): “I beseech thee, youth, / Put not another sin upon my head, / By urging me to fury: O, be gone!”
This shows maturity in Romeo because he recognizes that his previous actions resulted in devastating consequences. He understands he is not in the right state of mind and urges Paris to go before he becomes furious. This demonstrates that Romeo may have learned something from being exiled from Verona.
Another moment that in the final scene that shows Romeo’s maturity is when he is met with Tybalt’s body (Act V, Scene I):
Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?
O, what more favour can I do to thee,
Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain
To sunder his that was thine enemy?
Forgive me, cousin!
In this moment, he not only asks for Tybalt’s forgiveness, but he also refers to him as a family member. Romeo believes that there is nothing that he can do to make the situation better other than kill himself. This is another example in which Romeo is not only seeing the direct consequences of his actions, but he is also taking responsibility for them.
What are some quotes in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that give the readers a hint they are capable of having a mature love?
In general, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet points more
toward the fact that such impetuous, passionate
love as Romeo and Juliet share is not genuine love
and is likely to bring instability and heartache, as we see in
Friar Laurence's warning to Romeo just prior to conducting the
wedding ceremony: "These violent delights have violent ends" (II.vi.9).
However, if one looks at things out of context, one might be able to
interpret a few passages as showing that Romeo and
Juliet may eventually be capable of developing a mature
love.
One example of such a passage is Juliet's response to Romeo in
Friar Laurence's cell just before the wedding ceremony. When Juliet first
enters the room, Romeo asks her to say so if her joy is still as rich as his
due to the prospect of their marriage and asks if she still sees it as right.
Juliet's response essentially communicates that her joy is far
greater than words can express. She ends with the the lines, "But my true love
is grown to such excess / I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth," meaning her
love has grown so much since she last saw him that she can't express even half
her love in words (II.iv.33-34). Since love grows as it matures, we can say the
professed growth of her love is a sign that she can
love maturely.
However, it's important to see the lines in context with the
greater scene. Romeo has just said the following passionate lines:
... then sweeten with thy breath
This neighbour air, and let rich music's tongue
Unfold the imagin'd happiness that both
Receive in either by this dear encounter. (26-29)
On the one hand, we can interpret references to "thy
breath" and "tongue" as references to speaking words since
words are spoken through breath and the movement of tongues. However, on the
other hand, many have also interpreted these lines as referring to
kissing and have actually depicted the couple endlessly kissing during
this exchange, leading Friar Laurence to end the scene by saying he'll get them
married very quickly and not leave them alone until they are indeed married.
Therefore, if we take into account the degree of passion in this scene, we are
left to reflect as Friar Laurence did that such impetuous, passionate
love is not genuine and likely to die as speedily as it begins, which
is the exact opposite of a mature love.
Another passage we may be able to loosely interpret as showing
that Romeo and Juliet are capable of a mature love can be seen the moment
Juliet learns from Nurse that Romeo has just been sentenced to banishment for
slaying Tybalt. When Nurse asks Juliet, "Will you speak well of him that kill'd
your cousin?," Juliet's response is to rhetorically ask,
"Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?," which is to say that she is
devoted to still honoring him despite this misdeed
(III.ii.101-102). Juliet's firm devotion to thinking honorably of her husband
despite Tybalt's murder can be taken as a sign that she is capable of
mature love since it shows she is capable of strong devotion.
Yet, again, interpreting just this line is taking things out of context
considering that, in a previous passage, Juliet just devoted 12 lines to
questioning Romeo's goodness and honesty and even going so far as to call him a
"villain." So, can we really interpret Juliet as being capable of any maturity
at all? Or is she simply the impetuous sort who lets her emotions change with
the changing winds?
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