The Distraction of Love

In Shakespeare’s Act III, scene ii of Romeo and Juliet, the characterization and actions given to Juliet undergoes a total shift of language and sentiment after the two become married. While in Act I Juliet is more practical and looking towards the future with her concerns towards her relationship with Romeo, she now has prose similar to Romeo’s in the first act, full of oxymoron and emotion, while Romeo’s actions shift from the “artificial night” and nonconformity to the norms of masculinity to actions defined as male, the killing of Tybalt.
In Act III, scene ii, Juliet’s prose is full of oxymoron such as “fiend angelical!” (III.ii. 75), and, “A dammed saint, an honorable villain!”(III. ii. 79.) describing Romeo, and to the reader, this dialogue sounds very childish and emotional, much like Romeo’s characterization in Act I. The concept developed within her loaded dialogue is Shakespeare’s device to portray Juliet’s childish emotions, and how the concept of their love is based on infatuation, and impulse rather than a deeper connection and knowledge of each other. Shakespeare uses the passages of Act III scene I and Act III scene ii to shape Romeo and Juliet both as characters who are driven by impulse and emotion rather than logic and sound judgment. The lines “To prison, eyes; ne’er look on liberty! Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here,” (III.ii.57-60), portrays Juliet in a rather melodramatic sense, wanting to end her life because she believes her husband Romeo is killed. This sentiment expressed is not after Juliet is told the entire story by her nurse, but after the assumptions Juliet concludes from the short sentences that do not delve into detail. Shakespeare uses this example and the lines of “O I am fortune’s fool!” (III. i. 135), Romeo’s line after he has killed Tybalt, to portray the erratic behavior of both of these characters, whose mind is not on the tasks of everyday logic, but fully focused on the love of another.