Where's the Love For the Family?

Romeo kills Tybalt. Good deal, justice is served. Tybalt insults Romeo and kills his best friend, he deserves to die. He is however Juliet's cousin. And when he dies and Juliet learns of the news, she does take it rather hard. She refers to Romeo as a "serpent heart, hid with a flow'ring face!" (III.ii.23). According to the footnote at the bottom of the page, she is basically referring to him as Satan. The visage of the devil was concealed by the face of a young girl wreathed in flowers when the serpent appeared to Eve. Although they have only known one another for a couple days, Juliet claims she is in love with Romeo. Based on the evidence above that she immediately refers to her love as the devil as soon as she hears of her cousin's death, should be a good indicator as to how close the two were (Tybalt and Juliet). They probably saw each other everyday, they live in the same town, part of the most powerful family and let's face it, Juliet is a pretty lovey dovey person. I doubt she could hate someone even as aggressive and ill-tempered as Tybalt. She did dwell on his death, for about ten seconds.

The nurse follows Juliet's brief monologue of how Romeo was the devil is disguise, with a little quip of her own about men stating that, "no faith, no honesty in men . . . Shame come to Romeo!" (III.ii.86-90). This is where we see a change of direction in Juliet's tone as she recoils with "Blistered by thy tongue for such a wish!" (III.ii.91-92). Wait a minute . . . Tybalt, you blood relative who you have known youre entire life dies. This was a guy Juliet probably played with in the yard, grew up with, and had a real relationship with. Romeo comes into the picture and two days later and his "banishment" is worse news than if he "hath slain ten thousand Tybalts," (III.ii.114). Where is the love for the family? Sure, Juliet mourns Tybalt's death for about ten seconds, but then she moves to the more imperative concern; that her love is exiled. I think this is a great example of Juliet showing the reader that she is a little girl. She is completely ridden with emotion as is Romeo.

I believe that is why these two are "in love." They are completely overrun with emotions and the other one is there to catch them. If I were in the Capulet family I would have Juliet beheaded for being so foolish. She is so messed up in the head that she believes that her feelings for this man she met only a couple days ago exceed even her closest relatives. Sounds like something a teenager would think . . . oh wait.