Follow Society's Love In Romeo And Juliet

Imagine you are at a party and you look across the room. Just for a second you are captivated by the beauty of a man's eyes, too soon they are concealed with bodies. You find the person with the extraordinary eyes, and make small talk with them without knowing who they are. Later, you find those beautiful eyes belong to your greatest enemy. Your choice is to pursue this love or deny your heart. What do you choose? William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, demonstrates that people should follow their own heart's desire rather than follow the rules of society. Juliet has a choice to follow her heart by being with Romeo, or follow society's rules by marrying Paris. Juliet could make the choice to follow society's rules by marrying Paris. Paris

Lady Capulet goes to Juliet and asks her stance on marriage and tells Juliet Paris wants her hand in marriage. Juliet's Nurse even pushes Juliet to marry Paris so in the beginning, Juliet states that she would marry Paris if that's what her parents wanted. Juliet says "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. 4. 103-105). Juliet is very obedient to her parents and does what she is expected to do. Juliet in this moment is choosing to follow society's rules because she is trying to please her parents by following their expectations. Similarly, following society's rules means that Juliet could have a more privileged future and it could raise her status, if she chose to marry him. Paris is handsome, wealthy and happens to be a kingsman to Prince Escalus, making a very suitable husband for Juliet. Lady Capulet states "The gallant, young, and noble gentleman,/The County Paris, at Saint Peter's church/Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride" (3. 5.

When Juliet meets Romeo and figures out he is a Montegue she still decides to pursue the love because it is her heart's desire to do so. Juliet exclaims "My only love sprung from my only hate!/Too early seen unknown, and known too late!/Prodigious birth of love it is to me/That I must love a loathèd enemy" (1. 5. 152-155). In this moment Juliet is conflicted she doesn't know whether to follow her parents expectations or to follow her heart. Juliet realizes that Romeo is her only enemy, but he's also her only love. She knows that this would break society's rules by pursuing this love, but she does it anyway because it's her heart's desire. Furthermore, Romeo and Juliet's entire relationship was based on a secret and the lack of communication caused the relationship to end in a tragedy. The lack of communication led to Romeo killing himself, then Juliet killed herself after seeing him dead. Juliet says "Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O, happy dagger,/This is thy sheath. There rust, and let me die" (5. 3. 174-175). Juliet knows she could never love anyone other than Romeo, so for her there isn't any point in living. Juliet chose to be with Romeo and therefore satisfying her heart's desire, but doing so ended worse than if she followed society's rules. Following her heart's desire it causes a tragedy. The consequence of this choice is the death of six people including