Through this project I have analyzed and discovered Romeo and Juliet’s characters' changing personalities, actions and reactions much more comprehensively and deeper than before. Because this play was writen at late 1500s, people in this time period saw men as stronger chracters and women as weaker characters, and that is why I am curious about how Shaksphere wrote Romeo such a pale character and Juliet such a powerful character. In this project, I focused on showing how Romeo transforms to a more passive character and how Juliet evolves to a more active character, by using costuming, switching actor's gender and blocking which helps me to demonstrate each characters' transformation. My idea of this project is that Romeo and Juliet have learned from each other, and they became more like each other which means Romeo and Juliet switched their character roles. In order to show Romeo and Juliet switching their character roles, I choose Act II Scene II, Act IV Scene I, Act III Scene III and Act IV Scene III to compare and build Romeo and Juliet’ character. I am Romeo, Juliet and the Nurse in these three scenes which gives me a challenge to change between these three characters in a short time. Romeo and Juliet influence each other by showing their love, and this finally changes them into each other.
I choose Act II Scene II which is the balcony scene because this is the point when Romeo and Juliet confess their love to each other which represents the beginning of their relationship. In this scene, Romeo is the one who acts so aggressive, and he forces their relationship to be more solid and protected. For example, “Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow, That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—” (Shakspere Act II Scene II Line 107). As we can see, Romeo vows to Juliet to show his love, but “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden” (Shakspere Act II Scene II Line 118). Juliet stops him because she thinks that it is such a rush, and it is the first day they meet each other, so she does not want Romeo to promise anything. In this situation, they both don’t know much about each other, but Romeo chooses to promise something he does’t even know, and Juliet decides to stop Romeo’s crazy behavior to think more before anything happens.
When I was blocking this scene, I was Romeo, so I had most movements in this scene to achieve this aggressive Romeo. For instance, I broke into Juliet's house first and hid behind a bush which was a chair with flowers design on it to wait for her to appear, then I move forward to Juliet when I heard the line “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name” (Shakspere Act II Scene II Line 33-34). After I said my line, I went toward to Juliet and stopped on a box which was right next to Juliet’s balcony which was a tall table with some fake flowers around it. When Juliet said “May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.Good night, good night!” (Shakspere Act II Scene II Line 122-123). I stopped her from leaving me by holding her arm. Then when I said “Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?” (Shakspere Act II Scene II Line 130). I looked in Juliet’s eyes and I held my hand to her, and finally we held our hands together. Thus, the forcing of love and aggressive movements build a Romeo who is brave and wants to show his love to Juliet intensely, and he seeks Juliet’s responding love back.
Juliet's changing is mainly showed in Act IV, Scene I and Scene III, which are scenes that Friar Lawrence gives her advices about Romeo's banishment and how to stop the marriage between her and Paris which her father forces her. Even though she is seeking help from Friar, she acts so tough and brave, and she is leading and influencing the conversation. For example, "And with this knife I’ll help it presently. (shows him a knife) God joined my heart and Romeo’s, thou our hands." (4.1.55-58). As we can see, Juliet chooses to kill herself if she has to marry to Paris because she loves Romeo so much. She is forcing Friar to give her a good solution rather than staying at home and waiting. To be honest, I would not suicide for someone I only met two days ago, and this needs not only love, but also requires courage to do it. At the end of the conversation, Friar gives Juliet a potion which can create a fake death of her, so she can escape the wedding and reunit with Romeo. Even though, Juliet says all the concerns that she has, she still drinks the potion for Romeo which shows bravery of Juliet’s character. “What if it be a poison which the Friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonored Because he married me before to Romeo? I fear it is. And yet methinks it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man. How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink. I drink to thee” (Shakspere Act VI Scene III). This are lines which Juliet says when she is preparing to drink the potion, and these lines clear shows that Juliet worries about if she will be dead or Romeo will not be able to fin her, but she still drinks the potion because she loves Romeo, and her last words say that she drinks it for Romeo. Juliet is acting extremely brave and active than she ever does which make her character become more influential.
My Juliet character in these two scenes was much more brave and active than the Act II Scene II Juliet. In these two scenes, I built a manly Juliet because I wanted to show how she becomes to a character who reacts so quick and brave. First of all, I show that I would rather die than marry to Paris by saying “O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower;” (Shakspere Act VI Scene I Line 79). Also, when I was saying this line I held the knif up to my neck which seemed I would kill myself in any seconds. However, when Friar gave me the idea of his potion which can avoid death I put the knif down, then I take the potion from Friar Lawrence whithout any concern, and I believed in the power of love. “Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford” (Shakspere Act VI Scene I Line 129). This line directly told that how much I believed in the power of love would help me to get through this. In the next monologue which which I drunk the potion, I choosed kneeling than standing because I wanted to show that I was depressed and hopeless. After I took out the potion, I also put the knif next to me to show I was wondering that should I suicide or drink the potion. However, after I noticed how much I love Romeo, I drank the potion immediately. Through all these blocking and lines, I have represent a manly Juliet who is full of courage and love.
Act III Scene III was selected because it is the scene between Friar Lawrence and Romeo after Romeo knows that he is banished which can be used to compare with the scene between Juliet and Friar. Even though Romeo mentions that he would rather be dead if he cannot be with Juliet multible times, but he does not do anything actual actions to prove it. For example, “So to be banished from Verona is like being banished from the world, and being banished from the world is death.” (3.3.19-20). This line represent how much Romeo loves Juliet, and he does not wan to live because he can not see Juliet anymore. However, he did not do anything, like put a knif up to his neck which makes him looks like a coward. He is not only reacting so passive, but also follows Friar’s order completely which shows he is now much weaker than before. For instance, “But that a joy past joy calls out on me, It were a grief so brief to part with thee. Farewell.” (3.3.174-176). As we can see, Romeo is now such a good girl who follows Friar’s orders and stops fighting for Juliet’s love.
Because we switched actor’s gender for Romeo and Juliet, I took the Nurse in this scene. Even though I did not have many lines, I still pointed out the most important part which showed how weak and passive Romeo became. “Stand up, stand up. Stand, an you be a man” (Shakspere Act III Scene III Line 88). This line directly told Romeo to stand up and be a man which also reflect that Romeo is being so weak and hopeless just like a little girl. When I was saying this line I also used my hands to hold Romeo up from the ground when Romeo was weeping and blubbering which makes Romeo looks even more passive and weak, so audience can see how Romeo changes to a girlish character.
Through all these three scenes, I had created a aggressive Romeo, a manly Juliet and a girlish Romeo which accomplish my goal that they have changed into each other along with their relation. This was such a fun and meaningful project, and I have learned how to achieve a character, and also make the character believable and realistic. Finally, After I tried my best to work on costuming, switching actor's gender and blocking, It helped me to demonstrate each characters' transformation which showed how Romeo transforms to a girlish character and how Juliet evolves to a manly character.
