Sympathy, Sorrow, and Condolences

Of all the characters in Act IV, I feel the most sympathy for Juliet.  For a few short days she has been happy; She was able to marry Romeo. But tragedy hits. Romeo's friend, Mercuito, is killed and Romeo kills the killer, Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, in return.  While mourning Tybalt's death, Juliet grieves more for her exiled husband. She says, "Indeed, I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him--dead--is my poor hear, so for a kinsman vex'd" (Shakespeare 210).

 When Mercuito, Tybalt and Romeo cross swords, Juliet"s days of happiness have ended.  Now she is burdened with worry for Romeo who was banished to Mantua.



Also, Juliet has to hide her love for Romeo. Her mother, Lady Capulet, understands her grief to be for Tybalt but really it's for Romeo. She relies on Nurse and Friar Lawrence for advise until Nurse starts to belief that she should marry Paris and forget Romeo. Juliet has to figure out how far she will go to see Romeo and who she can trust.

Vocabulary:

Arbitrating: deciding; judging
Distraught: upset; distressed
Immoderately:  wastefully; extravagantly
Inundation:  flood; outpouring
Resolution: solution to a problem
Spited: acted maliciously or with ill will
Supple: flexible; pliant