Juliet - A Dramatically Compelling Character

            A person who is dramatically compelling is one who will make you believe in what he or she does and will make you feel for the character, even though he or she is just a work of fiction. At the start of the play, we are shown a Juliet who is innocent, delicate, vulnerable and submissive, seen evidently in the first scene which she is introduced:.
             It is an honour that I dream not of. .
             And stint thou too, I pray thee, Nurse, say I .
             Ill look to like if looking liking move, But no more deep will I end art mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly (1.3.68-101).
             This scene occurs when Lady Capulet and the Nurse are discussing Juliet's marriage. All we are shown of Juliet is her agreeing meekly to their requests, without a voice or opinion on her own. In a sense, she contrasts with the other characters at the beginning of the play as she plays the role of the young child who is sheltered and relies heavily on her elders. However, later on in the play, she matures due to the situations which she is put in. She does not age physically, but in an extremely short span of time, she matures mentally and realises what her life purpose to be together with Romeo, as shown when she pledges her love to Romeo in the balcony scene:.
             Where and what time thou wilt perform the right, .
             And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay.
             And follow thee my lord throughout the world. (2.2.146).
             She develops drastically by beginning to think ahead of time and carefully considers who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Juliet personify the theme of Young vs Old later on in the play, with her ironically playing the part of the "old". She develops mature views on marriage, coming to believe it to be a serious commitment for life, and would rather die than cheat on her husband. On the contrary, Lord Capulet treats the wedding ceremony merely as a rite to bring happiness and stability to his household and as a simple event which could be carried out without much thought.