Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, known for its tragic love story between the two young title characters. Though Romeo and Juliet seem like teenagers experiencing young love, there has been much debate over their actual ages and whether there was an inappropriate age gap between them. To examine this question, we need to look at clues within the text, social customs of the time period, and how their ages have been portrayed in famous adaptations.
How old were Romeo and Juliet?
Though their exact ages are never stated outright in the play, there are textual clues that provide an estimate of how old Romeo and Juliet were meant to be:
Romeo’s age clues
– He is old enough to legally marry without parental consent. During Shakespeare’s time, the legal age for men was 14.
– Other characters refer to his youth and inexperience, implying he is a teenager. For example, Benvolio calls him a “young affection” and Friar Lawrence remarks on his “young wavering.”
– He is young enough to still be living in his father’s house, rather than having his own household.
Juliet’s age clues
– Her father wishes to marry her soon, indicating she is approaching marriageable age. Girls married very young, even as teenagers, during the Renaissance.
– The Nurse, who nursed and raised Juliet, says Juliet will be 14 on Lammas Eve.
– Her parents call her things like “young baggage” and refer to her as their child.
Conclusion on their ages
Based on these contextual clues, Shakespeare intended Romeo to be around 16-17 years old and Juliet to be 13, soon turning 14. While quite young by today’s standards, these were appropriate marriage ages in Shakespeare’s era. A 14-16 year old groom and 13-14 year old bride was common, though still considered young.
Was their age gap normal for the time?
Though we don’t know their exact birthdays, Romeo seems intended to be 3-4 years older than Juliet. A brief age gap like this was quite typical for marriages, especially among the nobility. Social customs and marriage laws of the Elizabethan era establish some key facts:
- Most women married quite young, between 12-14 years old.
- Men married in their mid-to-late teens or early 20s.
- An age gap of 2-5 years between spouses was the norm.
So while Romeo and Juliet are on the younger end of the marriageable age range, their age difference follows convention. Juliet at almost 14 and Romeo at 16 or 17 reflects a common pairing.
Some other evidence that their ages were not shocking:
- Their parents do not mention the age gap as inappropriate.
- The Friar agrees to marry them.
- No one accuses Romeo of wrongdoing for pursuing a girl so much younger.
The couples’ youth is mentioned, but not the age difference specifically. Based on Renaissance customs, Shakespeare’s audience would not have found their brief age gap unacceptable or salacious.
How have famous adaptations portrayed their ages?
While Shakespeare indicated Juliet was 13 and Romeo was likely 16-17, many adaptations portray the characters as older:
Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film
– Romeo – 16/17, played by Leonard Whiting (age 17)
– Juliet – 14, played by Olivia Hussey (age 15)
Very close to Shakespeare’s probable intended ages. The teen actors reinforce their youth and innocence.
Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film
– Romeo – early 20s, played by Leonardo DiCaprio (age 21)
– Juliet – 16/17, played by Claire Danes (age 17)
Moved both characters into later adolescence/early adulthood. This small gap seems more appropriate to modern viewers.
Carlo Carlei’s 2013 film
– Romeo – late teens, played by Douglas Booth (age 20)
– Juliet – mid-teens, played by Hailee Steinfeld (age 15)
Also adjusted ages to seem more fitting to contemporary audiences. Both are older than Shakespeare’s versions.
Why were Romeo and Juliet’s ages increased?
There are several factors that motivated filmmakers to depict Romeo and Juliet as older:
- Modern ethical discomfort with very young teen marriage and sexuality.
- Pragmatic need for mature adult actors.
- Communicating an air of Jacobean sophistication.
- Highlighting the impulsiveness of first love.
While staying accurate to Shakespeare’s intent would make Romeo and Juliet younger teenagers, directors obviously need to cast older actors. But they also made artistic choices to envision the characters as later teenagers or young adults to avoid discomfiting viewers with excessively youthful romance. The increased maturity allows audiences to focus on the passion and poetry rather than the age appropriateness.
Conclusion
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare pegs Juliet as a 13 year old girl and Romeo as a 16-17 year old youth. Their approximately 3 year age gap follows the usual marriage customs of Renaissance England. However, many film adaptations increase their ages to late teens or early adulthood. This likely reflects both practical casting needs and modern unease with Shakespeare’s young lovers. Though adapted ages vary, the essence of Romeo and Juliet as two star-crossed adolescents remains poignantly timeless. Their youth, impetuosity, and fatal attraction give the story its lasting power.