Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, known for its tragic love story between the two young protagonists. Though never explicitly stated in the play, there has been much speculation over whether Romeo and Juliet consummated their secret marriage before their untimely deaths. In examining the text, there are several hints that suggest the couple did sleep together the night after they were married.
Evidence They Slept Together
1. The couple was secretly married
In Act 2 of the play, Romeo and Juliet are secretly married by Friar Lawrence. This means that they were legally wedded as husband and wife. In Shakespeare’s time, marriage was expected to be consummated shortly after the ceremony. So for Romeo and Juliet, sleeping together on their wedding night would have been seen as a natural progression after being married.
2. They were left alone together
After the couple is wed, the Friar leaves them alone together. Juliet says to Romeo: “Come, come with me, and we will make short work; For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone Till holy church incorporate two in one” (2.6.36-38). This indicates Juliet is eager to consummate their marriage and does not want Romeo to be alone that night.
3. Romeo’s sexually-charged lines the next morning
The next time we see Romeo, it is early the next morning after his wedding night. He is reluctant to leave Juliet and uses very sexually-charged language: “It is the lark that sings so out of tune, Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps. Some say the lark makes sweet division; This doth not so, for she divideth us. Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes; O, now I would they had chang’d voices too, Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray, Hunting thee hence with hunt’s-up to the day. O, now be gone; more light and light it grows” (3.5.27-35). This implies the couple has just spent an intimate night together.
4. Juliet’s anticipation of the consummation
Earlier in the play before they are married, Juliet anxiously anticipates her wedding night and losing her virginity to Romeo: “Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night; Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night…” (3.2.20-25). Juliet seems to greatly look forward to the consummation of her marriage.
Counter Evidence They Did Not Sleep Together
1. Juliet’s concern about moving too quickly
At one point, Juliet does chastise Romeo for moving too quickly in their relationship and wanting to swear their love before they’ve even met: “Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract to-night. It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden…” (2.2.116-118). This shows Juliet was cautious about rushing into intimacy with Romeo.
2. The couple was only alone briefly
After being married, Romeo and Juliet only spent a brief time alone before the Nurse arrived in the morning to fetch Juliet. This left them with only a few hours together that night, limiting their opportunity.
3. Shakespeare did not need to show the consummation
As an experienced playwright, Shakespeare did not need to directly show Romeo and Juliet in bed together to get his point across. He could rely on hints and implications that the couple had slept together after marrying. Showing it directly may have been seen as vulgar at the time.
4. Their youth and inexperience
As very young teenagers, it is possible Romeo and Juliet were too innocent, scared or unprepared to consummate their marriage fully. However, this is unlikely given Juliet’s earlier eagerness and anticipation of their wedding night.
Conclusion
While Shakespeare never definitively states that Romeo and Juliet have sex, there are many textual clues that strongly suggest the young couple consummated their secret marriage after being wed by Friar Lawrence. From their anticipation and eagerness leading up to the wedding night, to their verbal exchanges the morning after, the play hints that Romeo and Juliet engaged in sexual relations before their tragic end. However, some scholars argue that their youth, brief time alone, and other factors may have prevented the consummation. In the end, Shakespeare left it ambiguous enough that people can debate either side.
Historical Context of Marriage and Consummation
To better understand whether Romeo and Juliet may have slept together, it is helpful to examine the historical context around marriage and consummation during Shakespeare’s era:
Traditional Timeline of Marriage
- Betrothal – A binding contract to marry in the future, not legally binding but culturally expected
- Wedding Ceremony – The legal act of marriage, usually performed publicly in a church
- Bedding Ceremony – The bride is ceremonially put to bed on her wedding night to consummate
- Consummation – The newly wedded couple has sexual relations for the first time
Importance of Consummation
- Consummation was seen as essential to seal a marriage – it gave validity to the union and made it binding
- Not consummating a marriage could be grounds for an annulment
- Consummation merged the woman’s property rights to her husband and ensured inheritance rights for future children
- Society put pressure on couples to consummate quickly after marriage – often the first night
Standards of Chastity
- Women were expected to remain virgins until marriage
- Premarital sex was frowned upon, especially for women from respectable families like Juliet
- Despite this, premarital relations were not uncommon, especially among lower classes
Given these societal norms around marriage and consummation, it seems probable that Romeo and Juliet would have been eager to sleep together shortly after their clandestine marriage ceremony. As an upper class, aristocratic family, extra pressure would have been on Juliet to remain “pure” until her wedding night.
Visual Timeline of Romeo and Juliet’s Relationship
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet Meet at the Capulet Party | Sunday |
| Romeo and Juliet Profess Love on Juliet’s Balcony | Monday |
| Romeo and Juliet are Secretly Married | Tuesday |
| Romeo Spends Wedding Night with Juliet | Tuesday Night |
| Romeo Leaves Juliet’s Chamber | Early Wednesday Morning |
| Romeo is Banished from Verona after Killing Tybalt | Wednesday |
| Juliet Takes a Sleeping Potion to Avoid Marriage to Paris | Wednesday Night |
| Romeo and Juliet Commit Suicide | Thursday |
This timeline shows the very brief span of Romeo and Juliet’s romance. After immediately falling in love and marrying, they would have been eager to consummate their love on their only night together as husband and wife – the night of Tuesday after being secretly married that day. This lends further credence to the idea they slept together before Romeo’s banishment on Wednesday.
Literary Analysis of Bedroom Scene
The “bedroom scene” in Act 3 Scene 5 provides deep insight into whether the couple consummated their marriage, through careful analysis of the language and word choice:
Light and Dark Imagery
- Romeo refers to the light breaking as “envious streaks”
- He wants to remain in the darkness with Juliet
- Light is exposing their encounter, threatening to separate them
- Darkness is privacy, intimacy, and union
Transition from Night to Day
- Romeo notes the shift from night to dawn
- Their wedding night is ending, day is intruding
- This transition implies the passage of an entire night together
Heavenly and Religious Imagery
- Romeo compares Juliet to saints and “heaven”
- He says her eyes could replace the stars
- This hyperbolic language suggests a spiritual, almost divine experience between them
Through these stylistic choices, Shakespeare indirectly conveys that Romeo and Juliet spent a physically and spiritually intimate night together consummating their marriage before Romeo is forced to leave her chamber at dawn.
Character Analysis of Juliet’s Views on Intimacy
Juliet’s perspective on intimacy and consummation can provide insight into whether she would be willing to sleep with Romeo shortly after meeting him:
Pragmatic and Unromantic Views
- Juliet is willing to marry a man she just met because marriage is a pragmatic decision for women of her class
- She does not seem to need emotional connection to give herself to a husband
Rebellion Against Family Expectations
- Marrying Romeo is her passionate rebellion against the plans her parents made
- Consummating the marriage fully against her family’s wishes would complete her defiance
Eager to Experience Womanhood
- Juliet looks forward to experiencing intimacy and sexuality with Romeo
- She does not want to remain an innocent girl any longer
- Consummation represents her transition into an adult woman
Based on her pragmatism, rebelliousness, and eagerness regarding marriage, it seems in-character that Juliet would be determined to consummate her relationship with Romeo soon after their wedding.
Human Nature and Young Love
Beyond textual evidence, Romeo and Juliet’s actions can be analyzed through the lens of human nature and young love:
Impulsiveness of Teen Passion
- As young teenagers, Romeo and Juliet act very impulsively and passionately throughout the play
- Their hasty marriage demonstrates poor judgment and lack of impulse control
- It follows that they would also be impulsive about physical intimacy
Intensity of First Love
- Psychology shows that first loves feel extremely intense
- Romeo and Juliet are overwhelmed by new feelings neither has experienced before
- This passion and intensity make physical expression very likely
Desire for Adulthood
- Part of growing up is developing sexual and romantic maturity
- As young teenagers, Romeo and Juliet would be eager to explore sexuality
- Consummation represents a rite of passage into adulthood
Overall, Romeo and Juliet’s youth, first love, and coming of age make it understandable that they would get carried away physically once married. Their actions align with what is known about human nature.
Directing a Modern Production
If directing a modern production of Romeo and Juliet, the director would need to decide if the title characters should be portrayed as consummating their marriage. There are valid artistic arguments on both sides:
Arguments for Consummation
- It better captures the passion and intensity of young love
- Avoids censorship of sexuality, allows more freedom of expression
- Makes Romeo’s agony at leaving Juliet more poignant
- Juliet’s death becomes more tragic losing her first love
Arguments Against Consummation
- Leaves their love more pure and innocent
- Makes Romeo and Juliet seem like smarter, more cautious teenagers
- Creates ambiguity Shakespeare originally intended
- Gives a modern #MeToo perspective on consent and early intimacy
There are merits to both approaches. Ultimately the director would need to consider the overall vision and message of their production. An edgier interpretation could have Romeo and Juliet become intimate, while a more cautious take may leave it more open to interpretation.
Conclusion
In summary, while Shakespeare never explicitly states Romeo and Juliet consummate their secret marriage, an examination of the text, historical context, character motivations, human nature and production considerations gives many hints that a physical relationship occurs. However, arguments against consummation also have validity. Ambiguity allows for rich discussion about young love and sexuality. In the end, each reader or viewer must draw their own conclusions about this star-crossed pair’s intimate activities. The genius of Shakespeare’s writing is that this mystery will continue to be debated for centuries to come.