How old is Romeo? There’s a simple question. Sure, we all know Juliet is 13, because the nurse immediately tells us. And often, I think we then make the leap and assume that Romeo is also 13.
But that’s hardly true. Would that imply that Mercutio, Tybalt, and Paris are also all about 13? Surely it was the case that men simply chose younger wives (Capulet is much older than his wife, is he not?), and actually, we can assume that Romeo and the others are in what, maybe in late teens or early 20s?
It wouldn’t be a good idea to point out that age difference these days, of course. I can just imagine Romeo & Juliet being closed down because it promotes pedophilia or something. But honestly, I’m cool with it (the age difference, not the pedophilia!) The more I read the play, the more I appreciate that Juliet is the most mature person in it. That she’s 13, surrounded by people a generation older than her, is quite impressive. I don’t need to make her older to justify anything, and I don’t need to make Romeo younger to balance it out.
Romeo can be older and still be rash and impetuous. Juliet can be young and be the smart one. It’s better than trying to imagine 13-year-old Tybalt saying, “I hate the word as I hate Hell….”
But How Old Is Romeo?
The short answer is that Romeo’s age is never mentioned in the play’s text. Romeo is old enough to be running around in the streets of Verona with his friends. His father, Lord Montague, doesn’t even know where he is. That’s all we get to work with.
Did You Know?
I learned something interesting while looking at the trivia for Baz Luhrmann’s movie. Natalie Portman auditioned for the role of Juliet. But because of her small frame, in her words, “Leonardo looked like he was molesting me.” The director said the same thing I said above, only backward — “Leonardo was 21, but could look 18 – and she made him look 21.” In other words, he looked too old, not that she looked too young. So that certainly backs up the idea that you have to cast R&J of roughly equivalent ages to avoid squicking out your audience.
Oh this is fun! Okay, I think Zeffirelli has it right in his 1968 film. We must remember, Juliet falls madly in love with Romeo on sight…how old can he be? He must be about her age. Tybalt refers to Romeo as "Thou wretched boy". Romeo is in his teens too. I would like to think his behavior would define his age, but alas, there are too many examples of such behavior in much older individuals…Billy the Kid, the OK corral, and, I believe the Hatfields and McCoys have a R&J story as well.
To the pediphilia discussion, don't be silly. Remember, her father is 'arranging' a respectable marriage for her. Clearly, she, at fourteen (her birthday being so close we can say that), is deemed of marriageable age…and thereby an adult.
"To the pediphilia discussion, don't be silly."
–Well of course.
Lady Capulet (to Juliet):
Well, thinke of marriage now: younger than you,
Here in Verona, Ladies of esteeme,
Are made already Mothers. By my count,
I was your Mother much upon these years
That you are now a Maide,
–When all else fails, look at the Text. "…Ladies of esteem,/Are already made Mothers…" "I was already YOUR mother before this age you are now"–DUH.
Of course, looking at the text *first* eliminates the need for lots of extraneous and ridiculous editorializing about pedophilia. Clearly, Romeo's age (and hence, moralizing about pedophilia issues) is not important to Shakespeare–AT ALL; obviously then, not important to his audience.
Our own sense of historical self-importance seems to precede us; particularly re: eras about which we can have absolutely no sense of experience.
Here's my contribution:
I think Shakespeare was right in leaving Romeo's age a blank, because it would be a little hypocritical to have all of that 'what's in a name' and then go and emphasise an age difference, but then he wouldn't them to have a very similar age either, because there was some intention of making Juliet seem as mature as possible, and having her younger, yet more abstractly thinking than everyone else was the best way of doing this. Also, it is not really our place to speculate, as (a) that is probably the opposite of what Shakespeare wanted, (b) we are not in Shakespearean times, and will always instinctively try to moderate the age so as to seem 'normal', by our standards anyway, though it might be very far off what people in his time would have imagined. If nothing else, there is the fact that he shows varying degrees of maturity, and as such is probably more of a concept, or a vessel for representation purposes in flesh and blood form, than a character with no other purpose than to exist and be part of the story.
Sorry if that didn't make much sense, but that is my perspective on things, and being just fourteen myself, I credit myself with thinking it is possible for a teenager to be that mature.
hey there, i am 18 years old, and my girl friend is 14 years and matured for age.
love does not have an age guys.
I feel like I love my girl like noone else can love a person.
she's my soulmate i cant live without her. i was 17 and she was 13 when we first saw each other, and it was love in one second view. we have always been refeerin our love to R&J..
There are so many obstacles and laws and bull shit.. that doesnt even seem right. We are all just bein manipulated by everyone arround us. so many people tellin us that our love is wrong.
i just say that people can say whatever they want i dont really care anymore, I just think its wrong when they are judging and havent ever been in same situation.
I've been reading R&J and it obvious that Juliett is a matured 13 years old.
How Romeo act reckless and his stupidity sounds like his beein at my age, 17-18.
i was done with my puberty when i was 15-16. but my facial hair havent growin for real yet.
Humans aint same, noone of us is, will never be.
and yerr sorry for my english grammar.. my only excuse is im from Norway.. and not a smart kid..
hey there, i am 18 years old, and my girl friend is 14 years and matured for age.
love does not have an age guys.
I feel like I love my girl like noone else can love a person.
she's my soulmate i cant live without her. i was 17 and she was 13 when we first saw each other, and it was love in one second view. we have always been refeerin our love to R&J..
There are so many obstacles and laws and bull shit.. that doesnt even seem right. We are all just bein manipulated by everyone arround us. so many people tellin us that our love is wrong.
i just say that people can say whatever they want i dont really care anymore, I just think its wrong when they are judging and havent ever been in same situation.
I've been reading R&J and it obvious that Juliett is a matured 13 years old.
How Romeo act reckless and his stupidity sounds like his beein at my age, 17-18.
i was done with my puberty when i was 15-16. but my facial hair havent growin for real yet.
Humans aint same, noone of us is, will never be.
and yerr sorry for my english grammar.. my only excuse is im from Norway.. and not a smart kid..
People have to remember that this was written during a time when a twelve year old girl could be married to a man twenty years her senior. If you completely ignore Juliet, and just study the way 'the boys' behave, it's pretty obvious that Romeo is not fifteen/sixteen. I know this play like the back of my hand (not to say that my opinion is law, just that it is an educated one made over many years of in-depth knowledge of the text) and I would peg Romeo at about eighteen or nineteen, Mercutio and Tybalt at around twenty two, and Paris at around twenty three or twenty four. It's not creepy, it's just the way things were back then.
It is clearly stated that juliet is 13, and I would think romeo would be between 17 and 20, because he was old enough to defend his fathers house bt young enough thay as the only son of a wealthy man was yet unmarried and had nt yet began to produce an heir
I wonder why there are so many comments questioning the age of Juliet, when her age is clearly specified in the play? Have those people not read R&J?
Regarding the age of Romeo, I'd guess he was somewhere between 16-18, first, because he was too young to have a beard and was still living with his family (so he was not yet considered a full adult), yet was old enough to duel, or at least willing to do so.
Finally, to all the stupid statements about pedophilia, I'd like to highlight that you cannot view a XVI-century play with today's eyes – pedophilia is a very modern concept, and at that time a 13-year old was of marriageable age.
From Wikipedia (on marriageable age): 'For example, Mary Hathaway (Virginia, 1689) was only 9 when she was married to William Williams. Sir Edward Coke (England, 17th century) made it clear that "the marriage of girls under 12 was normal, and the age at which a girl who was a wife was eligible for a dower from her husband's estate was 9 even though her husband be only four years old." '
It is stupid to try to impose modern assumptions on societies of 4 centuries ago. In any case, just for information about modern marriage laws (in the US!):
– Minnesota: Applicants under the age of 15 needs the written consent of a parent or guardian and the consent of a juvenile court judge.
– Missouri: A person under age 15 cannot marry without approval of a judge in the county where the marriage license is sought.
– New Hampshire: A female between the age of 13 and 17 years and a male between the age of 14 and 17 years can be married only with the permission of their parent (guardian) and a waiver.
– South Carolina: The minimum age for a female is 15 (13 if she is pregnant , has a physician's statement verifying same, and the consent of her parents) and it is 16 for a male.
– New York: If either applicant is 14 or 15 years of age, such applicant(s) must present the written consent of both parents and a justice of the Supreme Court or a judge of the Family Court having jurisdiction over the town or city in which the application is made.
Does this mean that the US has laws that promote pedophilia? I think not…
Shakespeare (16th century) based his play on a poem by Arthur Brooke called The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet and on the story of Rhomeo and Julietta by William Painter’s. Juliet is 16 years old and Romeo is 20. Since Shakespeare lowered Juliet’s age by 3 years, it is safe to assume that his Romeo is also 3 years younger especially since he even writes that Romeo never had a beard yet; so, that means he is probably 17.
Pedophilia, a man having sex with a female under menarche (12-13 years old) is NOT a modern concept!!! Pedophilia was forbidden even by pagans in ancient Rome! Also, Christ called a 12 year old female a pais (little girl) and NOT a parthenos (virgin aka adult female who has not had sexual relations with a man) such as Virgin Mary the Blessed, Roman vestal virgins (who took 30 year vows to be priestesses of the goddess Vesta in ancient Rome) and Roman Catholic nuns (who took lifelong vows).
{{{1 Corinthians 7:36 (King James Bible, 1611) “But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.” Pulpit Commentary Verse 36. – Uncomely. If any father thinks, by keeping his virgin daughter unmarried, he is acting in a way which may cause sin or scandal, then let him permit her to marry her suitor. The word “uncomeliness” is terribly illustrated in Romans 1:27. (For “comely,” see 1 Corinthians 7:35; 1 Corinthians 12:24.) His virgin. Obviously a daughter or ward. Pass the flower of her age. If she be more than twenty years old, which the ancients regarded as the acme of the woman’s life. And need so require. If there be some moral obligation or necessity in the case. Let them marry. The “them” means the virgin and her unmarried lover.}}} Plato is clear hyperakmos (past the flower of her age) is 20 years old and the Old Testament of the Bible also has 20 years old for adulthood. Though, in the medieval Roman Empire it was interpreted as 12-14 years old or 15-17 years old.
Age of majority used to be 21 years old and age of general marriage used to be 21 years; not 18 years old like it is today (it was lowered in 20th century C.E.). Males 21 years old and older RARELY married females as young as 12-14 years old (influenced by ancient Rome). Males 21 years old and older USUALLY did not marry females under 15-17 years, as that is when females complete puberty; hence, Sweet Sixteen (comes from the 2nd century C.E. Protoevangalium of James, which states that Virgin Mary was 16 years old when she became pregnant) and Quinceañera (comes from Iberian Peninsula, France, and Russia). Minimum age for marriage was 12 years old for females and 14 years old for males and betrothal could not take place before 7 years old for both males and females (comes from ancient Rome and existed in England in the 13th century C.E. and also existed in Colonial America). There is nothing wrong in adolescent females (12-20 years old) and adolescent males (14-20 years old) or teenagers (13-19 years old) getting married to each other. In at least 9 states in USA it is illegal for a male over 21 to marry a female under 18 years old.
By the way, anyone can edit Wikipedia. There is plenty nonsense on there. Do NOT believe everything you read on there. Especially, when there are pedophilia activists and advocates around more than ever in the 21 century in the West. Also, it’s clearly not a male over 21 years old marrying a 9 year old in 17th century Colonial America but a 4 year old (which could be a mistake for 14 year old getting betrothed to a 9 year old). Also, the female being under 12 years old and the male being under 14 years old was illegal. Furthermore, it was illegal for females under 12 years old to consent to sex. A marriage was considered valid only if the couple had sex. Also, a male having sex with a female under 12 years old was considered rape (a law existed in England since 13th century C.E.) and a more severe law was made in 16th century C.E. for males having sex with a female under 10 years old. So, a marriage to a 9 year old in the 17th century C.E. is absurd, especially when the male was supposedly 4 years old.
Who cares how old they are? They were in love, that was "shakie's" point!. You can't put a boundary on love. I have found my soulmate but due to laws must wait a few years. Love is limitless. Look at most of you're parents.. The ages of parents range from a few years to atleast 10! Just because Romeo and Juliet found themselves during their teenage years doesnt mean we should put a damper on their situation. It's all about LOVE!
I think talking about pedophilia would be a little off! Bear in mind that Shakespeare wrote this at a time when 13 was the normal age to be looking for a suitor, who would be much older than Romeo was (i.e. Paris). It is said directly in the play that Juliet is to be fourteen so we know for sure she is 13, and I would say that Romeo is meant to be maybe 16-18, not older as I think his youth stresses the lovers naivety in the whole situation. It is not a true love story in my eyes, but more a story of the dangers of a rash and naive infatuation.
the concern people are having is that by today's standards we are allowing the government to tell us what is and isn't morally right…It was not uncommon for a girl 13 to marry a 20 year old in that era…but today we are told this is sick behavior…castrate the guy…the thing is both people still have the same attractions but we are told it is perverted now….so I guess God was perverted when he thought it okay to have MARY pregnant at 12….NO NO NO …..Mankinds views has told us to think it is wrong but nature has it that any other animal has sex when they are of physical age to do so…..bible says if we pass the flowering age(puberty) to marry rather than burn….so better to marry at 12-13 then to sin….but society calls this sick who is right? God(bible) or man?
Pedophilia, a man having sex with a female under menarche (12-13 years old), is wrong and evil. Pedophilia was forbidden even by pagans in ancient Rome! Also, Christ called a 12 year old female a pais (little girl) and NOT a parthenos (virgin aka adult female who has not had sexual relations with a man) such as Virgin Mary the Blessed, Roman vestal virgins (who took 30 year vows to be priestesses of the goddess Vesta in ancient Rome) and Roman Catholic nuns (who took lifelong vows).
{{{1 Corinthians 7:36 (King James Bible, 1611) “But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.” Pulpit Commentary Verse 36. – Uncomely. If any father thinks, by keeping his virgin daughter unmarried, he is acting in a way which may cause sin or scandal, then let him permit her to marry her suitor. The word “uncomeliness” is terribly illustrated in Romans 1:27. (For “comely,” see 1 Corinthians 7:35; 1 Corinthians 12:24.) His virgin. Obviously a daughter or ward. Pass the flower of her age. If she be more than twenty years old, which the ancients regarded as the acme of the woman’s life. And need so require. If there be some moral obligation or necessity in the case. Let them marry. The “them” means the virgin and her unmarried lover.}}} Plato is clear hyperakmos (past the flower of her age) is 20 years old and the Old Testament of the Bible also has 20 years old for adulthood. Though, in the medieval Roman Empire it was interpreted as 12-14 years old or 15-17 years old.
Age of majority used to be 21 years old and age of general marriage used to be 21 years; not 18 years old like it is today (it was lowered in 20th century C.E.). Males 21 years old and older RARELY married females as young as 12-14 years old (influenced by ancient Rome). Males 21 years old and older USUALLY did not marry females under 15-17 years, as that is when females complete puberty; hence, Sweet Sixteen (comes from the 2nd century C.E. Protoevangalium of James, which states that Virgin Mary was 16 years old when she became pregnant) and Quinceañera (comes from Iberian Peninsula, France, and Russia). Minimum age for marriage was 12 years old for females and 14 years old for males and betrothal could not take place before 7 years old for both males and females (comes from ancient Rome and existed in England in the 13th century C.E. and also existed in Colonial America). There is nothing wrong in adolescent females (12-20 years old) and adolescent males (14-20 years old) or teenagers (13-19 years old) getting married to each other. In at least 9 states in USA it is illegal for a male over 21 to marry a female under 18 years old.
Im not convinced that R+J was written by Shakespeare and not Christopher Marlowe.
There are distinct differences in the writing style and syntax used in R+J and Shakespeare's other plays, as well as a distinct move away from his normal writing idiom, which had tended to be historically or classically based (as was the case with julius caeser, richard the 3rd, macbeth, troilus and cressida et al) which all had some historical basis to the original plot, whereas, R+J seems to be based on other contemporary original stories.
There are subtle clues to Romeo's age in the text, but nothing absolute, so it again, is down to reading the clues and interpreting it for yourself.
Whether this was by design, or the writer (whether it be Shakespeare or Marlowe) edited the scene where it was mentioned or made clear is again, open to interpretation, and probably will never be known.
Anyway, just thought i would throw that out there for your consideration, it doesnt change the play one little bit whoever it is attributed to, it is still a literary classic, and it is a clasic for a reason.
I'd just like to contribute here. From the behaviours both in the play and films based on the play I believe that Romeo is around 16/17. I would elaborate but I do not have any reasoning for this!
Thanks
Iona, 19.
I've always imagined Romeo to be in his early to mid-twenties, for several reasons. Shakespeare references the ideas of arranged marriages and marriages at young ages several times throughout the play, obviously. When such traditions were common, it was unusual in certain areas for a girl's father to just be planning her marriage at thirteen years of age- some arranged marriages were made and agreed upon before the girl had reached her first birthday. When arranged marriages were prevalent, girls were often married when they were around 13 to 14 years of age- i.e. Juliet's mother stating that "younger than you [Juliet]…ladies of esteem are already made mothers. By my count, I was your mother much upon these years that you are now a maid".
We know that, prior to meeting Juliet, Romeo was in love with the lady Rosaline who has "sworn that she will still live chaste". The fact that Rosaline is able to make such a decision implies that she is older than Juliet, for her father could otherwise force a marriage on her. By approximately sixteen, marriage proposals for the young maids were already decreasing, and they often dropped away completely- or nearly so- by roughly eighteen, for it was considered by that age that the girl (young woman, by that age) was too old to just begin bearing children; her child bearing years were considered already past her. This would imply Rosaline to be somewhere within this sixteen to eighteen year age bracket, if not a few years past, because she is able to make her own choice in preserving her virtue rather than being married off by her father with or without her consent.
Arranged marriages were made without regard to difference in age; they were matches of power and wealth, designed to benefit the bride's family by marrying her to the most important groom possible while still satisfying the groom with the bride herself. If Rosaline has the power to decide her marriage fate for herself, she either has an extremely overindulgent father or has already passed the prime age of marriage unwed for some reason or another. Assuming that Rosaline is about 17-18 years old (the upper extreme of marriageable age), Romeo must presumably be at least the same. However, men were rarely the same age as the women they sought for their brides. The prime age of marriage for men often began somewhere between sixteen to twenty years of age and never quite ended after that- prime age for a man after that was simply factored into the state of being alive and able to sire children. Love rarely entered into the equation even for the males- it was a matter of benefit and desire (desire being lust as opposed to love). Most men were married to their first wife- who was not, necessarily, their only wife- somewhere in their early to mid twenties; young enough to sire children, but young enough also to perhaps bring some measure of new wealth to the family coffers and, perhaps, a measure of comfort to their bride in knowing that her groom was not a man thirty years her senior (which did happen on numerous occasions throughout history).
Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, but based off what I've stated above- that information being just about the extent of my knowledge on the subject of arranged marriages and marriage of girls at young ages- I rather pictured Romeo to be somewhere between 20 to perhaps 24 years of age. I could be completely wrong; I make no claim that I am right. Simply another viewpoint to picture things from, I suppose.
Are you compare two periodes with a different state of mind, we can't use only the scientists way to understand the difference between the age, and we can't compare a 14 young girl from now and one from the past, same for a men from 30/40… This is ridiculous, we have to be open-minded on the past state of mind that's all. Many people want just appropriate this storie and place it nowadays, but I'm sorry there's a huge difference in wisdom of people from the past and us. Look just around you with the new generation and try to add 100 or 200 years to this… It's complicate for us to imagine and we preferre to say that's a pedophilia act, that's the easy way to think ! Wise people don't think like this , they took all the aspect as the period all the evidences because we cannot just refer to our period and give an answer.
Regarding the age difference between Romeo and Juliet. Some here refer to such a difference in age as pedophilia, and others that it is ok, then being accused of being a pedophile. Shamefully as is usual in this day in age, where so many people think of themselves as highly sophisticated intellects, such people seem to see situations through the prism of what THEY consider appropriate in today's age, within their own worlds, without giving consideration what was thought to be appropriate during a previous age, and different world, such as during the time of Romeo, and Juliet. Even today, there are societies that give up a young lady, such as the age of Juliet, in marriage to a man much older than she. Whether one, in all of their social sophistication, considers it to be appropriate or not, is purely irrelevant, and their views possibly being found just as ridiculous in such societies…
My feelings on this unless you have ever been in a situation like this to judge it is wrong in the first place though yes I agree it is wrong though but I have been in the situation myself many of times and it for me at least was no different than what was happening at home from all of my family practically except for one of them my cousin/brother from my abusive adoptive family members before I had ran away from home at age 13 myself and yes I was a little younger in my relationships with my adult girlfriend from PA and since then I've been far away from my abusive adoptive family members though and yes I have new adoptive parents that don't abuse me at all so my life now is slightly better at age 15 and yes on the streets at age 14 years old I got pregnant with triplets myself but ik my daughter's will never experience what I been through by me at least but hopefully by no one else either and their names are ava,nuan and snevaeh Madden and I'm Samantha Madden BTW and currently I'm 15 years old myself in LA California to and since the cops here don't really give a flying crap about victims of rape it seems like to me though and not like many crimes here in LA California ever have anything done about the crime and unless you live here in LA California don't act like you know what actually happens here in LA California centered around crimes not having any justice in LA California at all
Sincerely
Samantha madden
Maybe Juliet was 13 because she was going to be portrayed by a relatively young boy onstage