Long before the women's rights revolutions of the early 1900s, women in Verona, Italy, were constrained by intense social bonds. Expected to be polite and submissive, girls were married off at the age of thirteen and gave birth to children shortly thereafter. In Juliet's soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Juliet awaits her first night with Romeo as her bride. Her parents are unaware of this approach, because Juliette hid it for fear of their disapproval. While Juliet followed social law in previous acts by showing modesty and hesitation during her meeting with Romeo a day earlier, she now frees herself but is buried in misconceptions. The personification and symbolism of the night, in addition to the words describing it in Juliet's soliloquy, suggest alternative views on women's rights. Juliet's personification of the night identifying the secret of darkness as a positive quality is also Juliet defending her own secret. Literally, darkness makes Romeo and Juliet's love possible by hiding it from their parents. Juliet asks at the beginning of the soliloquy: “spread out your narrow curtain, night of love, / So that the eyes of the fugitives may blink” (3.2.4-5). The darkness of the night hides the love of Romeo and Juliet, just as a curtain blocks the view of a room from onlookers. If anyone had seen it, Juliet's reputation would have suffered greatly, as would her relationship with Romeo. Later, Juliet asks the night: “Cap my unmanned blood; my cheeks hurt” (3.2.13). Not only is Juliet grateful that the night allows her to meet Romeo in secret, but she is also grateful that the night hides her affection for him. The women of Verona were expected to be polite and moderate, but Juliet's affection for...... middle of paper ......mage religious and sexual purity for Romeo's sake. As Juliet welcomes the darkness of night, she comes to accept the religious and social consequences of her actions. It is Shakespeare who comments on how insignificant and harmful the social norms imposed on the women of Verona were. Truth be told, Juliette was probably never told what a healthy relationship was because love and sex were not something that was talked about, which led to her untimely death. Many of these restrictions remain today, even though women are allowed to vote, work, and hold positions of political power. Sex is not something girls are frequently taught about by their parents, only in health classes. The media defines love as the sacrifice of oneself, even one's life, for the well-being of others. In reality, no true love will ask someone to sacrifice any part of themselves, only to care unconditionally..