'Romeo and Juliet': exploring the perception of sin and societal expectations

By taking their own lives, Romeo and Juliet are committing a religious sin. Arguably, Juliet perceives the sin of bigamy as a greater sin than taking her own life. Through this, we might suggest that Shakespeare has positioned Romeo and Juliet’s marriage as religiously sanctified. Alternatively, we could say that Juliet’s perception of sin has been influenced by societal expectations of women. Arguably, both interpretations link the perception of sin to societal expectations.