"Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die." (5.3.169-170)
When Juliet sees Romeo newly dead beside her, she feels immense melancholy and decides to commit suicide. She tries to kill herself with poison, but after finding out that Romeo has ingested all the poison, she stabs herself with Romeo's dagger. Poison is considered a feminine way to kill oneself while knifing is considered masculine.
The shift in Juliet's personality throughout the story, from a quiet, undecisive young girl to a fierce young lady who could make her own choices, manifests her defiance to traditional feminine stereotypes. These stereotypes often shape how individuals perceive appropriate behaviors for men and women, and causes tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet's stories. The Capulet family is also unhappy as Lord Capulet practices domestic violence and the victim Lady Capulet is forced to endure it. In the Elizabethean era, females are expected to be obedient to their parents especially in the choice of marriage and stay loyal to their husbands. Juliet’s actions, driven by the suppression under these expectations, reveals the negative effects of stereotypes romantic and family relationships.