He shall not make me there a joyful bride.
I wonder at this haste; that I must wed
Ere he, that should be husband, comes to woo.
I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam,
I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I swear,
It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,
Rather than Paris.
– William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 5. Juliet reveals her love for Romeo in this speech to Lady Capulet. She says that she will not marry Paris and would rather marry Romeo, the man from the hated Montague family who killed her cousin. She is being ironic when she tells her mother that Romeo is the man "whom you know I hate," since she strongly does not hate Romeo and has secretly married him. Juliet’s mother thinks what she is saying is that she so dislikes her parents’ plan for her to marry Paris she would rather marry Romeo. Lady Capulet is not aware that she has actually married him. The double meaning in Juliet’s words emphasizes the theme of appearance vs reality, a theme found throughout the play.