Why didn't romeo and Juliet elope when she found out she was expected to marry Paris?

Answer 1

Juliet knew she was being set up to marry Paris before she met Romeo. Well, at least she knew that Paris was interested in her in Act 1: "The noble county Paris seeks your love." At that point Juliet was indifferent to everyone. She was prepared to entertain the possibility that she might love Paris: "I'll look to love, if looking liking move."

The real question is: when Capulet says "But, an you will not wed . . . graze where you will, you shall not house with me." in Act 3 scene 5, why doesn't Juliet say, "Sure, pops, I'm off to Mantua."? When he threatens to throw her out of the house, why doesn't she go and join her husband? Most modern girls would. Most Shakespearean girls would. (Hermia in Midsummer Night's Dream does just that) So why doesn't Juliet? The fact is that Juliet, although she is emotionally mature in many ways for a 14-year old, has no idea about the way the world works. She has been cloistered in her house her whole life, and the only part of the world she understands outside of the house is the church where she goes to Mass and confession and to see people buried. She can face the possibility of waking up in a tomb full of rotting bodies--it's scary, but she knows what to expect, because she has seen it. But Mantua? It might as well be the moon. The unknown is much scarier than decaying corpses.