At Friar Laurence’s abode Paris is asking the good Friar to perform the wedding ceremony between himself and Juliet on the coming Thursday (which is only two days away). The Friar, of course, knows that Juliet is already married to Romeo; so, he attempts to dissuade Paris from rushing into the marriage. Since Juliet has not even consented to the arrangement, Friar Laurence tells Paris, “Uneven is the course” (5). He is speaking metaphorically. An uneven or unsmooth road is more difficult to travel upon. Thus, the Friar is telling Paris to smooth matters out, to plan further, and to take more time so that the wedding and the married life to follow will run smoothly. Of course, the Friar’s hidden intent is to delay the wedding as long as possible so that Juliet can find a way to avoid it altogether. Paris, though, like any young man, is anxious to get married and be with Juliet right away; so, he does not disagree with Juliet’s father who believes that Juliet’s grief over Tybalt’s death will disappear once she has married him
(Paris).
Before Friar Laurence can speak further on the matter, Juliet herself arrives to ask the Friar for advice. Juliet, after all, no longer trusts her own Nurse; and she has no one else to turn to. When Paris sees Juliet, he hopes that she is coming to the Friar in preparation for their wedding ceremony (which, in the Catholic Church, is a religious ceremony). Paris says to Juliet …
PARIS: Do not deny to him that you love me.
JULIET: I will confess to you that I love him.
(24-25)
Juliet clearly does not love Paris, but she does not wish to reveal herself to him or to her own father. So, she speaks ambiguously to Paris. Here, the pronoun him is ambiguous. Paris is referring to Friar Laurence, but Juliet is clearly thinking about Romeo. Juliet purposely avoids speaking directly because she knows that Paris will interpret the lines in a manner that he wishes or hopes to be true. Paris will simply think that Juliet confusedly switched pronouns.
Paris notices that Juliet’s face is saddened because she has been crying extensively. Paris, who believes that the tears are for Tybalt, hopes that her sadness will end with thoughts of marriage. So, he tells her, “Thy face is much abused with tears” (29). Juliet modestly responds by saying that her face was not that attractive even before the onslaught of tears. Paris, though, believes that Juliet is beautiful; and he attempts to complement her:
PARIS: Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it.
JULIET: It may be so, for it is not mine own. (35-36)
Paris, trying to be a gentleman, says that calling Juliet’s face “bad” or unattractive is slander or a lie; and since Juliet is promised (by her father) to become his wife, the face and the entire woman belong to him. Juliet’s response is doubly ambiguous. Although Paris will again assume that Juliet is agreeing with him that her face belongs to him, Juliet really means (1) that her face belongs to Romeo, who is her true husband, and (2) that she is hiding her true face – her true feelings and thoughts – to Paris through her ambiguity.
Paris still has no idea what Juliet is truly thinking or feeling, and he leaves her when she suggests that she is going to ask Friar Laurence to hear her confession.