In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is thirteen when she meets Romeo.
Her age is stated directly by Lady Capulet, who says Juliet is not yet fourteen. The Nurse also recalls Juliet’s birth and confirms the same age. This makes Juliet unusually young by modern expectations, although early marriage was more familiar in the social world represented by the play.
Juliet’s age is sometimes misremembered as fourteen because the dialogue repeatedly discusses the approach of her fourteenth birthday. Shakespeare’s text makes clear that the birthday has not yet arrived when the story begins. Romeo’s age, by contrast, is not stated precisely.
Juliet’s youth also helps explain the pressure placed on her. Her parents initially treat marriage as something to consider rather than an immediate necessity, but the proposed match with Paris quickly becomes urgent after Tybalt’s death. Juliet’s secret marriage, resistance to her parents, and desperate plan all unfold within a few days.