‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a play which combines both love and hatred. It is split into scenes of dramatic violence and scenes of romance. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ shows the hatred of enemies and the havoc love can cause. Romance and tragedy is the main themes of the play. Romeo and Juliet are in love with each other however there is a considerable feud between their families. Romeo comes from the Montague family and Juliet is from the Capulet family.
Firstly, in the play Capulet is very affectionate towards his daughter, Juliet. After Juliet says she cannot marry Paris, he is distraught and threatens to throw her out of the Capulet household. Her father is infuriated and starts to insult her. He calls her a “young baggage, disobedient wretch!”, “green sickness carrion”, “tallow-face”. He says to Juliet that if she does not go to church to be married, he tells her not to look at him in the face. He threatens that he’ll sling her out onto the streets, where she will beg and starve. “And you be not, hang, beg and starve, die in the streets.”
We first see Lord Capulet in Act one Scene one, when he discovers that a furious riot develops. He wants to fight with the Montague’s which shows us that his character is kind hearted from the outside but greedy and violent from the inside.
We see in the beginning of the play, Act one Scene two, where Lord Capulet is talking to Paris. Capulet says he will agree if Juliet consents. “My will to her consent is but a part; and she agreed, within her scope of her choice, lies my consent and fair according voice.” Fathers of that time expected their daughters to agree to whatever their parents asked and were very vulnerable.
The attitude we get towards his daughter is as if Juliet is a toy doll waiting to be tagged along and says that she is new to the world. “My child is yet a stranger to the world.” It seems here that he is a concerned and caring father as he doesn’t want to damage her. Capulet’s attitude towards Paris is understanding and calm. Capulet says he wants Paris as a son-in-law although Juliet is still young: “a stranger in the world.” However, he says if Juliet agrees to the marriage of Paris, he will agree as well.
When we first meet Juliet, she is with the nurse. Juliet’s attitude towards her mother is very polite and formal: she calls her “Madam” not mother. Lady Capulet tells Juliet about marriage and Juliet listens without interrupting. Juliet seems to be an obedient and sedate character. We learn from the feast that Capulet is cool and collected as we see him react generously and as a spirited person to the appearance of Romeo
Tybalt appeared to be exceptionally angry with Romeo’s appearance as he calls Romeo a villain. However, Capulet compliments Romeo instead of arguing: “And to say truth, Verona brags of him, to be virtuous and well governed youth.” Was Capulet saying this because he did not want to displease the guests or was it coming from Capulet’s kind heartedness?
Lord Capulet arranges for Juliet to marry Paris without asking Juliet as he said he did not have time to talk to her due to the death of Tybalt. This is where Capulet starts to think about himself: unsympathetic father – more than thinking what his daughter will feel.
Capulet thinks that Juliet is upset because of Tybalt’s death. He is unaware that Juliet is crying because her husband Romeo has fled Verona and is banished to Mantua. He expected Juliet to agree to the wedding arrangements as fathers of that period expected their daughters to be obedient. Lord Capulet is astounded and shocked when Juliet refuses to marry Paris. His violent behaviour and enraged attitude shows absolutely opposite behaviour compared to the appearance of Romeo at the feast. I think he behaves in this way as he may think the families’ reputation may go downhill because of Juliet. He may also act like this because he may be thinking of all the arrangements the Capulets have done for Juliet. Lady Capulet refuses to help her daughter as she says that she has had enough of Juliet. “Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” This shows that the bonding between Juliet and her mother is unconvincing. Lady Capulet is mainly on the side of her husband and she has shown no sympathy towards her daughter and not offered much support. Therefore, she may only care about the wealth and reputation of Paris.
Juliet can’t tell her parents about her marriage with Romeo as it will ruin the family resulting in more havoc between the Capulet’s and Montague’s. The desperate solution that the Friar suggests is for Juliet to take a special remedy that she will take the day before her wedding. The remedy will make Juliet appear as if she is dead. She will then be placed in Capulet’s vault where Romeo will be. “That cop’st with death himself to scape from it; And if thou dar’st, I’ll give thee remedy.” “Small Romeo he my letters know our drift. And hither shall he come, and he and I, will watch thy waking.”
Juliet’s reaction is as if she does not care and would be willing to risk her life and is willing to risk her life for her love. “Give me, give me! O tell me not of fear.” At this point, her behaviour shows that she has had enough of her parents as she has had enough of her parents thinking about themselves rather than thinking of themselves rather than thinking how she feels: marrying her to someone she doesn’t even know! She is amenable to do anything to get her true love.
After Juliet informs her father that she is willing to marry Paris, her father is ecstatic. He quickly comments on the wedding, “I’ll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning.” After so much happiness, he decides to change the wedding day to Wednesday instead of Thursday. This shows that he wants the wedding to ‘knit up’ as quickly as possible so that Juliet doesn’t change her mind and there are no other problems in preventing the marriage. His behaviour changes rapidly, which shows that he expects his daughter to be obedient towards him and that he is loving when she agrees with him.
When Juliet is found dead, he says that it is the worst day. He starts describing the pale face and later mourns for her. This shows that he could have been concerned and caring father but he wanted the best for his daughter by marrying her to Paris, a family he trusts.
I do not agree with the statement that Capulet is a concerned and caring father: wouldn’t he have asked his daughter how she felt towards the marriage rather than forcing her to marry someone she did not know?
Capulet did not want his daughter to marry at an early age so that she is not damaged. “My child is yet a stranger to the world”. He also will ask Juliet for her acquiescence instead of ignoring her and then forcing her into marriage. “My will to her consent is but apart, and she agreed, within her scope of choice.” The evidence against his view is that after finding out Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris, Capulet threatens to throw her out of the Capulet household. Mocking her hurt Juliet severely. “Tallow face,” “Green sickness carrion!” Obviously he doesn’t seem as caring and concerned a father as he can’t feel how his daughter is reacting and look at it from her point of her view.
The plays context helps us understand the traditions of the times including arranged marriages and fathers expectations of daughters. The plot of the play helps us understand Capulet’s attitude and behaviour changes. Furthermore, it shows how he has his mood changes when things go his way: when Juliet agrees to marry Paris he is ecstatic moments after mocking her.
Capulet is confronted with refusals which displease him. He now feels he has spoiled her and made her proud. Capulet does have a right to be disappointed with Juliet as he is her father but also after all the financial and security support he has given his daughter. On the other hand, he does not have a right to force Juliet into marriage. Threatening Juliet: “I will drag thee on a hurdle thither” – would not change anything but discussing the matter would. Is threatening what a caring and concerned father would say or would he gently ask what is wrong and work something out together more willingly than thinking about the family reputation and wealth?
He is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. This is because if he talked to Juliet and began to understand her feelings, then he could have put her out of her misery by negotiating with Romeo’s parents.
Lord Capulet’s attitude reflects the attitudes of parents generally at the time because parents would have been authoritarian towards their children at that time. They would have expected their children to be obedient and well mannered. Capulet’s personality causes him to behave violently as he wants to be more successful than the Montague’s.
Shakespeare wrote the play to settle feuds between families at the time and give a strong message that life is not about wealth and greediness but about bonding and friendship. There is a message in the story for parents of today that forcing children into marriage and not communicating or considering the feelings of the child could have deadly consequences.
Lord Capulet’s attitude towards his daughter is appalling. He has neither interest in nor understanding of how a father should treat and comfort his daughter. He may have mourned for her but he never got to see her true feelings. He treated her as if she was a toy: he played and used her when she was needed; took out his anger on her whenever and whatever the situation. He should have talked to his daughter more rather than planning weddings. He got to know the groom before he got to understand his daughter’s feelings.
