Explore the different attitudes to love and marriage presented in the play, considering the relationship between Juliet, the Nurse and the Capulets

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Helen McGuire

Explore the different attitudes to love and marriage presented in the play, considering the relationship between Juliet, the Nurse and the Capulets.

In “Romeo and Juliet”, the characters of Juliet, the Nurse and the Capulets have different attitudes to love and marriage. The relationship between the characters reflects their attitudes for marriage. The Capulet’s have a distant relationship with their daughter Juliet, as was common in Shakespearean times. Juliet is much closer to the Nurse who knew her from birth and she is Juliet’s only friend. The relationship between Lord and Lady Capulet is also strained as their views are commonly opposite. Despite the fact that Juliet was not close to her father, she was expected to obey and be dictated by him and her husband, once she was married. This was because women had no authority or power in society. The daughters were expected to look after their father in old age and produce children for their husbands. Many mothers, Lady Capulet being one, encouraged their daughters not to marry for love but for money and status. At the beginning of the play, Juliet has no thoughts of love but she doesn’t have any choice in who she marries. She was expected to marry who her parent’s told her to marry.

In Act 1 Scene 2, Paris asks Capulet if he can marry Juliet. County Paris is related to Prince Escales and this would be an excellent match for Juliet but Capulet turns Paris’ offer down. He says that Juliet is too young, she is “yet a stranger in this world”. Capulet uses nature to tell Paris that Juliet is too young. Capulet says,

“Let two summers wither their pride,

Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.”

The word “wither” gives an impression of age as older people seem to wither as do flowers. This contrasts with “ripe” which gives the impression that in two summers time Juliet will mature and be ready for marriage.

Capulet’s attitude towards Juliet in this scene is more fatherly that he is later in the play. He thinks that Juliet is too young and if she gets married she will be spoilt. He says “…too soon marr’d are those too early made.” Juliet is his only daughter , the rest of his children are dead and buried so he doesn’t want to let go of her until she is ready and when she does marry, he want her to marry someone worthwhile. He says,

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“And she agreed, within her scope of choice

Lies my consent and fair according voice.”

He tells Paris that he will accept whoever she chooses so he trusts his daughter’s judgment.

The audience had not met Juliet yet but the audience does get a good impression of her. We know she is young as Capulet thinks so but, as Paris points out, “younger than she are happy mothers made”. Capulet talks about the party he is holding and he tells Paris about the “earth-treading stars” that would be there. He then goes on to say that

“Which ...

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