In the last scene of the play Lord Montague and Lord Capulet make friends, because of the events in the play and finally their children dying, has bought them together and ended their feud. “Capulet O brother Montague, give me thy hand.” Montague then offers to build a statue of Juliet. “For I will raise her a statue in pure gold,
That whiles Verona by that name is known,
There shall no figure at such rate be set
As that of true and faithful Juliet.”
Friar Lawrence is like a second father to Romeo, friar Lawrence uses phrases like “Young son” and “That’s my good son”. Friar Lawrence looks after Romeo’s spiritual life, Romeo also goes to Friar Lawrence to confess his sins to. Romeo confides in him and tells him things that he doesn’t tell his parents. When Romeo tells him that he was out all night he says
“Wast thou with Rosaline?
Romeo With Rosaline, my ghostly father? No.”
The friar asks if he was with Rosaline which shows that Romeo has told him about her, but then Romeo goes on to say no, as if he has forgotten all about her.
“Romeo Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set
On the fair daughter of rich Capulet.”
When Romeo goes on to tell Friar about Juliet, Just the fact that Romeo is telling him proves that he trusts him even more than his friends and cousin.
After the wedding in Act 2 scene 6 and Romeo kills Tybalt, he goes to the Friar for security. “A gentler judgement vanished from his lips:
Not body’s death, but body’s banishment.”
The Friar looks after Romeo and tells him what punishment he is going to have, and makes sure he is ok.
The Nurse and Friar then go on to help Romeo to get to Juliet so they can spend their wedding night together.
However in Act 2 scene 3 Friar Lawrence has his own reason for wanting to marry Romeo and Juliet each other. “Friar In one respect I’ll thy assistant be. For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households rancour to pure love”. When the Friar says this it shows that he thinks the marriage might end the feud between the two households, he thinks if he assists the marriage maybe he will be known as the one which bought the households together. He also sees it as a chance to bring peace to the city, for everyone who he is the spiritual father for.
Therefore unlike a natural parent he has concerns for other people, not just Romeo, he cares for the whole city, The Montagues and the Capulets.
This paragraph begins the section of this coursework on the relationship between Juliet and her parents Lord and Lady Capulet. The first time we see Lord Capulet is when he is talking to Paris about whether or not he wants him to marry his daughter Juliet. “My child is yet a stranger in the world, She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.” This shows that Lord Capulet cares for Juliet, he doesn’t want her to rush into marriage, and he is reluctant to let her, even though it was the tradition in those times, Capulet says she is too young. And he also says that she is too young physically to be having babies. “Capulet Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride” Capulet thinks that maybe Juliet will be ready to be wed in 2 years time. “But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart” Although he thinks that she should have some choice in who she marries, which shows that he wants her to be happy in her future.
This talk shows that generally he is a loving, caring and protective parent. “She’s the hopeful lady of my earth”
In Act 1 scene 3 Lady Capulet goes to talk to Juliet about the idea of an arranged marriage. “I came to talk of, Tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands you dispositions to be married?” However Juliet’s servant, the nurse continually interrupts the conversation with memories of when Juliet was younger and how she is the one that has been there and done everything for her all of her life. “Though wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed” This shows us that it is the nurse that who has really brought Juliet up and been the mother figure.
Juliet’s mother has often been away with lord Capulet on business and Juliet identifies more readily with the nurse. “Juliet It is an honour that I dream not of.” Shows that she has never spoken before of marriage with the nurse or anyone else, the nurse has treated her more her age, which her mother cannot even remember. “Lady Capulet she’s not fourteen”.
There is real affection between Juliet and the nurse, which there is not between her and her mother, “Madam, I am here what is your will?”
Juliet more respects her mother.
Lord Capulet also plays a fatherly role towards his nephew Tybalt. He refuses to Tybalt fight Romeo at his party and is very cross with him. “Go to! Am I the master here, or you? Go to!” Lord Capulet is very angry that Tybalt has been arguing with him for such a long time, and for Tybalt wanting to fight Romeo so much. “You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul! You’ll make a mutiny among my guests!” Lord Capulet clearly doesn’t want Tybalt to ruin the party and disturb his guests. “You’ll be a man!” Lord Capulet is not frightened to stand up to his nephew and gives him direct orders. Lord Capulet shows a very Authoritarian father figure.
Following the death of Tybalt in Act 3 scene 1, Lord Capulet decides that Juliet should marry Paris in 3 days time. “Marry my child, early next Thursday morn.” This is because he wants Juliet to be cheered up because he feels that after Tybalt died she has been down, “What still in tears?” But maybe it is not because he wants to cheer her up more that now Tybalt is dead and there is no male Capulet to help him in the business.
Lady Capulet comes to break the news to Juliet “The County Paris, at Saint Peter’s church, Shall happily make thee a joyful bride.” Lady Capulet tells Juliet when and where she shall marry, expecting Juliet to say yes “He shall not make me there a joyful bride!” but of course she doesn’t because she is already married to Romeo Montague. “I pray you tell my lord and father, madam, I will not marry yet”. The only problem Juliet has is that she cannot tell her parents why she cannot marry Paris. The way in which she calls her father her lord and father shows that she really looks up to him and doesn’t see him in a very emotional way, she is scared of what he will say.
“Lady Capulet Here comes your Father. Tell him so yourself,
And see how he will take it at your hands.” When Lady Capulet says this it shows that she does not want to tell her husband that Juliet shall not marry because she is frightened of how he will react.
“Lady Capulet Ay, sir. But she will none, she gives you thanks.” When Lady Capulet tells Capulet that Juliet will not marry Paris there is an enormous row and they threaten to throw her out of the house if she does not marry. “Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!” Lord Capulet has clearly forgotten everything that was said earlier in the play and taken on a much more Authoritarian role, even insulting his daughter.
“Nurse I think it best you married with the County. O, he’s a lovely gentleman!” The nurse who is meant to be like a mother to Juliet lets her down and agrees with the Capulets, she has let Juliet down. The nurse says that “Romeo’s a dishclout to him. An eagle, madam,” she says that he is dirt and that she would be better of with Paris and that she will be happier with him, “I think you are happy in this second match”.
With everyone telling her to marry Paris Juliet is heart broken so she goes to the Friar for help because he is the only other person who knows about the secret marriage. “Come weep with me. Past hope, past cure, past help!” The Friar suggests that Juliet should take a potion which will make her look and feel dead. “A thing like death to chide away this shame” “I’ll give thee remedy.” Another reason for Friar John wanting Juliet to take the remedy is because if Juliet goes ahead with the marriage someone could find out about the secret marriage between Romeo and Juliet, which he should have never performed in the first place. “Give me, give me! O tell not me of fear!” Juliet goes ahead with the plan, “Romeo Dost thou not bring me letters from the Friar?”
“Balthasar No. my good lord.” But Friar Lawrence fails to contact Romeo and the plan falls to pieces.
When Romeo hears that Juliet is dead he goes straight to the apothecary to get some poison. “Put this in any liquid thing you will
And drink it off, and if you had the strength
Of twenty men it would dispatch you straight.”
In the end both Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, and it is only their deaths that can bring their household’s feud to an end. This shows that the children had more power than their parents.
In the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ William Shakespeare does not give us a very positive picture of parents and the relationship they have with their children. He shows that parents are Authoritarian and do not really talk or listen to their children. Some points in the play show Montague and Capulet sticking up for their children, but otherwise they turn to other parent figures to help them and talk to them. But in the end both the nurse and friar John let down Romeo and Juliet. Their parents were definitely very authoritarian and they expected for them to do what they told them to, for example when Lord Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris and threatens to throw her out of the house if she doesn’t.
Overall Shakespeare does not paint a very good picture of relationships between parents and children in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
