Shakespeare uses a variety of language devices to enhance the effectiveness of Romeo and Juliet. He does this by using punctuation, marks to show sarcasm, for example when Capulet says,’ ‘Proud’ and ‘I thank you’ ‘. These punctuation marks give the impression to the reader that Capulet is being ironic. The lengths of the speeches are generally short in this scene, so it can accelerate the scene. However Capulet’s speeches are always longer than his wife’s, Lady Capulet. Shakespeare used this contrast to show that Capulet has more authority over his wife and has control of power. Capulet says ‘bark, a sea, a wind’, in the beginning of the scene. These imageries illustrate pictures of water, sea and storms, reflecting Juliet’s anguish and Capulet’s sympathy for her. This would make the audience feel now, that he is kind hearted and a loving father. However Capulet calls Juliet ‘baggage’, which means a burden and repeats it twice, to show emphasis. Also he threatens Juliet by saying that, ‘I will drag thee hurdle thither’. The image of the ‘hurdle’ makes the audience feel that Capulet perceives Juliet as a prisoner, which in fact she has no choice. It is ironic that the result of this threat results to her death and it is an example of dramatic irony because the audience knows that she is going to die but Capulet does not. Her father, continues to compares his daughter to a rotting flesh by describing her as a, ‘green sickness carrion’. This image of an anaemic lifeless corpse is further emphasised by the image ‘sickness’, which shows Capulet’s thoughts that Juliet is infecting the family. These images demonstrate Capulet’s opinion that Juliet is less human, which reveals his true identity, from a concerned loving father to a volatile. The audience would react to him as a cold-hearted man and a bully because he wants his own way and does not care about other people’s feelings, including those of his own daughter.
Capulet’s characterisation at various times in the play differs, when he was at the party, being quite jovial with the guests, ‘Ladies that have their toes unplagued with corns’ and when he was roaring at Juliet. His attitude can be compared to when he was having an argument with Tybalt, quite serenely to when he was screaming his head off at Juliet, in Act 3 Scene 5. The audience see this contrast, in how quickly he decides to change the wedding date to, ‘next Thursday’, deciding Juliet is not too young to marry. Since, in the beginning of the play he had said that she is too young, ‘yet a stranger in the world’. Lady Capulet’s attitude towards Juliet is very harsh because she says, ‘married to her grave’. This image of death tells the audience that Lady Capulet is also iniquitous as well as Capulet and presents dramatic irony towards the audience because Juliet dies at the end. His status, as the head of the family, reflects his behaviour and motivation towards them. He tries to gain control over his family in various ways, in the ball scene where Tybalt refuses to disobey Capulet’s command, he calmly talks to Tybalt, ‘Why how now, kinsman’, because Capulet doesn’t want any upset in his party. The audience would be witnesses that he can act appropriately when he wants to; showing that he is in control and has power. Shakespeare prepares the audience for the later scene where Juliet refuses to get married by using contrast, which shows Capulet arguing logically with Tybalt and later, violently with Juliet. The effect is used to good purpose, displaying Capulet’s control of anger and power over those around him.
Shakespeare presents the sixteenth century, through family honour and rivalry between families. It was a rough society because there were all sorts of punishments, ranging from capital to corporal punishments. At that time England was a Christian country with many people following Christianity. Therefore as a religious country the law was based upon, on Christianity. Arrange marriage was common, and equality between men and women did not exist. Divorce was unpopular because of the religious allegiance of the people and any breaking of this protocol would lead to resentment. This has been shown, by Juliet’s refusal when she disobeyed her father. The issues Shakespeare has tried to raise and ask in his play, that men and women should be treated equally with respect and that arrange marriage can affect lives, which it had done in the play. A sixteenth century audience would have been shocked when they had watched this play because it showed some traditions being broken. This might seem a conventional family to some of the audience because Capulet has more power over his wife and towards the family due to the fact that he is a man, and that he is trying to arrange a marriage. However to a twenty-first century audience this would be completely unacceptable in most society because today’s society has supposedly progressed.
In this play Shakespeare’s presentation of Capulet in Act 3 scene 5 has enhanced the effectiveness of Romeo and Juliet on the audience. He does this by making the use of structure, which motivates the play and through the language, which reveals Capulet’s hidden character. The usage of historical context shows Shakespeare’s purposes of this play, which was to encourage the audience to consider the lifestyle of sixteenth century England and how society operated. I think that Shakespeare has written this play to signify the dominating powers of the parents against their child; this reflects the sixteenth century customs.