Juliet’s relationship with her mother is quite brittle. Since her mother is too busy with her other duties, she doesn’t have time to look after Juliet so she is quite distant and, detached from Juliet. This was normal for rich, Elizabethan families. So, the Nurse looks after her more often and acts like a motherly figure to Juliet. When Juliet’s mother comes in, she is surprised since her mother doesn’t come to her often. “Who is’t that calls? It is my lady mother. Is she not down so late, or up so early? What unaccustomed cause procures her hither?” She is wondering why her mother comes into her bedroom so early in the morning. This implies that she doesn’t see her often and her relationship with her mother is not close. She is still upset about Romeo. “Madam, I am not well”. Her mother misunderstands what she said and she thinks Juliet is still upset from her Tybalt’s death but in fact Juliet actually means she misses Romeo. This tells us that, their relationship is distant.
Juliet shows her full maturity since she dominates the conversation with her mother, who cannot keep up with Juliet’s intelligence. Juliet continues to mislead her mother with double meanings throughout the scene. “God pardon him! I do, with all my heart, and yet no man like he doth grieve my heart” Lady Capulet thinks she means Juliet forgives Romeo, but he had caused her grief by killing Tybalt. Juliet actually means she forgives Romeo and even though he gives her grief, she still loves Romeo.
Juliet’s relationship with her father is on acceptable boundaries. Lord Capulet cares for her daughter like any other parent would. He tries to make Juliet happy but his authority as lord got the better out of him. Lord Capulet gets so angry at Juliet because she won’t marry Paris and this is a favour for her. He starts to shout insults at Juliet. “Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage! You tallow-face!” “Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!” This gives a sense that Lord Capulet doesn’t think of her as his daughter but an worthless item. Lord Capulet then threatens to disown her if she doesn’t marry Paris and continues to disobey him. “hang, bed ,starve, die in the streets, for by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee” It is clear that Lord Capulet is very serious about his intentions. Just when Juliet needs her mother for support she is let down by her own mother when she asks for help. “Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word”. This implies that she is self-centered and sides with the most powerful person or perhaps she is scared of Lord Capulet to disagree with him.
Juliet’s relationship with the nurse is rather strong. Juliet tells her secrets and concerns without hesitation because she trusts the nurse that she won’t tell anyone else. She is wise, kind, loyal, understanding and protective over Juliet – she genuinely cares about Juliet. The relationship changes over the course of the scene. She advises Juliet to marry Paris and this is the same advice her parents had given her. “I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your first, or if it did not, your first is dead… and you no use of him” The nurse says this because she wants Juliet to have a good life rather than a painful one. But instead Juliet feels betrayal from her parents and the nurse.
During the 1500’s, the men were far more superior to women. They were considered to be ‘inferior’ beings who were controlled by their husbands, fathers, or by any other men in the family. E.g. Wife, daughter, sister, mother. They were the angel of the house and would cook, clean, wash – domestic goddess. But they were not allowed to have their own opinions, views or lifestyle, jobs – opportunities. This was known as a Patriarchal Society. Men had control over everything; Money, Politics, Home, Children, Work, Women, Government and Law.
Juliet must be feeling distraught and angry, the fact that she doesn’t have the same rights as man but she does have one choice left she can make. The answer is suicide and she has the power to do it. Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet and the Nurse must be feeling worried, distressed and upset that Juliet hasn’t accepted their offer to marry Paris. They don’t have much choice other than to wait for the wedding day. It reveals Juliet’s relationship with Lord Capulet is weak.
I think the plot will thicken further and many bad things will happen to the characters. I also think this scene is important because it shows how distant the relationship is with Juliet and her parents. It shows Juliet talks about death a lot and proves that she is grown up and not a little girl anymore. This scene is full of conflict and despair between the two households and there are some misunderstandings between Lady Capulet and Juliet and the Nurse and Juliet. Juliet says double meanings to Lady Capulet and the Nurse. “Madam, I am not well” “Having displeased my father, to Lawrence’ cell, to make confession and to be absolved”. Juliet’s foreshadowing of events and lots of talking of death is also an importance of the scene. “Me thinks I see thee now, thou art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.” She seems to see Romeo dead already. This leads the audience towards the tragedy.
In conclusion, it reveals that Juliet’s relationship with her parents were unstable in this scene. Juliet feels so strong about her and Romeo’s relationship to even defy her own father. But still, Juliet is a woman in a male-dominated world so she recognizes the limits of her powers and knows she has the will to kill herself. Juliet has grown great maturity during the scene; she fools her mother with double meanings. She also breaks relationship with the Nurse and having a Nurse is a mark of childhood since the Nurse looks after her. She abandons her Nurse and keeps loyal to her husband.
