The fight ends when the Prince sets his decree. In Act 1 Scene 2, you see Lord Capulet’s reaction to this decree; “-'tis not hard, I think, /For men so old as we to keep the peace.” This shows that Capulet can be wise and mature however I believe that he usually decides to listen to his more aggressive side. As Paris comes to ask about his proposal to Juliet we see an unexpected pleasant side to Capulet’s character. This scene shows Capulet as the protective father and it also tells us that Capulet has been through struggles; “Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she”. This tells the audience that Juliet is his only child as he lost his others. This therefore, explains why Capulet is so protective and why he defers Paris’s proposal. “Let two more summers wither in pride, / Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” Paris is a kinsman and so is of higher nobility than the Capulet’s, it would have been abnormal at the time for a family of the Capulet’s status to refuse this proposal. However, Capulet doesn’t believe Juliet is ready to be a bride as she is “she is but a stranger in the world”. Capulet’s advice to “gentle Paris” was that he should “woo her” at the party he was holding tonight. I believe that this scene shows that Capulet values love and therefore, doesn’t want to arrange a marriage as he wants Juliet to be happy and in love, although I think this is only part of the reason Capulet didn’t accept the proposal; I also think that Capulet does not want to lose Juliet and will only lose her to someone whom Juliet will love. The audience would have thought Capulet an extremely liberal father.
In Act 1, Scene 5, we see Capulet as a jovial host, in his element in front of a crowd of people. Here you can see that Capulet is excited as Shakespeare has made Capulet’s more abrupt and has used more exclamation marks. “Welcome Gentlemen!” This shows Capulet is exhilarated. “She that makes dainty, / She I’ll swear hath corns.” His teasing could only please an audience; showing Capulet’s confidence. However when Tybalt disrupts the jocular mood by wanting to fight Romeo we see a very different side to Capulet. Capulet tries first to calm Tybalt down with advisory words; “let him alone.” “Take no note of him.” However as Tybalt undermines Capulet’s words Capulet become extremely aggressive and antagonistic; “Go to!” “You must contray me!” “You are a prin-cox”. This scene foreshadows his diatribe in Act 3, Scene 5 when Capulet is faced with insubordination. He uses short imperatives which highlight his anger, and short fuse.
In Act 3, Scene 4, Capulet finally gives Paris permission to marry Juliet. This is the pivotal moment in the play which leads to many other dramas. I believe that there are many reasons as to why Capulet now allowed Paris marry Juliet after Tybalt’s death. I believe that he may have been trying to change the mood and wanted to have a party. He did not ask Juliet’s permission and accepted the marriage without her consent; however, this would not have been odd in Elizabethan times; he says with confidence. “I think she will be rul’d/ In all respects by me. Nay more, I doubt it not.”
When Capulet enters Juliet’s room in Act 3, scene 5 we see him tease Juliet. “How now! A conduit, girl?” This gives the impression that Capulet tries to keep everyone optimistic, however it seems that he decides upon the mood, if Capulet is happy then he believes that everyone else should be too. In some respects I believe him to be quite self-absorbed. When Capulet asks his wife “Have you deliver’d to her our decree?” and his wife responds “she will none.” Instantly Capulets temper starts to rise you can tell as Capulet is first of all in disbelief; “How! Will she none? Doth she not give us thanks?” The use of interrogatives shows Capulet accelerate into a rage. Then Capulet starts offending Juliet with comment such as;”Unworthy as she is.” Capulet is so angry that he starts to offend Juliet who Capulet most probably loves most of all, he won’t listen to anyone else, he is very self-righteous; though many men in Elizabethan times were as men were seen as superior beings who women and children should respect.
Capulet continues to insult Juliet. “Disobedient wretch!” However, Capulet’s comments go further than spiteful when he says “My fingers itch!” Threatening to hit Juliet, her nurse intervenes. This would seem too much for a man to do to a child even in Elizabethan times and Shakespeare highlights this by making the nurse of a much lower status to tell Capulet that he is being unreasonable. You can imagine how intimidating Capulet could become. His diatribe of insults …. But one has to wonder, if he is only getting this angry because he wants his best for his daughter or if he just wants everyone to do as he says. I believe that it may be a bit of both.
In Act 4, Scene 2, Juliet returns with a potion that will put her in a deep sleep so that when she wakes she can be with her beloved Romeo. However, Juliet pretends to show remorse to her father and apologises. Capulet’s excitement at Juliet’s change of heart is touching. In Capulet’s excitement he moves the wedding forward a day. His comment about the Friar that “All our whole city is much bound to him” is an ironic tribute. When Juliet has gone to bed he is delighted as ever to have a huge party to plan and prepared to stay up all night to make it all a success. Capulet always longs to be where he loves best and that is being the jovial host. I believe he always loves a light-mood and a party so a huge party after Tybalt’s death is just what he shallow-mindedly thinks everyone needs.
In Act 4, Scene 5, Capulet uses flower imagery to describe the grief he is feeling about Juliet’s death. “Death lies on her like an untimely frost /Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.” “There she lies, /Flower as she was, deflowered by him.” It is dramatic irony that when Capulet talks of death taking things from her the audience knows that Romeo did. Shakespeare made the sentences her long, so as if to make the scene not so upsetting and more comical as the audience would know that Juliet is not really dead and so therefore would not be in the mood to cry. However the flower imagery emphasises Juliet’s delicateness and fragility and the temporal nature of beauty and I believe that the audience would generally feel for Capulet. However even in the time of grief he is thinking who will get his money now; “death is my only heir.” I think that this is quite a selfish thing to say when your daughter has just passed away. Also, even in grief Capulet is planning the funeral party;”turn from their office to black funeral”.
Romeo, Paris and Juliet are now all dead and the tragedy has happened. As both rivaling families gather at the death beds they truce. “O brother Montague, give me thy hand, this is my daughters jointure.” Capulet does not stay as stubborn at the end but he and Montague had lost what was most dear to them.
Overall I feel that Shakespeare portrays Capulet as a kindly man who suffers from the prejudice of his time. He is portrayed to have a short-temper but considering that at that time he was suffering from the grief of the death of his nephew we cannot detest his character for it. I believe he is really light-hearted, with a playful mood, which especially comes out when he is being a jovial host. I believe him to be king but often exaggerated and mistaken.