“This is the matter. Nurse, give leave a while;
We must talk in secret. (NURSE begins to leave)
Nurse, come back again;
I have remembered me, thou’s hear our counsel.
Thou know’st my daughter’s of a pretty age.”
At the beginning of the scene the atmosphere is tense as Romeo has only just left Juliet’s bed chambers. Before Lady Capulet enters her room, Juliet expresses her surprise at her mother’s visit.
“Who is it that calls? It is my lady mother.
Is she not down so late, or up so early?
What unaccustomed cause procures her hither?”
This suggests that Lady Capulet does not naturally come to see her. It also suggests that there is a large distance between Juliet and her mother. The word ‘unaccustomed’ tell us that Lady Capulet’s visit is strange and that it only happens rarely. Lady Capulet uses formal and blunt language which shows no affection. Even when Lady Capulet finds that Juliet is crying she is insensitive and uncaring. She tells her that she should stop this nonsense and get on with it. She expresses that no good can be done by all of this crying and that Tybalt will not be brought back by whatever she does. “Therefore, have done.” Whilst Juliet and her mother are having a conversation about Tybalt’s death and the villain that killed him, Juliet uses lots of double meanings and soliloquy’s to the audience. The word ‘Villain’ is repeated over by both Juliet and Lady Capulet. Lady Capulet says it with the meaning of it being the person (Romeo) who killed Tybalt. However, Juliet is using this as a double meaning, so her mother hears what she wants to hear, but the truth is being spoken, just secretly. Lady Capulet continues all the way through the scene in a crisp and businesslike manner. She is very sure that they will get revenge on Romeo over what he did to Tybalt. There is irony and a shadow on the future when she speaks sometimes. “That he shall keep Tybalt Company:” when Lady Capulet is telling Juliet about the marriage that has been arranged she refers to her as her child.
“Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn,
The gallant, young and noble gentleman,
The County Paris, at Saint Peter’s church,
Shall make thee a joyful bride.”
She warns Juliet that he will not be at all pleased and thinks that she knows how he will react. Lady Capulet tells Lord Capulet the news grudgingly and she knows what his response will be. She lets him know that she disapproves. “I would the fool were married to her grave!” this is irony. Lady Capulet’s parting words to Juliet after Juliet has pleaded with her are orders and demands and she disowns her like Lord Capulet. “Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word: Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” She confirms what Lord Capulet says. Shakespeare manipulates the audiences reaction to Juliet throughout this exchange is how Juliet kept talking to the audience as well as the characters on stage. And because the audience have more insight than most of the characters, their reaction is more sympathetic towards Juliet.
Lord Capulet is in a good mood when he enters Juliet’s room. At first he sets a picture of a good day. “The air doth drizzle dew”. But when he realizes that Juliet is upset he automatically thinks that she is crying over her cousin’s death. He is concerned, but even though trying to comfort her, his general message is to get on with it. He refers to Juliet as a small ship sailing on a stormy sea and that she cannot take it.
“How now, a conduit, girl? What, still in tears?
Evermore showering? In one little body
Thou counterfeits a bark, a sea, a wind;
For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea,
Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is,
Sailing in this salt flood; the winds thy sighs,
Who raging with tears and they with them,
Without a sudden calm will overset
Thy tempest-tossed body.”
This mood is short lived as his tone changes abruptly. “How now, wife! Have you deliver’d to her our decree?” This language is now very businesslike and to the point like Lady Capulet’s language. The word “decree” says that they have already decided and that it cannot be changed. Once Lady Capulet has told her husband that Juliet refuses to marry Paris lord Capulet expressive his disbelief, but it quickly turns into anger. He uses a series of rhetorical questions and repetition that expresses his disbelief.
“Soft, take me with you, take me with you, wife.
How will she none? Doth she not give us thanks?
Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blest,
Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought
So worthy a gentleman to be her bride?”
Juliet begins to try to explain but he dismisses it. “How, how, chop logic!” Lord Capulet’s anger increases very quickly. He echoes her words mimicking her explanations. He makes it very clear that he is disgusted in her. He uses language that refers to her as an animal. “But fettle your fine joints” he gets into an angry flow of insults t hat he hurls at her continuously. He uses repetition and alliteration, he threatens her, saying, I will make you go if you don’t, and if you don’t go I will disown you. Lady Capulet is shocked at how angry he is and she tries to intervene. Lord Capulet takes no notice of her and just ignores her. Juliet pleads to be heard out but he will not listen to her. He is on a tirade and just continues to throw insults at her, more every time that she tries to speak. His lines are full of abuse and orders, he is frightening and threatening. He uses three imperatives that mean the same thing, but it makes the speech flow better.
“Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face:
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me;
My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blest
That God had lent us but this only child;
But now I see this one is too much,
And that we have a curse in having her.
Out on her, hilding!”
The nurse tries to calm him down and tries to defend Juliet with a brave outburst even though she is horrified. Lord Capulet turns on to the Nurse instead, and he hurls insults at the Nurse instead. Lord Capulet is irrational because he is so angry. Finally he has no other witty remarks so he has one last huge rant at Juliet. It is jagged and broken up. There are mostly single syllable words and it is choppy. He creates a picture of a perfect Paris, and then contrasts him to Juliet. He mimics Juliet so as to humiliate her. There are again, more orders and more commands.
“To have her match’d: and having now provided
A gentleman of noble parentage,
Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly train’d,
Stuff’d, as they say, with honourable parts,
Proportion’d as one’s thought would wish a man;
And then to have a wretched puling fool,
A whining mammet, in her fortune’s tender,
To answer ‘I’ll not wed; I cannot love,
I am too young! I pray you, pardon me.’”
