Working from the start of the section, Lady Capulet has just revealed the news to a weeping Juliet of her marriage to Paris. Lady Capulet should move from the left stage running towards the centre stage where we see Lord Capulet enter; looking happy and joyful as he has just spoken to Paris about the wedding. Lady Capulet should have tears of anger and sadness streaming down from her face as she has been refused by her daughter.
Lady Capulet: “Ay, sir, but she will none, she gives you thanks.”
It is extremely important that Lady Capulet says this line in a sarcastic way, as obviously Juliet does not want to marry Paris. Lord Capulet’s facial expression should slowly change to an angry one, with his teeth gritted, eyebrows low, a face contorted with fury.
Lord Capulet: “How will she none? Doth she not give us thanks?”
Lord Capulet should bellow this line, with the anger held inside, showing in his face. Lord Capulet should be pacing up and down very fast while saying this line and throwing objects on the set around, expressing his anger through violence. With a glance at Lady Capulet, with her eyes avoiding his, he should be waking fast to Juliet’s bedroom and smash open the doors, towards the left stage, Juliet’s bedroom. Juliet should be seen on the bed, face in the pillows crying. Lady Capulet should be in the doorway, looking in, with sadness. Instead of talking to nicely to Juliet, almost as if he wants to reason with her, Lord Capulet should be yelling and shouting. This would happen in a real life situation if a child rejected an offer like this, especially with the matter regarding marriage. Here Lord Capulet should move towards the front of the stage, looking angry down at the audience. He should shout at the audience first, then to Juliet. Whilst shouting, he should brandish a finger at Juliet, who has her head in her hands and shaking her head, sobbing.
Lord Capulet: “Or will drag thee on a hurdle thither.”
This is a very strong form of violence and the weapon he is describing, the ‘hurdle’ was a wooden frame on which traitors were dragged through the streets before execuction.
Lord Capulet: “Out you green sickness carrion! Out you baggage! You tallow-face!”
Here, Lady Capulet should interrupt straight after Lord Capulet has delivered his speech. Her face should be filled with shock, her hands over her mouth.
Lady Capulet: “Fie, fie, what are you mad?”
Capulet’s outrage struggles to find insults for Juliet who should be looking at her father on her knees shaking still her head in her hands. Then slowly she should look up at her father, and move towards the front of the stage crawling on her knees.
Juliet: “Good father, I beseech you on my knees, Hear me with patience but to speak a word”.
This sentence should be spoken kindly and politely looking up at her father. Juliet should cling to her father’s clothes and pull herself up, with Lord Capulet looking away. Juliet should hold her father’s arm. Lord Capulet should look down as Juliet smiles up. Immediately Lord Capulet yells and pushes Juliet into a wall and hits her. Juliet and Lady Capulet should start screaming while Lord Capulet is shouting at her. While delivering the next dialogue, he should be shouting at Juliet and throwing objects in the room at her. Juliet should quickly crawl to her large chest of drawers and curl up in the corner, crying loudly.
Lord Capulet: “That God had lent us this only child (looks up at the ceiling) but know I see this one is one too much And that we have a curse in having her (looks down at Juliet and points at her) Out on her hilding!”
Lord Capulet should move towards Juliet holding an object, maybe a vase, and lift his arm ready to throw it at her. Juliet should cover head screaming when a shocked Nurse runs infront of Juliet arms out protecting her. The nurse’s face should be filled with shock with Lady Capulet having her hand covering her mouth; eyes wide open, still standing in the doorway.
Nurse: “God in heaven bless her! You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so.”
The nurse should tilt her head towards Juliet and speak this line in a deep tone, full of hate. After this line, Lord Capulet should chuckle and say:
Lord Capulet: “And why, my Lady Wisdom? Hold your tongue, Good prudence, smatter with your gossips, goes”
Lord Capulet should immediately turn away and turn to Juliet, and as he is about to talk, Nurse should interrupt.
Nurse: “I speak no treason.”
Lord Capulet should turn around to face Nurse, his towering figure, looking down on a frightened Nurse. He should roll his eyes and in a menacing voice, he should say:
Lord Capulet: “O God-i-goden”
We should still be able to hear Juliet sobbing in the back, but not as much as before. To make it sound as if she was crying, she should sniff and cough in the background. Nurse should have her hands on her hips and retort back in calm voice:
Nurse: “May one not speak?”
It is here Lord Capulet should sigh and with his eyes wide open, he should lift his hand and as he is about to hit the Nurse, Lady Capulet should run in front of her husband with one hand holding the hand that’s raised in the air, her other holding his body. Her face should be full of anger and sadness. She is obviously angry with Juliet, but she must try to calm her husband down so in a calm and soothing voice:
Lady Capulet: “You are too hot.”
She glances down at a moping Juliet, who is slowly getting up and making her way towards the bed, with Nurse at her side. Lord Capulet should know be looking confused and move towards the bed where Juliet moves to the back of the bed, hiding her body inside the blankets. He should run his hands through his hair and say and groan:
Lord Capulet: “God’s bread (voice now rising) it makes me mad! Day, night, work, play Alone, in company, still my care hath been To have her match’d; and having now provided a gentleman A gentleman of noble parentage, Of fair demednes, youthful and nobly lign’d Stuff’d as they say, with honourable parts, (Juliet starts crying again Lord Capulet’s voice goes down again) Proportion’d as ones thought would wish a man, And then to have a wretched puling fool, A whining mammet (gestures towards Juliet’s teddy bears) in her fortune’s tender, To answer I’ll not wed, I cannot love; I am too young, I pray you pardon me But and you will not wed, I’ll pardon you (point’s towards Juliet) Graze where you will, you shall not house with me. Look to’t, think on’t, I do not use to jest Thursday is near, (puts his hand on his heart) lay hand on heart, advise: And you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend; And you (voices rises and pints at Juliet) be not hang (pause) beg (pause) starve (pause, Juliet is crying and shaking her head at her father) die in the streets For by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee (points at Juliet and moves towards the open window where Romeo made his escape) Nor what is mine shall never do thee good. Thrust to’t, bethink you, I’ll not to be forsworn.
Lord Capulet lunges towards Juliet but Lady Capulet and Nurse push him away. Lord Capulet’s eyes are wide open, his face now very red. He looks at Juliet, spits at her bed and turns around and swiftly moves towards the door and slams it, a vase falls over, and the faint sound of water dropping on the floor. Juliet should cry with her hand outstretching towards the door at which her father has exited to. Her head should turn towards the nurse. The nurse should be picking up the remains of the vase, quietly crying. Juliet is still on her knees crying:
Juliet: “Is there no pity sitting in the clouds (tilts her head to the sky) That sees the bottom of my grief? O sweet my mother (hand stretches towards her mother) cast me (Holds her heart) not away (brandishes hand to the windows) Delay this marriage, for a month, a week, Or if you do not make the bridal bed, In that dim monument where Tybalt lies”.
Lady Capulet moves towards the right of the left stage, closes the curtain nets and slams the window. Juliet cries even more because she feels the window Romeo escaped from has been permanently shut and he will never return. Lady Capulet moves swiftly towards the door, tears leaking from her eyes, and Juliet runs towards her mother, and falls in front of her at her feet. Juliet is crying at her feet and is shaking her head.
Lady Capulet: “Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.”
Lady Capulet is still very upset and angry, so she throws Juliet away from her. Juliet hits the wall, and cries very loudly. Nurse drops the vase again and runs to Juliet’s aid. Lady Capulet does not look at Juliet but opens the door and slams it, just like her husband. Nurse quickly runs for the door, but Lady Capulet has left. Nurse turns her head to see Juliet head between her knees holding a bruised and bloody arm.
Romeo and Juliet explores themes from the time before the play was written, so it’s a historical play based on a true story. Many of Shakespeare’s plays were based on history except for ‘???????’ The hierarchy is very important in this scene. Juliet cannot go against her father’s wishes because he is high up in the hierarchy, just underneath God. In the hierarchy God was right at the top. Juliet was only allowed to be married to one man, and secretly she was married to Romeo, which is why she rejected the offer to marry Paris. She went against her father’s wishes, which were also against the Hierarchy, as men were considered higher, then women back then. It was the parent’s decision on which their children would marry, even if the child didn’t love the person the parent’s chose. The parents had a lot of power over the children and could not do anything against those wishes. The parent’s would not consider the child’s opinion; they wanted to show other rich people how much control and power they had over children. Lord Capulet in line 126 compares his nephew’s death with nature’s elements of rain. Capulet shows his sympathy to Juliet as he thinks she is mourning her cousin’s death, but his expression suddenly changes when she has rejected the proposal to marry Paris. The nurse also is important in this scene because she is very close to Juliet, almost more of a mother then Lady Capulet. She tends to Juliet day and night and has looked after her ever since she was born. Nurse is at the bottom of the Hierarchy and cannot go against lord Capulet or for anyone in that matter because she is economically vulnerable and could lose her job. Lady Capulet is also in the same position as Nurse and cannot go against her husband wishes, as like Juliet and Nurse, is lower in the Hierarchy.
