Is Capulet a Good Father?
A good father makes all the difference in a child's life. He's a pillar of strength, support and discipline. His work is endless and, often thankless.
Capulet is Juliet's father and I think that he is a good father. However he is too over protective about his daughter. Capulet can also have a hot temper and can be very arrogant. In act 1 scene 2 we can see that Capulet is a loving father when he says " she hath not seen the change of fourteen years let two more summers wither in their pride, ere we many think her ripe to be a bride". She hasn't turned fourteen and he thinks she if far too young to be married, let her have two more years of freedom then ask me again.
This shows that Capulet is a good father as he wants his daughter to experiance the freedom of life and doesn't want his daughter to rush into marriage.
Elizabethan Family Life was extremely close-knit. Many of the major elements of Elizabethan family life were determined by whether the family was poor and belonging to the lower classes or whether the family was wealthy. The main exception to this was religion, whether rich or poor, young or old, everyone in the family was expected to attend a Protestant Church Service every Sunday. Elizabethan family life was determined by the many laws of the land which dictated not only religion but also the types of clothes members of the family were allowed to wear!
Capulet responds to Paris' request by saying to let his daughter age another two years and then he may take his daughters hand in marriage. Capulet says that people who marry young do not have happy lives; he is referring to his own marriage life at this time saying that he is ungrateful with his wife (Lady Capulet) and therefore doesn't want his Juliet to be unhappy in life as he cares for her.
Capulet tries to console Paris by saying that he is throwing a party that would serve as the perfect place for Paris to woo Juliet. Juliet is very important to her father as she is his only child and therefore is to take his place after he passes away. I have said this because Capulet himself said, "She is the hopeful lady of my Earth". This could mean that Juliet would own her fathers land once he is no longer in this world so he could be referring, Earth, as his own land. Capulet said that Paris can ...
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Capulet tries to console Paris by saying that he is throwing a party that would serve as the perfect place for Paris to woo Juliet. Juliet is very important to her father as she is his only child and therefore is to take his place after he passes away. I have said this because Capulet himself said, "She is the hopeful lady of my Earth". This could mean that Juliet would own her fathers land once he is no longer in this world so he could be referring, Earth, as his own land. Capulet said that Paris can marry his daughter if he can, "win her heart". He would then get Capulet's consent of marriage. This shows that Capulet is a good father as he only wants a man that his daughter loves to marry and is also wealthy to give her a good upbringing.
Paris is a wealthy young man with beautiful eyes and has attractive features as Lady Capulet herself said, "Find margent of his eyes. This precious book of love, this unbound lover, to beautify him, only lacks a cover. This is important as in the Elizabethan times the rich married the rich and Paris is wealthy and handsome.
At the masque, when Capulet introduces his guest he welcomes the maskers and invites them to dance. He is regretful about his good old days, when he himself had danced in a mask. He mourned that his dancing days were over. "I have seen the day that I have worn a visor". This shows he also wore masks at parts and danced with the ladies but now he is too old for that. Capulet is gracious and is a thoughtful host, doing everything in his power to make his party a success.
When Tybalt tells Capulet that Romeo has gate-crashed the party, Capulet reacts by saying to Tybalt to leave him alone he is just gentlemanly bearing. "Let him alone he bears like a portly gentleman". Capulet responded to what Tybalt said in a superior way as he did not mind that a Montague was at his masque, he knows that Romeo will do nothing to ruin the party so he tells Tybalt to let him be and to ignore his existence. He trusts people will do the right thing and that being the right thing is what he wants them to do. When Tybalt refuses to leave Romeo alone, Capulet reacts by ordering Tybalt to control himself and to act like a gentleman. He tells him he shall have to tolerate him as he said he should. "He shall be endured what Goodman boy I say he shall". Capulet would not like Romeo to be insulted in his house as he wants God to mend his soul. "You'll not endure him! God shall mend my soul!" It could mean he doesn't want any trouble he just wants God to forgive him for his past troubles so doesn't want to carry on with this war with the Montague's.
This tells us that Capulet becomes a fair and open minded character as he allows Romeo to attend his party even though he is a Montague. He just wants to have peace with them but also sometimes wants to fight them. This shows Capulet can be a loving character as even though Romeo was of the Montague family, he still trusted him not to do anything bad at the party. "Content thee, gentle coz. Let him alone." He trusted Romeo to do nothing wrong in the party.
The mood at the start of act 3 scenes 5 is fresh and is not the theme itself but the elaborate and original treatment Shakespeare gives it. This is because now that Juliet is upset that her cousin Tybalt has passed away she feels distress and hurt as her cousin who is very close to him, "She loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly" and now is no longer in this world. Another reason is that now Capulet has to now delay any marriage fixtures as they have no time because they need to prepare a funeral for Tybalt. "That we had no time to move our daughter".
Capulet is going to now consent to his daughter's marriage to Paris unless she also was willing, he seemed concerned for Juliet's welfare. "Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender of my child's love: I think she will be ruled in all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not". Capulet thinks that Juliet would be pleased to be married but she is no longer the obedient teenage daughter of the Capulet's, she is a young woman, a bride, and a wife. She then decides to put her life in danger as her mother interprets anger over Romeo and is planning on killing him. Juliet then decides to carry on their love but as a youthful desire for pleasure as well as a mature yearning for further spiritual contact with Romeo. She would rather die than marry Paris.
At the beginning of act 3 scenes 5 Romeo and Juliet the dawn divides Romeo and Juliet, once again, this time, for good. Lady Capulet has come to tell Juliet that the marriage with Paris will improve the wealth and status of the Capulet family rather than the happiness of their daughter. Juliet reacts by saying that Paris will not make her joyful.
When Capulet enters, he thinks his daughter is crying over the death of Tybalt but it is really over the fact that she has to concede in marriage with Paris. "How now! A conduit, girl? What, still in tears".
From line 149, Capulet's mood changes as he starts to threaten Juliet as she disagrees with the marriage with Paris. "Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!" Capulet now uses Juliet's youth to mock her reluctance to marry, calling her a crying child and whining puppet.
Capulet feels justified in his anger as he is saying that Paris is noble, "Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly trained". He is also wealthy and wise. He feels that he is right and knows that Paris would be good for his daughter.
In conclusion I believe that Lord Capulet is a good father, he continually shows his love and affection towards his daughter. Firstly, in act 1 scene 2 he lets Paris know that he does not want his daughter to marry at such a young age. He obviously does this for a reason as he relates to his own marriage in the play and he wants his daughter to go threw two more years of having wisdom and openness. " She hath not seen the change of fourteen years let two more summers wither in their pride, ere we many think her ripe to be a bride".
Secondly Capulet tells Paris that if he cannot wait two years he can try and get Juliet to fall in love with him at the masque he is throwing.
Thirdly Capulet tells Juliet that she will marry Paris when he cousin Tybalt died as he said, "Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender of my child's love: I think she will be ruled in all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not". Capulet is doing this as I think that he realises that life can be taken away from some by the blink of an eye. He wants his Juliet to be happy so tells Paris to marry her.
This shows that Capulet is a good father as many things to see his daughter happy and in high spirits.
H/w Tuesday 28th November 2006
Dillion Patel
