Romeo & Juliet - Lady Capulet

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                                                       Romeo & Juliet

Lady Capulet

My Version

The scene opens with Romeo & Juliet waking up after their first night together. There is a sense of tension in the audience as they don’t know when Lady Capulet is going to come. Lady Capulet is on her way up to give Juliet the good news. The nurse sees her and rushes to tell Juliet. While Romeo is getting ready to leave we can hear Lady Capulet calling out to Juliet lively saying, “Ho daughter! Are you up?” This is the last time Romeo & Juliet see each other alive.

 As soon as Romeo leaves Lady Capulet enters. This increases the dramatic tension in the audience. She sees Juliet weeping on the bed. She assumes it because she’s moaning for Tybalt’s death. Lady Capulet walks over to Juliet’s bed and puts her hand on her shoulder. Lady Capulet feels a bit uncomfortable as she’s not used to talking to her daughter. However she gives it her best shot. Juliet’s mother gives her sensible advice. She says “Some grief shows much of love, but much of grief shows still some want of wit.” This mean it’s good to show some grief as respect when someone dies. But its pointless showing too much as the grief is not going to bring the person back to life. Lady Capulet also says, “So shall you feel the loss, but not the friend which you weep for”. This is very insensitive of Lady Capulet and shows that Juliet’s relationship with her parents is uncaring, unloving and thoughtless. Lady Capulet also says, “We will have vengeance for it, fear thou not; then weep no more. I’ll send to one in Mantua”. She makes a promise to Juliet that she will send someone to Mantua to kill Romeo. This adds drama and tension to the audience as they’re waiting to see if Lady Capulet really carries out her plan. There is a lot of double meaning when Juliet’s talking to her mother. Here are some examples, “No man like him doth grieve my heart”. Juliet means there is no man like Romeo that makes her so sad (as he has left her). Lady Capulet thinks there is no man other than Romeo that makes Juliet sad as Romeo was the man that killed her cousin. Lady Capulet uses persuasive language such as “joyful tidings” and “sudden day of joy,” to make Juliet agree to the marriage When Juliet tells Lady Capulet, “He will not make me there a joyful bride,” this is when the tension and conflict builds between Juliet and her mother. Another one is when she swears “by Saint Peters Church and Peter too”, her mother thinks it’s about her strong faith but the audience knows that Saint Peter doesn’t allow second marriages that’s why she’s swearing against him. Lady Capulet acts cold and unsympathetic when Juliet refuses to marry Paris. She doesn’t really argue with Juliet she just says, “Here comes your father tell him yourself”.

 

Zeffirelli’s version

The nurse knocks on the door to tell Juliet Lady Capulet is coming. Romeo goes down the balcony to escape. Juliet is sad to see him go. Juliet is weeping on the bed. We see Lady Capulet strolling up and down saying, “We will have vengeance for it.” A number of lines have been omitted in the Zeffirelli version but nothing has been changed. Juliet’s mother mistakes Juliet’s tears for Romeo as grief for Tybalt’s death. She tries to make Juliet feel better by telling her she will poison the man that killed Tybalt. All the double meaning has been omitted. Zefferelli then skips some lines and carries on from Lady Capulet saying, “But now, I’ll tell thee joyful tidings, girl.” This means, now I will tell you the good news. We can not see Lady Capulet’s expression on her face as she has her back to the camera but her tone of voice is happy and cheerful. It sounds as if she is delivering a message. She has her hands on the bed knelling right next to Juliet’s bed. This is the point when Juliet stops crying and looks up at Lady Capulet. This is when Juliet throws her tantrum. She is completely shocked and appalled at what her mother has just told her. We do not see Lady Capulet’s reaction to the situation.

The next time we see Lady Capulet is when she is pacing down the stairs to tell Lord Capulet the news. Lord Capulet has just been talking to Paris he says good bye than asks Lady Capulet if she’s told Juliet the news. Lady Capulet replies, “Ay Sir, but she will none” She speaks these words bitterly and acts impatient showing that she has tried her best but Juliet just won’t listen. Lord Capulet looks back at her confused. It hasn’t yet sunk in. He says with unsureness, “Take me with you, take me with you wife.” Capulet then rushes up the stairs, Lady Capulet following. Lady Capulet sees how high Lord Capulet’s temper is getting. She says to him, “What are you mad.” She doesn’t want him to hurt her daughter. This is before Lord Capulet has even seen Juliet. She follows him into Juliet’s bedroom. Lord Capulet draws back Juliet’s bed curtains, grabs her and tosses her across the room. Juliet screams. This is a very tense moment between father and daughter. The nurse stands in front of Juliet to protect her from Lord Capulet. This shows how the nurse is more of a mother to Juliet than Lady Capulet is. Lady Capulet just stands there watching them. Lady Capulet finally comes up to Lord Capulet, holds his arm and tells him, “You are getting too hot.” She acts like a moody girl. Lady Capulet was pretty slow to tell him that. He had already hit Juliet. After Lord Capulet has gone Juliet begs Lady Capulet to delay the marriage. She kneels down on the floor and holds Lady Capulet’s dress. This isn’t enough to change Lady Capulet’s mind. She sticks by her husband but does feel a bit guilty about this. Her last words are, “Do as thou wilt for I have done with thee.”

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Luhrmann Version  

It starts off with the Nurse rushing into Juliet’s bedroom to tell Juliet her mother is coming. We can hear Lady Capulet in the background calling from the corridor saying, “Ho daughter! Are you up” Her voice is pleasant and happy. Just as Romeo leaves Lady Capulet comes in. She calls Juliet. Juliet is saying goodbye to Romeo on the balcony. As Lady Capulet comes out onto the balcony, Romeo falls in the pool. Lady Capulet telling Juliet to stop crying and saying she will have Romeo killed have both been omitted. Lady Capulet ...

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