The Background information of the:
Montagues and Capulets
The Montagues and Capulets are two rivalry families. They are involved in a family feud that goes back years before any members were born. Yet the feud still continues due to the fact that neither families are ready to forgive and forget the past. Even the townspeople are involved because the families do not keep the feud in the privacy of their home but have been seen fighting in the public streets and displaying violence. They disrupted the peace of Verona and even Prince Escalus personally had to break up a fight, where the families could result in death. While this occurring Romeo, the main character, is getting over his last love, Rosaline, and was very upset. Juliet of the Capulet household has just been introduced to a wealthy young man, Paris, who her parents wish her to marry. Yet she does not love him.
Summary:
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo (Montague), who is in love with Rosaline, goes to a party in effort to forget her or to ease his broken heart. At this party he met Juliet (Capulet), and immediately fell in love with her. He later finds out she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montagues. He decides that he loves her anyway and they confess their love for each other during the famous "Balcony scene", in which they agree to secretly marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them in effort to end the feuding between the families. Unfortunately, the fight gets worse and Mercutio (Montague), a good friend of Romeo's, ends up fighting Tybalt (Capulet), Juliet's cousin. Tybalt kills Mercutio, which causes Romeo to kill Tybalt in an angry rage. For this, Romeo is banished from Verona.
At the same time, the Capulet's are planning Juliet's marriage to Paris. Juliet does not want to marry this man, so in order to avoid this marriage she arranges to meet with Friar Lawrence. She will fake her own death with a sleeping potion that will make everyone think that she is dead. Friar Lawrence promises to send word to Romeo to meet her when the potion wears off and to rescue her to Mantua, where Romeo is currently staying. There they would live happy ever after. Unfortunately, Romeo does not receive this message on time and hears about her "death" and then goes to Juliet's tomb where he drinks poison and dies. When Juliet's potion wears off, she awakens to find her lover's corpse. She then proceeds to stab herself with Romeo's dagger. The two families find the bodies and their shared sorrow, finally make peace with each other.
The background to act III, scene v.
Just before dawn, Romeo prepares to lower himself from Juliet's window. Romeo cannot entertain her claims; he must leave before the morning comes or be put to death. Juliet declares that the light outside comes not from the sun, but from some meteor. Over come by love, Romeo responds that he will stay with Juliet, and that he does not care whether the Prince's men kill him.
The Nurse enters to warn Juliet that Lady Capulet was approaching. Romeo and Juliet tearfully part. Romeo climbs out of the window, standing in the orchard below her window, he promises Juliet that they will see one another again, but Juliet responds that he appears pale, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Romeo answers that, to him, she appear the same way, and that it is only sorrow that makes them both look pale. Romeo hurries away as Juliet pulls in the ladder and begs fate to bring him back to her quickly.
Lady Capulet calls to her daughter. Juliet wonders why her mother would come speak to her so early in the morning. Unaware that her daughter is married to Romeo, lady Capulet enters the room and mistakes Juliet's tears as continued grief for Tybalt. Lady Capulet tells Juliet of her deep desire to see "the villain Romeo dead". Lady Capulet tells Juliet about Capulet's plan for getting her married to Paris on Thursday, explaining that he wishes to marry her happy. Juliet is appalled. She rejects the match, saying "I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear/ it shall be Romeo-whom you know I hate-/ rather than Paris." Capulet enters the chamber. He sees that Juliet is refusing to obey him.
After Capulet and Lady Capulet storm away. Juliet asks her Nurse how she might be able to escape her dilemma. The Nurse advices her to go through with the marriage to Paris as he is a better match, she says, Romeo is as good as dead anyhow. Juliet pretends to agree, and tells the Nurse that she is going to make confessions at Frair Lawrence's. Juliet hurries to Frair. If the Frair is unable to help her, Juliet comments to herself, she still has the power to take her own life.
Arranged Marriages
In Romeo and Juliet marriages were different, as they had arranged marriages. Juliet had her marriage arranged when she was around 14years old. Although she had her marriage arranged for her, no one knew that she was secretly also married to Romeo who was around 15years old, as you can see they were only teenagers. Today many people don't get married that young they get married over 18years of age. People still have marriages arranged for them around the world in different cultures.
Capulets view on this arranged marriage is that, he does not care about Juliet's feeling's as he clearly states that "because of the terrible events, he has no time to ask his daughter about her feelings for Paris" and that "he thinks his daughter will listen to him", and then he corrects himself and states that "he is sure Juliet will abide by his decision". So from that we can see that Capulet is determined to get Juliet married to Paris as soon as possible, without thinking about Juliet's point of view.
However Lady Capulets point is different she tells Juliet that "she gave birth to Juliet when she was almost Juliet's current age, she excitedly continues that Juliet must begin to think about marriage because the valiant Paris has expressed an interest in her", Lady Capulet view is from a mothers point of view, as she only wants Juliet to be happy with Pairs.
Juliet hasn't given any thought on getting married to Paris. She only has love for Romeo. Juliet's mother tries to tell her that "Paris has interest in her" and Juliet replies,
"that she will look upon Paris at the feast to see if she might have love for him". You can see that Juliet really doesn't care about what her mother is trying to tell her. Juliet's view is that she will love and marry one person.
Love
In Act 2, scene 2: "In the early morning, Frair Lawrence is filling his basket with various weeds, herbs, and flowers. Romeo comes to Frair and says that he had not slept the night before and Frair fears that he may have not slept in sin with Rosaline. Romeo assures him that it did not happen, and describes his new love Juliet. Romeo wants to marry her that very same day. Frair is Shocked from the sudden shift from Rosaline to Juliet. Romeo defends himself, noting that Juliet returns that love while Rosaline did not. Friar Lawrence nonetheless agrees to marry the couple. He expresses the hope that the marriage of Romeo to Juliet might end the feud ravaging of the Montagues and Capulets". From this we can see that the love that Romeo has for Juliet is strong because he only met her days ago and wants to marry her, despite that the Montagues and Capulets hate each other and will never agree on this marriage. Romeo wants to marry Juliet because Rosaline did not have enough love for him unlike Juliet who loves him more than anything.
In Act 3, scene 5: " Just before dawn, Romeo prepares to lower himself from Juliet's window. Over come by love, Romeo responds that he will stay with Juliet, and that he does not care whether the Prince's men kill him" Romeo doesn't care what will happen to him, as he is deeply in love with Juliet and will do anything for her. "Romeo and Juliet tearfully part. Romeo climbs out of the window, standing in the orchard below her window, Romeo promises Juliet that they will see one another again, but Juliet responds that he appears pale, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Romeo answers that, to him, she appear the same way, and that it is only sorrow that makes them both look pale. Romeo hurries away as Juliet pulls in the ladder and begs fate to bring him back to her quickly". The love they have is a secret Juliet doesn't want her parents to know about this. They cannot wait to meet one another again. Romeo and Juliet are deeply in love, but are they in love? or do they think there in love as they had only met days ago.
It was fate that they would meet and had fallen in love and then die for each other. Fates made them together as well as end their lives.
Nurse
The Nurses love for Juliet is like motherly love. She cares for Juliet, and has brought her up since a little child. She understands how Juliet feels and thinks. For Juliet's happiness she even helped her get married to Romeo in secret. The Nurse will do anything for Juliet, that she even lied to her and told her that if she married Paris they would be a better match and that Romeo was good as dead.
Capulet
Capulet is a powerful man, he has a powerful appearance as in the way he talks to people (how he respects them and disrespects them) to the way he dresses.
As a father he wishes to see his daughter Juliet happy and will do anything for her. He is harsh on Juliet by forcing her to get married to Paris, but he wants her to get married to Paris because he thinks that he will keep her happy. As being such a powerful man he thinks that Juliet will do anything that he tells her to do, but doesn't realise that Juliet goes against his will. My opinion on Capulet is that he is a very bossy man and commands to many things without thinking how the other person feels and what say they have and how they feel.
Lady Capulet
Lady Capulet is a very caring person and as a mother she also wants Juliet to be happy and wants her to marry Paris. She also feels the Paris will give Juliet all the love and happiness. Lady Capulet gave birth to Juliet almost around the same age, she thinks its time for Juliet to get married and start a family. In act 3, scene 5 Lady Capulet has changed, she doesn't care weather Juliet wants to marry Paris or not. She goes to Juliet in the early hours in the morning to tell her that she will be getting married to Paris on Thursday, explaining that she wishes to make her happy. Lady Capulet has no choice; she has to get Juliet married to Paris in order for her to forget about Romeo. My point of view on Lady Capulet is that if she had the choice she would let Juliet get married to Romeo, but to be with Capulet she has to trust and obey him.
I think that the play Romeo and Juliet is a great play it tells people that you can not choose who you fall in love with, and that other people especially family and friends shouldn't go against your will and should support you. If you have an enemy (like how the Montagues and Capulets were) you shouldn't drag your family, friends, and the village into it and should try to solve the differences and the problems that you have. Romeo and Juliet is a romantic play and that fate made them meet and end their lives together. Juliet's parents don't wish to listen to what she has to say, so she has the power to take her own life. Romeo decides to take his life because he wished to stay with Juliet and no one else. If Juliet had listened to her parents and got married to Paris there would have been no death. They play makes you think why anyone doesn’t listen to anyone's thoughts, and why actions are made before thinking and then later regretting.