The Parent and Child Relationships of Act 3 Scene 5 in Romeo and Juliet

Family life in 1595 was very different to family life today. The father was the head of the household; he made all the decisions and had complete control over everyone in the family especially the women. This included his wife, his daughters, his sisters and his mother. The women were totally obedient to him and obedience and respect was expected. The women of the family could not give their voice or opinion and if they disobeyed the law of the father could be disowned and would have nowhere to go and would have to beg, starve and die on the streets. There was no divorcing if life got unbearable. The understanding of the values people lived by during this time is important in understanding the play. It was assumed that the father had complete control and so the events in the play would not be shocking to the audience in Shakespeare’s’ time but they would understand the situation. Today women have a much more respected role in family life and contribute equally in all areas. Their role in family life is very different today. Their voice and opinion are assumed to be a part of the family life and such attitudes in the play would not be tolerated. An audience watching Romeo and Juliet today would find attitudes in Shakespeare’s time shocking and unacceptable.

In Romeo and Juliet the story is about forbidden love between two feuding families. Juliet’s father expects Juliet to obey him and marry someone that he has chosen her to marry. But Juliet is already in love with Romeo, but Romeo has been banished for killing Tybalt-Juliet’s cousin, and she does not want to marry her father’s choice of husband. She knows that disobedience would lead to her being disowned. The father and daughter relationship is typical of this time period. It was expected that a daughter obeyed her father and disobeying would bring trouble upon her. The audience of that time would understand this so many would not sympathise with the daughter.

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In Act 3 Scene 5 Juliet's mother enters her bedroom. They talk about their misery over the dead Tybalt. Her mother tells Juliet of her father's plans to make her feel better, to have her marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet refuses this idea. Her father enters her bedroom and says that he feels Juliet is not grateful for what he has done. He threatens to disown her if she does not obey him and marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet pleads with him, but he is very angry. The nurse tries to stick up for Juliet, but Capulet silences her. In Act 3 Scene 5 you can see the kind of parent/child relationship, which would have existed in 1595 where the father expected complete obedience. The audience of that time would accept that kind role of the father and would not find it unreasonable or overly strict. His control over the nurse is also part of the expected roles at that time and would not have got a bad reaction from the audience.

One quote that shows a parent/child relationship is, “Your lady mother is coming to your chamber: The day is broke; be wary, look about.” This parent/child relationship is between Juliet and the Nurse, this shows a close relationship between Juliet and the Nurse because the Nurse is warning Juliet that her mother is coming up to her bedroom. The nurse knows that if Juliet is found with Romeo there will be a lot of trouble for her and wants to protect her from this by alerting her.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s father, Capulet expects a lot of gratitude and to be obeyed by his daughter this is shown through the quote, “Doth she not count her blest, Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought So worthy a gentleman to be her bridegroom?” Capulet thinks that Juliet should show gratitude for her father finding her a husband. Capulet doesn’t get the gratitude that he wants so he gets angry. This shows how much he expects to be obeyed even though it is against his daughter’s wishes. The audience of today would consider this to be very harsh and cruel.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet expects total obedience from Juliet. This is shown through the line “To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church, Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.” This shows that Capulet is angry and that he will not take not for an answer. This also shows a negative Parent/Child because Capulet is forcing Juliet to do something that she does not want to do, which changes her whole life.

Juliet’s father, Capulet gets very angry with Juliet and curses her. This is shown when Lord Capulet says, “out, you green-sickness carrion! Out you baggage! You tallow-face!” This shows that Lord Capulet is so angry that he is cursing Juliet for not marrying the person that he wants her to marry. In noble families in 1595 this marriage arrangement was expected and would not have surprised the audience. But now people do not have to marry people who their parents choose and they have a choice themselves, except in some countries.

Juliet pleads with her father with the words “Good father, I beseech you on my knees, Hear me with patience but to speak a word,” but she has no control over her father and his decision. This situation would not occur today as grown children choose their own husbands or wives. Parents can offer advice but do not have the final say in choice of marriage partner.

In the play Juliet’s father is getting angrier with her. This is shown by the quote “Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch” This shows a very bad parent/child relationship, because Capulet is telling his daughter to go hang, so he is therefore telling her to go off and die. Also in this verse Capulet orders Juliet to obey him this is shown through the line, “I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, or never after look me in the face.” Capulet is saying that if Juliet does not do what she is told then he does not want anything to do with her, also Capulet is threatening Juliet because that’s the way that he thinks that he can get Juliet to do what he wants. This shows an extremely bad Parent/Child relationship. Also in the same verse Capulet is regretting having Juliet, this is shown when he says “But now I see this one is one too much, and that we have a curse in having her.” Capulet considers himself to be cursed for having a disobedient daughter and having her was a burden they did not want. Also this shows to be a bad Parent/Child relationship because Capulet is saying that he does not want Juliet.

When the Nurse says, “god in heaven bless her!” the Nurse is pleading on Juliet’s behalf. Also that quote shows us that the Nurse cares for Juliet. This shows that the Nurse is supporting her and also the quote shows a strong bond between her and Juliet. This is an example of a good Parent/Child relationship, and it is how parents would be expected to behave today.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, Capulet threatens to throw Juliet out of the house if she doesn’t marry Paris. This is shown through the line, “you shall not house with me” If Juliet doesn’t marry Paris she will be thrown out of the house and will have nowhere to go. This shows how a difficult Parent/Child relationship could develop in that time era. Capulet does not care for what Juliet wants to do, and if she does not do what he wants Capulet he will disown her and have nothing to do with her.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, Capulet does not seem to care for Juliet at all. This is shown through the quote, “And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets. Capulet is saying that he wouldn’t mind if Juliet died. This quote shows an extremely bad Parent/Child relationship. This is ironic because later on in the play when Juliet eventually does die, Capulet and Lady Capulet where weeping and saying that Juliet was an excellent daughter. This shows that they were a bit harsh on their daughter and should of listened more.

In the Quote “O, sweet mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month, a week” Juliet is pleading with her mother, however her mother is subordinate and supportive to her husband and replies “Talk not to me, for I will not speak a word; Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” This shows that Juliet’s disobedience has led to her mother disowning her as well. Today an audience would think that would be a shocking thing to do.

Throughout the play of Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare shows a number of dramatic ironies, for example, Juliet’s mother does not know that Juliet is married to Romeo while the audience does. This is shown through the quote by Juliet “Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss”. This shows dramatic irony because Juliet’s mother thinks she is talking about her dead cousin, Tybalt, but really she is talking about Romeo being banished.

In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s family would seem like a normal family in 1595 because Juliet’s acted like most fathers acted back then. He was very controlling, strict and authorative. This shows that families back in 1595 where a lot more strict than families nowadays. Juliet’s mother was subordinate to Lord Capulet this means that she did everything he said and totally respected him. Juliet respected her parents but some times disobeyed them. In back then people would of considered Juliet to be a bad, disobedient child, where as now people would of seen that as normal. Also nowadays the mother would have had more of a fair share in authority and would not have to do everything the farther says.

The parent-child relationships in this play were terrible. The lack of understanding on both parent and child caused serious problems. Juliet would have been aware that her relationship with Romeo was completely wrong under the circumstances and would provoke a lot of anger. Her father was too rigid in his role of father. He had no compassion or understanding for his daughter’s feelings. His role of been the head of the family was taken to extremes. The result was a breakdown of parent and child relationship. Shakespeare might of chosen to write about parent and child relationships because he might have had a bad relationship with his parents and he is showing his feelings through his writing.