English Coursework
Part A
The tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet" is the result of feuding between two families of great nobility in Verona. Romeo and Juliet have to keep their love secret from their families because it would cause an uproar and more disturbance due to the ongoing feud between the two families. This suggests that their relationship with their parents is quite distant and secretive as they are able to have a discrete relationship whilst their parents are none the wiser. Relationships between parents and children during the Elizabethan era at which time the play is set were very different from today, particularly in wealthy and powerful families. Most parents would be too busy to spend time with their children so they would have someone to do it for them e.g. a nurse. This was due to the parents being upper class citizens so they would care very much about their social status and sometimes even more than they do about their children. Children from wealthy families were often brought up by a 'wet nurse', whose job was to act as a mother towards the child and cherish the as if they were their own flesh and blood. This was because the child's parents would be too involved with society to have time to spend with their child so they hire someone to do their mothering for them.
Throughout the duration of the play, Romeo is never seen with his parents. This suggests that Romeo and his parents are quite distant and he is given the freedom of independence. In act one scene one Montague says that Romeo has been seen alone many mornings crying tears onto the morning dew and making cloudy days cloudier with his sighs. He says this in the following quote:
Part A
The tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet" is the result of feuding between two families of great nobility in Verona. Romeo and Juliet have to keep their love secret from their families because it would cause an uproar and more disturbance due to the ongoing feud between the two families. This suggests that their relationship with their parents is quite distant and secretive as they are able to have a discrete relationship whilst their parents are none the wiser. Relationships between parents and children during the Elizabethan era at which time the play is set were very different from today, particularly in wealthy and powerful families. Most parents would be too busy to spend time with their children so they would have someone to do it for them e.g. a nurse. This was due to the parents being upper class citizens so they would care very much about their social status and sometimes even more than they do about their children. Children from wealthy families were often brought up by a 'wet nurse', whose job was to act as a mother towards the child and cherish the as if they were their own flesh and blood. This was because the child's parents would be too involved with society to have time to spend with their child so they hire someone to do their mothering for them.
Throughout the duration of the play, Romeo is never seen with his parents. This suggests that Romeo and his parents are quite distant and he is given the freedom of independence. In act one scene one Montague says that Romeo has been seen alone many mornings crying tears onto the morning dew and making cloudy days cloudier with his sighs. He says this in the following quote:
