Romeo and Juliet - Are Lord and Lady Capulet good parents?

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Romeo and Juliet - Are Lord and Lady Capulet good parents?

Ideas of good parenting have dramatically changed from the 16th century to the 21st century.

The ways in which Juliet acts and speaks through the play show us how the parent - child relationship worked in the 16th century.

Juliet, at the beginning, is very obedient to her parents. She addresses her mother as ‘Madam’ (P63 Line 6), which is very formal. Today, we address our mothers as ‘Mum’. ‘Mother’ would be the most formal word that we use today. ‘Madam’ implies a distance between them but also shows how Juliet thinks her mother as important to her.

However, Juliet addresses her father as ‘father’, which would imply that he is closer to his daughter than his wife is. In Act 1 Scene 2, Lord Capulet has the interview with Paris where he asks for Juliet’s hand in marriage. At first he refuses because he feels she would be “too soon married…she hath not yet seen the change of 14 years” (P57, Line 9). Capulet knows the age of his daughter whereas Lady Capulet had to ask the nurse, which again implies how Juliet is possibly closer to her father. He seems to be a generally easy-going man; but we know from Act 1 Scene 5 that Capulet can lose his temper very quickly when defied (here by Tybalt). I believe that from him getting angry and because he doesn’t like to be defied, he thinks highly of himself.

We first meet Lady Capulet in Act 1 Scene 3 where she abruptly proposes the idea that Juliet marries Paris. Juliet is willing to “look to like” at Paris, but at this stage is happy to remain obedient to her parents who will “endart [her] eye/[no more deep than her mother’s] consent gives strength to make it fly.” (P69, Lines 97/9).

Juliet speaks very politely to her mother (P67, Line 65) and in the quote above is saying that she will not fall in love until her mother tells her to. This is complete obedience; however, Juliet believes she can control her emotions whereas we know that we cannot help whom we fall in love with. The thought at the base of this image is of Cupid shooting his arrow at a target, refusing to be controlled. Later on in the play, Juliet’s love and obedience for her parents becomes consumed in her greater love for Romeo. Her passion for Romeo is as sudden as his for hers. The obedient child who told her parents she would “endart [her] eye” (P96, Line 97) no further than she had permission to, now calls out and longs for Romeo, (though unaware of his presence) and says [she] will no longer be a Capulet (P97, Line 36).

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Where we can see that Juliet wishes to marry for love; “If that thy bent of love be honourable,/Thy purpose marriage…” (P103, Line 143/4); her mother shares a different view on the ideal marriage. Lady Capulet in her proposition to Juliet about Paris says, “So shall you share all that he doth possess” (P69, Line 93). This implies (along with many other parts of her speech) that Lady Capulet sees marriage as sharing wealth and possessions rather than love. By suggesting the idea that Juliet marries Paris, makes Lady Capulet seem concerned for Juliet’s welfare that she will have ...

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