“But for the sunset of my brother’s son
It rains downright.”
Lady Capulet first informs her husband of Juliet’s refusal.
Disobeying his commands provokes Capulet to release his anger
to be and throw it at Juliet, acting as a ferocious tyrant!
He uses ‘she’ to name Juliet which clearly shows his anger and
seriousness or the situation. Capulet seems to think Juliet is not
grateful for the great things he has done for his daughter in the
past, which is evidenced in;
“Doth she not give us thanks?
Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blest?”
The stage is now set for tragedy.
“Soft, take me with you, take me with you, wife.
How? Will she none?”
Capulet’s first response leads us to a hint of his increase in
anger. He is about to release a repeat of many spiteful
imperatives, and refers to his wife, in asking her to pull him
away from Juliet as he may do something he’d regret later.
Capulet in act one scene four may clearly be called a caring,
human father in this scene as he insists that Juliet is too young to
be a bride at thirteen years old,
“My child is yet a stranger in the world
Let two more summers wither in their pride
Then we think her ripe to be a bride.”
Capulet’s behaviour changes dramatically and we are shocked
and appalled to see his mind changes so rapidly and finds it fit
to hasten Juliet’s maturity at thirteen years of age. He speaks of
Juliet as thou she is just another item in his position and feels he
has the authority and power, to do as he wills and chose his own
groom for Juliet. His soul concern is a socially, acceptable
marriage which will improve the status and wealth of the
Capulet family. This is indicated by:
“Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender
Of my child’s love. I think she will be ruled
In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not.”
How is Shakespeare going to deal with the event when Capulet
changes his mind? Why did he change his mind in a few days?
Tybalt’s recent death has clearly something to do with his mind,
or is Capulet doing to his to make himself more known and
popular.
“But fettle your fine joints ‘against Thursdays next”
He is speaking to her in a mocking and domineering tone, and
makes use of animal imagery to add further insults towards
Juliet.
“My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blest
That God had lent us but this only child;
But now I see this one is one too much,
And that we have a curse in having her.
Out on her, hilding.”
He is threatening to disown his own and only daughter as
though she is again just another of his belongings and feels he
may do as he pleases!
“Out you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage!
You tallow-face!”
He hurls insults at just, one after another, which are completely
incongruous to the earlier Capulet. This is more evidence that
Capulet is an abusive, authentic, patriarchal tyrant.
“An you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend
An you be not, Hang! Beg! Starve! Die in the Streets!”
For by my soul, I’ll never acknowledge thee.”
A series of imperatives are used here to intensify Capulet’s rage
and violence. Capulet is a very hard man to predict as he has
many erratic and uncalled for mood swings. He is in an outraged
fury and is not forsworn to break an oath with Paris, an will not
take no for an answer from Juliet or she will have nothing to do
with him for the rest of her life!
“And yet not proud? Mistress minon you”
This intimidating scene causes us to believe in different
opinions in whether this is still the same Capulet who appeared
only 36 hours earlier.
Clearly Shakespeare intentions is to view Capulet as a
Patriarchal, scheming, compulsive, bully, that only cares for
himself and his family name, even if it means he has to sacrifice
his own daughter!
In act one scene two, I assumed Capulet to be a gentle caring,
protective father, as a father should be to his child. Thou in act
three scene five, it is made clear that Capulet is defiantly not the
gentle man that he is made out to be. Instead he is crude and
violent towards his daughter, after saying he finds her to be too
young to be getting married at her age, and in all the spite has
the nerves to turn it around and use her age as an insult!
I am left with only one explanation which is a bully which only
cares for his own welfare while showing a cruel and reckless
nature towards his only daughter from a dominant force which
propelled Capulet with parental possessiveness and power!
