What does Shakespeare show us about Father Daughter relationships?

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What does Shakespeare show us about Father Daughter relationships?

Relationships have played a crucial role throughout our history. One of the most important being the relationship between a father and his daughter.

They are still brought to our attention today in society. You only have to switch on your television to a soap opera to witness a father daughter relationship. They often form a stereotypical father daughter relationship of an over protective father and a timid and complacent daughter. It’s amazing to think that even in Shakespearean times father daughter relationships were still as important however due to modern civil rights and equality for all, some of the significance is lost on a modern audience.

One of the more obvious points Shakespeare shows in Romeo and Juliet is that in their time Daughters were not considered as important as men in society. This is shown when Paris asks Capulet if he can marry Juliet. If Juliet was considered as important then Paris would have asked her to marry him not asked her father. This is also shown when Capulet over reacts when Juliet refuses to marry Paris. He becomes unreasonable and verbally bullies Juliet

“Hang thee young baggage, disobedient wretch!…

My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blessed

That god had sent us but this only child;

But now I see this one is too much,

And that we have a curse in having her.

Out on her, hilding”

Capulet becomes abusive and embarrassed at Juliet because she is refusing to agree with him. However it is not just that she’s arguing with him; in Act1 Scene5 when Tybalt spots Romeo at the Capulet party he goes straight to Capulet and tells him he’s going to have a fight with Romeo. When Tybalt disagrees with Capulet, Capulet does not get violent he just tells Tybalt not to do anything, he does not threaten Tybalt as he does Juliet . This again proves that because Juliet is a woman and she is publicly disagreeing with her father Capulet tries to regain his status as the leader but fails miserably and just makes himself appear unreasonable and he loses the readers respect. This shows that there was a different relationship between fathers and nephews then fathers and daughters . It seems that it was acceptable for men to question other men but women had to do as they were told.

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The reason this argument comes as a shock to the readers is because in Act1 Scene2 Capulet tells Paris to wait for one more year and make Juliet fall in love with him and then he can marry Juliet. Ultimately Capulet is saying it’s up to Juliet this shows how much he loves her and just wants the best for her.

 This is seen as strange for that period of history because daughters were seen as a possession for their fathers to do with as they please. Capulet would have been expected to give Paris an answer, not ...

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