Capulet's Treatment of Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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Capulet's Treatment of Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

During the time that Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet, the

roles of people in society and the family were very different.

Men were superior to women in every way; the father had full control

over every aspect of his marriage and family. Children, especially

girls, would have been expected to everything their father bid them –

from chores to marrying a suitable husband.

Men controlled every aspect of his family. He also owned everything

his wife owned. Legally women had the legal status of a modern infant

– it was practically impossible for a women to get a divorce since the

Church also favoured men, plus it was practically unheard of in them

times.

This is far different from a modern Western society, where all

people’s opinions and social wealth are considered equally valuable;

and everyone has freedom of speech and choice, even children (though

to a lesser extent.)

The principles of marriage are also far different now than in

Shakespearian times. Now, the man and woman have equal say in marriage

but in back then, as in some modern Eastern cultures, the father

decide if the woman would marry, and who to. They were more interested

in the wealth and respectability of a husband than the daughter’s

happiness. Their idea of a happy marriage would be that the woman

would learn to love the husband.

Is it very important for a modern audience, who wish to get a deeper

understanding of Shakespeare’s scenes and characters, to understand

the society of Romeo and Juliet. Otherwise, unwillingly, the audience

may unfairly judge a character.

They may see a character’s actions as unreasonable, as they would be

considered in a modern society, when in fact they may have been

perfectly reasonable in Shakespearean times. Thus, it is important to

take these social differences into account – especially as the light

in which Lord Capulet is seen throughout the play could dramatically

change.

Juliet’s father Lord Capulet is portrayed early on in the play as a

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