William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

In Romeo and Juliet, the characters of both Juliet and her father,

Lord Capulet, and their relationship is very much affected by not only

the way in which each character conducts themselves, but also by

prominent views of the public, such as the role of women in society

and patriarchy. Through their relationship, Shakespeare explores many

emotions, and allows himself to develop and change their relationship

throughout the play. It can also be seen that their relationship

changes as a result of many personality changes within both father and

daughter.

At first, it can be seen that Lord Capulet is quite a warm father

figure, protective of Juliet and considerate of her feelings. In Act

1, Scene 2, Paris makes his desire to marry Juliet known to Lord

Capulet. To Paris’s request, Capulet replies “Let two more summers

wither in their pride/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” From

Capulet’s reply, it can be seen that Capulet feels Juliet is too young

to marry. This shows the audience Capulet’s sense of fatherly love and

protectiveness towards Juliet, as he wants Juliet to stay his, even

though “Younger than she are happy mothers made.” This is Paris’s

response to Capulet’s remark, which shows his determination to win

over Lord Capulet, thus winning Juliet. Capulet, however, remains

adamant that he cannot agree for Juliet to marry Paris, as he says

that it is not entirely up to him. He also wants to make sure that

Paris’s love for Juliet is strong. Capulet even encourages Paris to

look at other girls at his party that night, which shows that he does

not even try to “save” Paris for Juliet,...

... middle of paper ...

...on to the fateful news from the Prince. Although he is offering

his friendship to Montague, and not money, it seems like he is making

a business deal with Capulet, even after all the woe that both their

families have seen.

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare develops a relationship between the

characters of Juliet and Lord Capulet which changes fervently during

the play. At times, it seems as though the character of Lord Capulet

can be quite selfish, and Juliet develops significantly as the play

goes on. The changing relationship between father and daughter varies

dramatically, yet we still see Lord Capulet maintaining a fatherly

role throughout the play. This paternal role is completely restored

when Capulet offers to make amends, and although he and Juliet have

their differences, there is still a rapport between them.