Comparing Relationships in Romeo and Juliet and Great Expectations

Lady Capulet's inattentiveness and neglect for Juliet is why she is viewed as a poor mother figure. We can see from the story that she does

At the outset, when Capulet is talking about marriage proposals to Paris, he shows his fatherly love and concern for his daughter and her happiness. He doesn’t want to marry her off too early, or force her to marry someone that she doesn’t like. He conveys this by saying, “Earth hath swallowed all my hoped but she… woo her gentle Paris, and her consent is but a part.” This shows that Capulet cares about Juliet because she is the only hope that he has left. He tells Paris to “woo her gently” and not to push, or pressurise Juliet into marrying him, this shows his concern about her. In addition to that, Capulet tells Paris that Juliet’s “consent is but a part” which shows his consideration and trust in Juliet, that she is allowed to have her say in the marriage and that he trusts her to choose the right husband. He also doesn’t want her to marry at such a young age; this is made clear when he says “let two more summers wither in their pride

he is later in the play. He thinks that Juliet is too young and if she

book and that Paris is the book". This shows the love of one parent to

However, an Elizabethan audience would see Capulet and Paris as caring and protective of Juliet. ‘Younger than she are happy mother’s made.’ This shows how hasty and devoted Paris is in having Juliet’s hand in marriage, but Capulet is caring towards Juliet and wants to wait for Juliet to make her decision. ‘The Earth hath swallow’d all my hopes but she, she is the hopeful lady of my Earth:’ Shakespeare uses a metaphor to portray how much he cares about Juliet and how dear she is to him. This would make sense because the infant mortality rate was high in Elizabethan times; on the other hand, what would be a shock to the Elizabethan audience is that Capulet sympathises with Juliet’s feelings. ‘But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,’ This can be seen as somewhat of a choice since Capulet delays the wedding due to the fact that he wants Juliet to become fond of Paris.

In Act 1, scene ii. Capulet appeared to be a kind hearted man and he defers to Juliet’s ability to choose for herself, “My will to her concent is but a part” (I.ii.15). Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet also has an influence over Juliet and her life and puts pressure on Juliet to marry Paris (the suitor that her father picked for her to marry). Juliet admits the power of the influence of her parents when she says of Paris, “I look to like, looking liking move; / But no more deep will I endart mine eye / Than your consent gives strength to fly” (I.iii.100-101). The specter of parental influence is very evident in this scene and it shows the influence of the society that they lived in.

Even though Lord Capulet, from the play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, is trying to do what he thinks is best for Juliet, Lord Capulet starts off as a loving and caring father but slowly graduates into an ignorant and insensitive father because when confronted by Paris, Lord Capulet tells him that Juliet is too young to marry and that in a few years, if she says yes, then it is possible. When Tybalt dies, Capulet moves up the wedding to the upcoming Thursday without Juliet's consent. Lord Capulet loves his daughter but does not know much about her true thoughts or feelings. Because of his ignorance towards her feelings, Juliet starts to resent her father and becomes a disobedient and dishonest daughter. Capulet

Lord Capulet and Paris have some similar opinions of Juliet's marriage and so do Romeo and Friar which also influenced the end of the story negatively. Capulet thinks that Juliet should be married to Paris and Paris agrees with him. “But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart” (1.2.16) and Paris says “Younger than she are happy mothers made” (1.2.12). This means that Capulet is encouraging Paris to get Juliet’s heart and Paris influences him by telling him younger woman than her are married and happy mothers. This determines that the two of them want Juliet to get married to Paris because Capulet tells

Juliet and her father definitely had different ideas about her future relationships in this play. Back in that time period, the father of the family was the one who made important decisions for their children, which included who his daughter was allowed to get married to, even if they opposed their preference. So, in the play, Lord Capulet gives his approval to a man named Paris to marry his daughter because he had a promising future and was very prosperous and could provide Juliet with anything she might require. Although she had this option of spouse, she chose

Lord Capulet does love Juliet but he thinks of himself as the dominant figure. Which is how it would have been as the fathers did tend to take the dominant figure of the family. It is a very unequal relationship.

At first, Lord Capulet wants Juliet to decide if she wants Paris. Then later, Capulet wants cheer Juliet up, after her cousin Tybalt dies. He decides to arrange a marriage between her and Paris. Juliet is actually more upset over her husband, Romeo, for being banished. Later, Lady Capulet breaks the news to Juliet about her marriage to Paris and Juliet is very unhappy. Lady Capulet tells Lord Capulet about her reaction and he gets very angry. Capulet gets into a big argument with Juliet. He threatens Juliet that she will marry Paris or die on the streets ( Act III, Scene V, Lines 160 - 195). Juliet’s parents and even her servant, who helped marry Romeo, really want her to marry Paris. Juliet, becoming desperate to stop her marriage, goes to Friar Lawrence and they make up a risky plan. This plan ultimately leads to her and Romeo’s

Lord Capulet is forcing Juliet to get married and doesn’t take into consideration that Juliet doesn’t desire to get married. Lord Capulet conversed to Paris, “ . . . Thursday tell her, she shall be married to this noble earl” (Shakespeare 198). Lord Capulet is indubitable for wanting Juliet ot get married, and arranges the wedding, as she is unaware of this. He plans the wedding thinking it will assist her from her grief of Tybalt dying, but he doesn’t know that for certain, and is planning something that will greatly affect her future, without her consent. Furthermore, this quote shows that when Juliet gave an ixnay on why she did not aspire to marry Paris, Capulet belabored her until she was on the ground crying asking for the nurses aid. Lord Capulet explains to Juliet, “But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next, go with Paris to Saint Peters Church or I will drag thee on a hurdle*” (Shakespeare 214). This proves Capulet wants nothing more for his daughter than to get married to Paris, and it shows the extent he will go to, to receive his wish. Overall, Lord and Lady Capulet want Juliet to get married to Paris more than she wants to. This shows they don’t mind if she’s happy or not, as long as they get what they want. This goes deeper into the accusation that Juliet’s parents are at fault for the adolescents

In the Elizabethan era, children of the high class were expected to obey without question. There was no free will to make their own decisions about their own lives. Few had experiences relating to romance before marriage. They were expected to grow up, get married, get their money, have kids, pass it on, and carry on in the cycle. Juliet’s parents say that she should give her consent to marrying. Marrying Paris would increase their wealth and raise their social status in society. Lady Capulet says of Paris, “…And what obscur’d in this fair volume lies /Find written in the margent of his eyes,/ This precious book of love, this unbound lover, / to beautify him only lacks a cover.” Besides describing his beauty, she also concludes with “So shall you share all that he doth possess by having him making yourself no less.” This means that

The parents of Juliet, Capulet and Lady Capulet, are one of many who contributed to evitable end of her daughter. The father opted for a sudden decision of marriage of Juliet and the County Paris, despite the fact that Capulet’s attitude toward his daughter’s marriage altered dramatically from the start of the play. Capulet claimed to support his daughter’s choice of who to marry, since he did not want her marriage to result like his own, dreadful; however, when times are getting dreary Juliet’s father impulsive declaration to marry her daughter to his desire without any say, “Sir Paris I will make a desperate tender/Of my child’s hand, I believe she will be ruled/In all respect my me” (3.4.12-14). Capulet felt that Juliet was a mere possession he could control without discussing or giving

As a woman, Lady Capulet can relate to how Juliet feels when she is told she is to marry Paris. However, as a wife, she cannot voice an opinion of who or when Juliet is to marry. She is experienced, and asks Juliet, "Speak briefly: can you like of Paris’ love" (1.3.98). Because she is the caretaker, she respects Juliet’s feelings, but she can do nothing, even if Juliet does not learn to love Paris. Perhaps she asks this question because her own mother never asked it. She may want to know her daughter’s opinion, because until a woman is married, she has all the rights of a man according to Pitt. However, the father ruled over his daughter, and it was virtually impossible to remain unmarried while the father held all the decision making (14).