Question

Secondary characters impact Juliet through their views on love and their resulting expectations for Juliet. What does love and marriage seem to mean to Lord Capulet? How do his views impact Juliet? In the space below, write a 150-word response analyzing Lord Capulet’s significance in shaping Juliet’s future as a wife. Use at least three references to the text in support of your analysis.

Answer 1

Lord Capulet views marriage as a bargain, a contract, and a way to increase his family's standing in the community. Since Paris is a cousin of the Prince, Capulet believes that this marriage will bring honor and status to the Capulet family. He probably has the intention of using this to assert dominance over the Montagues. When describing Paris to Juliet he says he is "A gentleman of noble parentage / Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly train'd" (Act 3, Scene 5). This shows that his main focus is Paris's status, rather than how he would actually be as a match for Juliet. 

Capulet does not even think of what Juliet might want, he says to Paris "I think she will be ruled / In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not" (Act 3, Scene 4). This shows that he just assumes Juliet will agree to marry Paris because he said so. When she refuses, he reacts very badly. He says that if she does not agree to the wedding, she can "hang, beg, starve, die in
the streets, / For, by my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee" (Act 3, Scene 5). This shows the lengths he is willing to go to to punish Juliet if she does not agree, which reinforces his idea of marriage as a contractual agreement rather than something that is developed out of love.