In the play Capulet wants Juliet to have a good life Essay

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic 16th century Shakespearean love story set in the Italian city of Verona. The life of a father and daughter in our lifetime at the moment would vary considerably from the one Capulet and Juliet lead in the play. In the 16th century women were expected to do many things for men. Men’s expectations for women in the 16th century were that they cleaned the house looked after the children and were treated as second class citizens. Men expected women to obey them and do anything they say if the women disobeyed the men they would subject to punishment in the version of getting hit in those days because there wasn’t strict law and order in those days. So if a women married a man they would become the sole property of their husband. In the 16th century the father was the man of the household who would finalise everything. When they’re daughter was around 14 the father would chose who she would be married to, but as in the play some daughters didn’t feel that their fathers choice was correct and if they turned down his offer they would also be subject to punishment. The rejection of their father’s choice would also make their fathers feel hurt because his daughter had rejected his offer of happiness, the father also feels that his daughter is not proud of her parents and doesn’t thank them. In the play Capulet wants Juliet to have a good life and thinks he’s chosen the right type of man for his daughter . He believes that Paris will give her a stable life. Increase the reputation of his family because Paris has class and is a well-known celebrity who when people know he is part of the Capulet clan and Capulet’s son in law they will like Capulet better. As well as that and the money that Paris earns he believes that Paris is a respectable man of society. That he will also take care of his daughter, e. g. if she is sad he will make her happy and comfort her if she is scared, he will make her feel safe and secure in her home and environment. So all in all he thinks that he has chosen a peach of a man who is respected in aspects of his criteria for his daughter. I believe that in the play Capulet wants his daughter to marry Paris because he feels out of love for his daughter that he has found the right person for his daughter who will take care of her and tend to her when she is sick. Plus love her like he does, but as well as this he also chose Paris who is a very wealthy and popular well-known business man, rather than that his family is at war with the Montague family and would like a celebrity backing to increase his chance of winning. Capulet feels it is tradition at the time for him to select supposedly the lucky man to marry his daughter and when he does this he also expects Juliet to be pleased that he has chosen her such an admirable husband. He hopes that Juliet will feel the same way he does and that it is someone who will care for her and make sure she is given the best love and affection around. In parts of Romeo and Juliet you see the examples of Capulet being a loving and caring father. One of these parts is in Act 1, Scene 2, line 7-11 when Capulet says † My child is yet a stranger in the world, she has not seen the change of 14 years, let two more summers wither in her pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride†. This shows that he is loving because he is saying to Paris she is only young and just turned 14 give her two more years and you can marry her. Although he says this to Paris when his daughter disagrees with his choice he doesn’t accept her reason or anything he just keeps having a go at her. Whatever reason Juliet gives her father will not accept her reason and keeps forcing her to chose Paris. In conclusion I believe that in the 16th century daughter, father relationships were very different from nowadays. Nowadays the daughter has the freedom to do as she pleases apart from in some certain religions where the marriage is organised between 2 people before they can walk. So in most of the world today women have a free right but in some areas they have stuck to the old fashion way of arrange marriages.