Juliet and Lord Capulet: A Complex Relationship

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How does Shakespeare present the relationship between Juliet and Lord Capulet? The father-child relationship between Lord Capulet and Juliet is a very strong one; during the beginning of the play Capulet is seen as a caring and protective father who wants what is best for his daughter. Shakespeare uses many techniques to present the relationship between Capulet and Juliet; the most common technique he uses is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is utilized to develop tension within the audience; this tension builds up to the climax in Act 3 Scene 5 which is a turning point in their relationship. In the prologue, we are introduced to two families who are ‘both alike in dignity’ in ‘fair Verona.’ Shakespeare uses a prologue to give a brief summary of the story; it is written as a sonnet as a means of appealing to the Elizabethan audience. ‘A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.’ He uses ‘star-crossed lovers’ to introduce us to themes of love and relationship; furthermore he uses words such as ‘ancient grudge’, ‘civil blood’ and ‘death-marked love’ to present themes of violence and tragedy. In the prologue, it illustrates that the two families are in a ‘grudge’. Shakespeare uses ‘death-marked love’ to foretell the death of the children, who are in love, from the two families; besides that it reveals that the children are in love as a sign of rebellion, this demonstrates that the parents have authority over their children. In Act 1 Scene 2 we are introduced to Lord Capulet and Paris. Capulet is a typical Elizabethan father who is in control of his daughter. The pair are discussing Juliet’s future without her being on stage; this would have more of an impact on the modern audience because in modern day we would expect peo... ... middle of paper ... ...to divulge the feeling of a calm before a storm; this could be an oxymoron due to the fact that he is conferring about Tybalt’s death in a pleasurable manner. Subsequently, Capulet enquires to his wife if she has delivered the ‘decree’. ‘Have you delivered our decree?’ He uses the word ‘decree’ to show his authority as a man and that he has jurisdiction over his wife and daughter. Consequently, when Capulet discovers Juliet refuses to marry Paris his frightening demeanour comes to surface and he explodes into a towering rage, also to add fuel to the fire Lady Capulet encourages his initiative. ‘Fie, fie, what, are you mad?’ The general audience would think this to be peculiar because mothers usually tend to try and resolve conflict; however Lady Capulet supports Lord Capulet in his argument, this demonstrates how deficient Juliet’s relationship with her mother is.

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