Parental Relationships Flashcards
Nurse tells long story about Juliet being weaned and bumping her head as a child in our first encounter with her
PRESENTS the close maternal bond she shares with Juliet and her involvement in raising Juliet as a child- She speaks EFFUSIVELY
“thou wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed”
Intimate and loving attitude of the nurse towards Juliet
“thou wast…
…the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed”
Lady Capulet speaks extensively about Paris while the nurse speaks extensively about Juliet in the first scene where we meet all three
SHAKESPEARE CREATES this CONTRAST to presents lady Capulet as non- maternal and possibly hint that she loves Paris or is interested in marrying Juliet off while not feeling any feelings of sorrow.
Montague calls Romeo a “bud bit with an envious worm” because He is forlorn in act 1
Intimate and tender imagery used by a father to describe his son- Could suggest Montague really cares for Romeo
“bud…
…bit with an envious worm”
Montague claims he has tried to figure out why Romeo is so forlorn in act 1 but to no avail yet when Benvolio tries to find out why, he finds out almost instantly
COULD be a way used by Shakespeare to show the closeness between Benvolio and Romeo as friends but COULD ALSO be a portrayal of the lack of closeness between Romeo and his father as he does not confide in His father.
Romeo speaks to the Friar about His love for Juliet and not His father
Involving the friar in their love spurs it towards tragedy- Shakespeare COULD be portraying that the lack of closeness to their parents led to the tragedy.
“young son”
The friar addresses Romeo this way- Shows his status as a father figure in Romeo’s life and his paternal feelings toward Romeo
“young…
…son”
The nurse tells Romeo to not seduce Juliet and ensures his intentions are pure when she comes to get his message for Juliet on the arrangements for their marriage
Maternal and protective over Juliet
What is a possible reason Lord Capulet changes his mind on Juliet’s engagement?
It could have been a decision made in haste to ensure Juliet did not lose Paris as a suitor amongst the grief of Tybalt’s death
His initial concern for her choice on the matter seems superficial in light of his sudden change
What is a possible reason for Lady Capulet’s lack of maternal affection?
Lady Capulet had Juliet around a similar age as Juliet in the play- Shakespeare COULD be showing that the young age at which Lady Capulet became a mother made her a distant and unloving mother figure.
“green-sickness carrion”
One of the insults Lord Capulet hurls at Juliet when she refuses to marry Capulet
HARSH and CRUEL description of his daughter- Would have incited yells and even cheers from the more brutish audience so could be a way for Shakespeare to engage his audience.
Also creates large contrast to his loving nature towards Juliet earlier in the play
“Day, night, work, play, alone, in company, still my care hath been to have her matched”
Part of Capulet’s outburst as Juliet has refused to marry Paris- Shakespeare presents Capulet as a bit pitiful.
To an Elizabethan audience, he would be a father who has tried his best for his daughter out of care and is now faced with ingratitude so his anger might be justified in their eyes.
To a modern audience, though, although some feelings of sympathy may arise, these may not be enough to justify his abusive behaviour to them.
Overall, Shakespeare presents him as a fearful figure to Juliet and so, perhaps his temper was a reason she did not confide in him and schemed behind his back, leading to her death.
“Day, night…
…, work, play, alone, in company, still my care hath been to have her matched”
“green-sickness…
… carrion”(pale-faced rotting meat)
Lord Capulet’s care for Juliet when talking to Paris VS his violent anger at Juliet when she refuses to marry Paris
He is portrayed as a doting father only when Juliet is submissive and obedient to him.
Why might Capulet want Juliet to marry Paris?
Paris is related to Prince Escales. So his status would be beneficial to the Capulets AND he would be rich ad give Juliet a good life.
“my child, my only life!”
How Lady Capulet describes Juliet when she finds her seemingly dead- Shakespeare is showing a CONTRASTING attitude towards Juliet from before where Lady Capulet did not talk so emotionally and was actually quite formal with her daughter
AND SO?- He COULD be trying to encourage parents to show love for their children and not wait till death to so that children feel they can trust their parents and confide in them(LINK to how R and J’s death cause by inability to confide in parents)
“my child,…
my only life!”
“Death is my son-in-law, Death is my heir”
Capulet’s outburst as he laments on Juliet’s death
COULD be showing his profound sorrow as he feels like he has been cheated and his daughter has been off to and lost to death.
COULD ALSO show how even in her death, he is only really sad about how he has been affected- He has lost Paris as a suitor and Juliet can no longer continue his lineage. Shakespeare brings in language of marriage to show how that was the only purpose Capulet felt his daughter was good for. He doesn’t see the loss of his daughter but the loss of a marriage.
