I have handwritten these original and unique notes that helped me to get 156/160 in gcse English literature. This is a grade 9 English literature analysis of Lord capulet
Lord Capulet
Thesis: in the original Romeo and Juliet poem written by Brooke, Capulet hadn’t been such a
villain and rather it was Lady Capulet's idea to get Juliet married to Paris. Also, Shakespeare
changes Juliets age from 16 to 14 from the source poem to emphasise this. Therefore, by
changing this we can see that Shakespeare is purposefully attacking patriarchal society,
hence Capulet represents what is wrong with patriarchal society which is why he is adamant
that Juliet remain a virgin and that she marries Paris- both if which are advantageous to him
to raise his wealth and get ahead of the Montagues due to his bitter rivalry.
‘Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride’
This metaphor uses the intransitive verb to show vulnerability yet freedom. This natural
imagery is used to convey the structured system in which Juliet will go through: planted,
harvested and sold. Therefore, implying that Capulet initially ‘planted’ Juliet which is why he
was desperate for a child as it conveys how she has a purpose in correspondence to
commercialism- the business transaction of marriage to bring about a financial stability.
Juliet is presented as though a commodity to trade with and in particular to trade her virginity
so to achieve finance. Shakespeare does this to critic society as women give everything,
they possibly have in marriage yet the men return this by having affairs, disrespecting them
and objectifying them. Furthermore, this idea of him planting her shows how Juliet is
imprinted and moulded upon to meet societal expectations and flourish yet she does have
an expiration date whereby she is not favoured in society for her fertility and youthful
radiance.
However, it also shows her as raw and organic - showing that Juliet is youthful and thus
Capulet's possessive attitude towards Juliet- implying concern for her vulnerability which is
why he doesn't rush when arranging suitors for her as he states to wait ‘two more summers’.
The verb 'ripe' is also quite evocative as it alludes to sensual imagery, Capulet is inviting
Paris to think of his daughter in this flavoured and textured way which is furthered by her
being a virgin and hence Paris has the privilege of being the one to break her virginity which
is ‘ripe' and attractive. This is emphasised through how when Juliet dies, he refers to her as
‘deflowered' which is another allusion to sex. This conveys how the ultimate loss is not that
he has lost his daughter, but that Paris hasn’t had the chance to break her virginity
conveying his patriarchal priorities.
‘ripe' – nutritional, good to eat- wants to pick out the most advantageous time coming with
the greatest benefits and money is like food to him- it literally strengthens him and gives
energy as well as determine his health.
, ‘Poor sacrifices of our enmity’
‘sacrifices’ - necessary and brought about for a greater cause
‘She is the hopeful lady of my earth’
This metaphor both hyperbolic his affection yet also brings an element of sarcasm as though
Juliet is obviously there to bring him reassurance and stability conveyed through the
commercialism symbolism through the common noun ‘earth’ displaying that Juliet is as
though a resource he attempts to use. The noun is significant as it symbolises fertility
through nurture and people. By doing this, it portrays Capulet as vain as he expects Juliet to
marry because it is a business transaction necessary to bring stability (earth also
symbolises this). This suggests that his kind and caring tone may actually be as though a
ruse to lure Juliet into marrying as this brought financial stability to Elizabethan families.
In the Elizabethan era the ‘earth' was though to be the absolute centre of the universe
suggesting that Juliet is Lord Capulets main focus and the very roots of cent happiness ( or
perhaps the centre of his life as her marriage predicts how he will live). Therefore Lord
Capulet is conveyed as though a good father whose focus on his daughter surpasses any
other surrounding conflicts like the family feud or social position which in the Elizabethan era
completely determine how society perceived and acted towards you. Therefore, he is
prepared to risk honour and pride for his ‘hopeful' daughter- however he soon makes it clear
in his argument that she is should ‘begin qnd ‘starve' and ‘die' implying that maybe we are
made to initially trust him – mirrors how deceptive society is as it looks all happy and
beautiful but the corruption is extreme.
In conclusion, Lord Capulet is shown as dual and complex to show how often the best
interests of society would affect an individuals personal interests and hopes- Shakespeare
critiques this irrational way of living that leads to the impossibility of happiness and struggling
to conform.
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