Patriarchy In Romeo And JulietEssay Preview: Patriarchy In Romeo And Juliet1 rating(s)Report this essayIn a patriarchal society, women are expected to conform to social restrictions by demonstrating reverence and obedience to the males in their lives. Shakespeares tragic play, Romeo and Juliet, explores the effects of patriarchal authority exerted over women and how the patriarchal structure left no escape from it, save death. Through Juliet, Lady Capulet, and the Nurse, Shakespeare establishes a common understanding of this type of society, but illuminates three different reactions to the social oppression by portraying the responses of a passionate lover, an idyllic housewife, and an attendant.
Juliet is introduced into the play in act one scene three, as an innocent, obedient, and respectful adolescent. Her polite response to her mother, “Madam, I am here, What is your will?” (1.3.7), establishes an optimistic sentiment that assures the audience of her acquiescent nature. She further demonstrates her eloquence in response to her mothers proposal to consider marriage as she sensibly and astutely replies, “It is an honour that I dream not of” (1.3.68). Her response is genuinely reverential, thus confirming she understands her responsibility as a daughter, and her place in a male-dominate world; she continues showing such submission, grace, and maturity throughout the entire scene, especially when she decides to agree to “look to like, if looking liking move” (1.3.99), then acknowledging that the parental “consent” (1.3.101) is imperative. This is the only scene where Juliet is depicted as being innocent, for when she meets Romeo in act one scene five, she begins transforming from a yielding child into a focused woman in love while maintaining the same element of grace in her presence.
Meeting Romeo drastically changes Juliet as she begins to exhibit a new sense of maturity. In her famous window speech she is ready to abandon her family and “no longer be a Capulet” if she can only be with Romeo in marriage. She effectively rebels against her fathers authority by giving her innocence to Romeo without approval. The picture of a sweet, innocent girl portrayed in her opening scene has now been tainted by experience, passion, and deceitfulness; Juliets character begins to acquire new traits that allow her to mature, attain new knowledge, and escape the restrictive boundaries of patriarchy and courtly love.
Juliet physically confronts her fathers judgment in act three scene five when she refuses his command to marry Paris. Not wanting to commit adultery, Juliet politely attempts to reject the marriage proposal, but it does not go over well with Capulet. Rather, he can hardly believe that she has disrespected him like this: “How, how, how, how–chopped logic? What is this” (3.5.149)? She attempts to justify her story by pleading “to speak a word” (3.5.159) to her father. Instead, he leaves in complete fury, and shes left emotionally broken. She attempts to seek refuge in her two closest confidants, the Nurse and her mother, but they both end up abandoning her because they feel restricted to go against Capulets decisions.
The lack of commitment to satisfy her father, is made up in her devotion and dedication to her husband. Tybalts death at the hand of Romeo disturbs Juliet because she has sentiment for both sides, but her love for Romeo quickly resolves the conflict: “My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; / And Tybalts dead, that would have slain my husband. / All this is comfort.” (3.2.105-107) The fact that Juliet is willing to sacrifice her own kin to be with Romeo demonstrates her loyalty and respect. She displays immense courage in every decision she makes. From desiring Romeo, to faking her death, to the ultimate sacrifice of taking her own life, Juliet portrays her new image of a focused, passionate lover, not allowing any circumstance to change her mind, including the power of patriarchy over her.
The idyllic housewife, Lady Capulet, is a loving, virtuous, and obedient wife who is completely supportive of her husbands wishes above the well-being of her daughter. Throughout the entire play, Lady Capulet is an extension of her husband, promoting his judgments and requests. She acts as his ambassador when she informs Juliet of Paris desires and intentions. Comparing Juliet to other girls her age already married, Lady Capulet encourages her to “love the gentleman” (1.3.81) and to “behold him at [the] feast” (1.3.82). As she talks highly of Paris, she fulfills her motherly duties by giving her tips on how to find love with a man (1.3.83-86). Lady Capulet then disappears until act three scene four, where Capulet instructs her with direct orders to go to Juliet and “prepare her” for her “wedding day” (3.4.31-32). Immediately, Lady Capulet submits to his authority and carries out the order. When Juliet claims she is not well, Lady Capulet scolds her for lamenting too long over Tybalts death. She tells her that a reasonable amount of grieving is a sign of love, but too much is foolish. Lady Capulet remains conservative in the advice she gives to her daughter, no doubt with her husbands wishes in mind. She chooses not see her daughters pain in deference to her husbands wishes.
Capulet decides it is a good time for Paris and Juliet to marry, assuming Juliet will agree, however, when Juliet refuses the offer, Lady Capulet immediately steps back and says, “Here come your father. Tell him so yourself, / And see how he will take it at your hands” (3.5.124-125). Aware of the value of obedience and submission, Lady Capulet merely reports to Capulet Juliets response, and at first, avoids being directly involved. A glimpse of agitation however is evident in her attempt to calm down her raging husband: “Fie, fie, what, are you mad?” (3.5.158). Once he leaves, Juliet appeals to her mother, but Lady Capulet knows her place, not to go against her husband and replies, “Talk not to me, for Ill not speak a word. Do as
(3.6.4). This is also a direct call from her to “do what he asks of him to do”, in which case she is no longer present in his room. She is actually present when he and Juliet are murdered:“ (3.6.54). It also shows that Lady Capulet was present in the room when J. C. Penrose and other assassins stormed in to murder J. C. Penrose and her husband, as well as several of France’s most valued police officers. This situation gives the impression that Lady Capulet, despite the love with whom she and J. C. Penrose grew up, had never been engaged in serious relations with any person in her life before their murders.
In a subsequent version of the script, before the trial, she is portrayed as having met the murdered J.C. Penrose himself:“ (3.1.11). In this sense she is similar to some of the other assassins during a recent meeting: “Fie, fie, what, are you mad?” (3.1.11).
On the same day, during the trial of Henry III, and as the French hostage negotiations continued, Lady Capulet saw a vision of himself holding a dagger in which he had already killed his lover, a story which she said is to serve as proof of his love for her:“ ( 3.5.160-161). The idea of Lady Capulet holding a dagger, as well as a dagger, in order to carry out her own plan to kill him is not uncommon. When Lady Capulet’s family (including her sister) found him alive, and when she was asked to marry him, she declared in her family journal, “I am not mad at him…. The woman who took the dagger for her is just such a person, and I wish her so.” “ ( 3.5.162). In Lady Capulet’s own description of the deed, this interpretation of her husband’s motives also resembles another version which portrays her as the same man who killed J. C. Penrose and the other French assassins. It is impossible to know whether this version of the events would not have been repeated in real life, if only this version was more explicit.[2] As such, it is possible that Lady Capulet’s actual story of how she saw her own husband, when she was in Paris, would have been different, without giving too much out about his love for her and by having shown a different perspective to him. Alternatively, it may have simply been that what she saw as jealousy was no different from what they both witnessed, not unlike the way they reacted to the death of