Monday, April 13, 2015

What are some quotes that prove that Juliet is getting forced to marry Paris just for money and respect in Romeo and Juliet?

Capulet forces Juliet to marry Paris even though she does not love him.

In Shakespeare’s day, women were considered the property of their fathers.  A daughter was a valuable property, because her marriage could be used to bind two families politically.  This is the reason Capulet wants Paris to marry Juliet.  A marriage of a girl killed two birds with one stone.  It got rid of the burden of paying for the girl and enriched the family through the connections it made.


Capulet is particularly anxious to marry off Juliet in an appropriate match because she is his only living daughter.  Since there is only one, he has to make that one count.



The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice. (Act 1, Scene 2)



Capulet sets his “hopes” on Juliet, because Paris is a very respectable man.  He is too old for Juliet, and she barely knows him, but that matters not.  He is Capulet’s choice.  When Juliet refuses, Capulet gets very angry, threatens to hit her, and tells her he will disown her if she does not do what he says.  He makes fun of her, telling her she is being childish.



A whining mammet, in her fortune's tender,
To answer 'I'll not wed; I cannot love,
I am too young; I pray you, pardon me.' (Act 3, Scene 5)



That Juliet does not actually love Paris is obvious.  She is in love with Romeo.  Because Romeo is banished, and no one in her family knows she is married to him, she is really in a bind.



O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of yonder tower (Act 4, Scene 1)



So, this is not a love match!  Juliet only avoids it by faking her death.  This turns out to be famously disastrous.  Romeo finds her, thinks she is dead, and kills himself. Juliet awakes too late, and commits suicide out of grief.  In the end, no one gets to have Juliet.


Capulet is rich too, of course.  Nurse mentions that anyone who marries Juliet will get the "chinks," meaning money.  However, even a wealthy family would need to maintain its status by keeping ties to other wealthy and influential families.  Capulet only has one daughter, and he marries her off as soon as he can.

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