Quote 1
CAPULET
O brother Montague, give me thy hand.
This is my daughter's jointure, for no more
Can I demand.
MONTAGUE
But I can give thee more,
For I will raise her statue in pure gold,
That while Verona by that name is known,
There shall no figure at such rate be set
As that of true and faithful Juliet.
CAPULET
As rich shall Romeo's by his lady's lie;
Poor sacrifices of our enmity. (5.3.306-315)
After Romeo and Juliet are found dead, Montague offers to erect a "statue" of "pure gold" in Juliet's honor and Capulet promise to do the same for his dead son-in-law, Romeo. Although the young lovers' deaths unite the warring families and put an end to the feud (just as the Chorus promised back in the first Prologue), the efforts of the Capulets and the Montagues are a day late and a dollar short.
Quote 2
CAPULET
Content thee, gentle coz. Let him alone.
He bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement.
Therefore be patient. Take no note of him.
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
(1.5.74-83)
Now, this is interesting. Tybalt's first response to seeing Romeo at the Capulet party is to kill him. But head honcho Capulet himself (Juliet's dad) doesn't seem to mind that a Montague is in his home. In fact, Capulet says that Romeo is basically a nice kid so Tybalt should just calm down and leave him alone. Does this mean that the big Capulet/Montague feud isn't as big a deal as everybody thinks it is? It seems like the family drama is much more important to the younger generation (Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet) than it is to the older generation.
Quote 3
LORD CAPULET
What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!LADY CAPULET
A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a
sword?
Enter old Montague and his Wife.CAPULET
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.MONTAGUE
Thou villain Capulet!—Hold me not, let me go.LADY MONTAGUE
Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.
(1.1.76-82)
Although Lord Montague and Lord Capulet are too old to fight, they want to join the young men in the big brawl on the streets of Verona. Good thing Lady Capulet and Lady Montague hold their husband's back—these guys are way too old to be mixing it up like a couple of heady teenagers.
Quote 4
CAPULET
But Montague is bound as well as I,
In penalty alike, and 'tis not hard, I think,
For men so old as we to keep the peace.
(1.2.1-3)
Now this is more like it. After being lectured by the Prince of Verona, Lord Capulet comes to his senses and acknowledges that he's too old to be caught up in the long-standing family feud. From here on out, Capulet is pretty peaceful. He even stops Tybalt from beating up Romeo at the Capulet ball (1.5).
Quote 5
CAPULET
But saying o'er what I have said before.
My child is yet a stranger in the world.
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.
Let two more summers wither in their pride
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made.CAPULET
And too soon marred are those so early made. (1.2.7-13)
When Paris asks for thirteen-year-old Juliet's hand in marriage, Capulet responds (pretty sensibly, if you ask us) that she's way too young to be a "bride." (He also talks about Juliet as though she's a piece of fruit that isn't yet "ripe," which is less sensible and more gross.) The conversation gets even creepier when Paris points out that there are twelve-year-olds who are already mothers. Capulet's reply seems to carry on the Juliet = a piece of unripe fruit metaphor because he implies that Juliet would be "marr'd" (bruised, tainted, ruined, etc.) if she married and had kids so young. Uh, yep. That sounds about right.
Quote 6
CAPULET
Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,
Such as would please. 'Tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone.
(1.5.25-28)
As Lord Capulet entertains his guests at the ball, he muses about his youth, which he apparently spent chasing after the "fair" ladies. Luckily for all of us, he realizes that he's past his prime now, and contents himself with marrying off his 13-year-old daughter.
Quote 7
LORD CAPULET
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days.
How long is 't now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?SECOND CAPULET
By 'r lady, thirty years.
CAPULET
What, man, 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much.
(1.5.35-40)
Lord Capulet cannot believe it's been thirty years since his high school graduation. It's like, ne day you're the captain of the football team, and the next day you're middle-aged with a couple of disobedient kids and a lot of hot-headed young men trying to get your family killed.
Quote 8
CAPULET
God's bread, it makes me mad.
Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play,
Alone, in company, still my care hath been
To have her matched. And having now provided
A gentleman of noble parentage,
Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly ligned,
Stuffed, as they say, with honorable parts,
Proportioned as one's thought would wish a man—
And then to have a wretched puling fool,
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.'
But, an you will not wed, I'll pardon you!
Graze where you will you shall not house with me
(3.5.187-200)
When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Lord Capulet flips his lid. He suggests that young Juliet is a whiny ingrate, threatens to throw her out of the house, and then mocks her for pleading that she is "too young" to wed Paris. The funny thing is, when Paris first approached Capulet with a proposal to marry Juliet back in Act 1, Capulet seemed to agree that she was as little young (1.2). We should also point out that, by this point, Juliet is already married to Romeo (secretly) so, she doesn't really think she's too young to be a wife—she just uses it as an excuse not to get hitched to Paris.
Quote 9
CAPULET
An you be mine, I'll give you to my friend;
And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,
For, by my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee,
Nor what is mine shall never do thee good:
Trust to't, bethink you; I'll not be forsworn.
(3.5.192-196)
Think your parents are strict? In Shakespeare's day, children (especially girls) had very little control over their lives. Daughters were expected to be silent, chaste, and obedient, which is why Capulet treats Juliet like a piece of property that he can just throw out onto "the streets" when she doesn't follow his orders.
Quote 10
CAPULET
How now, my headstrong, where have you been
gadding?JULIET
Where I have learned me to repent the sin
Of disobedient opposition
To you and your behests, and am enjoined
By holy Laurence to fall prostrate here Kneeling
And beg your pardon. Pardon, I beseech you.
Henceforward I am ever ruled by you.
(4.2.16-23)
Liar, liar, pants on fire: Juliet pretends that she was visiting Friar Laurence so she could confess and "repent" for being such a "disobedient" daughter. Truth? She was off making plans to be with Romeo. Ooh, she is <em>so</em> grounded.
Quote 11
CAPULET
Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,
Such as would please. 'Tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone
(1.5.25-28)
Lord Capulet's musings about the good ol' days reminds us that youth and love are fleeting. This occurs just before Romeo and Juliet's first meeting, where they fall head over heels in love (at first sight). It seems like Lord Capulet's reminiscence is Shakespeare's way of preparing us for the short-lived (no pun intended) romance between Romeo and Juliet.
Quote 12
CAPULET
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days.
How long is 't now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?CAPULET'S COUSIN
By 'r lady, thirty years.
CAPULET
What, man, 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much.
(1.5.35-40)
Here's a good look into the future: Romeo and Juliet might be in l-o-v-e now, but how would they feel after a decade and a couple of kids? Probably not spouting so much love poetry.
Quote 13
CAPULET
All things that we ordainèd festival
Turn from their office to black funeral;
Our instruments to melancholy bells,
Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast,
Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change,
Our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse,
And all things change them to the contrary.
(4.5.90-96)
Lord Capulet describes death as a kind of marriage, and a funeral as a kind of wedding. Like love and hate, these two major life events don't seem so different after all.
Quote 14
CAPULET
Ha, let me see her: out, alas! she's cold.
Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff.
Life and these lips have long been separated.
Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.
(4.4.30-34)
That image of the "frost" killing the "flower" is particularly pertinent when you think about Juliet's birthday—Lammas-Eve, the night before the traditional harvest festival. She dies in bloom, before anyone can "harvest" her. (Well, so Capulet thinks—actually, Romeo's done a pretty good job of bringing the harvest in, if you know what we mean.)
Quote 15
CAPULET
[…]
My child is yet a stranger in the world.
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
Let two more summers wither in their pride
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made.
(1.2.8-12)
You know what's missing from this friendly little negotiation about marrying off Juliet? Juliet herself. Women (or girls) from wealthy families in Shakespeare's time didn't usually get much say in who they married; marriages were made for the convenience of the families, not the individuals.
Quote 16
CAPULET
Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face.
Speak not; reply not; do not answer me. (3.5.166-169)
Juliet's father seriously flips out when Juliet refuses to marry Paris and treats his daughter like a piece of property that he can just give away to another man (Paris). So, what happened to his earlier stance that Juliet should marry for love, when she's ready?
Quote 17
CAPULET
My child is yet a stranger in the world.
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.
Let two more summers wither in their pride
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made.CAPULET
And too soon marred are those so early made.
(1.2.8-13)
All right, ladies, admit it: you're all just waiting for the day that Prince Charming comes to… broker a marriage deal with your dad before even meeting you. Right? Right?? It's the stuff Disney movies are made of.
Quote 18
CAPULET
How, how, how, how! Chopped logic! What is this?
'Proud,' and 'I thank you,' and 'I thank you not,'
And yet 'not proud,' mistress minion, you,
Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds,
But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next,
To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church,
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.
Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage!
You tallow face!
[…]
Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face.
Speak not; reply not; do not answer me. (3.5.154-162, 166-169)
Juliet's father flips out and becomes verbally abusive when Juliet refuses to marry Paris. What the heck happened to his earlier stance that Juliet should marry for love, when she's ready? Here, Lord Capulet treats his daughter like a piece of property that he can just give away to another man (Paris).
Quote 19
CAPULET
God's bread, it makes me mad.
Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play,
Alone, in company, still my care hath been
To have her matched. And having now provided
A gentleman of noble parentage,
Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly ligned,
Stuffed, as they say, with honorable parts,
Proportioned as one's thought would wish a man— (3.5.187-194)
Lord Capulet thinks he's doing Juliet a favor by engaging her to Paris, a young and good looking guy from a "noble" family. In other words, he believes he's being a loving father and is taking care of his daughter by ensuring a stable future with Paris.
Quote 20
CAPULET
Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face.
Speak not; reply not; do not answer me.
(3.5.166-169)
Capulet isn't so liberal-minded about waiting until Juliet is older when she's the one pointing out that she's too young. It sounds like what Capulet wants most of all is to be obeyed. Something else to point out: the Capulet family may be rich, but they're not noble. By marrying Paris, Juliet would have been definitely marrying up and bringing prestige to the family—something that would have resonated in Shakespearean England, when plenty of rich merchants were buying up titles or marrying into aristocratic families.