Lord Capulet is initially reluctant to accept Paris's proposal that he marry Juliet because he feels his daughter is too young to marry. Capulet suggests the proposal of marriage be delayed for two years so Juliet has more time before she becomes a bride.
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...
Lord Capulet is initially reluctant to accept Paris's proposal that he marry Juliet because he feels his daughter is too young to marry. Capulet suggests the proposal of marriage be delayed for two years so Juliet has more time before she becomes a bride.
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 (Act II, Scene 1, lines 8-11).
This conversation with Paris puts Lord Capulet in a difficult situation because Paris is related to Prince Escalus, and the Prince of Verona recently threatened Capulet's life if he continues to feud with the Montagues. Making the Prince's relative unhappy is risky for Capulet.
Interesting, too, is that fact that in this situation the typically headstrong Lord Capulet is more reasonable and will not be easily swayed by Paris. Also, in this scene, Lord Capulet echoes Benvolio's earlier speech as he speaks with Romeo about not rushing into relationships with women. It is certainly ironic, then, when a seemingly impulsive Capulet later insists his daughter Juliet marry Paris soon after Tybalt's death.
No comments:
Post a Comment