English Literature: Romeo and Juliet - Theme of Family

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Act 1, Scene 1

LORD MONTAGUE: But he, his own affections' counsellor,

                                  Is to himself

This shows Romeo is not very close to his father, and will not be open about his true feelings - he keeps them to himself. This could be linked to the fact that in the Renaissance time, men would not be expected to show strong emotions apart from when in conflict etc. Romeo does not have trust in his father to show how he is truly feeling. 

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Act 1, Scene 2

LORD CAPULET: The earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she,

Juliet is Lord Capulet's only child so Capulet has a duty to find her a good match. Paris has a very high social status so marrying him would give Juliet more power and security. It shows that Capulet does want what he thinks is best for Juliet, he wants her to be safe and happy. It is also said that only if she falls in love with Paris will Capulet agree to the marriage, so at this early stage in the play, he is still considerate of her feelings.

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Act 1, Scene 3

LADY CAPULET: Nurse, give leave awhile,

                             We must talk in secret. Nurse, come back again,

Juliet's relationship with Lady Capulet is shown to be quite weak, as she is not able to talk to Juliet alone. She requires the Nurse's help to explain her point and to talk to Juliet properly. She recognises that actually, the Nurse is closer to Juliet than she is.

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Act 1, Scene 3

NURSE: Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.

This shows the Nurse, despite her bold and brashy attitude, does care deeply towards Juliet and always wants what will make Juliet happy. She treats her like her own daughter and the two are very close in the beginning of the play.

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Act 2, Scene 2

JULIET: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy -

               Thou art thyself, though not a Montague

               What's Montague?

Shakespeare uses repetition of the words "name", "Romeo" and "Montague" in this speech which emphasises the importance of family relationships in the play, and also how they will cause problems. Her family relationships are the reason she cannot be with the one she loves, and she is willing to betray them for Romeo.

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Act 2, Scene 3

FRIAR LAWRENCE: That's my good son:

Friar Lawrence makes references to Romeo being his "son" and "pupil mine". This shows they have a very strong bond, once again stronger than that of Romeo and his actual father, and that he trusts him.

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Act 3, Scene 1

PRINCE: My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;

Mercutio was related to the Prince - his death shows how the feud is having an impact on other families as well. The violence is getting out of control and the Prince wants it to stop so that the Capulets and Montagues, amongst the other families in Verona, can live peacefully without fear of the tragic loss of someone in their family.

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Act 3, Scene 2

JULIET: There is no end, no limit, measure, bound,

              In that word's death, no words can that woe sound.

Juliet feels as though Romeo's banishment is worse than the deaths of all her family combined. This shows that really, she is not very close to her family and her love for Romeo is stronger than her love for them.

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Act 3, Scene 4

LORD CAPULET: I think she will be ruled

                             In all respects by me;

Capulet thinks Juliet will obey him and do what he says. This would be typical of the time as in Elizabethan times it was a patriarchal society, and young girls were expected to obey their fathers. This is ironic however, as Capulet does not know that Juliet has secretly married Romeo, and once again shows the little respect she has for her family and also how secretive she is.

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Act 3, Scene 5

LORD CAPULET:  Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!

Lord Capulet is shocked and outraged that his daughter has defied him and does not want to marry Paris. He expects her to do what he says and loses any consideration he has for her feelings. This shows the positions that were held in families - the father was expected to be obeyed.

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Act 4, Scene 5

LORD CAPULET: Death is my heir;

Even in the midst of this tragedy, Lord Capulet is still concerned about the wealth and status of his family. Juliet has died and he has no other children, thus his legacy has died with her. This shows how even though his own daughter has died, his need for family is more about his own gain than love.

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