The younger men in the Montague and Capsule families love to fight, and would happily insult the other family in order to start a fight. However, Lord Capsule, and maybe Lord Montague, is less happy to begin the fight, although he would try to join in, like in act one scene 1. Lord Capsule says ‘”its not hard. Think / for men as old as we to keep the peace” and later on in the play he also compliments Romeo by calling him a “virtuous and well-governed youth”. Capsule and Montague could have ended a feud, which was started by their ancestors “ancient grudge breaks to new mutiny”.
You do not find out what Lord Montague thinks about the feud, only that Capsule “thinks” that Montague has the same opinion as he. Later in act 1 scene 5 Capsule gets very angry with Table for wanting to start fight with Romeo. Capsule expects Table to obey him, as he is the master of the house. When Table still refuses to give in to Capsule, his multi faceted side comes out. Capsule changes from arguing to Table “Marry, ‘its time” to complementing the guests “Well said, my hearts! ” and then back to arguing with Table. Lord Capsule loves his daughter very much.
In act 1 scene 2, when Paris asks for Gullet’s hand in marriage, Lord Capsule tells him that Juliet is too young, but he can start to court Juliet and in 2 years, they may marry. You can tell that he cares about Juliet because he says that Paris may only marry if Juliet agrees, “An she agreed within her scope of choice, / Lies my consent and fair according voice. ” This is surprising for a patriarchal society and where the daughter has to do what the father says. When Lord Capsule says that Juliet is too young to marry Paris he makes a indirect reference to his wife. And too soon marred are those so early made” who we later find out married Lord Capsule when very young. Lord Capsule changes after Table dies. Maybe because he loves Juliet so much he wants to help her, but instead he makes her life worse. He tries to cheer her up -believing that she cries over the death of Table- by moving the ate of the wedding forward to three days time – Thursday. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, lord Capsule becomes very violent, and shows another side of himself. He threatens to hit her and says “unworthy as she is, that we have wrought / So worthy a gentleman to be her bride? He goes on to say that he was cursed when she was born, and then insults the nurse by calling her a “mumbling fool! ” The nurse is used as comic relief in the play. She is bawdy and comes from a lower class than the majority of the rest of the cast. Simply the fact she is from a lower class makes her slightly funnier, and she often jumbles up her rods – “l desire Some confidence with you” and speaks in prose. She gets on better with Juliet than Lord or Lady Capsule, and so Juliet confides in the nurse.
The nurse is loyal and caring but very bawdy. However, when Juliet needs her most, the nurse turns away from Juliet, and changes her loyalty by saying “l think you are happy in this second match,” She goes on to say that Romeo is no longer there so she has to marry Paris. This is shocking because you believe that the nurse was always on Gullet’s side, In act 1 scene 3, the nurse talks about Juliet when she was a little girl, and Of any slightly rude tales of Juliet. These stories horrify Lady Capsule, but the audience find them funny.
It shows the difference between the nurse and Lady Capsule, and their different upbringings. The nurse knows more about Juliet than her own mother The nurse brings a lot of tension into the balcony scene, because she keeps calling Juliet inside. You worry that she may come outside and ruin Romeo and Gullet’s romantic moment. But it also brings an element of comedy to it, because it annoys Romeo and Juliet, and you imagine in your head how she would act if she did come out and see Romeo and Juliet on the balcony, infesting their love.
The nurse adds a bit of tension in act 2 scene 5 when Juliet is waiting to find out what Romeo has said about their marriage. She will not tell Juliet what Romeo has said, and even though the audience already know what has been said, they are still concerned in case something terrible has happened. When Lord Capsule is insulting Juliet about her marriage to Paris, the nurse stands up for Juliet, even when Capsule attacks the nurse verbally. This may be when the nurse has a change of thought, and decides the marriage between Juliet and Paris is a good thing.
