Why Does Lord Capulet Arrange His Daughter’s Wedding to Paris

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Romeo and Juliet is set during the Elizabethan times in the 1500s when women were subordinate to men- this is an example of a Patriarchal society: A society where men are the dominant force; make ALL the decisions; and, where the father has control over every single female in the family. This means that daughters in the Elizabethan period had to marry to whoever their father chose, and sometimes they didn’t even know the person. The reason why the father decides is because when he dies, part of his wealth of not inherited by the daughter, but the husband, so he would want to find someone that is stable and will be able to take care of his wealth. He would also want to find a husband that has status and is powerful. However, another reason they decide is because they want to keep the power and want to be in control- this is also a very common theme in the play. The women can refuse to get married, but can risk being disowned by their family and technically being thrown out onto the streets, so it is safer not to refuse and go ahead with the marriage. In my opinion, the Elizabethan society is not fair because of the fact that women have no rights and are just used for whatever the men wish. However this is because I live in a society where equality is the key to peace and a country where women have been in charge. Although if I lived in the Elizabethan times then I would not know what my opinion would be, as to whether I would think it is normal or unfair. At the start of the play it is clear that Lord Capulet wants Juliet to marry someone who she truly loves and feels comfortable with, and his reaction when Paris asks for Juliet’s hand in marriage is abnormal to that of a normal Elizabethan father as he wanted Juliet to choose the right man. He also actually shows many signs that he really does care about Juliet. These are portrayed in the lines “But woo her,

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