In Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet seems like a reasonable person in his dealings with others. To be considered a reasonable person, one must be agreeable to reason or sound judgement. When Paris requests to wed Juliet, Capulet’s only child, Lord Capulet is fair with his response by saying, “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” (1.2.7 - 11). Lord Capulet’s answer to Paris’s request is very reasonable, especially given the time period of the play. Juliet is only thirteen years of age, and Capulet is wise to recognize that she is too young to marry. He informs Paris that if he waits two more years, he will have permission to marry Juliet. In addition, when Paris responds to
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Earth hath swallow’d all my hopes but she;
She’s the hopeful lady of my earth.
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
And she agreed, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice. (1.2.18 - 19)
Despite explaining that girls who marry young are often later full of sorrows, and that Juliet is the only hope left in his life, Capulet tells Paris to go ahead and try to obtain Juliet’s love. Lord Capulet knows that his daughter’s consent is just as important as, if not more important than, his own. Furthermore, when Romeo who is of the Montague household, sneaks into the Capulet’s dance wearing a mask, Tybalt discovers who he is. When Tybalt informs Lord Capulet that there someone from the house of his enemy is at the party, Capulet responds by saying,
Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,
‘A bears him like a portly gentlemen
And to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern’d youth.
I would not for the wealth of this town
Here in my house do him disparagement;
Therefore be patient, take no note of him. (1.5. 64 -
Earth hath swallow’d all my hopes but she;
She’s the hopeful lady of my earth.
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
And she agreed, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice. (1.2.18 - 19)
Despite explaining that girls who marry young are often later full of sorrows, and that Juliet is the only hope left in his life, Capulet tells Paris to go ahead and try to obtain Juliet’s love. Lord Capulet knows that his daughter’s consent is just as important as, if not more important than, his own. Furthermore, when Romeo who is of the Montague household, sneaks into the Capulet’s dance wearing a mask, Tybalt discovers who he is. When Tybalt informs Lord Capulet that there someone from the house of his enemy is at the party, Capulet responds by saying,
Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,
‘A bears him like a portly gentlemen
And to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern’d youth.
I would not for the wealth of this town
Here in my house do him disparagement;
Therefore be patient, take no note of him. (1.5. 64 -