Question

Read the following excerpt from Romeo and Juliet. In a well-developed paragraph of four to six sentences, identify the details of this story that reveal information about the time period. How are these details significant for the story? Use proper spelling and grammar in your response.

CAPULET
Things have fall'n out, sir, so unluckily,
That we have had no time to move our daughter:
Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly,
And so did I:—Well, we were born to die.
'Tis very late, she'll not come down to-night:
I promise you, but for your company,
I would have been a-bed an hour ago.

PARIS
These times of woe afford no time to woo.
Madam, good night: commend me to your daughter.

LADY CAPULET
I will, and know her mind early to-morrow;
To-night she is mew'd up to her heaviness.

CAPULET
Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender
Of my child's love: I think she will be ruled
In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not.
Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed;
Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love;

Answer 1

This excerpt from Romeo and Juliet reveals information about the time period in which the story takes place. One detail that stands out is the use of language such as "mew'd up" and "woo" which reveals the story is set in a time when the English language was different from the modern era. Additionally, the reference to the father, Capulet, having control over his daughter's marriage and the mention of Paris' desire to "woo" Juliet also reveal societal norms of patriarchal control and arranged marriages. These details are significant for the story as they add depth to the characters and their motivations. The societal norms of the time period also create conflict and tension within the story, as Juliet's desire for agency and autonomy clashes with her father's wishes for her to marry Paris. The societal expectations and family dynamics also contribute to the tragic ending of the story, as the lovers' families' feud and the societal pressure to marry for convenience rather than love ultimately lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.