Women During The Shakespearean Period Of History

The sample essay on Hang Thee Young Baggage Disobedient Wretch deals with a framework of research-based facts, approaches and arguments concerning this theme. To see the essay’s introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion, read on.

‘Romeo and Juliet’ deals with the strict gender role of women during the Shakespearean period of history.

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Conventional females were considered to be second class citizens who were expected to refrain in conveying their natural feelings and emotions. Women were also socially neglected, as they were expected to remain at home whilst their respective husbands ensured the upkeep of the family by managing the family finances.

The male population at this point in time ignorantly viewed women as coy, innocent characters, seemingly unaware that women had the same feelings and emotions as themselves.In Elizabethan society, the majority of marriages were arranged. Property and power were two main factors which influenced negotiations for marriage between the two families of the bride and groom. As the bride was unable to provide land, she was expected to take a substantial amount of money to the marriage, which in turn, was given to the father of the groom.

In this respect, daughters were considered to be a financial burden on their parents, hence their decision to get their daughter married into a wealthy family as soon as they could.

In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Lord Capulet was ready to let Juliet marry Paris at the tender age of thirteen, which, although sounds rather perverse when looked at from a modern day perspective, was actually quite routine at this period of history.At the start of the play in Act One Scene Two, Juliet’s father speaks to the County Paris about his marriage proposal for Juliet. Here Lord Montague speaks caringly and dotingly about his dear daughter who he is afraid to let go of. He will not give in to County Paris in letting her go and is answering back by giving reasons to keep hold of her for just a couple more years. ‘My child is yet a stranger to the world, let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.’ This proves that he adores his young girl and will not let anyone take her away from him and cannot bear to see her gone and this makes it evident that he loves and cares for here exceedingly just like a father should do. He spoke about Juliet affectionately and in an overprotective manner. He made it absolutely clear to us that he was not going to give in to the proposition until Juliet herself was happy and eager to accept. There is one line that he says that he is willing to marry her off to whichever groom she chooses herself.

Towards the end of the play Lord Capulet’s understanding of his affection towards his daughter entirely changes. The Capulet’s relationship towards their daughter started out friendly and amorously but turned right round getting to the end of the play and their bond with her deteriorated. Although he does say earlier in the play that he won’t give her to County Paris if she is not willing to, he ignores his word and uses language to make it stand out to everyone that he will not tolerate disobedience in any way.Shakespeare uses a variety of different types of language and words to make the extent of Lord Capulet’s meanings both at the start of the play to show his liking towards his daughter as well as the end where it makes Capulet’s fury and rage stand out even more, especially the seriousness of his tone of voice and the manner of his speech.Lady Capulet approaches Juliet in a jubilant mode by attempting to uplift Juliet’s mood right at the start of their unforgettable conversation. Juliet at the time is undoubtedly extremely upset as her husband has left Verona but to her mother it seems she is grieving the death of her cousin. ‘Evermore weeping for your cousin’s death?’ her mother speaks very sympathetically to her as she thinks Juliet is very distraught at the moment. Juliet cunningly gives her mother ambitious answers which sound as if they are critical of Romeo.

‘Indeed I never shall be satisfied With Romeo, till I behold him-dead-‘Lady Capulet is eager to break the news to her quickly but sees the extent of her unhappiness so decides it is better off she breaks it gently to her instead of throwing the news in her face. ‘A sudden day of joy, that thou expects not, nor I look’d not for. Marry my child, early next Thursday morn .’Once she has broken the news to her Juliet is brought back to reality with her mother’s announcement and understands where her mother is heading to therefore doesn’t hesitate in stopping her immediately. ‘I shall not marry yet, and when I do , I swear It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,’Juliet has become distraught and utterly shocked. Here she decides to break out of her shell as she has lost everything and starts speaking to her parents in a very disrespectful tone. This annoys her mother and she does not want to bother understanding her daughter in the sincerity of the matter. ‘Here comes your father, tell him so yourself; and see how he will take it at your hands.’Lady Capulet does not want to be the one humiliated by her daughter and to be the one fighting the battle so hands her over to her father. Her father comes in as buoyant as her mother did and approaches her too with caring words.

At first Lord Capulet also thinks all the tears are for Tybalt. He sees the atmosphere is tense therefore does not believe that his wife has yet given her the news. When he has heard and taken a second to understand what has just happened he erupts. He cannot accept what he is hearing and Shakespeare’s use of language here definitely describes to us how infuriated Lord Capulet has become.He starts out absolutely taken aback by what his wife has told him then becomes very disappointed and betrayed. ‘Doth she not give us thanks?’ This quickly turns into antagonism and rage and begins to hand out verbal abuse like hot cakes. Shakespeare uses a lot of imperatives in this scene to create the power and authority Lord Capulet expects. He begins to spit out commands to Juliet. ‘Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds, But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next, Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.His fury is increasingly getting worse as Shakespeare uses figurative language to portray Lord Capulet’s strong emotions. He begins giving out a torrent of abuse with vivid, appalling, strong and violent images and abuse.

‘Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage! You tallow-face’Here Lady Capulet sees that her husband is spiralling out of control so tries to step in but realises her husband is in too bad a condition for her to efforts to pay off at all. ‘Fie, fie, what, are you mad?’ Juliet has nothing left for her to do but literally get down on her knees and beg. Here Juliet is shot at the back of her head with her fathers words which really shocked her. Capulet becomes so exasperated that he uses threats to get what he wants, to the extent that he would disown her. ‘Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church a ‘Thursday or never after look me in the face.’ He has become wound up so much that he is urging himself not to hit her. ‘My fingers itch.’The nurse cannot go on watching this as it has become too much for her so tries to stop Lord Capulet from doing any more damage but off course Lord Capulet is in no position to listen to her. His words flow relentlessly, and his words are hammered ho. He uses violent imaginative and emotive words to abuse his daughter with. He also uses metaphoric words and appalling violent personification,’ young baggage, disobedient wretch’. His words go on in a specific rhythm with long sentences broken up by pauses. This creates the effect of the words tumbling out and Lord Capulet becomes breathless and almost hyperventilating because he has become so angry.

Shakespeare also gives him lots of questions to try and make Juliet feel guilty.At this scene Juliet becomes a lot more disrespectful towards her parents and becomes defiant and speaks aggressively and roughly. When all else fails and her father has left leaving her hanging on his threat, she turns to her mother who washes Juliet form her hands and turns against her too. ‘Talk not to me for I’ll not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.’This Scene is the main turn point in their relationship. As Juliet becomes more attached to Romeo through the play she becomes just as much more distant to her parents. This Scene definitely emphasises the deterioration of their relationship. At the start of the play Lord Capulet was happy to allow Juliet to choose who she wants to marry and showed over protectiveness over her daughter and did not want to loose her whereas here he threatens to disown her if she does not do as he wants. By this time there is nothing left between her and her parents.