GCSE English coursework-Romeo and Juliet Part A- Literature-Explore the roles of parents in "Romeo and Juliet"

Essay by sparklinstareyez October 2004

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William Shakespeare is one of the greatest play writes of all time. A writer who dramatized such an incomparable range and variety of human kinds and experiences. Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. During his time he managed to write fifty plays and several poems. One of Shakespeare's greatest talents was that he was able to write characters that were further ahead of his time. The fifteenth century was a very male dominated century. Women had no rights at all and were totally controlled by men. For example in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet was a mixture of a fifteenth century woman and a twenty first century woman. Before she secretly married Romeo she was Capulet's obedient daughter and did as she was told. Though in act three scene five when she is told by her father whom didn't know that she was already married to marry Paris, she refuses.

These are not the likely action of a fifteenth century female.

The relationships between parents and their children at present can not be more different compared to the time "Romeo and Juliet" was set in. Usually rich fifteenth century children were only born to become heirs to the family name and fortune as well as business affiliates. If a family for example was wealthy like Romeo and Juliet's then the children would be looked after by a wet nurse rather than their parents. Children to wealthy parents would be considered as burdens and the task of looking after them would be given to a wet nurse, who would be expected to look after the children from when they were babies and even to breast feed their child before her own child. There was little or none intimacy or emotions shown from parents to children...