Capulet's Wedding Plans: A Change Of Venue And Date

In Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet makes a significant alteration to the wedding plans of Juliet and Paris by moving the date up by a day. This change in plans occurs after Juliet decides to obey her father's wishes and agrees to marry Paris. The new date, set for Wednesday morning instead of Thursday, causes a rush of activity and leaves little time for preparation. This sudden haste in the marriage plans is justified by Paris as a way to help Juliet recover from the grief of Tybalt's death.

Capulet moves the wedding date up by a day

In Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet makes a significant alteration to the wedding plans by moving the date up by a day. This change has profound implications for the subsequent events in the play.

Capulet, the father of Juliet, is a headstrong and authoritative figure who is used to having his way. In the original wedding plans, the wedding was set to take place on a Thursday. However, when Capulet believes that Juliet is willing to marry Paris, he becomes overjoyed and decides to move the wedding up to the very next day, a Wednesday. This sudden change catches everyone off guard, including his wife, Lady Capulet, who tries to reason with him, stating that they will be short on time and provisions. However, Capulet is determined and confident, assuring her that everything will be taken care of.

The haste of the new wedding date adds to the tension and urgency of the situation. It not only creates a challenge for Juliet, who is already secretly married to Romeo, but also leaves little time for preparations. The original plan allowed for over 60 hours until the wedding, but with Capulet's change, 24 of those hours are lost. This puts pressure on Friar Lawrence's plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet and have them escape together.

Capulet's decision to move the wedding date up by a day highlights his eagerness to see his daughter married to Paris. It also underscores the sense of control and power he exerts over Juliet's life. By making this change without much regard for the potential consequences, Capulet inadvertently contributes to the escalating drama and tragedy of the play.

This change in the wedding plans adds to the complexity of the story and sets the stage for the intense and emotional events that follow, ultimately leading to the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet.

He gives no one time to prepare

In Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet makes a sudden change to his daughter Juliet's wedding plans. Originally, the wedding was set to take place on Thursday morning. However, on Tuesday night, Capulet decides to move the wedding to the very next day, Wednesday morning. This unexpected change gives very little time for preparation, causing a rushed and chaotic situation for all involved.

Capulet's decision to bring the wedding forward is a direct result of his conversation with Juliet, where she appears to acquiesce to his wishes for her to marry Paris. Overjoyed, Capulet exclaims, "Send for the County; go tell him of this:/ I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow morning," indicating his intention to move the wedding up by a day. This impulsive decision is characteristic of Capulet, who is used to having his way and expects others to fall in line with his plans.

The immediate impact of this change is a sense of disorganisation and panic. Capulet himself acknowledges that they will be "much unfurnished for this time," recognising the challenge of preparing such a significant event in a short time frame. The usual preparations for a wedding, including sending invitations, arranging food, and gathering guests, are now condensed into a few hours, creating a frenzied atmosphere in the Capulet household.

Furthermore, the change in plans has significant implications for Juliet, who is secretly married to Romeo and has no intention of going through with the wedding to Paris. By moving the wedding forward, Capulet inadvertently adds urgency and complexity to Juliet's situation. She is now faced with an even more difficult choice, as she has limited time to devise a strategy to avoid marrying Paris without revealing her secret marriage to Romeo.

The haste of the new wedding plans also affects other characters, such as Friar Lawrence, who had initially devised a plan to help Juliet escape her predicament. With the wedding suddenly approaching, Friar Lawrence is forced to act quickly, putting his plan and Juliet's safety at risk. The rushed timeline creates a sense of heightened tension and uncertainty, as the characters scramble to adapt to Capulet's abrupt change in plans.

Overall, Capulet's impulsive decision to move the wedding forward catches everyone off guard, leaving little time for preparation. This change not only creates a chaotic and disorganised situation but also has significant implications for the characters, particularly Juliet, who is now faced with an even more challenging and urgent dilemma.

The wedding is now on a Wednesday

Capulet is in high spirits and eager to make the necessary arrangements for the wedding feast. He is so pleased with Juliet's apparent willingness to marry Paris that he decides to bring the wedding forward, saying:

> "Send for the County; go tell him of this: / I'll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning."

He is so confident, in fact, that he declares:

> "Tush, I will stir about, / And all things shall be well, I warrant [promise] thee, wife."

Capulet's wife, however, is unsure about the new date, pointing out that they will be "short in [their] provision" and that "it's now near night". Nevertheless, Capulet is adamant that he can "play the housewife for this once", and that "all things shall be well".

Juliet, for her part, seems either not to realise the significance of the change or to hide her true feelings very well. She continues to deceive her father, saying:

> "I met the youthful lord at Laurence'[s] cell; / And gave him what becomed love I might, / Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty."

Capulet is completely taken in by Juliet's performance and resumes giving orders for the wedding to take place the following day.

Capulet is in a good mood

Capulet is in such high spirits that he jokes with his servants, and even when one of his jokes is not understood, he is not bothered. He is so confident, in fact, that he tells his wife to leave the preparations to him, saying, "let me alone; / I'll play the housewife for this once". He is so elated that he will take a message to Paris himself, and nothing can dampen his mood.

Capulet's good mood is a result of his daughter's apparent willingness to marry Paris. Juliet has told her father that she will marry as he wishes, and this has made him very happy. He is so pleased that he decides to move the wedding up by a day, giving them even less time to prepare. Capulet is so confident and carefree that he does not even notice when he gives an order and there is no servant present to carry it out.

Capulet's high spirits continue as he praises Friar Laurence and resumes giving orders. He is so caught up in his own happiness that he does not seem to consider the impact of his decisions on those around him. He is so pleased with the idea of Juliet's marriage to Paris that he is willing to forgive her for her previous disobedience. Capulet's good mood is a result of his belief that his daughter is now obedient and willing to do as he wishes.

He makes all the arrangements

In Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet makes all the arrangements for his daughter Juliet's wedding feast. He is shown giving orders to his servants, asking one to invite the guests and another to hire twenty cooks:

> Sirrah, go hire me twenty cunning cooks

When the second servant jokes that he will make sure the cooks are good by testing whether they can "lick their fingers", Capulet is momentarily puzzled, before the servant explains that a bad cook won't eat their own cooking.

Capulet is in a hurry to make the necessary arrangements, fretting that they will be "unfurnished" (unprepared) for the wedding. He is pleased when Juliet arrives and appears to go along with his plans to marry her to Paris, kneeling and begging his pardon. He decides to move the wedding forward by a day, from Thursday to Wednesday, declaring:

> Send for the County; go tell him of this: / I'll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning.

This sudden change of plans causes alarm, as it means that Friar Lawrence now has 24 hours less to get Romeo back to Verona. However, Capulet is so happy with the new arrangement that he resumes giving orders, telling the Nurse to go with Juliet to her closet to help her pick out ornaments for the next day. When Lady Capulet points out that they will be short on provisions, Capulet reassures her that he will take care of everything, and that his heart is "wondrous light" now that his "wayward girl is so reclaim'd".

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