In Act 4 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet moves the wedding of Juliet and Paris from Thursday to Wednesday. This sudden change of plans occurs when Juliet appears to have reconciled with her father and agreed to the marriage. Capulet is overjoyed and decides to move the wedding up to the following day, Wednesday, despite having previously said that Wednesday is too soon. This causes confusion, as invitations have already been sent for Thursday, and there is not enough time to prepare a feast for the next day. Lady Capulet points out the impracticality of the new date, but Capulet insists, saying, We'll to church tomorrow. It is suggested that Capulet's haste is due to his fear that Juliet will change her mind again, and he wants the marriage performed as soon as possible.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Reason for moving the wedding forward | To marry Juliet before she changes her mind again |
To strike while the iron's hot | |
So Juliet can get over Tybalt's death faster | |
Lady Capulet's response | "We shall be short in our provision. 'Tis now near night" |
"No, not till Thursday; there is time enough" | |
Dramatic impact | Creates a shorter time frame for Friar Lawrence's plan |
Juliet will wake 24 hours before Romeo arrives |
What You'll Learn
- Lord Capulet wanted the marriage to take place before Juliet changed her mind again
- He wanted to rush the wedding so that Juliet could get over Tybalt's death faster
- Capulet's decision to move the wedding forward by a day threw Friar Lawrence's plan into chaos
- The change in wedding date meant Juliet had to take the potion on Tuesday evening
- Capulet's behaviour doesn't make a lot of sense, dramatically or otherwise
Lord Capulet wanted the marriage to take place before Juliet changed her mind again
Lord Capulet's decision to move the wedding forward a day from Thursday to Wednesday is a perplexing one. One possible explanation is that he wanted to ensure the marriage took place before Juliet changed her mind again.
Juliet had previously disobeyed her father by secretly marrying Romeo, and when confronted, she refused to marry Paris. However, after being threatened with disownment and exile, Juliet seemingly relents and agrees to the marriage with Paris.
Lord Capulet is overjoyed by this apparent change of heart and immediately begins making arrangements for the wedding feast. He is so eager to have the marriage take place that he moves the wedding up to the very next day, Wednesday. This sudden change of plans causes a lot of chaos and confusion, as there is barely enough time to prepare, and guests who had been invited for Thursday will now arrive a day early.
One interpretation of Lord Capulet's behaviour is that he fears Juliet might backtrack on her agreement and so he wants the marriage to take place as soon as possible. By rushing the wedding, he leaves no room for Juliet to reconsider or change her mind again. This interpretation is supported by a line in the First Quarto, where Lord Capulet says, "I say tomorrow while she's in the mood," suggesting that he wants to seize the opportunity while Juliet is obedient and receptive to his wishes.
It is worth noting that this line is not included in the "good" Quartos, and Shakespeare's intention behind Lord Capulet's decision remains open to interpretation. Regardless, the rushed wedding has significant consequences for the tragic outcome of the play.
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He wanted to rush the wedding so that Juliet could get over Tybalt's death faster
In Act 4 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet decides to move the wedding forward by a day, from Thursday to Wednesday. This is a very rushed decision, as he has already sent out the invitations and there is no time to send new ones.
One interpretation of Capulet's decision is that he wanted to rush the wedding so that Juliet could get over Tybalt's death faster. Tybalt was Juliet's cousin, and his recent death had been a source of great grief for her. By rushing the wedding, Capulet may have hoped to distract Juliet from her sorrow and give her something else to focus on. This interpretation comes from Paris, who says:
> "So that Juliet can get over Tybalt's death faster."
Another interpretation is that Capulet wanted to ensure the marriage was performed before Juliet changed her mind again. After all, she had only recently agreed to the marriage, and Capulet may have been afraid that she would change her mind if given more time. This interpretation is supported by the First Quarto, which includes the line:
> "I say tomorrow while she's in the mood."
Capulet's decision to rush the wedding certainly adds to the sense of urgency and tension in the play. It also has significant consequences for the outcome of the play, as it means that Friar Lawrence has less time to get his message to Romeo about the fake death plan.
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Capulet's decision to move the wedding forward by a day threw Friar Lawrence's plan into chaos
In Act 4 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet's decision to move the wedding forward by a day throws Friar Lawrence's plan into chaos. Initially, the wedding is set for Thursday morning, with Juliet due to take a potion on Wednesday night, and wake up 42 hours later on Friday afternoon or early evening. Romeo is to be sent for and will arrive on Thursday, after the wedding, to rescue Juliet from the tomb.
However, when Juliet appears to have reconciled with her father, Capulet is so happy that he decides to bring the wedding forward to Wednesday morning. This means that Juliet must take the potion on Tuesday evening and will wake up 24 hours before Romeo is due to arrive. This throws Friar Lawrence's plan into chaos as there is now no time to send a message to Romeo to delay his arrival. Juliet herself seems to realise the danger, asking: "How if, when I am laid in the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo come to redeem me?".
Capulet's decision is made on the spur of the moment, and it is not clear why he insists on it. One interpretation is that he wants to take advantage of Juliet's apparent change of heart and strike while the iron is hot, in case she changes her mind again. Paris also suggests that Capulet wants to rush the wedding so that Juliet can get over Tybalt's death faster.
Lady Capulet is puzzled by the decision, pointing out that there is not enough time to prepare a feast for the next morning. She says: "We shall be short in our provision. 'Tis now near night." Capulet, however, is determined to go ahead with the new plan, saying: "Tush, I will stir about, / And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife."
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The change in wedding date meant Juliet had to take the potion on Tuesday evening
In Act 4 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet makes the decision to move the wedding of Juliet and Paris forward by a day, from Thursday to Wednesday. This is a significant change as it means that Juliet has to take the potion on Tuesday evening, 24 hours earlier than planned.
The change in wedding date is prompted by Juliet's apparent change of heart, where she agrees to marry Paris. This pleases Lord Capulet, who wants to ensure the marriage takes place as soon as possible, in case Juliet changes her mind again. He says, "I say tomorrow while she's in the mood", indicating his desire to strike while the iron is hot.
The original plan, devised by Friar Lawrence, was for Juliet to take the potion on Wednesday night and wake up 42 hours later, on Friday afternoon or early evening. This would give enough time for Romeo to be informed and arrive in time to rescue her from the tomb. However, with the wedding moved forward a day, Juliet is forced to take the potion on Tuesday evening, throwing the carefully laid plans into disarray.
Despite the potential consequences of this change, neither Juliet nor the Friar seem overly concerned. Juliet even voices her worry that she might wake up before Romeo arrives, which is exactly what will happen now that the wedding has been moved forward. It is as if the change in the wedding day never happened, and the original plan is still in place.
This sudden change in the wedding date creates a sense of urgency and adds to the tragic nature of the play. It highlights Lord Capulet's determination to have Juliet married to Paris, regardless of her true feelings or the potential consequences.
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Capulet's behaviour doesn't make a lot of sense, dramatically or otherwise
Capulet's behaviour in moving the wedding forward a day doesn't make a lot of sense, dramatically or otherwise. In Act 3 Scene 4, Capulet sets the date for Thursday, saying that Wednesday is too soon to get the preparations ready. Twenty-four hours later, he suddenly decides that the wedding should be moved up to Wednesday morning. He's already sent the wedding invitations for Thursday, so there is no time to send new ones, and there wouldn't be time to prepare a feast for the guests.
Lady Capulet points out the impracticality of the change, saying, "We shall be short in our provision. 'Tis now near night." Capulet's rush to marry Juliet off also throws Friar Lawrence's plan into disarray. Juliet is supposed to take the sleeping draught on Wednesday night, wake up 42 hours later on Friday, and be rescued by Romeo. However, with the wedding moved forward, Juliet must take the potion on Tuesday night and will wake up 24 hours before Romeo is due to arrive. Despite this, neither she nor the friar seem concerned.
Capulet's decision to move the wedding forward is likely motivated by his fear that Juliet will change her mind again. After she agrees to marry Paris, he says, "I say tomorrow while she's in the mood," indicating his desire to strike while the iron's hot.
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Frequently asked questions
Capulet wants the marriage to take place before Juliet changes her mind again.
Wednesday.
Thursday.
Tuesday.