What is revealed by Capulet's statement, "Hang thee young baggage, disobedient wretch/I tell thee what,—get thee to church a Thursday,Or never after look me in the face"?

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This story exists within a highly patriarchal societal structure.
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Juliet is able to manipulate her father with her emotional displays.
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Young people of the time period enjoyed a great deal of freedom in matters of love and marriage.
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Lady Capulet has exhausted her husband's patience.

1 answer

Capulet's statement, "Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch / I tell thee what,—get thee to church a Thursday, / Or never after look me in the face," reveals the intense patriarchal control that fathers exerted over their daughters in this societal structure. Capulet's angry words indicate that Juliet's disobedience is intolerable, and he threatens to cut her off socially and emotionally if she does not comply with his wishes.

This highlights the lack of agency that young women like Juliet had in matters of love and marriage. It shows that her father views her as a possession rather than an individual with her own choices. He expects her to follow his orders without question, reflecting the broader context of a society that prioritized familial and patriarchal authority over personal desire and autonomy.

Overall, this statement underscores the limited freedom and agency afforded to young women in this time period, particularly in terms of their romantic choices, rather than suggesting that they enjoyed freedom in love or that Lady Capulet has exhausted Capulet’s patience.