Closing Statement The evidence presented today proves that Capulet and Montague are innocent in the tragic loss of Romeo and Juliet, as neither father displayed direct resentment towards the child of the rivaling family. Although the Capulet and Montague houses oppose each other, there is a lack of evidence supporting the idea that Lord Capulet and Lord Montague openly despised the children or even the idea of marriage between the two if they were to find out about the relationship. Firstly, Capulet showed how he cared for both his daughter and her romantic interest. When Romeo first met Juliet, Capulet defended Romeo against Tybalt’s threats to kill him. He stated, “Content thee, gentle coz. Leave him alone./ He bears him like a portly gentleman.” …show more content…
The evidence shows that although Romeo is a Montague, the rivaling family of the Capulets, Lord Capulet regards Romeo as a proper gentleman, speaking of his name in a positive light. Furthermore, Capulet deeply loves his daughter and shows how much he cares for her. He arranges a marriage for Juliet with Paris, a wealthy man whose name is well known in Verona, “So worthy a gentleman to be her bridegroom” (3.5.150). During these Elizabethan times, arranged marriages are widely popular among the upper class, so arranging a marriage with Paris for Juliet would mean that Capulet wanted his daughter to live a happy life in a rich family. Since Juliet and Romeo kept their marriage a secret, Capulet did not know about their relationship, so he believed he was doing Juliet a favor by arranging her future with a wealthy man. Even when Paris first asks for permission to have Juliet’s hand in marriage, Capulet is initially hesitant as he does not want to force her into marrying him, demonstrating how much he cares for his daughter. Furthermore, Montague also cares for his