Tuesday, September 22, 2009

What would have happened if Romeo had been caught by the Capulets during the balcony scene?

It's unclear what might have happened if Romeo had been caught in the Capulet orchard as he attempts to catch another glimpse of Juliet after falling in love with her earlier at the Capulets' party. On one hand, Juliet fears Romeo would be put to death if her family found him below her balcony. As soon as Juliet recognizes Romeo, she warns him of this in the balcony scene, Act II, Scene 2:



The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.



Her words certainly apply to her cousin Tybalt, who is already angry at Romeo because he overheard Romeo at the party in Act I, Scene 5. Tybalt calls for his sword, but is intercepted by Lord Capulet before he can engage Romeo. Capulet doesn't want his party disrupted by a continuation of the feud; in fact, he actually has words of praise for Romeo:




He bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town
Here in my house do him disparagement.





Because of Capulet's seeming admiration for Romeo, it is unclear what he would have done if he had caught Romeo on the grounds of his estate. The question may depend on Lord Capulet's mood at the time. He displays a mercurial frame of mind throughout the play. At times, he is sensible and loving, but at others, he is quick to anger and completely intractable. One thing is for certain: if Tybalt had discovered the son of Montague, things would probably not have gone well for Romeo.


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