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What happens in Act 1, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet?
Capulet talks with Paris about Paris's plans to marry Juliet and invites him to a feast to begin wooing her. Romeo and Benvolio wrangle an invitation to the same feast.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Act 1, Scene 2. (3-minute read)
What important characters are introduced in Act 1, Scene 2?
The only important character introduced in Scene 2 is Paris, a kinsman to Prince Escalus to whom Capulet has promised his daughter Juliet’s hand in marriage. A count, Paris is sometimes referred to as “County Paris” and sometimes just called “the County.”
Read an in-depth Character Analysis of Paris. (1-minute read)
Why isn’t Juliet considered too young to get married?
“My child is yet a stranger in the world;
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.”
In this important quote spoken by Capulet to Paris in Act 1, Scene 2 we learn that Juliet is just 13 years old. Over 500 years ago when the play was written, girls in England could be married as early as age 12 with parental consent. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that in this scene, even Capulet (whose idea it is for Juliet to marry Paris—not Juliet’s) insists to Paris that the marriage be delayed for two years.
Learn more about “Is Juliet too young to get married?” in our Q&A feature. (1-minute read)
From a narrative perspective, we should consider that by having Juliet and Romeo be young teenagers, Shakespeare is intensifying the poignancy of their young deaths, a key theme of Romeo and Juliet.
Read about The Tragedy of Dying Young as a key Theme (#5). (1-minute read)
Read more about Capulet’s comment in Quotes by Theme: The Tragedy of Dying Young. (1-minute read)
