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Year 10
AQA

Exploring Lord Capulet's views on women and marriage in Act 3, Scene 5

I can explain how Lord Capulet’s views on women and marriage in Act 3, Scene 5 relate to a patriarchal society.

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Year 10
AQA

Exploring Lord Capulet's views on women and marriage in Act 3, Scene 5

I can explain how Lord Capulet’s views on women and marriage in Act 3, Scene 5 relate to a patriarchal society.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Initially, Lord Capulet appears to subvert patriarchal norms through suggesting he wants Juliet’s “consent” to marry.
  2. However, this is undermined through Juliet’s absence and lack of knowledge.
  3. Lord Capulet’s response to Juliet in Act 3, Scene 5 implies that daughters were supposed to obey their fathers.
  4. Juliet, Lady Capulet and the Nurse’s response in Act 3, Scene 5 convey the powerlessness of women.

Keywords

  • Patriarchal - relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men

  • Consent - permission for something to happen or agreement to do something

  • Subvert - undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution)

  • Perceived - regarded in a specified way - used to say how something or someone is seen or thought of

  • Stereotypical - with the qualities that people usually expect of a particular type of person or thing

Common misconception

That characters either fully conform or fully subvert stereotypes.

Characters often exist within a grey area - they might conform to some aspects of a stereotype but subvert others - just as real people do.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Exploring Lord Capulet's views on women and marriage in Act 3, Scene 5, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When talking through the second learning cycle, it would be useful to keep reminding pupils that Lord Capulet said in Act 1, Scene 2 that Juliet's consent would be necessary for him to agree to the marriage.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who has control in a patriarchal society?
women
children
Correct answer: men
Q2.
Elizabethan society was which of the following?
Correct answer: patriarchal
matriarchal
meritocracy
Q3.
In Elizabethan society, fathers would have had __________ over their daughter's marriage.
little influence
no influence
Correct answer: great influence
Q4.
'Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something' is the definition of which word beginning with 'c'?
Correct Answer: consent
Q5.
'With the qualities that people usually expect of a particular type of person or thing' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Correct Answer: stereotypical, stereotype
Q6.
'To remove from a person the special human qualities of independent thought, feeling for other people, etc.' is the definition of which word beginning with 'd'?
Correct Answer: dehumanisation, dehumanising, dehumanise

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Lord Capulet was initially concerned about which of the following in regards to Juliet's potential marriage to Count Paris?
That Juliet won't like Paris.
That Juliet is too old for marriage.
Correct answer: That Juliet is too young for marriage.
Q2.
Which of the following is true for Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' when Lord Capulet talks to Count Paris of his proposed marriage to Juliet?
Juliet is present.
Lord Capulet says he will speak to Juliet.
Correct answer: Juliet has no knowledge of it.
Q3.
'Regarded in a specified way — used to say how something or someone is seen or thought of' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?
Correct Answer: perceived, perceive
Q4.
'To undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution)' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Correct Answer: subvert, subversion
Q5.
In Act 3, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Lord Capulet asks Lady Capulet if she has delivered “our __________”.
command
proposal
Correct answer: decree
option
Q6.
In Act 3, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Lord Capulet declares to Juliet “Out, you green-sickness __________! Out, you baggage! / You tallow face!”
fettle
Correct answer: carrion
hilding