In romeo and Juliet Why would juliets social class make a difference to the Elizabethan audiences expectations?

Answer 1

The Elizabethans were very conscious of social class, and its many gradations. Both the Capulets and the Montagues are of the merchant class. They have "the chinks" but they are not aristocrats. That is why in the text they are always called "Capulet" and "Montague", but NEVER "Lord Capulet" and "Lord Montague". The Prince, who is a real aristocrat, speaks to them this way: "You, Capulet, shall go along with me; and Montague, come you this afternoon." They are clearly inferiors and that is made clear in the first scene.

People in that social class were and are social climbers, and one way of getting into a higher bracket is by marriage. Hence the audience would expect Capulet to be trying to set Juliet up with an aristocrat, like the Prince's relative Paris (he's a Count!). A son-in-law like that would raise the family status.

We see similar expectations at work in the comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. The Pages are a lower-middle class family, and are also trying to set their daughter up with either a professional man or a gentleman, both of whom would be a step up from where the Pages are.

Answer 2

Juliet's social class would have impacted Elizabethan audiences' expectations because class distinctions were very rigid during that time. An audience would have expected Juliet to conform to the behaviors and values associated with her noble upbringing, creating tension when she defies these expectations for the sake of love. This social context would have heightened the dramatic stakes of the play for the audience.