Was the outrage of Capulet at Juliet genuine?

Answer 1

Oh, yes. He has gone to quite a bit of trouble to arrange a marriage for Juliet, and she responds that she does not want to be married to him. She does not actually give any reason for her refusal, so it seems incomprehensible to him. He feels that he has given this matter quite a bit of effort and yet his hard work seems unappreciated. He also feels that his reputation is threatened; he has given his word to Paris (somewhat rashly) that he had no doubt that Juliet would consent to the match, and to break his word would make him look ridiculous in Paris's eyes. Finally, Capulet is caught between the notion that the father is the absolute dictator of his family and the reality that nobody governs without the consent and assistance of the governed. Capulet knows that he has no business making promises of marriage for Juliet (he says as much in Act 1 when he first talks to Paris, and Lady Capulet says the same in the same act), but like all people in authority, a challenge to that authority can cause a violent and emotional fear that the authority has evaporated, resulting in a show of strength. This is not something based in the mores of a particular era, or gender roles. It is based on the psychology of leadership which governs how humans have acted for as long as we have records of humans.