1. Is Juliet too young to marry?
Juliet is set to have an arranged marriage at an age which was common of the time.

2. Which characters think Juliet is old enough to marry?
In Act 1, Scene 2 Lord Capulet agrees to Paris' request to marry Juliet, but is he happy about it?
Perform this scene in pairs & consider this question.
What is Lord Capulet's opinion? Support your answer with lines from the play.

3. What do Lady Capulet, the Nurse and Juliet herself think about marriage on the grounds of age?
Perform Act 1, Scene 3
Find evidence in the play to suggest what Lady Capulet; the Nurse and Juliet feel about this marriage proposition from Paris.

4. Why is Juliet considered of an age to marry?
People, particularly women, had far fewer choices in the past. All women could do was to marry, and their subsequent life depended on who they married. There was no point turning down a good offer - Paris was a very good offer.
Life expectancy was lower in those days and the infant mortality rate was much higher - women had to start having children when they were young and strong and the younger they started, the more chance they had of having a child that would survive.

5. Consider the different relationships Lady Capulet and the Nurse have with Juliet in Act 1, Scene 3
Who might be considered the most motherly?
Who has Juliet spent the most time with while growing up?
Who is Juliet closest to and who does she trust the most?
Does either Lady Capulet or the Nurse appear to care for Juliet more?

6. Was it right for Juliet to be promised to Paris?
Were Juliet's parents right to arrange her marriage?
We're her parents right to promise her to Paris?
Did Juliet handle the situation in Act 1, Scene 3 well?
Do you think that at 14 she was too young to marry?