After reading the Prologue and scene III, what does the reader know that Lady Capulet does not?
Juliet is almost fourteen years old.
Juliet will not fall in love with Paris.
Paris wants to take Juliet as his wife.
Tybalt and Juliet are actually cousins.
The reader knows that Juliet is almost fourteen years old, but Lady Capulet does not.
Based on the information provided, the reader knows that Lady Capulet does not know that Juliet is almost fourteen years old. Additionally, Lady Capulet is unaware that Juliet will not fall in love with Paris and that Paris wants to take Juliet as his wife. Furthermore, the reader knows that Lady Capulet is unaware that Tybalt and Juliet are actually cousins.
To understand what the reader knows that Lady Capulet does not after reading the Prologue and scene III, we need to analyze the text. In the Prologue of many Shakespearean plays, the narrator often gives the audience important information about the plot. This is the case for Romeo and Juliet as well.
In the Prologue, the reader learns that Romeo and Juliet are from feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets, and that their love story will end in tragedy. However, none of the specific details regarding the characters' knowledge or actions are revealed in the Prologue itself.
Moving on to scene III, Lady Capulet, Juliet's mother, enters Juliet's room along with her nurse to discuss a potential marriage proposal from Count Paris. At this point, the reader knows some information that Lady Capulet is not aware of:
1. The reader knows that Juliet is almost fourteen years old. This detail is revealed in the Prologue when it mentions Juliet as "a pair of star-cross'd lovers...whose misadventured piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents' strife" (Prologue, Lines 6-8). This age information is not explicitly mentioned in scene III.
2. The reader knows that Juliet will not fall in love with Paris. While it is not explicitly stated in scene III, the Prologue foreshadows that Romeo and Juliet's love is destined to end tragically. Therefore, the reader can anticipate that Juliet's heart will belong to someone other than Paris.
3. The reader knows that Paris intends to marry Juliet. In scene III, Lady Capulet brings up the idea of marriage between Juliet and Count Paris, emphasizing his wealth and good social standing. Juliet maintains a cautious response, but the reader knows that Paris wants to wed her because of the information given in the Prologue, which states that Romeo and Juliet's love story will end in their deaths.
4. The reader knows that Tybalt and Juliet are actually cousins. Although not directly mentioned in scene III, the Prologue refers to Romeo and Juliet's deep tragedy being caused by their "parents' strife." This suggests that their families are involved in the conflict, making it reasonable to assume that Tybalt, who is a relative of Juliet, might have a role in the story.
In conclusion, after reading the Prologue and scene III, the reader is aware of Juliet's age, the fact that she will not fall in love with Paris, Paris's intention to marry Juliet, and the potential involvement of Tybalt, which Lady Capulet remains unaware of in scene III.