To what extent is Capulet presented as a loving father in this extract?

Lord Capulet is presented as a loving devoted father in this extract, seemingly in tune with Juliet’s needs. It is clear that he has a protective instinct over her, aware of her youth and inexperience: ‘my child is yet a stranger to this world’. The reference to ‘stranger’ highlights a need for him to keep her close to him still, in the safety of his home as her father, to look out for her until she is old enough and ready to leave home.

Furthermore, there is no time pressure behind him and he is happy to wait: ‘two summers’. ‘ere we think her too ripe to be a bride’. This natural imagery evokes an image of fruit, not yet ripened, or hence, ready for marriage. It is clear that as Paris gently probes this decision, by suggesting ‘younger than she are happy mothers made’, we begin to see some of his deeper motivations about not marrying her off too soon come through: “too soon marred are those early made’: this idea of ‘marred’ suggests a concern for her psychological and mental wellbeing, a step further than a consideration about her physical readiness – suggesting a tender nature in him; his close attachment to her is reinforced by the quote: “she is the hopeful lady of my earth”. We see verbal patterns in language and we see this natural imagery come through his speech in reference to her; this time, his attachment to her is more solid, grounded – ‘the earth’ suggests that he sees her as his foundations, something firm and immovable – more than the transitory nature of fruit which can quickly expire once ripened. He subtly indicates that there is a deeper reason for this attachment, concern and need to protect there: there is an indication that he has lost another child: ‘the earth has swallowed my hopes’ and he is not ready to detach himself from her.