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Lady Capulet has a complicated relationship with her daughter Juliet. She clearly loves her, but she is an ineffectual parent who does not know how to communicate or bond with her child. Lady Capulet’s strained relationship with Juliet is often compared to the loving relationship that Juliet has with her Nurse. Lady Capulet and the Nurse are foils for one another, meaning their characters are contrasted in order to highlight key characteristics. In the case of Lady Capulet and the Nurse, their interactions with Juliet emphasize their varying degrees of maternal instincts. Lady Capulet cares for Juliet but she grows angry and dismissive when Juliet strays from her vision of what a dutiful daughter should be. On the other hand, the Nurse just wants Juliet to be happy, and supports her even when she does not agree with her choices.
Interestingly, Lady Capulet’s anger is not confined to the domestic sphere. She becomes enraged when she learns of Tybalt's death in 3.1 and demands that Romeo be executed for his crimes. In fact, she is the only Capulet to speak during that scene; her husband, the patriarch of the Capulet house, is curiously silent. She then tells Juliet in 3.5 that she wants to send someone to kill Romeo in Mantua after he is banished. These bursts of malevolent rage may be brief, but they speak volumes to Lady Capulet’s vindictive and prideful nature.
