The Jules and Cinders of Family Drama

Parental Figures in Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet

Cinderella and Juliet are two incredibly strong female heroines, but they would have never become that if they hadn’t had to overcome their family drama and social class expectations. We start off Juliet’s portion of the play in the city of Verona where Juliet is being set up to marry Paris by her parents. We start off the story of Cinderella in a small kingdom where Cinderella lives a joyous life with her mother and father. Until her story takes an incredibly sharp turn, and she ends up living with her evil stepmother and her two stuck-up step sisters. In both of their families, Juliet and Cinderella are always being controlled by there parents, always being forced to do what they think is right. Although, most of the time, the parents make the decisions that more benefit themselves then the children they are supposed to be guiding. Fortunately, both Cinderella and Juliet have two unbiased, and nurturing female figures who look out for what is right for them, and let them make the decision that they choose is best.

Juliet’s parents are keen on having her marry Paris, even though she is only 13 years old. They want her to start off her life and more or less become a woman. Although, Juliet does not want to get married to someone that she doesn’t love and really doesn’t even know. Unfortunately though, there is really nothing she can do to stop this from happening. In this scene, Juliet’s mom asks her what her opinion is on getting married, hoping that she will be excited and ready to marry someone. Although, Juliet says “It is an honor that I dream not of.” (1.3, 71) To which her mother replies:

Well, think of marriage now. Younger than you
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers. By my count
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus, then, in brief:
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. (1.3, 75–80)

Her mother doesn’t seem to care that Juliet doesn’t want to be married. She suggests that now that she is 13, she is old enough to be a mother, saying that people that are younger than her are already happy mothers. She also suggests that she had Juliet around the age Juliet is now and look how well her life turned out. She also describes Paris as “valiant”. Allowing her own personal biases to get in the way of a life altering decision in Juliet’s life. This shows that although her mother thinks she is marrying Juliet off for the right reasons (Paris is wealthy so Juliet will live a comfortable life with him, she will be able to start a family and become a woman) she isn’t considering how Juliet feels about the whole situation even after she tells her that marriage in an honor, and honor she does not want right now. Lady Capulet: “So shall you share all that he doth possess / By having him, making yourself no less.” She is telling Juliet that by marrying Paris, all that he has will be hers. Lady Capulet also says that by being married to Paris she will not be making herself into a small wife, but she will be expanding herself because she will go up in social status. The money that Juliet will receive is very important, because her family also gets credit for her marrying up into a higher social status. By saying that Paris is “valiant” she is forcing her own opinion and belief onto Juliet, so she won’t fight against the idea of marriage. She just wants her to give in, and to start her life with Paris. Juliet’s mother also doesn’t consider how Paris is going to feel being trapped in a marriage with a woman who doesn’t love him, that has to wear on someone knowing that the person they are partners with forever doesn’t share their loving feelings.

In Cinderella’s story, her evil stepmother does not care about Cinderella’s happiness, she only wants her to help her take care of her own children, by cleaning the house and bringing them breakfast. This shows in a different way how mother’s will do anything for their children, without thinking about how it will affect other people, or the children themselves. The stepmother wants her children to have wealthy marriages (unfortunately, only one will be able to marry the Prince, who both of her daughters are shooting to marry.) She doesn’t care that if she never lets Cinderella have any free time or try to live a life outside of the house, that she will never find happiness with friends or with romance. By having Cinderella do all of these chores, she is setting her daughters up for failure. They will never learned to be independant or be in self-control if all they ever do is wait around for someone to do something for them. Although she is doing what she thinks is best for her daughters, the way she lets them act and treat other people is deprecating to themselves.

For example, when Cinderella was protecting her friend (the mouse) from Lucifer (the cat) her stepmother yells at her because she didn’t kill the mouse.

Stepmother: “Come here.”
Cinderella: “ -You don’t think that I…”
Stepmother: “-Hold your tongue. Now, it seems we have time on our hands.”
Cinderella: “ -But I was only trying to…”
Stepmother: “ -Silence! Time for vicious practical jokes. Perhaps we can put it to better use. Now, let me see… There’s the large carpet in the main hall. Clean it! And the windows, upstairs and down. Wash them! Oh, yes. And the tapestries and the draperies.”
Cinderella: “ -But I just finished…”
Stepmother: “Do them again!”

The evil Stepmother doesn’t care that Cinderella is doing all of the work around the house, all she cares about is her daughter’s being pampered. She is vicious towards Cinderella since she doesn’t consider her a daughter. She taunts her, making her re-do all of her chores just so she can watch her suffer. She takes pleasure from the fact that she never had to do anything she doesn’t want to do, because she has this girl that she treats as a servant. Even as Cinderella tries to explain what she was doing, she will never give her a chance to be forgiven.

Stepmother: “Yes, so it does. Well, I see no reason why you can’t go. If you get all your work done.”
Cinderella: “Oh, I will. I promise.”
Stepmother: “And if you can find something suitable to wear.”
Cinderella: “I’m sure I can. Oh, thank you, Stepmother.”
Anastashia: “Mother, do you realize what you just said?”
Stepmother: “Of course. I said ‘if.’”

Her Stepmother knows that she will never be able to get all of her work done (considering she keeps making her redo all of her chores just so she doesn’t get a chance to go.) Also, she knows that she will never find something appropriate to wear, since she only provides her with maid’s clothes. She is setting her up for failure just for her and her daughter’s amusement. She is condescending towards her, pretending she will let her go to the ball, all so she can find amusement in this vicious practical joke.

The only person that wants the best for Cinderella is the Fairy Godmother who comes to fix her up and get her ready after her horrible step sisters and evil stepmother destroy her mother’s dress that she was going to wear to the ball.

Cinderella: “There’s nothing left to believe in.”
Fairy Godmother: “Nothing, my dear? -Oh, now you don’t really mean that.”
Cinderella: “Oh, but I do.”
Fairy Godmother: “Nonsense, child! If you’d lost all your faith, I couldn’t be here. And here I am. Oh, come now. Dry those tears. You can’t go to the ball looking like that.”
Cinderella: “The ball? -Oh, but I’m not…”
Fairy Godmother: “ -Of course, you are. But we have to hurry, because even miracles take a little time.”

The kind, good-hearted Fairy Godmother doesn’t let Cinderella question herself or give up on her dreams. She nurtures and encourages her like a motherly figure and tells her that she still has something to believe in. She gets Cinderella back on her feet again, after she had been destroyed because she lost the very dress that connected her to her mother. The one thing she always held on to, and believed in. The Fairy Godmother helps her regain her confidence and believe in happy endings once again. The biggest connected that a child feels to their mother is the comfort and undying love that they provide. Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother has no second motive, she gains nothing from helping Cinderella. All she gains is getting to see Cinderella earn her happy ending and finally enjoy and truly live her life. The only thing that she gains from this is getting Cinderella to believe again, to have hope in her future. She shows this when she tells her that if all of her faith was gone she wouldn’t be able to be here right now. She boosts her confidence by telling her that not all faith is lost, that if they start working on her dress and appearance now, they can make it to the ball, and earn Cinderella the happy ending that she deserves. That is enough for her, because she holds love for Cinderella and just wants what’s best for her. She is looking for no benefit.

In Juliet’s case, she is completely smitten and in love with Romeo. Although, he has been banished and she will never be able to see him again. She is so distraught and doesn’t have a way to handle her emotions. The Nurse helps her by telling her that she will find a way to bring Romeo to her so that they can run away together. She knows that if she does this she will never be able to see Juliet again, which would be hard for anyone who cared about the person leaving, especially a motherly figure. But, she does this because she knows it will bring Juliet joy, and that is what matters to her. She doesn’t gain anything if Juliet marries Paris (money, social class, status in the community.) The only thing the Nurse wants is for Juliet to be happy and to be able to spend the rest of her life with someone she wants to be with.

Juliet: “O god! Oh nurse, how shall this be prevented?
My husband is on earth, my faith in Heaven…
Comfort me; counsel me…
What sayst thou? Hast thou not a word of joy?
Some comfort, nurse.” (3.5, 216–224)

Nurse: Faith, here it is.
Romeo is banished, and all the world to nothing
That he dares ne’er come back to challenge you,
Or, if he do, it needs must be stealth…
I think it best you married with the county…
Beshrew my very heart,
I think you are happy in this second match. (3.5, 225–235)

Although the Nurse also gives Juliet the advice she finds best, that she marry Paris and try to have a happy life with him, but she doesn’t force her into anything. She tells her that she believes, in her very heart, that Juliet will be much happier in her match up with Paris. The Nurse says she should marry Paris, considering everything that has happened with Romeo, but she never tells her that she has to. She lets Juliet do what her heart desires, even though she knows the cost. She doesn’t want to stop the person that she genuinely loves, and has always cared for, from taking a shot at the true happiness she deserves. Just like a mother would, she sacrifices her own happiness, she knows she can’t be selfish. Juliet asks the nurse to comfort her, just like a young child would ask their mother to comfort them if they were frightened or sad. The Nurse was the person who nurtured and loved her, just like a mother would. Therefore, she is the person Juliet goes to when she needs help making a decision, especially a decision as important as this one. When Juliet says that she has to be with Romeo to enjoy her life, the Nurse helps her. She doesn’t go tell her parents about the plan or force Juliet into a marriage (a lifelong commitment) that she doesn’t want. She helps her find Romeo, her husband, the man she loves. Never does she think of how this could affect her if people were to find out if she were involved, she risks everything for Juliet. The Nurse also checks in with Romeo to make sure that he is not just fooling around with Juliet. She wants to know that if Juliet is going to risk her family for this man, that she has to be serious. Just as if someone’s daughter brings their boyfriend home for the first time, the parents check him out, ask him questions, so that they know that they have serious intentions with their daughter, and that they are not going to break her heart. Nurse: “If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you.” (2.4, 129–130) The Nurse wants to have confidence in Romeo, she wants to know that she can trust him to not hurt Juliet or make her lose her family, just because of some game that he is playing. She wants to be able to go to sleep knowing that he loves Juliet, and that he is going to take care of her.

There are a lot of ups and downs and different emotions through the play Romeo and Juliet and the movie Cinderella. Although, no matter what happens, these two female heroines always have someone at their side watching over them, making sure that they live their best lives. They are never forced into decisions that they don’t want or have their happiness at risk for an outside benefit by the Nurse of the Fairy Godmother. The Nurse and the Fairy Godmother nurture Juliet and Cinderella because they love them, not because they need something from them. They are the two motherly figures that supported, empowered, loved and nurtured the two famous and household names that we know today.

Citations

Cinderella. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske, Disney, 1950.

Díez, Sarah Martín, editor. “Cinderella 1950 Script.” Scribd, 2017, www.scribd.com/doc/295724358/Cinderella-1950-Script. Accessed 2017.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library.

Abstract

The thing that I wanted to figure out about the play Romeo and Juliet and the movie Cinderella was how the two female heroines were able to get through all of their traumatic problems and family drama and still come out the other side. This is an interesting concept because when you hear the word “hero” you often think that the person you are describing was just born good. They overcame their problems because they have amazing moral integrity and always knew what the right thing to do was. The first thing I did to get my results, was re-read the scenes where Juliet is confronted by her mother and where the Nurse comforts Juliet. I wanted to make sure I had a solid understanding of how these relationships unfolded and who was the person who guided Juliet’s actions. I also did the same thing for Cinderella, I made sure to pay close attention to the evil stepmother and the Fairy Godmother’s words, making sure I knew exactly what message they were trying to get across. My next step was to pick two scenes from each work of art: one that described a loving moment between the nurse/fairy godmother and one that described a controlling moment from Juliet’s mother or the step mother. After choosing these I wrote down what I had interpreted from what the character’s were saying and crafted my essay. I learned that it would have been impossible for the main characters to overcome all the difficulties they faced without their maternal (non-blood related) figures. Cinderella would have never met her Prince and would have never had a happy ending if it wasn’t for the Fairy Godmother. Juliet would have never been able to escape her impending marriage from Paris and she would have never been able to contact Romeo in the first place if it wasn’t for the Nurse. The conclusions I have drawn matter because it shows the affect only a couple of people can have on your life. It shows how with the knowledge that someone loves you, and wants what’s best for you, can complete alter the course of your love. You always need that kind of love and nurture if you’re going to be able to overcome your challenges, you will always need a person to lean on and a sounding board. Also, when you have negative people in your life, people who use you to benefit themselves, you can do better without them if you just find the right people to be around.