What was the purpose of the Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet?

is a character who is more complex than
initially given credit for. Most see him as a
superficial representation of
the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, and that is true.
However, he is
a deeper character than simple a symbolic representation of
feuding.

First, it should be noted that he doesn't
dislikepersonally. Whenspots him at Lord
Capulet's party and tries to cause a
scene, Capulet defends Romeo:

Content
thee, gentle coz. Let him alone.
He bears him like a portly

gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous
and
well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all the
town
Here in my
house do him disparagement.
Therefore
be patient. Take no note of him.
(I.v.70-76)

Lord Capulet's character shows from the
beginning that there is hope
in ending this feud. Although this is the child of his sworn enemy,
he
acknowledges that Romeo is generally well-respected and behaves like a gentleman. He
also
refuses to create a scene at this gathering, showing that he has a
fairly relaxed personality,
generally speaking, and is not prone to creating
conflict--unlike his younger cousin,
Tybalt.

Lord Capulet
also serves as a contrast to his wife's parenting
styles. Whileis ready to
rush her daughter into marriage, Lord Capulet thinksis too young and
responds
to 's inquiries this way:

But saying oer what
I
have said before.
My child is yet a stranger in the world. />She hath not seen
the change of fourteen years.
Let two more
summers wither in their pride
Ere
we may think her ripe to be a
bride. (I.ii.7-11)

He
doesn't see the
need for such a rush and thinks that she's being asked to grow up too quickly
by
this proposed union at such a young age. (She's not yet 14.) Of course,
when he finds out that
Juliet does not plan to marry Paris (and therefore
goes against his wishes), he reacts pretty
violently:

Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient

wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o Thursday,
Or never
after look
me in the face.
Speak not. Reply not. Do not answer
me.
My fingers itch.Wife,
we scarce thought us blest />That God had lent us but this only child,
But now I
see this
one is one too much
And that we have a curse in having her.
Out
on
her, hilding! (III.v.154-162)

Lord
Capulet also shows,
therefore, the ultimate system of patriarchy that Juliet
faces. Her decisions are seemingly not
her own. Paris convinces her father
that she should be his bride. Her father orders Juliet to
submit to his
wishes. And when she refuses, her father calls her a "curse" and says
that
she is basically dead to him if she doesn't comply.

Juliet's
relationship with her father is complex, showing that she
is loved by him only as long as she
bends to his
desires.