In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Lady Capulet mentions that she was married and became a mother at a very young age. She tells Juliet, “By my count, I was your mother much upon these years.” This suggests that Lady Capulet was around 13 years old when she got married and had Juliet.
This early marriage was not uncommon in the Elizabethan era, especially among the nobility. Marriages were often arranged for political or financial reasons, and the age of the bride was less of a concern than the benefits the union would bring to the families involved.
Lady Capulet’s young age at marriage highlights the societal norms of the time and adds to the tragedy of Juliet’s own young love and marriage to Romeo.