Paris is a young nobleman of Verona, related to the Prince, well-mannered, well-spoken, well-funded. We meet him asking Capulet for Juliet’s hand. He is, by every reasonable measure, the kind of man Juliet’s parents would expect her to marry — and the kind of man she would, in any other story, probably accept.
What Paris wants is to marry Juliet. He says so, plainly, without scheming, in the play’s opening Capulet-household scene. He wants a wife. He wants the match approved. After Tybalt’s death he wants the wedding moved up because grief, in his view, is worse alone. He never lies. He never insults Juliet. He is what the play insists you’re not allowed to dismiss: a decent suitor in the wrong love story.
He doesn’t change — but the play uses him to test how we feel. By Act 5, when he goes to Juliet’s tomb at night with flowers, you might catch yourself rooting for him. He has no idea Juliet ever loved Romeo, no idea she’s about to wake up, no idea his fiancée has poisoned herself for another man. He sees Romeo at the tomb, draws on him as a Capulet-killer, and Romeo kills him. Shakespeare gives him a final request: “lay me with Juliet.” Romeo does.
Younger than she are happy mothers made.
Plenty of girls younger than Juliet are already happy mothers.
Paris · Act 1, Scene 2
Paris pressing his case to Capulet. Capulet has just said his daughter is too young; Paris answers with the period's brutal arithmetic.
O, I am slain! If thou be merciful,
Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.
I'm dying — if you have any mercy, open the tomb and lay me beside Juliet.
Paris · Act 5, Scene 3
Paris's last request. He has no idea Juliet is about to wake. Romeo grants it anyway.
Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.
Sweet girl, I'm covering your wedding bed with flowers — except it's your grave.
Paris · Act 5, Scene 3
Paris at the tomb, reading Juliet's grave as a wedding bed. Shakespeare won't let you dismiss him; he came with flowers.
