By What Means Does Shakespeare Engage His Audience In The Prologue And The First Scene Of "Romeo & Juliet"?
By What Means Does Shakespeare Engage His Audience In The Prologue And The First Scene Of "Romeo & Juliet"?
"Romeo & Juliet" by William Shakespeare, is set and written in the 16th Century. The setting is in Verona, Italy. It is a romantic tragedy in which two love-struck youths that are each part of a family that have a feud. By their death the families resolve their differences.
The first scene, apart from gripping our attention, introduces us to the main themes and gives us an insight into major characters. The first scene draws the audience in as it started with conversation between Sampson and Gregory, who were servants of the Capulets. This was soon interrupted by a brief skirmish between the Montagues and them. This is a frequent occasion between the two major families, as Prince Escalus mentioned, "By thee, old Capulet and Montague, have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets". This means that it is not the first time this conflict devastated the city, but the third. Also, Gregory emphasises the magnitude of the disagreements by saying that "the quarrel is between our masters and us their men". Both the Montagues and the Capulets seem to despise each other, hinting that there will be further disagreements later in the play. Sampson pointed out that he wishes to "show myself a tyrant. When I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, I will cut off their heads." This also shows the form of conversation they have as entertainment, which consists of boasting about themselves and their fighting abilities.
The audience is captivated by the brief skirmish between the two households. Sampson and Gregory decided to aggravate the servants of the Capulets by "biting their thumb", which was considered to be a rude gesture in Shakespearean times. They soon broke out into a fight, but Benvolio tried to keep the peace. However, Tybalt appeared and intensified the brawl. The whole city then joins in, creating quite a riot in the orderly city of Verona.
Apart from the action, there is a liberal use of wordplay throughout the plot. Sampson and Gregory started the scene by mentioning the words "colliers, choler and collar", which sounds almost the same, allowing for humorous puns to be made. This insertion of comedy into such a tragic drama is a common manoeuvre made by Shakespeare, as he seeks to entertain the audience.
Most of the main characters are introduced in this first scene, such as Benvolio, Romeo, Lord and Lady Montague and Capulet, Tybalt, Escalus, and each family's respective servants. Therefore, the audience will be able ...
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Apart from the action, there is a liberal use of wordplay throughout the plot. Sampson and Gregory started the scene by mentioning the words "colliers, choler and collar", which sounds almost the same, allowing for humorous puns to be made. This insertion of comedy into such a tragic drama is a common manoeuvre made by Shakespeare, as he seeks to entertain the audience.
Most of the main characters are introduced in this first scene, such as Benvolio, Romeo, Lord and Lady Montague and Capulet, Tybalt, Escalus, and each family's respective servants. Therefore, the audience will be able to get a preliminary look at each person and anticipate what will happen later. The first major character to enter the scene is Benvolio. He is a necessary character, who is usually available to explain situations and to provide guidance for Romeo and his friend, Mercutio. He advises Romeo to "examine other beauties", instead of fixating on Rosaline, who will never return his love and affection. He also seems to be more knowledgeable regarding the topic of love when compared to Romeo, as he commented, "Alas that love, so gentle in his views should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!" Benvolio was the peacemaker in the first scene, and he discouraged the servants from quarrelling. Benvolio differs from the fiery Tybalt, who wishes to fight and is filled with hatred Tybalt was the first person to mention "death", and he "hate the word peace, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee". He also shows disrespect for the servants of both families, as he referred to them as "heartless hinds", or female deer without a male leader. His appearance is brief in this scene, but shows his personality, and reminds the audience that this trait will get him killed later on.
Lord Capulet is still eager to fight despite his old age, and he asked for his "long sword". However, his wife, Lady Capulet, decided that a "crutch" would suit him more since he is an elder. Lord Montague sees the Capulet's as "villains", and he is also eager to fight, asking for his wife to "hold me not, let me go". Yet, the comparatively more passive Lady Montague replied, "Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe Prince Escalus", although he is not a main character, he is vital as he informs the audience of the age-old dispute, "By thee old Capulet, and Montague, have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets". He is a man of justice; although not completely unbiased since he has kin in both the Montagues and the Capulets, and presents his interest in this ancient feud and the two families. The main theme of "Romeo & Juliet" is love. This is shown by Romeo, who in scene one, is obsessed with a girl named Rosaline. He used extravagant prose to demonstrate his love, such as "She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, for beauty starved with her severity, cuts beauty from all posterity". Also, his love has sent his heart away, so he told Benvolio how "Tut I have lost myself. I am not here. This is not Romeo, he is some other where". On the other hand, love is seen as violent and brutal by Sampson and Gregory, who use crude sexual puns such as "Ay, the heads of maids, or their maidenheads, take I in what sense thou wilt". There is an obvious difference in the viewpoints of different characters. Rivalry is clearly seen, as even the old members of the family, Lord Montague and Capulet wish to use their "long swords" for a fight. Tybalt is especially impulsive, as he sees the Montagues as sworn enemies. The clash is "ancient" as mentioned by Lord Montague.
"Romeo & Juliet" is also a tragedy, as the lovers are separated in the end. Romeo appears miserable in this first scene, as he used poetry to explain his pain and his love for Rosaline to the empathetic Benvolio, who just wanted Romeo to "tell him in sadness, who is that you love". Romeo felt that his days seem long as he is away from his love, as he is not "having that which having makes them hours short". However, this is not a genuine act, as he is only enjoying the fact that he loves someone, rather than really loving Rosaline. Only in the later acts he learns the true meaning of love through meeting Juliet. The audience is shown how Romeo has matured in his attitude and level of devotion. The family relationship between the members is loose for the Montagues. As Lady Montague did not know where Romeo was after the brief skirmish. She brought up, "O where is Romeo? Saw you him today?" On the other hand, Romeo seems to have a closer bond with Benvolio, his cousin and his close friend, and he is more willing to convey his thoughts about Rosaline to him once. Lord and Lady Capulet did not play a major part in Act 1 scene 1, but in later scenes we learn about their over protectiveness for Juliet, and their wish for their daughter to marry Count Paris despite the fact that their daughter does not love him. Fate plays a major role in "Romeo & Juliet", as only through fate the two lovers meet. Scene 1 depicts how Romeo, through destiny, had met Juliet. Furthermore, Prince Escalus warned the families that "if ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace". This prophecy came true in the end, as Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet both sacrificed their lives due to the grudge between their kin.
In conclusion, the main characters are first introduced in the first scene, as readers learn about the primordial feud between the Montagues and Capulets, and how the different members of the families interact with each other. The scene draws in the audience's attention by starting with a brief encounter between the servants of the opposing families, which lead to a more serious conflict, later dispersed by Prince Escalus. Romeo was also first introduced in this scene, consoled by Benvolio. Furthermore, a variety of themes are illustrated by the characteristics of the characters themselves. For example, Prince Escalus represents justice and integrity, while Tybalt represents rivalry, possibly jealousy and anger, whereas Romeo and Juliet convey young love and innocence. The plot of "Romeo & Juliet" may be predicted from the first scene alone, which may be of a use for the audience to foresee the development of characters and themes alike.
