Shakespeare then uses some comedy when Mercutio and Benvolio quarrel about who is the most argumentative.
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Man should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.”
Says Benvolio in a reply to Mercutio. This comedy relaxes the audience. Shakespeare wants the audience to be relaxed so when the dramatic parts happen they seem even more dramatic than they would if the action was slowly built up.
Tybalt then arrives on the stage looking for Romeo, because he saw Romeo at the Capulets party, and was not supposed to be there. Romeo is not around, but Mercurtio insists that he will fight Tybalt.
“Tybalt you rat catcher, will you walk?”
Asks Mercutio, the audience would now be expecting a fight, but when it doesn’t immediately happen, they wait with anticipation for the next dramatic part.
This scene becomes tenser when Romeo walks onto the stage, but when Tybalt tries to fight him Romeo is unwilling.
“I do protest I never injur’d thee.”
Romeo says. Mercutio is surprised that Romeo does not want to fight, and steps in again, trying to get Tybalt to fight him. The audience will now be wondering what is going to happen, this makes the scene dramatic, as the audience will be on the edge of their seats, wanting to know if a fight is going to take place.
Act 3 Scene 1 then becomes more dramatic as Mercutio and Tybalt fight, this is dramatic because the audience pick someone who they want to win and enjoy watching the choreography of the fight. The tension builds as the two fight and Mercutio is hit by Tybalts sword.
“A plague o’ both houses”
Mercutio cries, this is tragic and dramatic, because Mercutio dies and curses both families because they have both played a part in his death with their feud.
The audience are left thinking that it would be the end of the scene, but they are gripped by Romeos sudden change in character as he goes after Tybalt. They meet, and Romeo kills Tybalt for killing his best friend. Again the audience are impressed by the choreography of the fight, making this scene even more dramatic.
At the end of the scene Romeo is banished from the town of Verona for taking the law into his own hands.
“And for that offence,
Immediately we exile him hence.”
The prince announces. This makes the scene dramatic because it has now become a major turning point in the play and the audience are left wondering what is going to happen to Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare has used dramatic irony, as the audience are already aware that Romeo and Juliet are married, but no one else does.
This scene is also very important in the play because it is yet another fight between the two families, who have been feuding for decades. This is important because we know the prince is going to act after Tybalt has killed Mercutio and Romeo killing Tybalt.
This scene is also important because it shows Romeo’s reluctance to fight Tybalt, this is because he has just married Juliet, Tybalt’s cousin.
When Mercutio dies he curses both the families.
“A plague o’ both houses”
This is important because he shows that he knows both families have played a part in his death because of an age-old feud that has carried on for years.
The scene is also important because Romeo kills Tybalt, showing a change in character, as before he was unwilling to fight Tybalt, but when Tybalt kills Mercutio Romeo goes after him and kills him.
This scene is more important than the others because Romeo is banished.
“And for that offence
Immediately we do exile him hence.”
Shakespeare uses irony, because the audience know that Romeo and Juliet are married, but no one else does, leaving the audience left wondering what is going to happen to Romeo and his marriage to Juliet. Making this scene a major plot changer as they cannot have their secret love any longer. Visit coursework ff in ff fo ff for ff more essay ff Do ff not ff redistribute
There are also many consequences of both Tybalt’s and Romeos actions. We now know that the prince must act as he has said anyone brawling will be killed. But Romeo was let off because he took the law into his own hands and was only banished.
“His fault concludes what the law should and, Tybalts life”
Benvolio says to the prince.
This also means that there is no way that Romeo and Juliet can admit to their marriage because Romeo has killed Juliet’s cousin, and her family are now holding more hatred for Romeo and his family.
“Tybalt my cousin, o my brothers child,
O prince, o cousin, husband, o,
The blood is spilt,
Of my dear kinsman, prince as thou art true,
For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague,
O cousin, cousin”
Lady Capulet cries to the prince. Now knowing she wants Romeo dead. Making it clear that Romeo and Juliet can’t admit to their marriage because no one would accept it, especially Lady Capulet who wants Romeo dead for killing Tybalt.
Another consequence of Act 3 Scene 1 is that now Romeo has been banished, and Juliet can never admit she is married to Romeo means that both Lord and Lady Capulet want her to marry Paris, a wealthy friend of the prince.
“A’ Thursday let it be, a’ Thursday tell her,
She shall be married to this noble Earl”
But because of what has happened in Act 3 Scene 1, she cannot say she is married to Romeo, so she tries to tell her parents that she doesn’t want to marry Paris.
“But and you will not wed, I’ll pardon you.
Graze where you will, you shall not house with me.”
Lord Capulet tells Juliet, now Juliet must think of a way to get out of the marriage without her parents knowing, otherwise she will be thrown out.
What happened in Act 3 Scene 1 also pushed Juliet into going to the Friar to ask for his help, to get her out of the mess she is in.
“Tell me not friar, that thou hears’t of this,
Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it.”
The friar decides to help her because when he married Romeo and Juliet he thought it would bring the families together and end the feud between them, but this did not happen due to Romeo’s actions in Act 3 Scene 1, so he now decides to help, by giving Juliet a potion that would make her appear dead, but she would wake, with Romeo by her side if a message could get to Romeo.
The most tragic part in the play is also a consequence of what happens in Act 3 Scene 1. When Romeo hears that Juliet is dead, he rushes to her family tomb, again Shakespeare uses dramatic irony, as the audience know she is not really dead, but Romeo thinks she is.
When he arrives he finds her cold, thinking she’s dead Romeo drinks some poison which kills him. Then just as he dies, Juliet wakes up.
“O comfortable friar, where is my lord?”
Then she sees him dead. She kisses him and realises he is still warm and has died recently, knowing if she had woken sooner he would not have killed himself. This is a consequence because if Romeo had not been banished then Juliet would not have needed to obtain the potion, which made her appear dead, but the message failed to reach Romeo.
At the end of the play, both of the families have lost their children, and are upset.
“As rich shall Romeo’s by his Lady’s lie,
Poor sacrifices of our enmity”
Capulet says realising what has happened. The families end their feud because there is nothing to fight over, and have already lost loved ones. This is a consequence from Act 3 Scene 1 because Romeo was banished, meaning that Juliet had to fake her death, and Romeo did not receive the message and kills himself, as does Juliet when she finds Romeo dead. This brought the two families together, realising the two had been married. Resulting in the families ending their feud.
Overall Act 3 Scene 1 is the most dramatic and one of the most important scenes in the whole play of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare has used comedy, making the audience relax, then introducing action and drama in the form of two fight scenes, and because the audience is relaxed the fights seem more dramatic. William Shakespeare has also used very descriptive language to set the scene of the play. This scene is almost in the middle of the play, so Shakespeare has used this point to change the plot, as the prince orders Romeo’s banishment.
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