Act3 Scene5 Romeo and Juliet.

Act3 Scene5

Romeo and Juliet

The Consummation of Juliet’s Marriage with Romeo:

In accordance with the arrangement already made, Romeo climbs up to Juliet’s apartment at night. He spends the night with his bride, and then gets ready to leave at dawn. Juliet would like him to stay for a little while more, but Romeo points out to her that, if his presence is discovered within the boundaries or Verona, he would be sentenced to death for disobeying the Prince’s order of banishment. Juliet then reluctantly assents to Romeo’s decision to leave. Just then the Nurse hastily comes and informs Juliet that, Lady Capulet is coming to see her. Romeo had thereupon to descend the ladder quickly. Juliet urges her not to keep her in the dark about his circumstances, but to send her daily news of how he is getting on. She then asks him if, in his opinion, they would ever meet again. Romeo says that, they would certainly meet again and that, when they do meet again, their misfortunes would have ended and that, they would be therefore in a position to talk to each other joyously.

Juliet says ‘No’ to her mother:

Lady Capulet now enters Juliet’s bedroom. She thinks that, Juliet has been shedding profuse tears over the death of her cousin Tybalt. She therefore tries to console Juliet in her distress, not knowing that, Juliet is feeling more distressed on account of her separation from her husband than on account of the death of Tybalt. Lady Capulet then informs Juliet that Thursday has been fixed, by her father for her marriage with Paris. Juliet then bluntly says that, she is not yet ready to marry. She asks her mother to inform her father about her unwillingness to get married so early in her life.

Juliet’s parents greatly annoyed with her:

Capulet now himself comes to talk to Juliet about her marriage which he has arranged. He also thinks that, Juliet has been shedding tears over her cousin Tybalt’s death. Lady Capulet informs her husband that, Juliet is not willing to marry. Capulet then becomes furious to learn about Juliet’s reluctance in the matter. He administers a severe rebuke to Juliet for adopting this attitude when he has gone out of the way to find a rich and handsome husband for her. He then warns her that, if she does not get married to marry by Thursday, he would turn her out of the house. When the Nurse tries to intervene on Juliet’s behalf Capulet silences her in a brusque manner. Capulet then again turns to her daughter and says that, is she does not get ready to marry she would find herself in the streets and might even have to beg for food. Capulet then leaves in the mood of fury. Juliet turns to her mother for aid in her predicament. But Lady Capulet is not prepared to do anything in the matter because she too would like Juliet to marry Paris. Lady Capulet then also leaves in a huff.

The Nurse’s changed her view of Romeo:

Juliet turns to the Nurse and asks if she too has no comfort to offer to her. The Nurse then begins to praise the excellent qualities of Paris, and speaks disparagingly about Romeo. Juliet now forms a very low opinion about the Nurse, who after having previously lavished praises of Romeo, has not taken a somersault and has begun to praise Paris. When the Nurse has left, Juliet decides not to confide any of her decisions and actions in future to the Nurse, because the Nurse has not greatly fallen in Juliet’s estimation.

1) Important Paragraph:

In one little body,

Thou counterfeit a bark, a sea, a wind,

For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea,

Do ebb and flow with tears. The bark thy body is,

Sailing in this salt flood, the wind thy sighs,

Who raging with thy tears and they with them,

Without a sudden calm will overset

Thy tempest-tossed body.

Context: These lines are a speech spoken by Capulet to Juliet. Juliet is unwilling to marry Paris, the suitor whom Capulet and Lady Capulet have chosen to be the husband for their daughter. Capulet thinks that, Juliet is weeping because of her grief over the death of Tybalt. He does not know as yet that, Juliet ahs told her mother that, she is not ready to marry Paris.

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Explanation: Capulet say that, Juliet’s small body presents the collective picture of a sea, a ship, and a storm. Capulet compares Juliet’s eyes to the sea because tears are alternately flowing from them and then pausing, just as the tide in the sea that advances and then retreats. Capulet then compared Juliet’s body to a ship sailing on the sea on the sea of her saltish tears. Capulet goes on to compare Juliet’s sighs to a storm blowing upon the sea. Infact, her sighs seem to Capulet to be a tempest which is agitating the seawaters, namely her tears. Capulet concludes his speech by saying that, the furious storm would sink the ship of her body, unless a sudden storm calm occurs. Capulet means that, if Juliet does not control her sighs and tears over Tybalt’s death, she would collapse and perhaps die.

Critical Comments: This speech shows that, Capulet is not prosaic kind of man. He is really endowed with a fertile imagination which enables him to make a highly figurative speech containing an elaborate smile. We must, indeed, appreciate Capulet’s powers of expression, even though we cannot admire him for anything else. At the same time, we must note his blindness to the real situation. He does not perceive the fact, which any intelligent father would perceive, that, his daughter is in love with somebody else and is not weeping over the death of her cousin. Thus there is irony behind this speech. Irony arises from contrast; and here we have a contrast between what actually is and what Capulet seems to be.

2) Important Paragraph:

Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend,

Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn,

Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue

Which she hath prais’d him with above compare

So many thousand times? So, counsellor.

Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain.

Context: These lines are soliloquy by Juliet. Juliet has just asked the Nurse how she should get out of the situation created by her father who wishes her to marry Paris. Juliet, being already married to Romeo secretly, cannot even think of marrying somebody else. Nor is she in a position to reveal to her father or mother the secret of her marriage with Romeo. The Nurse, in reply to Juliet’s appeal, urges Juliet to agree to marry Paris, and she supports this advice by pointing out that, Romeo has been banished and therefore no longer exists so far Juliet is concerned. Juliet outwardly accepts the Nurse’s advice; but, as soon as the Nurse leaves, Juliet makes this soliloquy to express her real feelings.

Explanation: She describes the Nurse as an old evil woman, and as a most wicked demon. The Nurse, says Juliet, had previously been heaping praises on Romeo; and now the Nurse has condemned Romeo with the same tongue with which she had previously commended him. At the same time, the Nurse has advised Juliet to break her marriage vows and thus to prove unfaithful to Romeo whom she has already married. Juliet cannot decide which sin is greater than the Nurse has committed: whether it is a greater sin on the Nurse’s part to ask her to break the marriage vows or it is a greater sin on her art to speak ill of the man whom she had previously raised so highly. Juliet now decides to have nothing more to do with the Nurse. She decides never again to repose any trust in her. She now holds a very low opinion about the Nurse.

Critical Comments: This soliloquy shows Juliet’s disillusionment with the Nurse, of whom she had so far been quite fond. Juliet now discovers the reality of the Nurse’s character. The Nurse has proved to be utterly unscrupulous. In urging Juliet to marry Paris, when the Nurse knows that, Juliet is already married to Romeo, the Nurse betrays to complete lack of integrity. The Nurse’s advice simply shows in her an absolute want of any moral sense.

The story of Romeo and Juliet, set in the sixteenth century, inevitably ended in tragedy. This was not all due to the control of the stars, otherwise known as, and generally believed in at the time, as fate, "A pair of star-crossed lovers." This quote is found at the beginning of the play and accurately describes Romeo and Juliet; it says that, the lovers were in a predicament from the beginning because of being doomed by fate. It is the main meaning of the prologue, because it verbalizes that, the end was inevitable and that fate controlled the eventual outcomes.

I am describing Act3 scene5. This scene is set in the house of the Capulet in Juliet’s bedroom. Romeo has just left for Mantua where he has been banished because of killing Tybalt. This is the reason for Juliet being upset.

When Lady Capulet is waking Juliet up, I would have the lighting slow so you can just see Juliet, to show that, it is the morning. I would have Juliet in a long white nightgown and Lady Capulet would be wearing a very smart and formal dress-richly embroidered-to reflect her wealth. Juliet would be in her bed, with all her clothes tangled. There would be very little furniture: a dressing table in the far corner and a small table with a bowl and jug on it next to the bed. I would have Lady Capulet talking from the back, right hand corner of the stage. Juliet in a quite voice would say” Who is’t that calls? It is my Lady mother.” When saying this line, Juliet would be talking to the audience and she would have her hands of her heart. When Lady Capulet enters, Juliet would be in a shock seeing her mother, as normally it is the nurse who wakes her up and looks after her. Juliet sits up as soon as she sees Lady Capulet; this is because she has a lot of respect for her mother. As soon as Lady Capulet enters Juliet’s bedroom she can see there is something wrong, I would have Juliet crying. Lady Capulet comes straight over and sits next to Juliet on here bed. Juliet says,” Madam I am not well.” Juliet and Lady Capulet would be holding hands. Lady Capulet would be looking very concerned with what is wrong with Juliet, but Juliet would be looking down at the floor because she has betrayed her family. Lady Capulet (misunderstanding) thinks that, Juliet is “Evermore weeping for your cousin’s death.” At this point Juliet would be looking confused with what to tell her mother. The lighting would be getting brighter to show it is in the morning and they could also have the sound of cockerel crowing off stage. When Juliet shouts “Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss,” Juliet would be looking very angry and upset with both Tybalt’s death and even more upset about not being able to see Romeo. Juliet would be crying a lot more now and looking straight at her mother. When Lady Capulet says, “Thou weepst not so much for his death”. As that villain lives which slaughtered him” she will stand up when she is saying this because she has got so much of hate for Romeo. When Lady Capulet stands up, there will be a spotlight on her.

Juliet stands up and walks to the centre of the stage, directly in front of the audience and says to herself quietly, just so the audience can hear. She says, “Villain and he be many miles asunder.” But Lady Capulet will be facing the other way so it is clear that, she is not talking to her. Juliet should be relieved that, Romeo is far away and safe but she wants to be with him. Now Juliet has stopped crying and turns around to face her other. Lady Capulet says, “That is because the traitor murderer lives.” When Lady Capulet says that, there is dramatic tension, there would be dramatic music with a build up of drums. This also shows that, it won’t be long until Juliet reveals her love for Romeo.

To make her mother think that, she does not like Romeo, Juliet says, “Ay madam, from the reach of these my hands.” Would none but I might avenge my cousin’s death.” When Juliet talks about her hands she will hold out her hands and clench her fists. As Juliet is saying her lines the drums lie down to show less tension with Lady Capulet being misled.

The drums start up again and Lady Capulet walks to the front of the stage to Juliet and holds both her hands. She then says with hatred for Romeo “We will have our vengeance again for it, fear thou not.” Then weep no more.” The reason for the drums starting again is because Juliet does not really want Romeo to be poisoned. She is just saying that to please her mother.

Juliet says, “Indeed I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him.” Here I would have a pause to show that, Juliet does not really want to say ’Dead’. The drums are still playing in the background. With what Juliet has just said Lady Capulet is misled into thinking that, Juliet wants Romeo dead. They let go of each other’s hands and the drums stop.

Lady Capulet walks away to the other side of the stage and turns round and says to Juliet, “I’ve got good news for you my girl.” As soon as Juliet hears this she wipes her eyes and runs over to her mother and grabs her hands. Juliet says, ”Joy comes well in such a needy time.” What are they, I beseech your Ladyship?” As Juliet is running to her mother she will be smiling and looking forward to the good news. Juliet calms down and let’s go of her mother’s hands. Lady Capulet says,” Thou hast a careful father, child: one who to put thee from thy heaviness hath sorted out a sudden day of joy.” There should be a build up of dramatic music when Juliet finds out what the good news is.

Then the music suddenly stops and a bright spot light is shone onto Lady Capulet and she says: Marry my child early next Thursday morn the gallant young and noble gentlemen, Paris, at Saint Peters church, shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.” When Juliet hears ‘Marry’ she runs her hands through her hair and then she walks along onto the front of the stage, walking backwards and forwards as she is shouting to her mother, “He wont take me a happy bride there!” Juliet is breathing heavily, because she is very scared. Lady Capulet holds her hand over her mouth in shock and disgrace at Juliet. Juliet is in total shock what is happening.

Juliet will say slowly and charmingly, “Pray you tell my lord and father, madam, I will not marry yet.” Juliet will be in the middle of the stage and on her knees; she will be facing the audience with a spotlight on her. Juliet lets out her love about Romeo by saying “I will not marry yet. And when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo”. Lady Capulet is in a shock and is disgusted with Juliet and stands at the other side of the stage opposite her. Lady Capulet answers, “Here comes your father, tell him so yourself, and see how he will take it at your hands”. Then Capulet walks onto the stage with the nurse following a few seconds later behind him.

Capulet walks towards his wife and the nurse walks into the centre of the stage. Capulet’s stood next to his wife, this shows Capulet and Lady Capulet are on the same side. The nurse is stood in the middle because she stands up for Juliet but does not totally agree with Juliet’s feelings. As for, Juliet, she’s stood on her own.

Capulet is wearing a black smart suit with a tie, which shows he is very important and everybody respects him. When Capulet says,” When the sun sets doth drizzle dew,” there will be a spotlight to represent the sun. Capulet will be talking very softly. When Capulet says, “For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea,” at this point he wakes towards Juliet and wipes her eyes with a tissue. This showing that, he is very caring and considerate towards Juliet.

Capulet turns around and walks over to his wife, he is smiling and laughing. Then he says, “How now wife?” Have you delivered our Decree?” At this point he cannot keep still with joy. Lady Capulet, not wanting to tell her husband because she knows how he will react, still has to tell him. So Lady Capulet says, “Ay, sir” in a very quiet voice but she then build up courage and says quite loudly,” But, she will none, she gives you thanks. I would the fool were married to her grave.” Juliet starts to cry again with what her mother has told her father. At this point Capulet is looking confused, he does not understand the disagreement of Juliet and her mother.

The Nurse’s stood at the back of the stage, not playing a part at the moment. Now Capulet is stood centre of the stage. He is looking at Juliet with confusion because he does not under stand what is happening. So he asks, “Will she none?” Doth she not give us thanks?” He is shouting at Juliet with disgust, he will also be frowning. Capulet is in the centre of the stage walking round in circles.

Juliet is scared and shaking with fear at what he is going to say. Then she builds up courage to say, “Not proud you have, but thankful that you have. Proud can I never be of what I hate, but thankful even for hate that is meant love.” Juliet is shouting as she walks towards her father, holding her arms out to him, desperately trying to make him understand that, she loves Romeo and does not feel any love for Paris.

Capulet shouts,” how, How, how, how?” Chopped logic? What is this? This is where Capulet starts to get aggressive. He grabs hold of her by the shoulders and shakes her. When he is talking to Juliet he is really close up and spitting his words on her. Juliet is screaming and crying, not with pain but with letting down her family. Then Capulet throws Juliet onto the bed and shouts “Fettle your fine joints against next Thursday, to go with Paris to Saint Peters Church”.

Here Capulet is shouting really loud, he will be pointing his finger at Juliet who is laid on the bed. Juliet is really scared and sad. Lady Capulet comes up to Capulet and stands in between Capulet and Juliet to try and split them up, while also trying to calm her husband down by saying “ Fie, fie, what are you mad”. But he will have none of it and just pushes her aside.

Juliet rolls off the bed and gets on to her knees and begs” Good father, I beseech you on my knees. Here me with patience but to speak a word.” Then Capulet walks over to the other side of the stage thinking about what to do. Then he walks back to Juliet and shouts “Hang thee young baggage, disobedient wretch,” he just pushes her onto the floor. Juliet has tears running down her face. Capulet says, “Get thee to church a Thursday or never after look me in the face.” He grabs her by the hair and lifts her to her feet; they are stood in the middle of the stage. He says, “My fingers itch” and he clinches his fist ready to hit Juliet.

Then the nurse, who is wearing a white gown, runs and grabs Capulet arms and says, “God in heaven bless her. You are to be blamed, my lord, to rate her so.” The nurse tries to help and calm Capulet down but it is not working. Capulet replies saying “Hold your tongue,” he points his finger at the nurse. Then Capulet says, “ O God I am good even,” here Capulet points towards the door to imply for the nurse to leave but it is quite hard for the nurse to do this because she has nursed Juliet since she was a baby and thinks of Juliet as her own child. Then the nurse says, “May not one speak?” and then storms loudly off stage. At this point Capulet has let Juliet go and Juliet is in shock. Capulet says,” Having provided a gentleman of noble parentage”, at this point Capulet is mocking Juliet. Capulet is walking up and down the stage in such a rage. He is shouting and stamping his feet as he walks. When Capulet finishes his line he storms off stage shouting, “I’ll not be forsworn”. As he goes he knocks off all of Juliet’s belonging which are on her dressing table.

Juliet then turns to her mother who is crying and now sat on the bed. Juliet is also still crying but not as much now her father has left. She then goes and sits next to her mother; at this point there is no sound- it is silent. Juliet begs her mother to, “Delay this marriage.” But her mother has none of it and storms out.

Submitted by,

Udit Aggarwal 10Y