We learn that Romeo has ‘more care to stay than will to go’ and wishes to stay with Juliet he also says ‘come death, Juliet wills it so’ he also really wants to stay but he really has to go we also learn that Romeo cares for his wife because he knows if he is killed Juliet will be devastated so he wishes to leave so that he does not get caught
We learn that Juliet wants Romeo to stay so she can be with him for a little longer although she does not fully realise that if Romeo is caught she will never see him again she just wants to be with him
During this part of the scene the audience feels sympathy for the couple and especially for Juliet because her husband is leaving her for what could be forever but also for Romeo as he has to make the long journey to Mantua alone the audience will also feel sympathy for them both because they have to separate
This section ends when Romeo descends from the balcony and Nurse enters and lady Capulet is about to arrive
The mood changes at the start of the second part of the scene when Juliet’s mother is on the way to her chamber and Romeo is gone when lady Capulet enters she tells Juliet that her father has arranged for her to marry this part is funny because Juliet is already married to Romeo
Shakespeare uses dramatic irony here.
The audience would feel sorry for Juliet because her father has arranged a marriage for her without asking her first whereas an audience in Shakespeare’s time the audience would not feel sorry for her because in those times arranged marriage was a perfectly normal thing
The mood changes even more dramatically when lord Capulet enters. This section is the most dramatic. Lord Capulet tells Juliet that she will marry the count or she will be kicked out of the house he also tells her this man is very rich the audience would again have sympathy and feel sorry for Juliet because she is being forced to do something she doesn’t want to do and will be disowned if she doesn’t do it however a Shakespearean audience may feel totally different as they may believe a girl is her fathers property to give away to whom he pleases.
By George Collings