Analyse the significance of Act 3 scene 1 within the play as a whole and evaluate the success of the various interpretations that you have seen.

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Romeo and Juliet GCSE Coursework

Analyse the significance of Act 3 scene 1 within the play as a whole and evaluate the success of the various interpretations that you have seen.

I am going to analyse the significance of Act 3 scene 1 within the play as a whole and I am going to evaluate the success of the various interpretations that I have seen. I am going to do this by analyzing different areas of Shakespeare’s and other interpretations of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Act 3 Scene 1 is a crucial scene in the play. It is a turning point for the play, as after what happens in the scene nothing can return to how it was.

Before Act 3 Scene 1, Romeo and Juliet got married. But nobody, except Friar Lawrence knows of this. Tybalt has sent a challenge to Romeo for them to fight, but Romeo has not received this challenge yet.

Here are the main events in Act 3 Scene 1. The Capulet’s arrive in Verona where Mercutio and Benvolio are. When Romeo arrives at the scene Tybalt and Romeo start to fight, Mercutio also gets involved. Tybalt then stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm. Tybalt then flees away from the scene. Romeo is furious with Tybalt because he has just killed his best friend. Romeo goes to find Tybalt, when he does they fight. Romeo then kills Tybalt

After Act 3 Scene 1, Juliet is devastated when she finds out that Tybalt is dead and Romeo is banished.

The rest of the play evolves around the banishment of Romeo; this was the result of the fight in Verona. That scene was a turning point in the play. If Romeo had not reacted to the Capulet’s when his friend Mercutio was killed, and had not killed Tybalt, he would not have been banished. If Romeo did not kill Tybalt, he would not have been banished then Juliet would not have needed to take the potion, and Romeo would not have found her.

Mercutio was quite a popular character with the audience. When he joked and made the audience laugh he lightened up the mood of the play. But when he was killed the mood of the play became more tense and uncomfortable for the audience. Also, from that point in the play, the story line became more interesting and more tension begins to build up in the audience.

In that scene we also learnt a lot from the characters. In Act 3 Scene 1 the main characters are Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio and Tybalt. Romeo is quite young and in love with the idea of being in love rather than being in love. I think that Romeo has most of the audience’s sympathy. But, I think that Mercutio is the most popular character with the audience as he makes all the jokes and lightens up the mood of the play. When he says “Tybalt, you rat-catcher”, the little comments like that adds humour to the play and make it less tense. I also think the audience think he is the most entertaining. Benvolio is the most nervous and worried character out of all the characters in the scene.

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I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire:

The day is hot, the Capels are abroad,

And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl,

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

He is nervous and worried that a fight may start.

I think Tybalt gives the impression of him being a villain in the Baz Luhrmann interpretation. I think this as his clothes are black and his hairstyle with lots of gel gives out the impression of him as a villain. The way he talks in the Luhrmann interpretation also has a tone of evil ...

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