During this period of time, especially in Verona, Italy, a very Catholic place, religion was an important part of most people's lives, and to marry twice would be against what Juliet and her family believed in. It would be seen as a sin and the society, which was small, and the Capulets well known, would not accept it. Another reason not to consent to marry Paris, as she had just married Romeo.
She is also a lot more mature by this scene, and not so naive, once she has got over the shock of being told that she will marry Paris on Thursday, she forms a plan, organises herself - despite the circumstances she finds herself in, being vulnerable - practically dissowned by her parents, betrayed by Nurse, and Romeo banished:
"I'll to the Friar to know is remedy. If all else fail, myself have power to die."
Juliet is talking to herself here - telling the audience what her plan is, Nurse has just left and her last hope is Friar Lawrence. The fact that Juliet has a plan of action shows that she is no longer a child but is taking action instead of waiting for something to hapen, as she was in act one. Juliet's loyalties lye with Romeo, her husband, and in Act three scene five this is first shown, and is one reason which backs up the statement that this is the pivotal scene in the play.
Juliet is still as clever as before, and she uses her intelegance in order to remain loyal to Romeo, and at the same time, not make her mother suspicious. Juliet tells her mother that she would rather marry Romeo than Paris, Lady Capulet, thinking that Juliet is distraught about Tybalt- her cousin's death would assume that Juliet meant that she would rather marry someone who she hated than Paris, and Juliet is remaining loyal to Romeo, as she is married to him after all.
In this scene the main character is Juliet, she goes through a huge mood change through this scene, from waking up newly-wed with her husband in her room - safe and away from the troubles that face them both, to being dissowned by her parents, without her husband, abandoned by Nurse, destined to marry Paris, and looking for desperate measures to get out of her situation.
The scene starts with Romeo and Juliet waking up in bed together, birds can be heard, and the room stage should be dimly lit at this point. The two of them are both very happy, and talk, playing off each other's ideas this builds their compatibility, they are on the same level and understand each other, and it should be obvious to the audience that hey are very much in love.
The scenery should be arranged so in a way so that the audience can see them in bed together, perhaps both lying sprawled over the bed together, feet facing the audience. It would be a good idea if Romeo were to wake up first, as this gives Juliet a reason to ask if he is leaving and start the scene off. Juliet could have her hand laying on Romeo's chest, he could kiss it, to help show the physical need to be close to her, then he moves her hand onto her, and walks to the window to the the facing left, and near the front of the stage - the sun rising in the east, the stage should be lit only by a faint light, as though the only light were that coming through the window in the early morning.
Juliet wakes up as Romeo gets up and crosses over to the window, he may be wearing a shirt with one or two buttons done up, and shorts, or something similar, as he has stayed the night. Juliet may be wearing a night dress and go to talk to Romeo by the window. Here they have the discussion about the Nightingale and the Lark, during this conversation the room should grow lighter, so that by the time Nurse enters, it is getting quite light, and the room is looking more like a room than a hide away for Romeo and Juliet as it was before, clothes can be seen on the floor and they look anxious when Nurse says:
"Your lady mother is coming to your chamber. The day is broke, be wary, look about."
As Juliet opens the curtains to let Romeo out, more light is let in. Light is important as as the day progresses, and the scene becomes lighter, hope is fading, and Romeo and Juliet's situation darkens, and this is a way of showing it. As time goes by tension mounts. Therefore the scene should not begin to tensely, but Romeo and Juliet should be happy with each other, spending some of the only quality time together which they have throughout the whole play.
Romeo climbs out of the large window to the left, and walks down into the audience and looks up, to the window. Juliet calls out of it "Art thou gone so? Love, lord..." then he replies, and she rushes down to meet him.
Juliet asks, "O think'st thou we shall ever meet again?" and Romeo replies before kissing her, she runs after him as he backs away through the audience, showing that they cannot physically leave each other, and she tells him that she feels something bad is going to hapen, Romeo replies, then says goodbye, they back away from eachother, blowing last kisses, and he leaves at the back of the audience, Juliet is standing in front of the audience, on their level, so that they feel sorry for her, and as though they are relating, and she talks about fortune, and wanting Romeo back before running back upto her room, as Lady Capulet enters. The room is fairly lit by this point and as Lady Capulet enters she lights a Candle by the side of Juliet's bed, symbolising another issue to darken her day: Paris.
Lady Capulet asks Juliet what is wrong, and she answers that she is not well and has an awkward conversation with her mother before the subject of Juliet's marrige to Paris is bought up. Lady Capulet is not used to talking to her daughter and does not know how to act, here she could be tidying up the room, trying to act motherly and moving quickly. Nurse would be hovering at the back of the scene awkwardly, very aware of how near Romeo was to being caught, her eyes widen as Lady Capulet tells Juliet she will have someone kill Romeo.Nurse, who has been living out an adventure, a sort of fantasy through Juliet has realised how close she had come to losing her job, and as the situation is getting so much worse, she realises what she and Juliet could both lose from carrying this on. Nurse just wants to make sure that things go back to as they were now, and this is why she does not argue for Juliet or help her fighting her parents, it is not her place, as a peasant nurse, and she stands awkwardly occasionally dusting the curtains.
Once Juliet has told her mother that she will not marry Paris, Lady Capulet instantly loses her mothering tone and attitude. Juliet is abandoned, her mother tells her to tell Lord Capulet herself, knowing how he will react. Lady Capulet removes herself here, standing near Nurse, but significantly more forward that her, showing that she is still involved, and more important.
Lord Capulet enters and talks to his wife, he is in a very good mood, happy with the match that he has found for Juliet, and expecting her to be overjoyed that he has found her a husband. At first when Lady Capulet tells him that Juliet will not marry he should be in denial, not believing what his wife is telling him. Lady Capulet should look dissapointed in Juliet here, her daughter has let her down, and she does not want Lord Capulet to blame her for Juliet's actions either. Lady Capulet should look as though she wants to impress her husband, concentrating on how she presents herself, standing herself next to him, as though she is joining him, against their daughter.
After questioning Juliet, Lord Capulet realises that Lady Capulet was right about Juliet. When he asks "How? Will she none? Doth she not give us thanks? Is she not proud?..." he is actually speaking to Juliet, who is curled up in bed, holding her covers around herself and backing away from him, as he is coming closer and invading her personal space, he speaks as though he is asking Lady Capulet, whilst the questions are directed at Juliet, he uses "Will she none" instead of "Will you none" as he is showing his discust in her, and not talking directly to her, or using her name, instead talking to his wife, as though she is worthy, and not Juliet. it is rare that her mother comes into her room, and very rare that her father is in there, this is the only time in the play, and the audience should be able to see how frightented she is of her father, backing away, crying a few tears, but not enough so that the audience feel too sorry for her, as if she is the victim, they have to feel compassion for her, without feeling too sorry, or that she is being too heroic, and not at all damaged by what is happening.
The society at that time in Verona was one where Fathers, and husbands were dominant, and Lord Capulet's beaviour is what would have been expected, as his daughter had refused his offer of marrige to Paris. Juliet, however, has not seen this side of him very often, as she was always very good, wanting to please her parents, an did as she was told. Here she is showing that she has changed, and whilst she is standing up against Lord Capulet, she is still very afraid, this is the first time she has argued against her parents, and she shakes a little with fear, while still looking angry, and argues honestly about how she feels, however she still shows a lot of respect for her parents, telling her father that although she cannot feel proud she is thankful, and begging him to hear her speak:
"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."
Here she should look desperate, trying as hard as she can to find a way of making her father understand how she feels, and accept it, her parents approval is something which has always been important to her, and at this point still is in a way, although Romeo's approval and love is so much more important now, that she does not act to please them, but still looks for approval in the choices which she has made. Soon after she says:
"Good father, I beseech you on my knees,"
She kneels down wit her hands together begging him, but still looking angry, so that the audience see that she is desperate, but still angry, and strong-willed.
When Lady Capulet says "Fie, fie. What, are you mad?" she is helping out Lord Capulet, backing him up, and showing Juliet that she is siding with her husband. Lord Capulet goes onto say some very hurtful, and quite disturbing things to Juliet, "Hang thee young disobedient wretch!..." and Nurse cannot take this, she loves Juliet as though she were her own daughter, and defends her infront of the already hot and angry Capulet, who has been getting more annoyed with Juliet as the scene progresses, he is a very loud and outgoing man anyway, being the important and well respected Lord Capulet, he starts off the scene being happy, and loud, but gets quieter as his mood changes, the first time he adresses Juliet directly it is in a deadly whisper, "How, how, how, how? Chopped logic?..." he gets louder as he speaks, and seems more angry as he gets closer to Juliet, by the time he says "Out on her, hiding" he is finally shaking his fist at her, and looks angry enough to hit her, the audience should be expecting this. Nurse, who is very upset with what Lord Capulet is saying about her precious Juliet tries to make herself a human shield, and comes forward trying to look Capulet directly in the eye, he is still staring at Juliet, as though Nurse is not important, just an annoying servant, who does not know anything. Lord Capulet says "Hold your tongue" and tells her to "Smatter" with her "gossips" Lady Capulet realises how angry her husband i getting and joins Nurse, and tries to make him calm down a bit, telling him he is "too hot". Here Lord Capulet could shove her aside, he is not pleased that his wife and Nurse are telling him what to do, so he hits his wife, this was more acceptable in the society in Elizabethan Verona than it is today. Lord Capulet then adresses his wife, aware that Nurse is standing just behind her, listening closely too, he talks about Juliet, and why he is so angry, getting louder, and more angry as he talks, so that by the time he has turned to tell Juliet "But, and you will not wed, I'll pardon you!..." he is shouting, sweaty and angry. He exits right of the stage, and the door can be heard slamming loudly.
Lady Capulet looks awkward again as Capulet had left, and just stands listening to Juliet as she says "Is there no pity sitting in the clouds..." As Juliet finishes talking, however, looking upset, but determined, looking to her mother, and begging for help, her mother sees that she is weak, most mothers would feel sorry for their child, but Lady Capulet has never been close to Juliet, and when she sees that Juliet is weak, she only sees that if she helps her, her husband will be angry, and she disowns Juliet, looking down at her daughter kneeling on the floor she says:
"Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word.
Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee."
Lady Capulet walks slowly out, to the right of the stage, making it obvious to the audience that she is disowning her daughter. She should look very pleased with her self, and quite snobbish, her nose in the air.
Juliet then turns to Nurse for comfort, but finds none, Nurse has decided that it would be beter for Juliet to marry Paris. Even Nurse underestimates the love between Romeo and Juliet, she expects that when she tells Juliet it would be beter to marry Paris than dwell on Romeo, that Juliet will do this. Juliet is very disapoined, and feels let down by what Nurse has said, but she does not give up. Juliet stops looking angry, and so upset, she is realising that she must take desperate measures if she want to be with Romeo again, and that she will be alone. Here, Juliet should have a vacant expression, and look as though she has just seen her destiny, she is very set, and sure of what she is going to do.
Juliet asks Nurse "Speakest thou from thy heart?" checking for the last time that this is realy what Nurse, who she has loved and relied on for guidance her whole live realy believes. Juliet should say this with emotion, trying to show Nurse how deeply she cares, she could grip Nurse's hand look her in the eyes, to convey her emotions to the audience, show them how she is feeling, as she cannot tell them here. Nurse replies: "And from my soul too, else beshrew them both" Juliet goes on to tell her "Thou hast comforted my marvellous much."
she means this to be sarcastic, knowing that Nurse is illiterate, and will miss the sarcasm, taking the words for what they literally, without thinking about the tone of voice Juliet uses. Juliet turns away from Nurse, showing that she has chosen to walk away from Nurse, Nurse does not walk away from Juiet here, as she is not disowning Juliet, Juliet leaves her, as Nurse has disowned Romeo, something which she will not do.
