The following scene begins as Romeo finds out that his beloved Rosaline will be attending the Capulet party. So Romeo, to see Rosaline for the last time, went to the feast uninvited. In Shakespeare’s time the people conducted masked balls. All the guests were to come in disguise. This idea came of no use to Romeo because no sooner had he entered the gathering he was recognized by Tybalt,”This, by voice should be a Montague”. Observing him Tybalt got suspicious. Tybalt automatically changed his attitude and became Violent and aggressive, “Fetch my rapier boy”. “To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.” Tybalt was from doing anything as Lord Capulet stopped him. This is because he wanted to avoid ruining the party. Tybalt not able to do anything not only felt betrayed but insulted as well by his own uncle, “Be quiet for shame, I’ll make u quiet”. Lord Capulet instead of feeling offended started praising Romeo a Montague, “Verona brags to be an incurious and well governed youth”, “A bears like him a portly gentlemen”. Tybalt divears that he will have revenge at Romeo. “I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, will convert to be the bitterest gall”. The scene becomes surprising as the audience sees Lord Capulet defending Romeo in the situation and goes against Tybalt. The scene turns to have four contents. Betrayal, Love, Romance and Violence. The audience becomes surprised seeing that Lord Capulet let a Montague stay in his mansion. They also become suspicious thinking if Lord Capulet accepts Romeo and Juliet’s love. The audience builds interest in the play and is curious to know what will happen next?
Tybalt has been seeking revenge on Romeo attending the party. Romeo just married Juliet so he doesn’t want to confront Tybalt because he is now automatically related to him. Despite being insulted by him, he still refuses to confront him. He enrages Mercutio who accepts Tybalt challenge in his place. Mercutio is Romeo’s friend, neither a Capulet nor a Montague. The scene starts with Benvolio and Mercutio are in a street in Verona. As we have seen before Benvolio is still afraid of being spotted by a Capulet and is trying to avoid a brawl “The day is hot the chapels are abroad and if we meet we shall not escape a brawl”. While Mercutio tries to stay brave and angers on Benvolio for being so afraid. Unfortunately Benvolio was let down because they came across Tybalt. As we know Tybalt is of a very violent and destructive nature and has sworn to get Romeo. Romeo shows up and Tybalt starts to insult him despite this he doesn’t get angry balt: “Boy this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me, therefore turn around and draw”. Seeing this Mercutio gets angry and accepts the challenge instead of Romeo. Keeping the princes warning in mind Benvolio suggests moving the fight to a private place, “We talk here in the haunt of men; either withdraw into a private place”. Unfortunately Mercutio got injured seeing this Romeo got angry and challenged Tybalt. The challenge was accepted, Romeo was so angry that to avenge his friends death he killed Tybalt in battle. Both families gathered up along with prince Escales. Romeo was banished from Verona by the prince and the brawl ended taking the lives of two characters Tybalt and Mercutio. The scene turns out two have a tragic ending. Shakespeare has really won the interest of the audience by changing the former atmosphere into a dramatic atmosphere.
As we have seen till now Shakespeare has shown Lord Capulet to be a caring father but this scene reveals his personality in a totally different way. When Juliet refused to marry Paris, Lord Capulet completely changed. He became abusive, aggressive and violent, or in other words he turned against Juliet. Obviously the audience would know that in Shakespeare time the daughters would have been very subservient they were expected to be obedient and dutiful to their parents, as Juliet was up to this period. Lord Capulet being disappointed by her daughter, “How will she none? Doth she not give us thank? Is she not proud?” He then he starts to insult her, “Hang thee, disobedient wretch, young baggage”. In the sixteenth century more than one marriage was against their religion. Hopefully after noticing that Juliet is in a tough position as she is already married to Romeo the audience would understand why she had to disobey her father and refuse to marry Paris. Lord Capulet did not only insult her but he physically abused her as well, “My fingers itch”. He grows so much hatred for her daughter that he threatens Juliet in to marrying Paris, “But fettle your fine joints, against Thursday next, to go with Paris to St Peters church, or I will drag the on a hurdle thither”. Words spoken by Lord Capulet are harsh. “And you be not, hang, bed, starve, dine in the streets. During this period Juliet stands alone; her own mother refuses to b on her side, “Talk not to me, for I will not speak a word”. Shakespeare ahs built sympathy in the eyes of the audience for Juliet. And has shown anger and hate for Lord Capulet. This scene contains a lot of violence which is only coming from Lord Capulet.
The next scene starts as we see that Juliet recites her soliloquy she looks really scared to take the poison. She begins to doubt Friar Lawrence,
Thinking that the potion he gave her might be poisonous. By reciting her soliloquy we realize that she is really trying to express her feelings. We have seen before that she was in a difficult situation. She now feels helpless and alone. Juliet is on her own, the nurse has already betrayed her, “Nurse! What should she do here? My dismissal scene I needs act alone”. Even her own mother refused to help to her she was completely on her own. She had no choice but to take the potion. She takes she but feels scared, “I have a faint cod fear thrill through my vein that almost freezes up thy heat of life”. Shakespeare builds up tension in the audience because they have no ides what will happen next, is this Juliet’s time to die, as in the prologue? The fact that Juliet takes the potion gives us an idea of how much love she bares for Romeo. To show Juliet’s desperation Shakespeare used repetition “Romeo, Romeo, Romeo, here’s drink, I drink to thee”. The audience probably would admire Juliet’s bravery as she has been through a lot.
This scene shows us that Paris has gone to the tomb to pay respect to the death of his beloved Juliet. It is understandable that Paris would feel depressed because his hopes have deceived him and now he is incapable to make Juliet his wife. He should feel even more devastated because it happened before the day of their wedding, “Sweet flowers with flowers thy bridal bed I stew”. While leaving Paris spots Romeo and becomes furious, he knew that the Capulet’s tomb was threatened by Romeo’s presence, “And there he is come to do some evil ainous scheme to the dead bodies”. Paris then attacks him. Romeo warns him that he is not responsible for his actions: Paris ignored this and then got killed; he suffered this because of his own foolishness. The audience should feel sympathy for Paris because of the love he has for Juliet. The quotes give the audience an idea for what is about to happen. This scene was written before the climax to stall the horrifying outcome of the play.
This is the climax of the play. We know that the play is tragedy of two lovers who take their lives. The audience from the beginning wren made to think that there would be a happy ending, but this was not to be. If Romeo would have come after Juliet had woken up then they would have been reunited. But unfortunately the play had a horrifying and depressing ending. Romeo arrives, Juliet wakes up, thinking that she is dead. Romeo couldn’t bear the thought of living without her .So he killed himself by drinking the poison, which he got from Balthazar. Romeo saying these words, “Oh! My love….my life….man inferred”. Moments after Romeo dies Juliet wakes up and sees him dead. Juliet gets hold of his dagger and kills herself, “Oh happy dagger, this is my sheath. There rest and let me die”. As we see such a tragic ending, the audience would feel a lot of sympathy for them. And thinking that if Romeo had arrived just a while later they would get to see an happy ending.
From my view the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ turned out to have two sides. On one side Romeo and Juliet’s love and on the other side the enmity between their families. Their love has really touched everyone, the audience and the readers. It can be set as an example for others. Death and violence adds to the play because it makes the audience want to watch the whole play.
