At the start of Act 3, Scene 5, it opens with the implication that Romeo and Juliet have spent the night together. We know this because in line 2 Juliet says:
″It was the nightingale, and not the lark, ″
Romeo and Juliet are arguing about whether it is morning or night. The fact that they have lost track of time shows that they have been together for a long time, it also shows that time is not an issue when they are together and it shows how much love they have for each other. It is actually morning but because Juliet says:
″ It was the nightingale...″
It shows she doesn't want Romeo to leave and she still wishes it is night. This is tense and exciting because Romeo shouldn't be there and if he is caught he will be killed. This is also exciting because we assume they have consummated their marriage and have lost their virginity. This is a life-changing experience for any person but as it is Romeo and Juliet we feel more excitement for the two characters as their consummation is shared with the audience. It is as though this is a secret between the audience and Romeo and Juliet, as none of the other characters know about this and as we share their happiness we feel partly responsible for their happiness. Shakespeare uses the nightingale and the lark as metaphors to indicate to the audience whether it is day or night, Shakespeare would have needed to do this because at the Globe, where the play would have been performed, it was an open aired theatre. In Shakespeare's time the young girls had to obey their fathers and arranged marriages were common. Juliet was an educated girl who had gone behind her father's back, which at the time would have been frowned upon, and married Romeo not only without her father's consent but she married an enemy of her family. Now that they have spent the night together adds to the drama.
Shakespeare uses a device of dramatic irony in Act 3, Scene 5. We can see this in line 56:
″As one dead in the bottom of a tomb″
Juliet is looking down on Romeo over the balcony. This is dramatic because the vision that Juliet has of Romeo lying dead at the bottom of a tomb is exactly what happens at the end of the play when both Romeo and Juliet are dead in a tomb. This is tense for the audience because we know, from the prologue, that it will end in a tragedy. Also after their night together everything starts to go downhill, with Romeo leaving Verona and Juliet who is being
forced to marry Paris. The divide between Romeo and Juliet starts to grow further apart and this is metaphorically seen as they are divided in distance. Socially, men were superior to women at the time of Shakespeare, but cleverly Shakespeare has placed Juliet at the top of the balcony looking down on Romeo showing that she is superior to Romeo in Verona, as he has been banished but this could also be interpreted as Juliet being the superior one in their relationship. All of this makes Act 3, Scene 5 even more exciting and tense.
Shakespeare makes the play evermore tense and exciting by his use of ″power words″. In line 23-34 Romeo says:
″I have more care to stay than will to go: Come death, and welcome, Juliet wills it so.″
The key word in what Romeo says is, ″death″. Romeo is more willing to die than to leave his beloved Juliet, this shows how much he loves Juliet, although from earlier events we assume that Romeo has a tendency to fall in and out of love easily. At the start of the play Romeo is in love with Rosaline, but his love for Rosaline is unrequited. Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to put across that young love is based more on lust than love. They have no real understanding of the responsibilities that come with a relationship. When he first sees Juliet he falls in love with her and forgets all about Rosaline, showing that his love doesn't last long. This could be tense for the audience because they will be thinking is Romeo actually in love with Juliet or is she just another girl that he is going to have his fun with and then leave. Romeo saying that he would die for Juliet could be seen as him being indecisive. Though others may argue that Romeo is so much in love with Juliet that he will do anything for her. If Romeo was to die then Juliet will be left widowed and this would be selfish of Romeo, so that wouldn't do Juliet any good. This makes it seem as though Romeo is thinking of himself and not of Juliet, just to be with her for a little longer. This is also ironic because at the end of the play Romeo does actually die for Juliet. Historically, it’s thought that men would not have died for women but it would have been the other way around.
The tension and excitement continues to build up throughout Act 3, Scene 5 through violent threats and in line 155 Capulet says:
″Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. Out, you green sickness carrion! Out you baggage! ″
Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris and is saying to Juliet either she has to marry Paris or she will be disowned. Juliet is being forced into marriage by her father against her wishes. If Juliet is to marry Paris she would be committing bigamy because she is already married to Romeo but she cannot tell her father this or it is guaranteed Capulet will disown her. Romeo is an enemy of the Capulet family and Juliet has gone behind her father's back to marry him. Religion plays big factor in this part of the play, all the characters are Catholic and if Juliet is to commit bigamy by marrying Paris she will also have to consummate her marriage to him thus committing adultery as well as bigamy. This is against Catholicism and are seen as great sins. Capulet thinks he is doing the best for Juliet by getting her married but cannot understand why Juliet doesn't want to marry Paris. This would be exciting for the audience because they don't know what Capulet is going to do to Juliet, he is angry with her and he has threatened violence so the audience will be waiting to see whether Capulet will act on his threats. It was common in Elizabethan times that fathers would arrange their children's marriages and there was no reason for their children to object.
Near the end of Act 3, Scene 5 the tension and excitement comes to a climax. This is a common structure in Shakespeare's plays as Act 3 is the the middle of the play and is the climax of the play. In line 164-167 Capulet says:
″My fingers itch wife, we scarce thought us blest...we have a curse in having her.″
Capulet is implying that he will use violence. His fingers are itching to hit Juliet. Capulet is mad because Juliet is saying she doesn't want to marry Paris. This is tense for the audience because it is the first time that the parents have threatened to use violence against their children. The audience would be feeling a little guilty as they know Juliet's reasons for not marrying Paris. If Juliet is to suffer the consequences of not marrying Paris, which is her father hitting her, then the audience would feel some responsibility. Capulet also says:
″We have a curse in having her″
He is saying that Juliet is a curse on the Capulet family. Juliet is Capulet's only daughter and now he is on the verge on disowning her and beating her. Capulet is being pushed to the edge. This makes it all dramatic for the audience, the way Capulet is acting towards Juliet.
In conclusion, Shakespeare's use of language and his techniques of writing all come together and produce a tense and exciting scene. The way in which Shakespeare uses the characters to appeal to the hearts of the audience makes the play an all time great.
Shakespeare uses various ways in which to keep the play tense and exciting for the audience, his use of dramatic irony, ″power words″ and threats of violence are just some of the points I picked up on in this essay.
Act 3, Scene 5 is tense and exciting and Shakespeare has easily produced a masterpiece with the play Romeo and Juliet. This play is surely one of Shakespeare's greatest works.
