Alone with the Nurse, Juliet asks for advice. The Nurse replies that Juliet should marry Paris. Juliet is astounded but pretends to agree to this advice, whilst deciding that the only person who can help her is Friar Lawrence. At this time Juliet feels most alone in the world.
Modern audiences may wonder why Juliet doesn’t pretend to go through with the marriage. But Shakespeare’s audiences would know that it is a mortal sin to attempt a marriage when you are already married. In Elizabethan times, if you did this you would certainly be damned. The audience knows that the Nurse must be aware of this, but she gives the impression that she does not really believe in or care about heaven and hell.
The key to this scene (Act 3, Scene 5) in my opinion is what people know as:
- Capulet thinks his daughter is upset about Tybalt’s death, but he is quite wrong.
- Lady Capulet knows as little as her husband.
- Juliet is aware of her marriage to Romeo, but cannot explain to her parents, as she is scared of their response as Romeo is a Montague (a son of their enemies).
- Juliet isn’t aware of her parent’s plans for her to marry Paris until they tell her.
- At this point, the Nurse knows about Juliet’s’ secrets.
Shakespeare has used Dramatic Irony in this scene as only the audience has the full picture. In the scene, Juliet repeatedly speaks ambiguously. For example, the audience is aware that Juliet knows that he Nurse knows that Juliet’s parents don’t know about her marriage to Romeo! Shakespeare makes dramatic use of what people do or don’t know throughout the whole scene.
Act 3, Scene 5 includes themes of love and misery, which are important roles throughout the play.
At the beginning of the scene, Romeo is sharing Juliet’s bedchamber. Juliet at first is reluctant for Romeo to leave, claiming a bird they heard was a “nightingale, and not the lark”, which would signal sunrise. Romeo is certain that the bird was a lark meaning it will soon be day. Romeo is aware that morning is coming. This is shown when he says, “ It was the lark, the herald of the morn.” Romeo is aware he must leave foe Mantua. Juliet tells her love “ Thou need’st not to be gone” saying she doesn’t want to part with him yet.
Romeo’s banishment from Verona means separation of the two lovers. Therefore the lovers can not see, feel and talk to each other. To both, this meant something equal to death. Love is shown in this scene as it shows the two lovers battling against the obstacles that are getting in the way of their relationship. This gives the audience the impression that Romeo and Juliet’s love was so strong that they were willing to go against years of hatred between their families.
Romeo having been with his Juliet decides that he is now happy to die rather than parting with Juliet. He speaks “Let me be tane, let me be put to death.” Shakespeare has used a paradox in his language to show that as it literally gets lighter their feelings metaphorically get darker. Romeo and Juliet’s time alone is then broken by the Nurses entrance. The Nurse warns Juliet that her mother will join her soon. Juliet is aware that Romeo must leave and asks him if they will ever meet again. Dramatic Irony and tension is created, as the audience knows that Juliet will not see him again, as her father has agreed that she will marry Paris. Juliet says “O, by this count I shall be much in years.” She’s saying that she will be old before she sees him, and every minute without him seems like days.
Linking of love and death is shown by Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing when Juliet speaks “ O God, I have an ill-divining soul! Methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.” She’s saying that she has an image of Romeo dead. The lovers then say goodbye and Romeo leaves.
Juliet’s love for Romeo is shown from this point when she is left alone with her parents.
She battles against the obstacles that are getting in the way of the lovers’ relationship. The most important feature of Juliet's speech in this scene is double meanings. Juliet try’s to appease her mother. When Lady Capulet says that Romeo (by killing Tybalt) has caused Juliet's grief, she agrees that Romeo has made her sad, and that she would like to get her hands on him. By placing one word - “dead” - between two sentences, Juliet makes her mother think she wants Romeo dead, while really saying that her heart is dead because of him. Juliet then finds out about her father’s orders for her to marry Paris. Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other is so strong that Juliet begs her father: “ Good father, I beseech you on my knees.” This doesn’t help Juliet, as her father is very angry. He threatens her and then Juliet begs her mother to sort things out. Juliet explains that should her mother not delay the wedding by months or even weeks, then she will find another dead body like Tybalt's (Juliet will kill herself.)
Juliet gets no help and is left alone with the Nurse. Juliet is determined to get help from the Friar, and if he cannot help, she says she will die. To her, without Romeo around, she might as well be dead. Juliet's misery is in sharp contrast to the love that she feels for Romeo throughout the play.
The role of hatred also plays an important role in Romeo and Juliet. The hatred between the Montagues and Capulets ends up killing their only two children. And what was this hate for? Nothing. It was just an ancient feud that no one bothered ending. If the two families had just stopped feuding earlier, the lives of the two lovers could have been saved. Fate is an issue in the play as there is many unfortunate happenings that led up to Romeo and Juliet’s death. Fate was not on the lovers’ side.
We find out quite a lot about the characters that appear in Act 3, Scene 5. Lady Capulet at first seems concerned for her daughter, but when Juliet defies her, she puts the problem in her husband’s hands.
Juliet’s attitude is uncharacteristic behaviour for the Elizabethan era when daughters were generally not given choices. Not only is Juliet being asked for her opinion, but also she seems to feel free to with hold her consent.
Capulet cares about Juliet, but is now very angry and bullies Juliet as he has given his words to Paris and Juliet is refusing to follow them. Some modern audiences may not be aware that arranged marriages are normal for people of Juliet’s class, and Paris is a very good husband for her.
This scene changes my opinions on the nurse as she has always seemed to care for Juliet and has understood her interests. Now it becomes clear that she has never really understood her. At the end of Act 3, Scene 5 when Juliet is left alone, Juliet says she will never trust the Nurse again. She only speaks to the Nurse once more in the play. In my opinion I think it is surprising that the Nurse cares more about Juliet’s marrying, than her real love for Romeo, her husband.
Conclusion:
Romeo and Juliet’s suffering and deaths are tragic however, without them, their families would not have stopped feuding. Verona was torn by the hatred between the two families. The sacrifice made by the lovers allows everyone to begin healing old wounds. They make the greatest sacrifice for each other and this proves their love. Act 3, scene 5 is important as if Juliet was able to choose her actions and make her own decisions the play would not have ended as it did: a tragedy
