The scene begins with Capulet organising the party. By Capulet rushing about the stage speaking to various people all at the same time, Shakespeare builds up pace and anxiety to the start of the party. This is all continuing while Romeo searches the room for quests. When he first sees’s Juliet everything slows down, this is were we see the first use of light imagery. By comparing Juliet to brightness and purity
‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright’
(I.v.41)
Shakespeare reveals to us that Romeo has fallen for Juliet and uses light imagery to put emphasis on her beauty. In saying that she is the one who ‘teaches the torches to burn bright’ Shakespeare explains that Romeo uses Juliet as an example of how beauty is meant to shown and how it perceived. Again by Shakespeare using light imagery ‘so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows’ Romeo explains that her beauty stands out from everyone else and that she is so pure. Baz Luhrmann, the director of the modern day adaptation, picks up on this and uses it in the modernised film by making Juliet an angel implicating her purity and shine, and with Claire Danes ,the actress who plays Juliet, being red-haired it gives an added brightness.
Another technique Shakespeare uses is when he personifies night to describe Juliet.
‘It seems she hang upon the cheek of night’
(I.V.44)
By personifying night and saying she hangs upon, it highlights the delicateness and softness of Juliet’s character. Shakespeare use of rhyming couplets throughout Romeo’s speeches emphasises the romantic atmosphere.
The mood then changes for the audience as Tybalt enters and spots Romeo as an intruder into his household. Although he is quickly stopped by Capulet this build up of tension contrasts the romance of this scene. Tybalt’s use of language is very dramatic to the audience as Shakespeare uses Tybalt to build up tension in the hope of a fight. The audience’s expectations of a brawl are heightened when phrases like
‘Fetch me my rapier boy!’ and
(I.v.53)
‘O by the stock and honour of my kin, I strike him dead I hold not a sin’
(I.v.57-58)
Are said. This is effective as Shakespeare sustains their suspense and interest throughout. From research on Shakespeare, at the time of writing Romeo and Juliet there was a lot of fighting and up roars of peasants, and what happened at the time would always have a impact on his writing.
Following this Shakespeare slows down the tension with the first verbal meeting Romeo and Juliet. By sharing a sonnet it expresses to the audience the bond or unity between them already and sharing it makes it all the more romantic to watch. The use of a shared sonnet is dramatically effective as they would be wondering around the stage ending each other’s sentences basically flirting with one another. In the modern film version Baz Luhrmann makes this scene very effective and engaging as during there shared sonnet they are avoiding Juliet’s mother and running around the ball room. As a personal opinion, I think it’s a lot more dramatic watching the modern adaptation from reading it out of the book as you can pick up on the way they feel and say things a lot easier. The music also adds to the effect of the scene with a high tempo tune in the background, along with the kiss which is dramatic merely on its own. Shakespeare portrays Juliet as an innocent, virginal, even religious figure, an illustration of this is when Romeo says
‘Sin from me lips? O trespass sweetly urg’d! Give me my sin again.’
(I.v.108-109)
They kiss ‘You kiss by th’ book.’
(I.v.108-110)
Suggesting that Juliet has never been kissed before and that Romeo is experienced. Romeo may be older than Juliet, but back in the 1500’s things were different culturally and socially with young women getting married and having babies at a very young age. Shakespeare uses Juliet’s age to magnify her innocence and purity. With the arrival of the nurse, after the shared sonnet and the tension is broken losing all intimacy and romance to the moment. Romeo and Juliet’s use of language are both very important in this part of the scene, Shakespeare’s use of rhyming couplets emphasises Romeo’s romance for Juliet, her use of monosyllabic words displays that she is more comfortable around Romeo than she was around Paris a few scenes before.
Shakespeare uses various techniques in Act 1 Scene 5 to make it as dramatically effective as he can and one is epic irony. In a lot of his plays he uses irony to for-see the future, for example when Juliet says to her nurse
‘if he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding bed’
(I.v.133-134)
And of course that’s what ends up happening. And of course the fact that Juliet’s only love is from her worst enemy as she says on
‘My only love sprung from my only hate! ..... That I must love a loathed enemy.’
(I.v.135/140)
The modern adaptation I think is a lot more effective that the text in my eyes. In my view I find it easier to concentrate on the play while watching, rather the trying to visualise it from reading the text. Its portrayal of the party scene is very effective, with the first meeting of Juliet and Romeo between the fish tank, and the costumes, for example, Juliet’s angel outfit, was well thought of by the director to emphasis the innocence and clarity of Juliet.
Shakespeare makes Act 1 Scene 5 dramatically effective in so many ways. The creation of intimate scenes between Romeo and Juliet depicts such a romantic atmosphere. The irony in their views of love, with Romeo despising love at one point to praising love a few scenes on, and with Juliet refusing love so strongly to accepting love so quickly. Romeo’s for-seeing of the future deaths, the change of hatred of Tybalt’s speech to Romeo’s shared sonnet with Juliet, to use of religious imagery used to describe Juliet in her innocence builds p and makes this scene so dramatic. As a final dramatic gestures the use of a chorus to round everything up, gives the audience a hint to what’s in the next scene to keep them see more.
