Explore the ways that Shakespeare makes Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet dramatically effective.

Authors Avatar

Coursework

 Explore the ways that Shakespeare  makes Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet dramatically effective.

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's masterpieces , believed to be written in the 16th Century. The main storyline of the play is about two tragic love struck teenagers who are unable to be together because their families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are enemies. Romeo is a Montague, Juliet is a Capulet.The Prologue itself creates the sense of fate by providing the audience with the knowledge that Romeo and Juliet will die even before the play has begun. The audience therefore watches the play with the expectation that it must fulfill the terms set in the Prologue. There are several themes in the play, which include destiny, hate, love and marriage. The audience is likely to expect several things from the scene. First and foremost simply trouble which means action-drama! Romeo is where he is not wanted, and is likely to be seen as an outsider. Second, since the prologue indicates that these are star-crossed lovers, some elements of the audience may be expecting if not love, at least admiration. Finally, they should expect a kind of lively excitement from the party itself.

In my response to Shakespeare ,I will explore the ways that he uses to make Act1 Scene5 of the play dramatically effective.

At the start of Act 1 scene 5, Shakespeare refers to the discussion between servants and serving men who are of low status in the play. The effect of this is preparing the audience for the main event of the scene. Also,he shows the  servants are stressed and busy,unlikely the atmosphere is completely different where the party is being held. In contrast, Capulet giving his speech to the masquers in a very happy and jovial mood . Shakespeare has made this dramatic by showing Capulet in a joyous mood,Unlike in the rest of the play. At the party Capulet shares his humorous side by side with the audience as he says,

        “Ah, my mistresses, which of you all

Join now!

         Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,

         She I’ll swear hath corns. Am I come near ye now?”

 At this event everyone is in a happy mood as well as the audience. All thoughts of a tragedy have gone and everyone is enjoying  himself within the party. The fighting that occurred at the beginning of the play is now a distant memory in the mind of the audience. Shakespeare has built up the optimism in the audience as if nothing can go wrong.

Soon after Capulet's speech, Shakespeare ...

This is a preview of the whole essay