Focusing on Dramatic Features of the Text and Dramatic Ideas of Your Own how would you Ensure that the First Meeting of Romeo and Juliet was as Powerful on Stage as Possible?
In "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare uses various means to make the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet as powerful on stage as possible.
The play begins with a prologue, which on its own is not very significant. However, with a prophecy of "star crossed lovers" undertaking a "fearful passage of their death-marked love", an atmosphere of expectancy is created. The audience would anticipate the meeting of the lovers whom fate has brought together, and this creates tension in the audience, which builds up as they wait for the couple to meet.
The first scene of the play is very violent - which is surprising for a romantic play. Also the audience is introduced first hand to the bitter hatred between the Montagues and Capulets. Shakespeare introduces the play with such aggression for a reason. As the audience knows, this is a romantic play but they soon realise "it is a play much to do with hate, but more with love". This makes the audience wonder how, out of so much hate, such an intense love could be born. Shakespeare uses contrasts such as love and hate, aggression and tranquility in order to make the first meeting more powerful on stage. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1 (line 61), Tybalt expresses his hatred, "...talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell all Montagues and thee." Shakespeare emphasises these contrasts as much as possible with the themes of hate and aggression dominating until the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet. The aim of this is to have a more powerful effect when the long awaited for contrast comes.
In "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare uses various means to make the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet as powerful on stage as possible.
The play begins with a prologue, which on its own is not very significant. However, with a prophecy of "star crossed lovers" undertaking a "fearful passage of their death-marked love", an atmosphere of expectancy is created. The audience would anticipate the meeting of the lovers whom fate has brought together, and this creates tension in the audience, which builds up as they wait for the couple to meet.
The first scene of the play is very violent - which is surprising for a romantic play. Also the audience is introduced first hand to the bitter hatred between the Montagues and Capulets. Shakespeare introduces the play with such aggression for a reason. As the audience knows, this is a romantic play but they soon realise "it is a play much to do with hate, but more with love". This makes the audience wonder how, out of so much hate, such an intense love could be born. Shakespeare uses contrasts such as love and hate, aggression and tranquility in order to make the first meeting more powerful on stage. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1 (line 61), Tybalt expresses his hatred, "...talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell all Montagues and thee." Shakespeare emphasises these contrasts as much as possible with the themes of hate and aggression dominating until the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet. The aim of this is to have a more powerful effect when the long awaited for contrast comes.