How does Act 3 Scene 1 create and increase the dramatic tension leading to the end of the play.

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How does Act 3 Scene 1 create and increase the dramatic tension leading to the end of the play

Shakespeare, soon to become the world’s most famous playwright, was in his peak of playwriting abilities during 1593 when he wrote Romeo and Juliet. He wrote to entertain in the Rose Theatre, Bankside in London. At that time London was a lively, highly populated place where aspiring writers and entertainers may go to claim their fortunes and in many ways still is. William Shakespeare had many rivals and obstacles to overcome and was living life on the edge. The Master of the Revels was able to shut down theatres at the strike of a pen as it was seen to be unholy to go to the theatre and many other writers also hoped for success, one of them being Christopher Marlowe. Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare’s first play that was exciting enough to really rival Marlowe, mainly because it includes, portrays and expresses basic and important emotions such as love, passion and violence which are still felt strongly to this day. This is one of the reasons it is studied, watched and respected in the twenty first century.

Romeo and Juliet is set in sixteenth century Italy in ‘fair Verona’. The play is set around two rival high status families from which two opposing ‘star crossed lovers take their life’. The families are typical of high status Italian families we hear about today: always feuding, outgoing, loud, strong minded and very quick tempered. In many ways these families are the roots of the modern mafia. This intertextuality already increases the dramatic tension. Many characters are involved in the play and they stand for different binary oppositions: Benvolio is a peaceful person, “I do but keep the peace” whereas the ‘fiery’ Tybalt is a very violent and hot headed person, “what, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word”. However some characters are very similar such as Mercutio and Tybalt; they are both quick witted, volatile and both resort to violence which is shown before they meet making the audience (in sixteenth century theatre the audience were entertained most by violence and sex) excited at the prospect of the two most violent people in the play who happen to be enemies meeting; also increasing the dramatic tension. Another aspect increasing the dramatic tension is in the prologue it states “where civil blood makes civil blood unclean”. The audience will have experienced a public brawl in which no-one was killed which also resulted in a warning from the prince that anymore public fighting will result in death, “your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”. This will leave the audience wondering when death will result, keeping the audience involved and anticipating this event.

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Another Event that increases the dramatic tension is in Act 2 scene 6 Romeo and Juliet get secretly married, “Come, come with me, and we will make short work, For by your leaves, you shall not stay alone till holy church incorporate into one.”, creating dramatic irony as only us, Romeo, Juliet, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse know about it. This dramatic irony comes into play effectively during Act 3 scene 1 when Tybalt confronts Romeo.

During Act 3 scene 1 Tybalt approaches the Montague and Mercutio looking for Romeo. “The day is hot, the capels abroad, and ...

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