Act 1 scene is important to the play because it is when the two lovers meet, it hints about what else happens in the play – “my grave is like to be my wedding bed” and it shows the changing atmosphere. In act 1 scene 5, lord Capulet has a party, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, and they find out who each other are and what families each other belongs to. Tybalt spots Romeo at the party and swears revenge.
Act 1 scene 5 begins with the servants preparing for the ball, Capulets’ party. It’s set in the Great Hall in Capulets’ mansion. The atmosphere here is busy. “You are looked for and called for” and cheerful “cheerly boys, be brisk awhile”. They seem to be looking forward to the party. The first serving man is trying to hurry them all up “the longer liver takes all” these characters mean nothing in the play, as this is an example of one of the few times they do not talk in verse.
When the guests arrive the cheerful atmosphere continues. The stage directions talk about music playing. Lord Capulet says many things to create a party atmosphere. For example he persuades ladies to dance,
“Ladies that have their toes unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you, will you deny dancing?”
Shakespeare shows that time is passing. Capulet Asks for more lights, so it must be getting dark, he asks for the fire to be quenched, which shows that they must have been there for a while as it is getting warm, and Capulet sits down to reminisce with his cousin about days when he would dance at balls, which shows he must be tired, which shows that time must be moving. The stage directions show time is passing. Capulet sits down and reminisces with his cousin about past times.
“How long is’t now since last yourself and I were in a mask?”
This adds to the relaxed atmosphere – it makes the party seem more realistic because things like that really go on at parties.
When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time he seems entranced by her beauty. He says many things about how pure and beautiful she is.
Shakespeare uses imagery, contrast, metaphors, (when he says, “so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows” he is suggesting that she is a pure, white dove, next to the black crows. He uses contrast here too. All the way through he uses imagery, “as a rich jewel in an ethiops ear”.), and similes, for example, “as a rich jewel in an ethiops ear” here, he is using a simile to show how precious, beautiful and perfect she is. He uses these to describe her beauty. He thinks he has fallen in love, and compares her to the contrast between, “a snowy dove trooping with crows” because a dove is white, pure and beautiful (this is Juliet) and crows are dark, dull and linked with death.(everyone else compared to her). He also compares her to the contrast between a rich jewel in an ethiops ear. An ethiop is a black African, so it is dark, black whereas a rich jewel would be sparkling, bright and worth a lot. Both of these comparisons are suggesting she stands out and they are both hyperbole, which means contrasting good and bad, and exaggerating on the descriptions. Romeo also says,
“She doth teach torches to burn bright”
He is saying she is bright, but instead of just saying she is bright as a flame, he says she actually teaches the torches to burn bright. We know he has never felt this way before because he says, 2did my heart love ‘til now? Forswear it, sight! For I never saw true beauty ‘til this night” he is admitting that, although he thought he had been in love before, he hasn’t, and he thinks he is now for the first time. In my opinion, rather than actually ever being in love, he has only ever loved the idea of being in love, and he “falls in love” quite easily. The atmosphere on stage should be quiet, romantic and peaceful at this point.
When Tybalt sees Romeo, the atmosphere changes immediately to be dangerous, tense and negative. He is very angry because Romeo is from the Montagues, the opposing family and he thinks he has come to ruin the party,
“To flee and scorn”
When he says, “fetch me my rapier (a rapier is a sword) it shows that he is feeling violent because he wants to use his rapier to perhaps kill Romeo, or at least fight him out. He wants lord Capulet to throw Romeo out, but Capulet won’t do this because Romeo is behaving well, has a good reputation and Capulet doesn’t want to spoil the party atmosphere.
“Verona brags of him to be a virtuous and well – governed youth.”
Lord Capulet is getting very angry with Tybalt. We know this because he calls Tybalt, “A Goodman boy”
A Goodman is a craftsman, or a worker, so Capulet is effectively saying he’s not a gentleman, and by calling him a boy he is belittling him. He keeps repeating, “Go to, go to!” which means go away. He calls Tybalt a “saucy boy” meaning cheeky and arrogant.
When Romeo first touches Juliet’s hand, he says,
“If I profane with my unworthiest hand”
“Profane” means desecrate or dishonour so he is saying,
“if I dishonour you with my unworthy hand”
Romeo compares Juliet to a shrine or saint. Religious imagery runs through their conversation (profane, holy shrine, sin, pilgrim, wrong devotion, palmers, faith, despair, purged, trespass)
When Romeo and Juliet are talking in sonnets about their love, Shakespeare is probably doing the scene using sonnets because sonnet writing was a popular and highly esteemed activity at Queen Elizabeth’s court.
Pilgrims, to show their faith, made long journeys to the shrines of the holy land. They brought back palm leaves as proof of their visit, and so were known as ‘palmers’.
Romeo compares Juliet to a shrine or saint. Religious imagery runs through their conversation (profane, holy shrine, sin, Pilgrims, wrong, devotion, palmers, faith, despair, purged, trespass)
The religious language used suggests that they are serious and their love is pure and not just lust. Religion meant more to everyone in the 16th century.
The atmosphere on stage at this moment should be quiet, special and romantic. The music should be soft, and the lighting should be dim. All the other actors should just be acting nonchalant, or miming, but doing something that doesn’t take the attention away from Romeo and Juliet.
This romantic atmosphere is interrupted by the nurse “madam your mother craves a word” because Juliet’s mother has sent the nurse to talk to Juliet, and send her to her mother.
Romeo finds out from the nurse that Juliet is a Capulet. At this point Romeo says something which gives a hint about what will happen later in the play “my life is my foes debt”
This means that, whoever his foe is, he should allow him to kill him.
When they share their first kiss, they are feeling romantic and happy. But, by the time they find they find out who one another are, they are upset and shocked that they are from opposing families.
“My grave is like to be my wedding bed”
This is the first time Juliet speaks sombrely, imagining death to be her bridegroom.
“My only love sprung from my only hate!”
Juliet’s lines contain examples of the oppositions, which run through the play: love/hate, early/late, unknown/known, and loved/loathed.
The sudden sadness and thoughts of death are important to the play because they are another example of changing atmosphere.
In conclusion, Shakespeare used many techniques to create a changing atmosphere in Romeo and Juliet. I like Romeo and Juliet because of the good use of language, and the plot is involving. This scene has an important role in the play. It is the time that Romeo and Juliet meet.
