As the scene continues Capulet is getting into the swing of things and encouraging people to get up and dance so everything is set on a happy mood and Capulet is encountering in conversation with one of his cousins, when Romeo first sees Juliet. When Romeo sees Juliet, he asks the serving man about her and says;
“What lady’s that with doth enrich the hand of yonder knight?”
A lot of dramatic irony is in this line alone as the audience are already aware that Romeo is looking at Juliet and seems to have fallen for her instantly. It is the moment he sees her that starts the rest of their relationship, because they are ‘star-crossed lovers’ so everything that happens from this night onwards was destined to happen. The serving man replies “I know not sir”. This was a ridiculous statement for the serving man to say as he knew must have known who Juliet was but just to be horrible he said he didn’t know. This line will reach out to the ‘penny-stinkers’ as most of them who worked as servants, they would do anything to inconvenience anyone superior to them. More tension has built up at this point because the audience are aware that the serving man is lying to Romeo, so everyone will be very interested to see how he will find out the truth.
Romeo Continues to say;
“O doth teach the torches burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear-
Beauty to rich for use, for earth too dear:
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.’’
Here, Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets to change Romeos speech of adoration for Juliet into poetry, he also uses rhyming couplets as it is easier for the penny-stinkers to understand. Shakespeare has written Romeos speech with a poetic sense to show the love towards Juliet and in an attempt to lighten the mood after Capulet’s exciting introduction. Also as what Romeo is saying is of high importance, it is as if he is worthy of poetry unlike the servants. In line 43 where Romeo says “O doth teach the torches to burn bright!” he is using a metaphor to say that she is brighter than all the torches in the room. Torches in those days were pieces of wood with fire on top to light up the room as they had no electricity. The letter ‘O’ at the start of the sentence implies that maybe he was lost for words. In lines 44-45 Romeo continues to say ‘’ It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night as a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear-…” Shakespeare uses personification to implicate the contrast between a rich jewel and an Ethiops ear. This is as an Ethiop was known to have dark skin and a jewel against their ear would stand out drastically, therefore saying Juliet is standing out at this party. In line 47 Shakespeare continues to use dramatic irony but to a further extent. He writes “ So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows …” Here Shakespeare has used a metaphor to say that Romeo find Juliet so attractive and no one else in the room is as attractive as her. The tension mounts as you look further into the line and see Shakespeare has used dramatic irony to refer back to the prologue again. The word ‘dove’ symbolises peace, and by Romeo and Juliet finally dying together dying together it brings peace to their families as it said in the Prologue.
As Romeo finishes proclaiming is attraction for Juliet, Tybalt Juliet’s cousin is near by and recognises Romeos voice. Tybalt is furious knowing Romeo had to have sneaked in to the party and wants to kill him so he learns his lesson. Tybalt immediately runs off to report to Capulet. He says “Uncle, this Montague, our foe: / a villain that is hither in spite, to scorn at our solemnity this night.” By Tybalt using the word ‘solemnity’ to describe the Capulet party it shows he is exaggerating, to try and make Romeo seem worse than he really is. However Capulet reacts in a way Tybalt wasn’t expecting him to. Capulet says;
“Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone,
A bears him like a portly gentleman...”
Capulet says here that Romeo is acting like a well-mannered person so there is no reason to start any trouble. Capulet also doesn’t want anything to ruin his party. Capulet manages to calm Tybalt down and persuade him to leave Romeo alone as Tybalt reluctantly agrees. However, as there is still tension between the two characters, it may cause the audience to anticipate what may occur the next time they meet.
After the tension has been created again after the meeting of Tybalt and Romeo, Shakespeare has Romeo and Juliet meet and they share a sonnet. Shakespeare does this two imply to the audience that they are both equals and have equal love for each other; as in Elizabethan times, Women were put on a pedestal and men admired them and wrote sonnets for them instead. Romeo begins the sonnet by saying to Juliet;
“If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is
My Lips to blushing pilgrims ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss”
Romeo uses religious metaphoric terminology to create irony, as you would not usually refer to kissing and something religious in the same sentence. Romeo is telling Juliet that she is of high status, that of a goddess. In his opinion he is not worthy to kiss her hand. He uses the superlative ‘unworthiest’ to show how inferior he feels to Juliet. He refers to her hand a ‘holy shrine’ and describes his lips as ‘two blushing pilgrims’. Shakespeare cleverly moulded these words into Romeos speech to say as pilgrims travel to a holy shrine to worship, so will his lips travel to the ‘holy shrine’ he thinks of Juliet’s hand. By Shakespeare showing the two lovers meeting, it slows down the pace of the poem and everything seems to be much calmer and there is a softer mood. Juliet responds to Romeo and says;
“Good Pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this,
For Saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers touch”
Juliet continues to use religious metaphoric terminology in the sonnet she and Romeo share. Juliet tells Romeo not to belittle himself as he actually has nice hands. As they share a sonnet, to show the relationship they share is mutual, she tried to indicate to him that he is doing no wrong by kissing her. As the pace of the play quickens once again, as the two lovers continue to talk and they encounter their first kiss. This is what the audience have been waiting for and it can almost be certain to say the penny-stinkers and those seated up in the Gods, were very excited about this part. It was mostly exciting as it t shows the lovers falling deeper for each other, not knowing yet they are arch enemies. The tension rises again, as the audience know that Romeo and Juliet falling in love with another, is only going to lead to their deaths.
The kiss is interrupted by the nurse who tells Juliet her mother request to see her. The nurse as seen in earlier scenes is a very talkative and enthusiastic character. As Juliet goes to see what her mother is calling her for, Romeo takes the opportunity to ask who Juliet’s mother is. Almost immediately the tension soars as dramatic irony has filled the scene and the pace has quickened dramatically. The audience are hanging off their seats as they know Juliet’s mother is a Capulet and they cannot wait for Romeo to find out. The nurse says;
“Marry, Bachelor,
Her mother is the lady of the house,
And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous.
I nursed her daughter that you talked withal;
I tell you, he that can lay hold of her
Shall have the chinks”
She exaggerates by describing the mother so highly. The plot thickens as Romeo realises his lovers’ heritage and says “Is she a Capulet? / O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt” As the tension mounts; it leaves the audience wondering what the couple are going to do. When Juliet asks of Romeo the nurse plays it off and acts as if she does not know who Juliet is asking of. This is a part of the scene directed at the penny stinkers as they are servants, so they will find it very amusing the way the Nurse is purposely annoying Juliet with her silly responses. When the nurse finally gives her answer she says;
“His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
The only son of your great enemy”
The pace quickens again and leaves the audience wondering the reaction of Juliet. It appears that the Nurse is reminding the audience of who Romeo is and why it is a necessity why the two can not love each other. Juliet reacts in the same way Romeo does and says “My only love sprung from my only hate” Juliet is telling the audience that the only person she loves was brought into this world by the only people she hates. It again leaves the audience questioning how the relationship manages to carry on and for them to fall deeper in love. As the scene comes to an end, the audience are wondering what is going to become of the two lovers, and it is interesting to think if Shakespeare is going to use the tension in this scene and carry it on into the next or use comic relief like he did at the beginning of this scene.
During the play, Shakespeare has created Dramatic tension in many interesting ways. The main dramatic tension is the anticipation of the audience waiting to see how Romeo and Juliet will meet and what will occur when they find out they are enemies. From the dramatic tension built up, Shakespeare shows us how important this scene is as it is when Romeo and Juliet’s star-crossed fate went into action.