How does Shakespeare create excitement and tension in Act 3 Scene 1?

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How does Shakespeare create excitement and tension in Act 3 Scene 1?

Act 3 Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an important turning point in the play. This scene acts as a catalyst for all of the events that have already happened so far. It sparks off many more events, all of which build up to tragedy. After this scene nothing more is happy, this is predicted earlier on in the play. From early on doom is prophesised by more than one character.

“These violent delights have violent ends,”

As friar Lawrence says in Act 2 Scene 6, even though he has no idea that anything will lead to death. He is very uneasy about the whole marriage. There is so much tension that has built up over the past scenes, as the Prince has appointed death as the punishment for the two family’s next public brawl.

As the scene opens I want Mercutio to stride in confidently and joking about with the other men, I only want there to be three or four other men with Mercutio and Benvolio. I also want for Mercutio to push the other men about a little, almost as if they are playing ‘tag’. This is because it fits Mercutio’s character, which we have seen much of in the past scenes, also as Mercutio has no worries to do with the Capulets because he is not a Mountague. However, Benvolio should lag behind and appear unwilling to be there, he should look all around him and then hurry up to Mercutio.

        When Benvolio says his first lines I want him to half mutter and half plead with Mercutio as he is worried about an incident with the Capels.

“…if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl,

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.”

In these first few lines we notice that the atmosphere is in complete contrast to the last scene of tranquility, happiness and peacefulness.

        I want Mercutio’s first lines to be said completely seriously and he must look serious, like he means every word that he is saying. When he is finished though I want him to smile and clap Benvolio on the shoulder to show everyone that he is only joking about and teasing.

        During all of Mercutio’s first taunts I think that Benvolio should be following the from market stall to market stall, whilst looking all around him furtively. The other men with Mercutio and Benvolio should follow Mercutio and laugh loudly at his jests. When he says

“Am I like such a fellow?”

I think that Benvolio should be distracted and trying to lead the others away as he knows what will ensue if they meet with the Capulets.

        As Mercutio goes on to tease Benvolio about being what he is not and what he does not do, I think he should walk around as if he owns the place, strutting. Through this Mercutio should face the audience for most of it and grin at them, this is so that the crowd gets drawn in. To bring back any of them who got bored or lost in the wedding scene before, it also sets the audience up for the fight that will happen.

        I want for Tybalt to enter first with about four men behind him, no more than five. They should stand in a row slightly behind him. Tybalt is looking very confident and is at the opposite end of the stage to Mercutio and Benvolio. Tybalt should look as if he is searching for someone and his expression should be solemn.

        Meanwhile at the other end of the stage Mercutio has sat down outside a pub or place with tables and chairs. Benvolio should look as if he is beginning to stop worrying and is starting to joke about with Mercutio and the others.  Then Benvolio is just about to sit down when out of the corner of his eye he spots Tybalt. His whole head immediately swivels round in the direction of Tybalt when he says

“By my head, here comes the Capulets.”

By this time Tybalt too has spotted his rivals and is moving closer to them. Mercutio, as ever the comedian who hasn’t a care in the world, raises his heels one by one onto the table when he says his line

“By my heel, I care not.”

I got this idea from Baz Luhrmann’s modern film version of Romeo and Juliet.

        I want Tybalt to have his hand on the hilt of his sword as his swordsmanship is like his vice. As he walks closer to Mercutio I want him to turn his head sideways and tell his men to

“Follow me close, for I will speak to them.-…”

The hyphen indicates a pause; this is as Tybalt goes to speak to Mercutio and Benvolio. He comes to a stand still about two metres away from the seated Mountagues and Mercutio.

        When Mercutio talks to Tybalt I want him to talk with disdain towards Tybalt to accentuate that Mercutio stops talking in blank verse and uses prose. The audience will notice the difference as the more important characters use blank verse when talking to one another. However, the ‘lower’ characters use prose, which seems cruder and less eloquent. Shakespeare often used prose for vulgarity and comedy in the mouths of the ‘lower’ characters. As Mercutio is not using blank verse it shows his disrespect for Tybalt.

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        When Mercutio and Tybalt are speaking Mercutio is teasing Tybalt by using his words carefully. Tybalt doesn’t have this skill with his words and allows Mercutio to take his words and twist them to give them a new or different meaning.

        Tybalt doesn’t see what is so funny about what he has said or he doesn’t see the other meaning, such as

“Mercutio, thou consort’st with Romeo-“

Mercutio immediately takes the other meaning of the word ‘consort’, to combine with musically. He thinks that Tybalt is calling him and Romeo minstrels. When Mercutio is saying these lines

“…What, dost thou ...

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