How Does Shakespeare make Act 1 Scene 5 interesting and tense for the audience?

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Alex McAllister

How Does Shakespeare make Act 1 Scene 5 interesting and tense for the audience?

        In this essay I will be writing about the intensity of act 1 scene 5 of the famous tragedy ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and how it has parallel links to previous scenes in the play. Act 1 scene 5 is a critical scene because it is the first time Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love at the Capulet’s ball. In the scene the audience forget what was said in the prologue as they are captured in the moment of the ‘star crossed lovers’ first meeting. The audience know that they are destined to die ‘A pair of star crossed lovers take their life’. This gives a sense of dramatic tension. However as the audience are so engrossed in the love they share on their first meeting that they believe Romeo and Juliet will live the life of happiness. As the audience watch this scene they ask themselves will they risk meeting each other again as they are from opposing families, is it really true love or fatal attraction?

        The opening of act 1 scene 5 is light hearted as is shows the servants preparing for the Capulet’s ball. This gives a relaxed feel to the audience, from Romeo’s previous premonition of death. ‘By some vile forfeit of untimely death’. Capulet welcomes his guests to the masked ball and the party begins. The purpose of Romeo’s presence at the ball is to forget about Rosaline his previous love and find someone else. He catches site of young Juliet, this is where the tension differs from the opening of the scene. Romeo asks a servant who Juliet is ‘What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight?’ The knight being Paris, the man that Juliet is meant to marry.  Romeo begins to describe the beauty of his new found love with words associated with peace, love and purity. ‘So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows’ Romeo is overheard by the fiery Tybalt who recognises his voice to be none other then a Montague. Tybalt being the short tempered fiery cousin of Juliet is outraged to find a Montague, the foe of his family at the Capulet’s ball. Tybalt has strong urges to kill Romeo however is stopped and overpowered by Capulet who tells Tybalt that Romeo shall be endured in he is not to interrupt the party. This part of the scene has references to act 3 scene where Tybalt seeks revenge on Romeo. This incident leads to a fight between Tybalt and Mercutio, Mercutio is slain by Tybalt and Tybalt is slain by Romeo. The deaths of the events cause Romeo’s banishment from Verona.

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        The main part of act 1 scene 5 is when Romeo and Juliet speak their first words to each other. It shows importance as it is written in the form of a sonnet. A sonnet being a fourteen lined poetic piece of writing associated with love or death which ends with a rhyming couplet to conclude it. They were often used in the Elizabethan era. The main features of the sonnet spoken by Romeo and Juliet are religion, hands and lips. Shakespeare uses poetical and elevating language. Romeo refers to Juliet as a ‘holy shrine’ showing that he worships her. ...

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