Yet again, I think that Mercutio purposely pretends to misunderstand the word ‘Consortest’ which is a pun that Tybalt uses with no intentions to cause trouble. Also at this point, one of the techniques Shakespeare uses to make this scene dramatic is the use of dramatic irony, still with the word ‘consort’, where another meaning is bride/groom. This is a dramatic irony as the audience, we know that Romeo and Juliet had just been married, but they did not yet know. Romeo first enters the scene cheerful and happy, after he had just been married to Juliet. Tybalt sees Romeo approaching and dismisses Mercutio, saying “Well, peace be with you, sir, here comes my man”. Tybalt calls Mercutio ‘sir’, which is polite, indicating that he wanted no trouble as he had no reason to fight with Mercutio. Mercutio gets angry at this point and says “But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery.” Here Mercutio means that Romeo is not a servant or one of Tybalt’s people for him to be calling Romeo his ‘man’. This is another dramatic irony, as once again we as the audience know that Romeo being married to Juliet officially makes him and Tybalt family, therefore Tybalt can call Romeo his ‘man’.
Tybalt moves to approach Romeo greeting him saying “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford No better term than this: thou art a villain”, this is Tybalt telling Romeo His demeanour suggesting that he was in a mood to fight with Romeo. Romeo says to Tybalt “Tybalt the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain am I none; Therefore farewell, I see thou knowest me not. When Romeo says this line, it clearly states that he is not up for a fight with Tybalt as he was now family. But neither Tybalt nor Mercutio knew this. This irony links back with the word ‘consortest’. Also present here, is one of the techniques that Shakespeare uses, is giving the characters opposite moods, where one character wants to fight, but the other refuses and when a character refuses a fight the other one wants a fight does. Tybalt not knowing about Romeo’s marriage, does not understand what Romeo meant by what he had just said and takes it that Romeo is just trying to find excuses so that Tybalt would not fight him, he replies ‘‘Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw.’’ Referring to Romeo as ‘Boy’, suggests that Tybalt just thinks that Romeo is just searching for excuses like a little boy does when he is getting in trouble. Still Tybalt does not except any excuse that Romeo gives him for not wanting to fight. Tybalt is prepared to fight nevertheless even though he is confused as to why Romeo is still refusing the fight continues to encourage the fight.
Mercutio noticing and not understanding Romeo’s reluctance to fight back with Tybalt, jumps in and attacks Tybalt. A fight conjures between them and continues till Romeo separates them. He says “Hold Tybalt! Good Mercutio”, telling Tybalt to hold still his sword. When he says “Good Mercutio”, it suggests that he is trying to calm him down so uses positive words. At this point Tybalt thrusts his sword under Romeo’s arms in Mercutio and from here on Shakespeare uses tension as Mercutio is stabbed. He says “A plague a’ both houses! I am sped” when he is cursing the two families and wishes bad luck upon both households as it is the rivalry between them that has caused his death whilst he was trying to stand up for his friend. There is dramatic irony here as from reading the prologue we know that the two star crossed lovers will die. “What, art thou hurt?” Benvolio asks Mercutio, not knowing why he had put a curse on the families, he simply replies “Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch”. This is dramatic because the audience would sigh with relief because they would think that Mercutio was alright as they knew to what the prologue had said, that only the star crossed lovers will die, which is Romeo and Juliet, there for no other death is expected in the play. Another line which Romeo says that gives the audience another impression that Mercutio is alright is where Romeo says, “Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much”. “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man”, is what Mercutio says in his monologue. The word ‘grave’ is used as a pun, where it can mean that he is referring to himself as grave, where grave in old English meant ‘serious’, or he could be referring to himself as being buried in a grave where he will be a grave man. The use of religious words that Mercutio uses when he says, “No tis’ not so deep as a well, nor as a church door but tis’ enough ‘twill serve”, suggests that he knew for sure that he was going to die and was going to heaven as he died an innocent death. “To scratch a man to death”, this line is dramatic as the audience will react here, as this line tells them that Mercutio is going to die which was never expected.
Romeo takes all blame for Mercutio’s death saying “my very friend hath got this mortal hurt in my behalf”. He also blames it on the love that he has for Juliet that has made his ‘girlish’, resulting in that he could not fight his own battles saying, “O, sweet Juliet thy beauty hath made me effeminate”. Romeo wanting justice for the death of his friend follows Tybalt expressing his anger and rage saying, “Again in triumph and Mercutio is slain? Away to heaven, respective lenity, and fire eyed fury be my conduct now! Now, Tybalt take the ‘villain’ back again that late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him company either thou or I, or both, must go wit him.” He tells Tybalt that either he or Tybalt or both of them together has to go and keep Mercutio company. Further into their argument, Tybalt is killed and falls dead to the floor. This is also dramatic, because the audience was not expecting Tybalt to die. I think Shakespeare caused Tybalt to die as well, as it would have a good effect on the audience, reason being that the audience had already seen what they were not expecting so would not be thinking that anything else unexpected would occur again, yet right after another unexpected death takes place.
Benvolio beckons for Romeo to leave before the prince came. The Prince asks for the account of an eye witness. Benvolio speaks forward explaining in grath honesty what happened. He says his speech in rhyme. The effect of this I would argue that it makes his speech stick into the audiences minds when they remember the way it was rhythmic. At this point I think Shakespeare uses a character to retell the story of this scene as due to the quick tempo of the scene they might have missed parts. I also think he done this so that the ‘Penny stinkers’, who were the people that stood at the bottom of the stage to watch, as they did not have enough money to pay for a seat he used a character to retell the what happened in the scene in case they did not see.
“Let Romeo hence in haste, else when he is found, that hour shall be his last.” This line is said by the Prince of Verona when he got to the scene of the crime. I think they didn’t go in search for Romeo because the explanation given to the Prince by Benvolio was justified that Romeo just wanted justice for the death of his best friend. However, a death penalty was still given to him that he is banished from Verona, as whatever the reason was to killing Tybalt; Romeo had still taken some ones life. This invites more drama to the scene as a newly married man is getting separated from his new wife. This point can be very emotional for the audience and could be a chance for the audience to interact with the characters in reasoning to the decisions they made I that it was best for Romeo to leave his wife or loose his life.
In conclusion, Act3 scene1 is dramatic in that in just one short scene a curse is placed on two families, two young people loose their lives, Romeo is banished from Verona, lovers are torn apart and one faces death penalty. Shakespeare used many different techniques in order to make Act3 Scene1 dramatic, which many of the techniques being dramatic irony and ironies on certain words e.g. ‘consort’ and ‘grave’. I think the good use of dramatic irony gave this scene the outcome that is has, as it the characters knew about Romeo and Juliet’s marriage there would have been a different outcome.
Within the prologue the rivalry between the two households are mentioned as well as the death of the star crossed lovers. So the audience were aware that they would occur. Shakespeare also caused two deaths which were not mentioned in the prologue to occur in the scene bringing shock to the audience. The effect of this scene being emotional yet dramatic would make the audience feel the tension as well as being overwhelmed over the unexpected outcome.
