The dialogue between Romeo and Juliet also indicates a lot of dramatic irony of death. “ O god, I have an ill-divining soul” to “ or thou lookest pale”. This is very ironic, as she believes something bad is to happen, and especially is ironic when she sees Romeo dead in a coffin when in fact it is she who tragically who is at the bottom of the tomb. Although a modern audience may miss this reference, an Elizabethan audience almost would definitely notice, especially when Romeo replies, “Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, Adieu.” Shakespeare includes the exploitation of social context to hint to the audience that something is to happen. As people in the time of Shakespeare believed that sorrow thinned your blood, which is mocking as the tragedy of the couple is the sorrow of losing each other.
At the start of the conversation with Juliet and Lady Capulet, the relationship between them seems quite respectable. They address each other as “daughter” or “madam”. An Elizabethan audience might have found this as normality for family relationships however a modern audience would most likely be surprised to hear a mother and daughter relationship to be so formal. This would make a dramatic impact on the audience because they would feel insecure for Juliet’s well since Lady Capulet does not know of the relationship of Romeo and Juliet unlike the nurse. This shows how Juliet’s relationship between her mother is so different to the relationship she has to her nurse.
The conversation between Juliet and Lady Capulet shows although that tension is built up through Juliet’s ambiguity there is also an unsympathetic tone from her mother. “ Evermore weeping for your cousin’s death? What, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears?” to “But much of grief shows still some want of wit.” Lady Capulet here has questioned Juliet’s intelligence by saying that Juliet cannot bring back Tybalt by crying and that crying too much means that she very simple. Although Lady Juliet is unaware of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, the audience still would despise Lady Capulet for her unsympathetic tone with Juliet. However an Elizabethan audience might have understood better at lady Capulet’s lack of sympathy as it was common for people to lose family members because of the poor medical care, diseases and illnesses around. This is a way in which Shakespeare takes advantage of social context to cleverly combine with Juliet’s ambiguity.
Suspense and tension is used in this scene especially through Lady Capulet and Juliet’s discussion about Romeo. Juliet uses double meanings in everything she says, for example, “ Indeed I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him-dead- is my poor heart vexed so for a kinsman vexed.” Juliet has manipulated the language to disguise her true feelings from her mother. Lady Capulet believes that Juliet wants to gain revenge on Romeo, however what Juliet really means that she will ever be satisfied until she beholds Romeo because she misses him so much. This creates massive tension on the audience because only they and Juliet know what is going on. Juliet’s ambiguity expressions cause the audience to feel even more tension because they know Juliet is trying to be subtle yet truthful to her mother but also her husband.
Although Juliet has tried to keep the peace and news of her secret marriage from her mother, all does become known when Lady Capulet has “joyful tidings” of the engagement to Paris. “ Now by Saint Peter’s Church, and Peter too, He shall not make me there a joyful bride.” to “…and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate rather than Paris. These are news indeed.” This oath is very strong especially for an Elizabethan audience. The audience would be shocked at Juliet’s outburst at her unsympathetic mother. The audience would be shocked at this oath made by Juliet considering she has sworn by God, which in the time of Shakespeare would have been like swearing. To make matters worse she takes God’s name and speaks disrespectfully at her mother and very assertively tells she will not marry. This is dramatically effective because the use of imperatives and short simple statements would enhance the tension massively onto the audience. When lady Capulet says “Here comes your Father, tell him so yourself, and see how he will take it at your hands”. The audience automatically will know that more drama is ahead and that this is a first sign that Juliet’s mother has turned her back on Juliet. The audience at this point would feel very excited at this commotion, yet sympathy for Juliet’s upcoming trouble with her father.
When Capulet enters the scene he is in a very good mood and creates dramatic impact for the audience because of the tension building up between Lady Capulet and Juliet. “For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea, do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sigh.” Lord Capulet here shows how imaginative and expressive he can be by the use of an extended simile. He mockingly (maybe lovingly) describes Juliet’s tears because he too believes she is still upset over Tybalt, which soon to his surprise is not. The audience would feel the same pressure that Juliet is feeling and this will interest the audience more because they would feel impatient of what is going to happen next.
The scene intensifies even more as the story goes on, “… not you have, but thankful that you have...” As the audience can see Juliet is trying to be tactful to tell her father that she does not want to marry Paris. The fear and determination of Juliet shows the dramatic effect Shakespeare has, to tense the other characters and audience further.
The way Capulet talks to Juliet and expresses his emotions to Juliet shows just how shocked and angry he is. “ How, how, how, how, chopt-logic. What is this? ‘Proud’ and ‘I thank you’, and ‘ I thank you not’, and yet ‘not proud’. Mistress minion you.” Capulet makes clear of what he thinks of Juliet’s explanation of not marrying Paris. He does this by repeating what Juliet said but in a sarcastic way to make Juliet feel humiliated and insignificant so the audience would feel sympathetic towards Juliet.
Shakespeare cleverly also uses stage direction to show Lord Capulet’s authority and show how intensified the scene really is. “Good father, I beseech you on my knees, [She kneels down]” At this point the audience will know how desperate Juliet really is especially if she is kneeling down. This is dramatically effective because it shows just how much power Capulet has. Although a modern audience might be shocked and feel hatred for Capulet, an Elizabethan audience might have understood his actions better. A modern audience should remember that arranged marriages was not uncommon then and those women of that period were not seen as equal as men and so Juliet’s case she would be like her father’s property until she was married. Therefore, it was almost unthinkable for a girl in her position to defy her father. Shakespeare has used this knowledge of social context to create drama in a realistic way, where perhaps audiences can relate to.
Capulet’s speeches are very threatening and immediately cause dramatic effect; “hang thee young baggage, disobedient wretch!… Or never look me in the face speak not, reply not, do not answer me. My fingers itch. …Out on her hilding!” Shakespeare uses a variety of ways to create dramatic effect so that audiences would still keep interest. He uses imperatives, and short exclamations to represent his anger and even indicates an action where might have hit his daughter (My fingers itch). Capulet has threatened to throw her out and that she can “hang, beg, starve, die in the streets” if she does not obey her father. This would leave the audience feeling concerned for Juliet but disgust for Capulet.
The last section of the scene concerning the betrayal of the nurse is perhaps the most shocking to the audience, “ I think it best” to “As living hence, and you no use of him.” This unexpected outburst from the nurse would have made an impact on audience as well Juliet. From the words “ Your first is dead, or’t were as good he were” The nurse talks of Romeo as if he were dead and Juliet realises of the nurse’s true colours and is surprised as well as filled with fury. Juliet lost in desperation had gone to her trusted nurse for support but to Juliet’s disappointment she too has lost faith in Juliet. The audiences are at this point feel more sympathetic towards Juliet then at any other part of this scene because they realise that not only her mother and father have turned their backs on Juliet but the nurse as well. The nurse has started to recognise that if Juliet does not marry Paris, Juliet will be disowned and if that should ever happen then there would be no need for the nurse and she too would have to “ beg” and “starve”. This reveals the true selfishness of the nurse in which the audience would loathe.
The stage directions and emotions of Juliet also add to the dramatic effect at the end of the scene where the nurse exits “she looks after nurse”. This stage direction tells the audience of the unbelievable events that occurred leaving Juliet shocked but even angrier. “ Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!” these short exclamations emphasise the dramatic effect the dramatic effect of Juliet’s anger and betrayal of her nurse. Shakespeare skilfully adds this twist of the nurse’s betrayal to force the audience to see Juliet’s dilemma. Although the audience may feel sympathetic towards Juliet, the audience will be agonising over what Juliet is to do next. Juliet ends the scene a gripping “cliff-hanger”: “If all else fails, myself have power to die”, which is terribly ironic as this is what leads this to her ultimate death.
This scene is very effective as we can the real characters are revealed in a way with consequences. This scene shows that Shakespeare must have understood human emotions well, and manipulating characters made a massive impact on the play as a whole. This scene also shows how love can bring happiness but also pain and suffering. I think this scene is successful in the way Shakespeare conveys emotions to create powerful plays such as Romeo and Juliet.
