How does Shakespeare make Act One Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet dramatically effective?

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Romeo and Juliet coursework

Walk down a busy high street today in England and almost everybody will have heard of those two famous names, “Romeo and Juliet.” A twisted love affair between two sparring families, this very famous Shakespearean play was one of the cornerstones of British culture today. Riddled with its main themes of love, tragedy and violence, the celebrated story is still just as current today as it was back then, and is still incredibly effective in many ways.

Performed throughout theatres nationwide in the Elizabethan era, the play has been altered quite dramatically through the years, as has the perception of the audience. The Elizabethan theatre was a place of social gathering, with a very lively atmosphere and at times so loud it was almost impossible to hear the actors; the play itself was seen as a backdrop, with more attention focused on socializing. However, the contemporary audience see the play in a whole new light. With much more importance put onto the play, they may find the highly dramatic storyline and plot devices much more exuberant than other more modern plays.

One of the most vivid scenes of the play is Act One Scene 5, where the Capulets host a huge ball in their home. As talked about in the previous scenes, the audiences’ expectations of the party are quite high; lots of tension and excitement has been created, especially as we see Romeo and his companions getting ready to crash the party in the preceding scene. The scene begins with a huge rabble of servants and musicians preparing busily for the celebrations. This is a good way of creating tension as a busy atmosphere forecasts the busy night ahead. We can see the hectic mood develop when after a short burst of orders between the first and second servant, the first servant declares, “You are looked for and called for”, with which the second cries “We cannot be here and there too.” This shows the frenzied situation the servants are in, building tension as their chaotic actions provide an idea of excitement to the audience. As a director, to create maximum effectiveness, it would be good to have masses of servants on the stage at one time, providing a busy atmosphere and a dramatic opening to the party.

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This atmosphere continues as Capulet takes to the stage, as he welcomes the guests with quite an excited and boyish nature. Beginning his speech, Capulet speaks quite excitedly, shouting and reminiscing about old times as he welcomes guests into the party. Repeating the words “’tis gone” and “Welcome gentleman!” 3 times, truly depicts how elated he is, as he rambles about childhood memories and how thrilling the party will be. The joyful mood he emits adds to the overall atmosphere of excitement, which is quite effective as when the music starts to play the audience begins to feel a part ...

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