How does Shakespeare show the change in Juliets fortunes in act 3 scene 5
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How does Shakespeare show the change in Juliet’s fortunes in this scene?
Act 3 scene 5 is a vital scene in Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” as it is the last time the ‘star crossed lovers’ will see each other alive. It is a scene which explores the other, darker sides of the relationships between the main characters. A significant clue to act three scene fives importance is the wide range of emotions used within it, testing limits and showing new sides to characters. This scene shows the tragic results of past events leading to a sequence of fatal misunderstandings and terrible consequences.
At the early stage in this scene the two “star-crossed lovers” are in blissful happiness this is shown when Romeo says “look, love what envious streaks of light do lace the severing clouds in the yonder east” this suggests that even the sunlight is envious of their happiness and has chosen to arise after the night that they spent together, the repetition of the comparison of Juliet to the sun, moon and stars throughout the play further reinforces this point, Strengthening the sense of blissful happiness- “therefore stay yet. Thou need’st not be gone” this suggests that Juliets content is such that she has completely forgotten the danger Romeo is in. Another interpretation is that Juliet tries to deny the arrival of the coming day to prolong her time with Romeo. Their language is passionate and intense as Romeo agrees to stay and face his, this implies that Juliet’s delight in Romeo’s company is never-ending, and separation is worse than death. “How isn’t my soul? Let’s talk” this show that the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is no longer flirtatious, but deeper and caring, this give a light hearted atmosphere and further presents the theme of happiness. Shakespeare uses specific phrases such as “night’s candles” and vault heaven instead of words like “stars” and “sky” as this creates a more romantic ambiance along with blissful happiness.
This “romantic” atmosphere however is interrupted by the Nurse, warning Juliet of her mother approaching. The mood becomes hasty and panicked as Juliet does not want her new husband to be killed. Although Romeo and Juliet have just spent the night together, and although Romeo has to leave, they are both still quite happy. Through the language, Shakespeare reveals many premonitions for the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. This is the scene on which the play turns and all the scenes following are full of extreme actions and tragedy. The first dark note of the scene is when Juliet ...
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This “romantic” atmosphere however is interrupted by the Nurse, warning Juliet of her mother approaching. The mood becomes hasty and panicked as Juliet does not want her new husband to be killed. Although Romeo and Juliet have just spent the night together, and although Romeo has to leave, they are both still quite happy. Through the language, Shakespeare reveals many premonitions for the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. This is the scene on which the play turns and all the scenes following are full of extreme actions and tragedy. The first dark note of the scene is when Juliet says "Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb." She says this when Romeo descends, which is insinuates that the next time that she sees him he will be dead in a tomb. The sorrowful partings in this section is evident as Juliet and Romeo is reluctant to leave each other’s company, “dry sorrow drinks our blood”, this direct comment on between them makes a clear representation of the grief of the separation.
As lady Capulet enters her bedroom and tries to comfort Juliet in her grief of Tybalt. Juliet is here being devious and deceitful in using her mother’s words with double meanings and indirectly confessing her love for Romeo such as “Yet let me weep for feeling such a loss” which equally could be missing Tybalt or Romeo. Lady Capulet is assuming she is talking of Tybalt, when she is in fact talking of Romeo. She repeats this again “I am feeling so the loss” Juliet’s mother assumes that she is agreeing with her but in reality she is referring to Romeo. Shakespeare makes us feel sympathetic in this scene by making Juliet use even more ambiguous language such as "Madam, I am not well." This has two meanings - she's either physically ill or love-sick (she's missing Romeo). This makes us sympathetic towards her as being ill is generally not a pleasant thing to experience. Shakespeare makes us feel increasingly sympathetic in this scene as Lady Capulet says "Evermore weeping for your cousin’s death?" This shows us Juliet is misunderstood by her family - this plays a part in making us feel sorry for her along with the fact that she has just lost her cousin brutally. The word “weeping” suggests a condescending tone as it shows that they do not understand her.In Act 3 Scene 5, we feel sorry for Juliet as she says "...Till I behold him -dead- is my poor heart." The word 'poor' makes the readers obliged to feel sorry for her as it makes us feel she is suffering. This phrase is ambiguous - it can mean she will never be satisfied until her holds the killer of her cousin dead, or will never be satisfied because her 'poor' heart is dead. We feel sympathetic as she is being continually misunderstood - she does not want to hold the killer of her cousin dead, but her poor heart is dead because she misses Romeo. When lady Capulet raises the topic of her arranged marriage to Paris, Juliet is at first defiant and rejects the proposal shown by the quote “he shall not make me there a joyful bride”, her defiance driven by the hope of one day being together with Romeo. Then as the passage continues her composure fades away as she realises that her hopes are impossible, lord Capulet enters in a light-hearted mood. Then asks his wife “have you delivered to her our decree?” In Lady Capulet's reply. “I would the fool were married to her grave.” This is a piercing comment that further weakens Juliet’s spirits and makes us feel sympathetic for Juliet. Capulet throws many spiteful comments “You tallow face”, this illustrates that she is looked upon as a burden or a 'baggage'. We feel sympathy as she is not receiving love from her parents like we'd expect. When Capulet is fuming over Juliet's refusal to marry the 'young and noble' Paris, he calls her a bunch of hurtful and spiteful names and tells her that if she does not go to church on Thursday morning to marry Paris, he will drag her to church, similar to how a criminal would be dragged through the streets for doing a crime. In the context of the play, when romeo and Juliet was written not conforming to the man was seen as dishonourable.. He also calls her a 'green-sickness', a 'tallow-face' and 'baggage'. This makes us very sympathetic towards her as we don't expect a father to drag his own daughter through the streets like a prisoner, and to call her spiteful names. We feel that she is neglected, unwanted and unloved. He then threatens Juliet that he will disown her and Juliet feels alone and isolated, betrayed by her own family “never after look me in the face”. However one other main reason for her distress is that she realises she will never be with Romeo. Juliet first of all looks to her mother for solace “oh mother, cast me not away”, probably because she has the most power to alter the situation to one of which she is less despairing of, unfortunately, she finds none. Her mother appears hostile and seems to imply that she is even disowning her child. "Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word; Do as thou wilt for I have done with thee." She is much less sympathetic. Juliet seeks comfort in the Nurse during the dilemma but she proves to be a false friend. Nurse insults Romeo, “Romeos a dishclout compared to him” and “you are happy in this match, for it excels your first” and says Juliet should marry Paris. Thus destroying the trust between them; this leaves Juliet with no one other than Romeo, “is there no pity sitting in the clouds” this suggests that Juliet feels that the gods are taking no pity in her and having revenge. However she still keeps her faith in god illustrated by the quote “my husband is on earth, my faith in heaven; how shall that faith return again to earth, unless that husband send it me from heaven by leaving earth” this suggests that she has lost faith In the earth and shows that she can never be happy, unless she goes to heaven with Romeo, in doing so, killing herself. This can be understood as she has no one to place her trust in apart from religion. Another interpretation is that in saying that her "faith" is "in heaven" Juliet means that her marriage vow is holy. A marriage vow is "until death do us part," so the only way she can ever make that vow again is if Romeo dies and goes to heaven.
