How tension is created in act 1 scene 5

         Tension is also created between Romeo and Tybalt, the arch enemies of the two families. They do not actually meet each other at the party but the reader knows from Tybalt’s tone that if they did then there would be big trouble. Romeo is talking romantically about Juliet and then we have a tone shift from Romeo being romantic and then Tybalt’s angry tone giving the audience and unexpected surprise, “This by his voice should be a Montague, Fetch me my Rapier boy!”. Shakespeare once again uses the family feud between the Montagues and Capulets to scare the audience. The reader knows it is a Capulet ball and Romeo should not be there. As soon as Capulet asks for his Rapier (sword), the reader knows he is angry and he is going to hunt down Romeo. Tybalt looks down on Romeo as he were nothing “To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?” This shows once again how much tension there is between the two families Montagues and Capulets. Tybalt is left with no choice but to kill Romeo “To strike him dead I hold it not a sin”. Fear is created as we don’t know whether Capulet will kill Romeo or not. This also creates hope tension for the audience because they don’t want him to kill Romeo because he and Juliet love each other. This is a very one sided hate which Shakespeare uses to advantage as dramatic irony. We know Tybalt is going to kill Romeo before Romeo knows.

         Tension is then created between Tybalt and Capulet. Capulet thinks that Romeo is a gentleman “A bears him like a portly gentleman” whereas Tybalt thinks he is scum, “A villain that is hither come in spite”. This is strange as Capulet is head of the Capulet family and knows the most about their enemies, The Montagues. The audience then starts to like Capulet more as he puts Tybalt in his place “He shall be endured…. Go to, go to” Empathy is created with Capulet as they see that he is not as evil as he is made out to be and that he has respect for his enemies. This creates hope as maybe the two families will put their differences aside once and for all. As Tybalt and Capulet’s argument continues Capulet becomes more and more angry with Tybalt, “Why, uncle, ‘tis a shame- GO TO, GO TO”. Capulet cuts in and maybe from here the audience can infer that the Capulet family is falling apart.

         The final two people that tension is created between in this scene are Capulet and Juliet. Capulet is Juliet’s father and is very unlikely to allow Romeo and Juliet to be together. These two do not actually speak to each other in the scene but the audience knows that Capulet and Juliet both know Romeo and Juliet cannot be together under the families’ wishes. Juliet is meant to be marrying Paris which creates hope tension as the reader doesn’t want Juliet and Paris to marry, they want Juliet to be with Romeo. Fear tension is created once again as maybe Capulet will not allow Juliet to leave Paris, which reinforces the beliefs of the audience that maybe the Capulet family is falling apart.

         In conclusion, there are a range of techniques used to create tension between sets of characters. Tension is not only created between the two rival families but tension is also created within the two rival families.