Having had merely a few moments together, Romeo and Juliet are immediately ripped apart. The nurse intrudes upon their conversation and sends Juliet off to see her mother, “Madam your mother craves a word with you.” (pg 55) It is this point in the play that signals the abrupt ending of the honeymoon period for Romeo and Juliet. Each of the two young lovers suddenly have their identities revealed to the other, and the implications of this are realised. “Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” (pg 55) “My only love sprung from my only hate, too early seen, unknown, and known too late.” (pg 56) Shakespeare uses a rhyming couplet to close this scene with great dramatic effect, “Come let’s away, the strangers are all gone.” (pg 56) I feel that this symbolizes a warning to the lovers, that they should bring an end to their love now that they are no longer anonymous strangers but are, in fact, aware of each other’s identities and the danger this could bring.
In Act 1 Scene 5, I feel that the most prominent language and style occurs throughout the lover’s dialogue. Shakespeare presents this in the form of a sonnet. It is important to note how the sonnet is shared equally between the lovers as this shows that they are intertwined in sharing an expression of love, Romeo- “Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.” Juliet- “Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.” (pg 55). At the time when the play is set, this would have been a rare occurrence as sonnet form was traditionally used by the man to praise his mistress. This shows that Romeo and Juliet’s love is rare and ahead of it’s time. During the sonnet, religious imagery is used by Shakespeare, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,” (pg 54) to give the effect of placing their love above all else. The bawdy language that was used earlier in the play such as, “when it did taste the wormwood on the nipple of my dug,” (pg 44) can no longer be used because Romeo and Juliet’s love is holy and elevated. However, this language to do with religious devotion is then contrasted by the kiss, which would have been very forward for the time but also helps to move the play onwards. Shakespeare uses this to great effect because the kiss now seems like a holy act rather that a demonstration of young lust. At the end of the scene there are several combinations of love and hate, life and death. This symbolises the tragedy which is now evolving “Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.” (pg 56)
Shakespeare also uses specific language in other parts of Act 1 Scene 5. It is important, however, to note the disappearance of any rhyme scheme or sonnet form when the lover’s are not partaking in dialogue. The use of this blank verse helps to emphasize the appearance of poetic forms when they are used. It is interesting to study how the language used by other characters fully represents their personality. For example, Tybalt refers to Romeo as a “villain” when actually the young lover has done nothing wrong at this point. There is an aggressive attitude in the way that Tybalt speaks which forewarns the audience that he may be the trigger for violence later in the play, “Fetch me my rapier boy, what dares the slave come hither, cover’d with an antic face.” (pg 53) This contrasts with the personality of Capulet, which at this point is very soft and wise, “Content thee gentle coz, let him alone.” (pg 53) Shakespeare also uses language to portray Romeo as a lover of love, “Did my heart love till now, foreswear it sight, for I ne’er saw true beauty til this night.” By using this method, Romeo is shown to truly believe in love, rather than simply lusting after girls as would be expected of a young man. The character of Juliet, even at this early stage, is set as the bride of death. Once again, Shakespeare uses language to convey this, “My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” (pg 56) immediately links Juliet’s future marriage to her impending death. Through the language used, Juliet is also shown to be very forward, especially for her time, “Then have my lips the sin that they have took.” (pg 55) Juliet is very much in control of the situation and knows exactly what she wants, which is a change from the dutiful daughter that she originally was before meeting Romeo. This is just one of the reasons why Act 1 Scene 5 is important in moving the play forward.
Shakespeare uses Act 1 Scene 5 as a basis for most of the themes and imagery that run through the play. Many of the ideas that occur in this scene are developed and reflected upon later in the tragedy. This gives the effect of linking acts together as well as giving a sense of foreboding, due to the fact that the audience is able to predict, that all of these ideas are going to culminate in one dramatic and climactic sequence towards the end of the play. One of the main areas of imagery displays the way that Romeo sees Juliet as light and glowing. We first see this in Act 1 Scene 5, “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright,” (pg 52) as well as language relating her to anything that is expensive or shimmering, “As a rich jewel.” (pg 53) This gives the impression that he is in awe of her and that she is something angel-like. This imagery continues in Act 2 Scene 5, “What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun.” (pg 58) However, here we are not only given an impression of warmth and burning desire but also of distance and being unable to reach her. There is also a continuation of the light imagery in Act 3 Scene 5, “More light and light, more dark and dark our woes.” (pg 100) As Juliet has already been represented as light we feel that this refers to the fact that as Romeo has more to do with her, things are slowly getting worse for him and leading towards his death.
Juliet is also related to bird imagery in Act 1 Scene 5, “So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, as yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.” (pg 53) This imagery is fitting because both Juliet and doves are beautiful and pure. However, it is also ironic because birds are free due to flight, Juliet however, is trapped by her family and social background and is unable to escape. It is also interesting that the dove is a bird of piece, and that in the end Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy brings a new order to the society and an end to the war of their families. The bird imagery is continued in Act 3 Scene 5, “It was the nightingale and not the lark.” (pg 99)
Another main piece of imagery used throughout the play is of heaven and stars. This results in lifting the two young lovers up above everyday things, “It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night,” (pg 53), “Two of the fairest stars in all heaven.” (pg 59) However, Shakespeare also uses it to suggest that Juliet has foreseen what will happen to her and her lover, “Give me my Romeo, and when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars,” (pg 87) This enforces the feeling of tragedy because the loss of a love so beautiful and high up seems somehow more horrific. For similar reasons, Shakespeare uses contrasting ideas in many of the characters speeches in Romeo and Juliet. This is evident in Act 1 Scene 5 when Tybalt says “Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.” (pg 54) It is interesting to note how Shakespeare is appealing to senses other than the ears, to express how Romeo and Juliet’s love will turn to tragedy. He continues this theme in Act 2 Scene 6, “The sweetest honey, is loathsome in it’s own deliciousness.” (pg 78)
Other dramatic patterning is used by Shakespeare during the play. For example, his use, of the nurse as the disruptive figure. This begins in Act 1 Scene 5, “Madam your mother craves a word with you,” (pg 55) but continues throughout, “Your lady mother is coming to your chamber, the day is broke, be wary, look about.” (pg 100). This makes Romeo and Juliet’s moments together always transient, representing the transience of their love.
Towards the end of the play, the use of bride of death imagery for Juliet becomes more frequent, “Or if you do not, make the bridal bed, In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.” (pg 106) This is important as preparation for Shakespeare’s most dramatic scene of the entire play, and the way that he would have staged it. It is obvious from the imagery during the play, that Shakespeare had visualised his staging of the lovers death, with Juliet in her bridal outfit truly representing death’s bride, in a tragic loss of young beauty and love. The fact that this idea along with other important themes, began in Act 1 Scene 5 and have slowly built up to this very final moment makes the scene all the more powerful. I feel that this is why Act 1 Scene 5 is key to the tragedy of the lovers. It is also important to note how the death of the lovers brings about a new social order. I think that this is because of the fact that Romeo and Juliet’s love is so ahead of its time. These two young lovers were unwilling to conform to the traditional standards of their society and so began change. This is part of the reason why Romeo and Juliet is still so relevant today. Baz Luhrmann’s modern day production demonstrates how the play can be moved into a modern day setting without looking out of place. In my opinion, Shakespeare has written a timeless and powerful play, which will always be relevant to young teenagers and will capture the imagination of anyone who believes in the idea of true love.
In conclusion I would say that Act 1 Scene 5 is so vital to the development of the action of the play as a whole because it is the real starting point for all that follows. Shakespeare’s early preparation for the final drama provokes an atmosphere of tension and impending tragedy and pulls the audience in. This scene manages to be concise but immense in a way that grips the audience and allows them to feel true emotion for Romeo and Juliet, even in their first meeting. Shakespeare also manages to form a basis for several of his main characters during this scene and it is therefore vital for this reason. However, I feel that the central reason for Shakespeare’s creation of such a scene was to introduce key themes and issues that he wanted to explore during the development of the play and to show the rarity of Romeo and Juliet’s love.
