Benvolio gives him some advice, this is
“Be ruled by me, forget to think.” Romeo replies
“O teach how I should forget to think.” The concluding part of Benvolio’s advice is
“By giving liberty unto thine eyes.
Examine other beauties.” After Benvolio tells Romeo to forget about this woman, Romeo asks him to teach him how to forget about her. This reinforces the fickle impression that Shakespeare is trying to give of Romeo at the out set of this play.
Romeo said to Benvolio there is no other girl as pretty as Rozaline, then when he sees Juliet at the banquet in act 1 scene 5 he totally forgets about Rozaline. When he saw Juliet he said
“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright.” He is saying here that the torches could learn a lesson from her, also that her beauty shines so brightly. It sounds as if Romeo is just going to be his usual self, but he says
“Did my heart love till now?” It seems as if his character has suddenly matured, it’s as if Rozaline and all the other girls were nothing to him. As well as that one line, Romeo has just ever talked about other women; he has never got to know any, let alone kissed any of them. Those are the main reasons why the audience should believe that Juliet is not just another infatuation, and that Romeo has changed.
Act 2 scene 2 shows a bigger change in Romeo. In this scene he is telling Juliet how much he loves her, this is a turning point for both characters, they decide to get married. Romeo who ‘loves’ a different person every week, and Juliet who told her mother she would love only who she wanted her to. They both have taken the huge step of deciding to get married, after only meeting once!
Shakespeare has made these two characters commit in a way they never have before for a reason. There is a contrast between a feud that has been running for decades, and a sudden romance. All it takes to end this ancient feud was Romeo and Juliet falling in love with each other.
Romeo changed as a result of act 1 scene 5, from a fickle boy, to a more mature man. As he is saying “”Did my heart love till now? …” He can take his mask off to show the change. Taking his mask off is symbolist of him changing, it’s casting the old Romeo aside and shows how he is now a new person. The speech he says in this scene is to him self, he is in the middle of lots of people so the director is going to want him to stand out. This can be simply achieved by lighting; a dull spotlight on him would illuminate him, and therefore make him stand out. Just by using a dull spotlight, it would not put all the emphasis on Romeo. It has to be beard in mind that there is also a hall full of people, not just Romeo. Instead of having the spotlight just appear on Romeo he could walk into it, that is metaphorical of Romeo seeing the light of Juliet.
Capulet is a complex character; he changes, but always in the same way through out the play. The main change for his character in act 1 scene 5 is the way the audience views him. He seems to be in a different mood every time the audience sees him; this gives a temperamental impression of him.
In the first act of the play servants from each of the two houses are fighting, Capulet arrives and wants to join in but is restrained by his wife. The fact that we wants to join in the fighting, not stop it shows he is a violent person. Capulet only says three lines, yet those three lines are enough to show what his character is like.
“My sword I say! Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.” From what Capulet says it is quite obvious that if his wife had not been there to stop him, he would have been fighting.
At the beginning of act 1 scene 5 at Capulet’s banquet, he is in a jolly mood, he even makes a joke about woman who are not dancing having corns on their feet. This happy side has not yet been seen by the audience, and is a bit of a shock. This is a turning point for his character; it shows he has other emotions, not just hatred. The last time he was seen by the audience he wanted to go and kill someone. Shakespeare has done this deliberately to shown Capulet just loses his temper.
Capulet and Tybalt are arguing later in this scene about Romeo been at a Capulet party when he is a Montague. Tybalt wants to go and kill Romeo, but Capulet won’t let him, his reply to this is
“Why, uncle, ‘tis a shame-”. Capulet not letting Tybalt kill Romeo then sets up the rest of the play, because Tybalt promises to get Romeo back.
It is a major change in mood for Capulet, from before when he was happy and welcoming everyone, to becoming violent with Tybalt because he wants to kill Romeo. Then, in act 3 scene 1, Capulet finds out Tybalt has been killed by Romeo he in upset. In his grief he is also asking the Prince why isn’t he punishing Romeo to death. This scene shows mixed emotions for Capulet yet again, from sorrow for Tybalt, to anger about his killer been able to live.
When Capulet says his line
“He shall be endured.” To Tybalt, they have been arguing for a while, so they will both be talking in raised voices. A director would want to show the tension and Capulet’s flaring temper by possibly having Capulet pinning Tybalt up against a wall. Capulet goes from happy to angry in a split second with no warning. To make more apparent Capulet being so two faced, when he is happy in this scene he could keep his mask on. When he is getting angry though he can take his mask off. The mask covers up his true aggressive side, for most of the rest of the play angry and violent. The only part at which he isn’t is when he finds out about Juliet been dead, after all he has said to her he is still upset.
The first impression of Tybalt given to the audience by Shakespeare is that he is a violent loyal person. At the beginning of the play he wants to fight the Montague’s out of loyalty to his family and hatred of all Montagues. Neither of the two families can seem to remember why the feud started, but Tybalt is not concerned about why. He just has blind loyalty to his family and hates the Montagues without a reason.
Capulet would not let Tybalt kill Romeo at the banquet, but Tybalt tells Romeo he will get him back.
“I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall.” This is the most important turning point in the play, if Tybalt had not said he would get Romeo back there would be no point in the rest of the play. Without this part in the scene it would not damage Tybalt’s pride, that was the reason why he went and started fighting with Romeo. Romeo kills Tybalt because he killed Mercutio, Tybalt didn’t really want to fight Mercutio, it was Romeo who he really wanted.
In act 3 scene 1 Tybalt is looking for Romeo, to get his revenge like he said he would. Everything Tybalt does in this scene enforces the idea that he is just simply a violent person. He will not accept nothing less than a fight with Romeo.
“Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw.” Romeo doesn’t want to fight Tybalt, but is given him no other option.
Most of the character’s change in some way, even if just slightly in the course of the play, Tybalt doesn’t. He is a two-dimensional character, he is plain and simply just a violent and angry person, his violence and anger comes from family loyalty. For a director to show this on stage it would be easy, all of his clothing would have to be dark colours. Somewhere on his clothes would be the Capulet family crest, as a symbol of his loyalty to them. When he first sees Romeo, he could be reaching for his sword, then his uncle could intercept him, this is just another idea that a director could consider.
Act 1 scene 1 is the first violence in the play, by having violence in the first scene it shows that it will carry on throughout the rest of the play. Tybalt wants to resort to violence in act 1 scene 5 because of his hatred of Montagues, but Capulet will not let him. By him not been allowed to fight with Romeo in this scene it embarrasses him, so he feels he has to go and get revenge, which he does. This theme, violence and hatred is really strong in the section of this scene were Capulet and Tybalt are arguing.
A director would want to show this in other ways as well as just letting it be portrayed on stage. Colours are very important in the mood of things the director may want to consider this, red is a good colour to use, it could feature in the clothing or background. Also it could be a good idea for a director to have Tybalt reaching for his sword when he is telling Capulet there are Montagues at his house.
A lot of the violence and hatred in this play comes from loyalty. Tybalt is the most violent character this is because he is the most loyal to his family. Shakespeare has chosen Tybalt as the character that causes most of the trouble because of his loyalty.
“What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee coward!”
That is what Tybalt says the second time he speaks in the play, it is obvious by what he says that he is passionate about his family, and his actions show him to be violent.
Romeo and Juliet first meet in act 1 scene 5; they are torn between loyalty and love. They are both from opposite families, but they have fallen in love with each other. It is not until near the end of the scene they find out each other’s names, and subsequently that they should hate each other. In the part of the scene were they do find each other’s names out loyalty is a strong factor, it needs to be shown.
A director would want to put emphasis on this by maybe getting Juliet to be taken away with all the Capulets, which all will be wearing similar clothing. This would leave Romeo and Benvolio left on their own dressed in similar clothing as well. The Capulet house would have the Capulet crest all over it; also it would be on all the Capulet families clothing. Somewhere on Romeo and Benvolio’s clothing could be a small Montague crest which would come more visible when Juliet is taken away.
Up until act 1 scene 5 Romeo gives the impression of been quite fickle, and Juliet of been innocent and shy. During act 1 scene 5 this totally changes Juliet becomes a lot more flirtatious, and Romeo seems to be a lot more serious about women, Juliet in particular.
“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright.” That is what Romeo says when he sees Juliet for the first time. This is yet another example of how act 1 scene 5 is a turning point for the whole play.
A director may consider putting a weak spotlight on Juliet, just so she stands out more than the rest of the people. Or have her hearing something distinctive, so it shows whom Romeo is talking about. Also when they are together they will be close to each other, possibly Romeo holding Juliet’s hands to show the intimacy of the moment.
Age has been more of a factor in the play than youth, up until act 1 scene 5. The reason for all the violence is because of an ancient feud. All of the younger characters don’t really know what the feud is about, because it was more involving the older characters. This scene is a turning point for this theme as well, age had control before, but now Romeo and Juliet both defy their parents and do what they want.
“Deny thy father, and refuse thy name.
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet”
This quote is from the famous balcony scene, Romeo and Juliet barely know each other, yet they are both ready to betray their family.
Juliet is the symbol of light in this scene and Tybalt is the symbol of darkness. When everyone else is happy, Tybalt is the one wanting to kill people. To represent this on stage a director would dress Tybalt in darker clothing, or put a different colour light on him. Black is the commonly thought of colour of darkness, so it would feature often when Tybalt is in that part of the play.
Has Shakespeare really made act 1 scene 5 a turning point in Romeo and Juliet? In certain ways he has, without Tybalt promising to get Romeo back there would have been no violence. If Romeo and Juliet had never seen each other at the banquet, there would be no romance. This play is based on violence and romance. This scene also had other uses, it let the audience get to know the characters more, and let them develop. At the end of the scene Romeo and Juliet are left torn between their families and love, their choice of love is the biggest turning point in the play.
