Shakespeare uses a prologue, this raises tension. Tension needs to be raised at the beginning because it helps to gain the audiences attention and creates dramatic irony. The prologue is written in a sonnet form and finishes with a rhyming couplet. Although sonnets are typically about love, Romeo and Juliet is also about hate, loyalty, fate and confusion. All of these themes are introduced in the prologue.
The opening scene features Gregory and Sampson. We learn that the situation in Verona is full of argument and disagreement. It shows the conflict between the two families, Capulets and Montagues. It is important to introduce this conflict at the beginning of the play, so that the audience would feel familiarised with the story so far, as the prologue has already talked of the ‘two households.’ Puns are used to raise tension, puns such as “I will cut off their heads” this is then passed to “the heads of the maids?” examples such as this are quick passing puns this makes the audience busy in keeping up with the dialogue, it also creates rhythm which emphasises on the busy situation. This is called stichomythia. Shakespeare chose to use this kind of humour to represent scenes and surroundings through language, rather than props and set. Using humour is a good technique to keep the audience gripped.
Benvolio and Tybalt both enter the scene. Benvolio’s immediate reaction is to keep the peace “Part, fools!” this shows a sensible member of the family associated with a higher status. Tybalt retaliates to Benvolio’s orders by calling him names “heartless hinds” this is associated with a pantomime villain. Shakespeare creates tension through hatred, which is what Tybalt represents. Introducing hate such early on in the play has an impact of dramatic tension as the audience may see Tybalt as a threat to peace, thus “giving away” the ending of the play. Officers, citizens, Lord and Lady Montague and Lord and Lady Capulet then enter. At this point in the play there would be lots of tension filling the stage. <several citizens with weapons> “Strike! Beat them down! Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montages!” This suggests that Shakespeare has created a city of hate against both families. It suggests that the families troubles involves the whole town, and that nobody has control over the family feud. It seems that it infuriates everyone, emphasised by citizens carrying weapons. This creates dramatic tension as it leaves the audience asking lots of questions: what will happen next?
Sardonic humour is created in Act 1 Scene 1. They use ‘Sir’ at the end of each question “Do you quarrel, sir?” this shows how the characters are mocking each other. Shakespeare emphasises on this lack of respect for one another to symbolise reasons why conflict arises. In Act 3 Scene 1 mockery is used. This shows how conflict has developed and sarcastic humour is not used anymore. The characters now use statements when in conflict, “…..turn and draw,” this is when Tybalt now orders rather than giving a chance to continue the argument. Outer conflict is not the only form in Romeo and Juliet. The character Romeo has conflict inside himself. The main themes in the play are love and hate, the feelings Romeo have reflect this. Romeo’s first speech in the play is full of oxymoron’s “O heavy lightness,” these oxymoron’s show the inner conflict. Tension is created through this.
Shakespeare has used imagery to show us status. This is reinforced with Prince Escales speech. The Prince arrives on the scene, very angry at the situation of confrontation that the two families have caused between the whole city. The prince feels that dramatic measures must be taken to try and bring the peace between the Capulets and the Montagues once and for all. Prince Escales speaks in verse form, which creates images to the audience, “With purple fountains issuing from your veins!” This shows the audience how people with a higher status in the play can speak in a more elegant way, iambic pentameters are used to show this. At the end of the Prince’s speech it is noticeable how the whole mood changes and everyone then appears calm, this is an example of how the Prince has control of the situation. The Montagues and the Capulets use their status to begin trouble, I think Shakespeare uses this issue to convey the way he feels about how people abuse their power by doing things wrong.
In Act 3 Scene 1, Tybalt murders Mercutio, who is Romeo’s best friend, this is why Romeo takes Tybalt’s life. The conflict between the two sides has developed to its peak and the theme of hate and death is now clearly linked with love. Another key theme in Romeo and Juliet is fate. Back in the 16th century fate was thought to be controlled by the stars. This was a popular way of thinking as the plague was sweeping through Europe at the time and rapidly killing people. Because of this people were asking why this cruelty was occurring, and the answer that our lives were being determined by the stars seemed to make sense. Shakespeare connected this theme with the prologue by calling it Romeo and Juliet’s love “death marked” at the very beginning. Another example of fate being mentioned in the script is when Romeo hears of Juliet’s death, he says, “Then I defy you, stars!” This is a way in which Shakespeare creates dramatic tension. This tension is created, as the audience believes that the story is just like fate and cannot be changed. The reference to the stars made this more believable when the play was first written and performed. The fact that the audience also know what is going to happen but cannot change this makes the tension even greater.
Shakespeare introduces the themes in Romeo and Juliet very well using a variety of techniques, all creating dramatic tension. I felt that the themes helped to keep the audience gripped to watching the play as it keeps them keen on wanting to see how they develop throughout. Shakespeare’s intention was to write a play that when read or watched would have the audiences undivided attention throughout the script. I feel that he achieved this, as when you look today at the different versions of Romeo and Juliet that have been re-written, customised and performed all have become successful but all kept on the basis of Shakespeare’s ideas, themes and tension.
