From this scene the audience can see that Romeo is troubled and doesn't know whether to go to the Capulet's ball or not. In anguish he expresses his great belief in religion and rests his fate in God, showing his bravery. Basically, in this scene the atmosphere is serious because of the tension caused by Romeo's soliloquy.
Although it’s obvious Romeo is taking a brave but colossal risk in going to the Capulet’s ball, as soon as he meets Juliet he starts to describe her beauty in great detail, using his poetic language again. Romeo expresses his love for her by contrasting her to a “rich jewel” he also associates her with a glowing light and compares her to a dove among crows presuming that her beauty outshines every other girl, he then concludes his speech with a question “Did my heart love till now?” this suggests that Romeo's love for Juliet is so strong that he can’t think of any other girl he has loved as much as her. Shakespeare uses metaphors to portray to the audience Juliet's beauty and Romeo's love for her. Romeo's emotions and thus the tone of the play at this point are ones of desire, love and passion.
The language Romeo uses in the flirtatious sonnet is more convincing because they are talking to each other and it shows that they do genuinely love each other, rather than his “love” for Rosaline, which he only used as an excuse to be miserable. The sonnet however may be fake as they have only just met and barely know each other. In the end their true love is confirmed when they realise their names are Montague and Capulet.
After their sonnet, the atmosphere changes to a dramatic one as Romeo learns that Juliet is a Capulet, the family that is at a feud with his own. Romeo is distraught and expresses this saying “My life is my foe's debt.” Many of the audience would have thought this an unwise and thoughtless trait of an immature boy, but you can’t help how you fall in love with. As the guests leave Juliet also discovers that Romeo is from her family's enemy, she becomes distressed with the idea of Romeo being Montague and says if she cannot marry him she will die, this is an ominous comment. (Although during Shakespeare’s era Juliet’s parents would have arranged her marriage, even if Romeo wasn’t a Montague they still wouldn’t have been able to marry as her parents had already chosen her a different suitor one they approved of.) Furthermore Juliet now feels devastated due to the fact that she has found her only love within the family that she was brought up to hate as she says “My only love sprung from my only hate!” Shakespeare ends this scene on a cliff-hanger, creating tension between the characters.
The balcony scene is one of the most significant and well known parts in the play. In this scene Juliet tries to get Romeo to prove how true his love for her is. Romeo’s language is much more sincere than how it was when they first met, when he was talking of Rosaline. He does exaggerate in places, which in the end annoys Juliet and she gets impatient with his “swearing” and over-exaggerated promise.
The audience see Romeo trying to be imaginative and inspired by love “with love’s light wings did I overperch these walls” this is one of the metaphors Shakespeare use’s to emphasize how much Romeo truly love’s Juliet. Romeo is saying that love will help him find a way to get to his one true love, Juliet. These qualities I feel are the characteristics of a forward thinking adult. Totally and utterly in love, “Juliet is the sun,” the audience see a brave and devoted romantic. Definitely more man than boy! So by the end of this scene Juliet and Romeo plan to be engaged but still have to face the family rivalry barrier that prevents their relationship from being free.
At this stage of the play, Romeo and Juliet are caught in the middle of controversy, history and rivalry which allow for the audience to become enthralled in the storyline and makes for a successful performance.
The double murder scene is one of the strongest parts to the play. The audience see Romeo in a new light. Romeo shows impressive maturity when he refuses to fight Tybalt. As Romeo only wants to make peace between Tybalt and “tender the Capulet name”, As Tybalt doesn’t know that Romeo is married to Juliet and the audience does, this creates dramatic irony. The effect this has on the audience is dramatic and makes them feel sorry for Romeo after Mercutio’s death; this is very understandable as Mercutio is one of Romeo’s oldest and best friends. As soon as Mercutio dies Romeo feels as though he’s lost a part of himself.
When Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo becomes deadly and irrational. He does a stupid and foolish act. Although Romeo can be mature and peacemaking, there’s a saying "Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned," I think Tybalt should “beware a Romeo scorned!” For although this isn’t one of Shakespeare quotes it explains exactly what will happen if anyone hurts Romeo, they will have to face the consequences of his reaction. Romeo kills Tybalt purely for revenge.
Mercutio’s dying words should have given both Romeo and Tybalt room for thought, “a plague on both your houses!” This is one of Shakespeare’s famous quotes. As dies, he utters this metaphor three times, cursing the families whose rivalry led to his demise. This metaphor is commonly applied to criticize warring factions whose rivalry brings ruin to others. Because of the feuding family’s, the audience would have shown pity and sympathy towards Mercutio.
The ‘banishment’ scene is the perfect part to demonstrate Romeo becoming a man who can take his punishment. When Romeo first hears of his banishment his reaction is somewhat sad but angry, as well as spoilt because Romeo declares that the Friar is torturing him to death, he throws himself on the floor, moaning and weeping. He refers to his banishment as a punishment worse than death “Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say death; for exile hath more terror in his look.” He may be a bit hysterical “banished is death,” melodramatic and self-pitying but this allows the audience to show sympathy and pity towards him.
Although Romeo is being a bit over the top he does eventually taking his punishment like a man. Romeo’s feeling towards the banishment change in the following scenes, because now he thinks he has a chance, even though he is banished from Verona, that he will still reunite and take Juliet to live as husband and wife. However, when he hears his love is dead he is devastated, he feels guilty and responsible for Juliet’s death. He thinks that if he had been there by her side this would have never happened.
In the Capulet vault scene, I feel that he does act a bit rash but he is doing it for love “my besotted soul,” he is depressed, but his besotted soul may be because he’s in a confused mental state, especially if he’s drunk too much alcohol. Being isolated from society he feels so alone. Although some may argue with me in that he acts rashly and on a reckless impulse like an immature child. The fact is all his emotions are out of control, he’s feeling passionate, violent, and suicidal only someone who has gone through the same thing could now how he’s feeling at this moment in time.
In Romeo’s last words Shakespeare creates dramatic irony. Romeo mentions that Juliet doesn’t look as though she’s dead, “Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,” he’s saying that her lips are still looking red as are her cheeks, which they wouldn’t be if she was dead this is ironic, as the audience knows Juliet is not truly dead. In Romeo’s last words he is no longer a love-sick boy but a contented and mature young man; Romeo talks of Juliet as his wife, not an excuse for his love-sickness, “…O my love, my wife.” All he wants to do is be with his one true love.
We as the audience demonstrate sympathy, pity, sadness and admiration for the two star-crossed lovers not to be.
So after examining all of the evidence, it is difficult to tell whether Romeo is a man or a love-sick boy. Shakespeare clearly exaggerates Romeo’s actions and behaviour. Romeo’s love-sick actions are essential to the play. Throughout the play, from beginning to end, it appears that Romeo develops from being a foolish young boy with love on his mind, to become a brave, mature man, taking responsibility for his actions.