“I fear too early for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date”
Modern audiences would have been surprised that something like a dream might make someone get so worried however during the time the play was written people were very superstitious and there wasn’t much science and technology hence people believed in things like fate and destiny. In the second half of act 1 scene 5 the activity and cheerful atmosphere would engage the audience’s attention and there would be some anticipation from the audience as they will know that Romeo is about to gatecrash the party and there could be a potential for violence especially with someone like Tybalt at the party.
Romeo does enter the scene but sees Juliet at the Ball and they seem to instantly fall in love with each other and showers Juliet with compliments calling her the most beautiful girl in the room. The audience will be interested to see whether the attraction will develop but will know how fickle Romeo is with women.
“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”
The huge irony of this moment is that immediately after Romeo says these words he is spotted by Tybalt who is Juliet’s cousin and a Capulet. He is appalled by Romeos presence and would have found it disrespectful that a Montague would have attended the party.
“This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy”
This would have excited the audience because they would have anticipated the prospect of violence and a fight between Romeo and Tybalt
“to strike this man dead I do not hold a sin”
This would have emphasised the hate between the hatred between the two families as killing someone in the Elizabethan times would have been considered the ultimate sin.
One of the ways Shakespeare makes this scene dramatically effective is the way he portrays Romeos thoughts when he first meets Juliet
The use of light imagery portrays his great affection for and infatuation for Juliet. This feeling of his seems genuine as back in Shakespeare’s time, referring to someone as a bright light (“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”) was the greatest compliment you could get. Romeo says this as he believes that Juliet’s beauty stands out more than anyone else at the ball which adds to the powerful words, which Romeo uses to emphasise the point of how beautiful Juliet is.
Romeo then goes on to say
“Her beauty is too good for this world
“O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.”
This shows that Romeo is truly in love with Juliet as he asks her to kiss him
The scene ends with Juliet finding out that Romeo is a Montague
“My only love sprung from my only hate!
That I must love a loathed enemy”
This leaves the play at a cliff-hanger with the audience excited waiting to see what happens with several questions left unanswered.
I would dress the characters’ going to Capulet’s ball in big clothes with bright colours and jewellery as these were a sign of wealth in Elizabethan times. I would also make the rooms that the people were in be full of vases antiques and art as these things also represented great wealth
Act 2 scene 2
Act 2 scene two commonly referred to as the balcony scene is an iconic scene in the play and represents the positive things about the play In it, Shakespeare clearly shows the positive, joyful, and romantic side of young love. This scene is one of the most famous scenes in all of theatre due to its romantic and dramatic speech. The scene opens with Juliet on her balcony reflecting on the events that have just taken place at the ball however the audience would have known that Juliet is not alone and that Romeo is with her and this would have excited them with the element of danger if Romeo is caught. The two eventually meet and again Romeo showers Juliet with comments but Juliet is still surprised that Romeo is from a rival family.
Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.’
However She refuses to believe that Romeo is defined by being a Montague, and therefore means that the two of them can love each other without fear of their family.
Juliet loves Romeo because he is Romeo, but the power of her love cannot remove from him his last name of Montague. This excites the audience as they sense a chance of a possibility that Romeo and Juliet could get married and change their fate and destiny. They both eventually agree to get married and disobey their families this would caused huge dramatic effect because the audience know how difficult this could be especially for Juliet who was girl and in Elizabethan times a girl could not disobey her father and this would have been considered a grave sin and emphasizes her love for Romeo
This results in Juliet saying
O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo
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.’
Juliet is saying that Romeo should give up his name in order for them to love each other freely, if not she will do it instead. For such a young girl, Juliet is fully ready to turn her back against her family for the extreme emotion that she has. This has a huge impact on the audience because it proves that the love their feeling is not ordinary but really meaningful. They would be very shocked to see a girl this young speak so frankly and maturely.
In conclusion I think that both scenes are important as they both sum up the play.
I think that the Ball scene (Act 1 scene 5) is very important because many themes of the play begin to appear in it. The scene is significant as Tybalt recognises Romeo in the crowd of people and he hates him as he is a Montague. Tybalt threatens to kill Romeo but he is then killed by Romeo later on in the play. The theme of love also commences in this scene as Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love. The theme of love leads to the secret marriage of Romeo and Juliet. Love also leads to the theme off tragedy as Romeo is misinformed and believes that Juliet is dead.
On the other hand, the balcony scene (Act 2 scene 2), possesses the most dramatic effects out of the two. This scene has lots of very powerful speeches which dramatically change the play’s atmosphere. For example, after the lovers found out that they are enemies, tension is created but when; Juliet protests her love for Romeo, the atmosphere changes to love.
The audience would feel excited at the end of the scene because Romeo and Juliet are about to do something that will entirely change their destiny in life which is getting married. The audience would already know at this point that this decision of theirs will lead to their death in the end from the prologue. The questions and thoughts they are left with are will they marry, when and how will they make their relationship work in light of their parents’ feud. I think the scene was particularly dramatic because the audience are given a great chance in this scene to feel the deep and meaningful love that the star-crossed lovers feel for each other through their powerful love speeches.
