Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo and Juliet

Act III Scene I

Unlike the opening scenes this scene shows true violence and hatred between both the Montagues and the Capulets. Before this scene the feud between the families has been nothing but petty and harmless one could even say it was quite trivial.

If we look at Act II Scene VI, the scene directly before this scene, we notice that Romeo and Juliet are secretly married. To everyone unaware of this marriage nothing has changed but to Romeo and Juliet there has been a substantial alteration. Their entire relationship will be built on secrecy and the actions of others could destroy their bond without even knowing. As we well know that is the case.

Act III Scene I is different from the start. It opens with quite a serious atmosphere whereas earlier scenes have been quite joyful and almost comical. The scene begins in the midst of Mercutio and Benvolio quarrelling about whether to leave the streets of Verona. Benvolio is worried as the Capulets are in close proximity and knows that if they met that a colossal fight would break out.

“I pray thee, good Mercutio let’s retire; the day is hot and the Capels are abroad, and if we meet we shall not ‘scape a brawl, for now these hot days is the mad blood stirring.”

This opens up to the audience exactly what is going to happen next. By looking at the clues they will see that Mercutio is in a particularly aggressive mood. He is calling Benvolio and making two-faced comments such as “Nay, and there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more, or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts…”

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Looking at Mercutio’s character he is also quite easily aggravated which makes this comment two-faced. If we take a look at the Queen Mab speech we can distinguish various similarities and differences in his language. Here although speaking in verse his speech is more of what we would expect of Mercutio as it is very dramatic and strange. Whereas in Act III Scene I his language is very bawdy and discontented as it is written in prose rather than his poetic language he used before. Although these are two quite different types of Mercutio we are introduced to we can still expect ...

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