Romeo and Juliet

Although the words are simple, the words are simple the audience have anticipation of a lively, vibrant party. Shakespeare also makes this opening scene dramatic by using dramatic irony. The audience are aware a bad event is foreshadowing, because just before he arrives at the party in Act 1 Scene 4 he says:-

        ’For my mind misgives

        Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,

        Shall bitterly begin his fearful date with this night’s revels. ‘

This is effective as the audience are curious to know what is going to wrong in this blissful environment. This quote also refers to the theme of fate. The audience know Juliet is at the party and will meet with Romeo. This is an example of dramatic irony. Another example of dramatic irony is the Prologue:-

        ’A pair of star crossed lovers take their life;

        Whose misadventured piteous overthrows.

        Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.

        The fearful passage of their death-marked love. ‘

The Prologue gives the audience an insight into the storyline of the play. It tells them that two lovers take their lives due to tragic misfortunes. This again builds drama as the audience anticipate finding out what happens. I think the opening section of this scene appeals to the audience through dramatically effective action. It is dramatically effective as immediately the mood for a stimulating exciting party is set by the commotion of the servants. The way in which Capulet would introduce the party would be dramatically effective, as it would build up anticipation of a lively party atmosphere and tension of what is about to happen. This would create the joyful but anticipating atmosphere for the audience as they watch the events of the party and wait for Romeo and Juliet to meet. I would imagine the stage directions would add to the dramatic effectiveness. I would imagine Capulet would be stood in the centre of the stage with the guests around him. He is the head of the house as well as the host, so he would get immediate respect when he walked into the room; everyone would stop talking and face him. He would continuously be moving around, trying to encourage the women to dance with him. This would appeal to the audience as he is erratically moving around; the audience will have to focus with him moving across the stage. They will focus on the physical activity on the stage as well as the dialogue. Depending on the production if music from the Elizabethan era was played to accompany the dancing it would be effective as it would help recreate an Elizabethan atmosphere. The music and dance would also help develop the setting of the party by creating a livelier atmosphere.

When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time he expresses his thoughts about her in a soliloquy using rhyming couplets. This tells us immediately he is attracted to Juliet as rhyming couplets. His words and phrases reveal that he is thinking of Juliet’s beauty in terms of brightness in contrast to the surrounding dark. He begins with a metaphor:-

        ‘She doth teach the torches to burn bright!’

This tells us that Juliet's beauty is much brighter than that of the torches meaning she is very beautiful. She is so much brighter that she teaches the torches how to shine. This is a poetic exaggeration since torches can't really be taught. It is also important for Romeo to say this, as the audience cannot see Juliet's beauty directly and in Shakespeare's theatre a boy plays Juliet. The metaphor also tells us that it is night, as Romeo can see the torches he compares her to. The audience must imagine this, as the play is performed by daylight, and no lighted torch would be safe in the theatre. Romeo uses personification as he compares Juliet to the contrast of night and stars:-

        ’like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear: ‘

Here imagery is used by Romeo to compare Juliet to the other women in the room. She stands out in a dark room as a bright jewel that would catch the torchlight in the ear of a dark-skinned person.  He also uses a more personal response to do with nature.

        ‘Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!’

Shakespeare uses nature to compare Juliet's beauty. He uses a strong personal opinion. A woman too beautiful for the earth itself is thought to be immensely beautiful which shows Romeo’s strong feelings towards Juliet.

        ‘So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,’

Shakespeare again uses nature to compare Juliet’s beauty to the near people. He associates Juliet as a dove which symbolises purity. In an earlier scene Benvolio says that he will show Romeo women who will make his ‘swan’ (Rosaline) look like a “crow”. Romeo now compares the Juliet in a similar comparison.  He compares dove to crows which are known as ugly birds. This speech is effective as it tells the audience that Romeo sees Juliet as a beautiful person compares to the dull ordinary people he has seen till now. He sees her as the white light in his dark depressing life. The contrast of light and darkness personification in these quotes suggests that Juliet is fair-skinned and perhaps fair-haired while most of the other women are dark.

         

Romeo’s language reveals that he feels love for Juliet at first sight:-

        ’Did my heart love till now‘

This quote also shows that he is comparing his love for Rosaline to his love for Juliet. After days of longing for Rosaline to love him, he doubts he doubts that he ever loved Rosaline. This is because he now sees Juliet.

        ‘For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night’

His language shows that he may be happier in love with Juliet than with Rosaline as he uses uplifting language in contrast to depressing language he used when he was in love with Rosaline. However the audience are unsure whether Romeo feels true love for Juliet. The audience think that perhaps he is going through another phase, as with Rosaline. Romeo feels he is unworthy of Juliet’s love:-

        ’And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand‘

This is effective as it shows the audience that Romeo sees Juliet as something special and extraordinary. A line Romeo says earlier in the soliloquy supports this.

        ’Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! ‘

The word ‘blessed’ introduces religion an important issue for all in the sixteenth century.

The language used by Romeo contrasts with that use by Capulet as it is romantic and poetic. This is dramatically effective as Romeo‘s language brings romance into the scene. Romance is also a strong theme within the play. Romeo speaks in rhyming couplets; this is dramatically effective as the rhyming couplets are poetic and also romantic. They also stand out from the other speech in the play, demonstrating Romeo’s love for Juliet. Romeo also uses similes and metaphors to compare Juliet to the light and dark surrounding her. He also uses religious imagery which was popular in the Shakespearean period. This was because religious was a strong issue which everyone could relate to. These are a range of dramatic devices used by Shakespeare which make this soliloquy noticeably different from the language previously used in this scene. This brings out the beauty and romance of two destined lovers meeting and falling in love for the audience’s enjoyment.

Tybalt overhears Romeo’s soliloquy and wants to take his life on the spot, but fortunately Capulet intervenes. Shakespeare creates effective drama by introducing a confrontation between Capulet and Tybalt at this point in the scene. This is dramatic as the audience are expecting something bad to happen, so when they see Tybalt’s anger they fear he is going to kill Romeo. The effect of this is that the romantic atmosphere Romeo has created is quickly ruined. It is also dramatically effective as it builds up tension and makes Romeo and Juliet’s meeting more jovial, as it is a relief after all the anger. Another reason this confrontation is dramatic is that we see two members of the same family arguing. The audience are used to seeing the opposite families so this is unusual for them.  

Tybalt also speaks in rhyming couplets as Romeo:-

        ’I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall

        Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall‘

I think it is significant that Tybalt speaks in rhyming couplets like Romeo. It shows he has overheard Romeo speaking in rhyming couplets. I think Shakespeare uses this dramatic device to compare Tybalt to Romeo; Tybalt’s anger and hatred to the way Romeo falls in love with Juliet at first sight. I think it makes Tybalt’s speech dramatically effective as it stands out like Romeo’s soliloquy. This is a comparison of two extreme emotions. It shows Romeo’s love and Tybalt’s hate, which are both themes within the play:-

        ’Fetch my rapier, boy. What dares the slave

        Come hither cover’d with an antic face. ‘

Tybalt refers to Romeo as a ‘slave’, which insults him and shows the audience his lack of respect for Romeo. This quote also enhances the reference to the context of the Shakespeare’s theatre.         

          ’        Fetch my rapier, boy‘

As Tybalt asks for his sword it indicates that he is inside, as swords are not usually carried in the house. This would to be shown in Shakespeare’s theatre as there are very few stage settings to show that they are inside.

 

Capulet responds to Tybalt’s by trying to calm him down:-

          ’        Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;

Capulet may dislike the Montagues, but he is trying to obey the Prince's command. As a host, he cannot allow even an enemy to be attacked under his own roof. Capulet calms Tybalt down as he does not want to create a scene in his house, as in the market place earlier that day. Tybalt then persists to say he will not endure Romeo as he is angry at losing the chance for a fight so then Capulet loses his temper:-

          ’Am I the master here, or you? go to.

        You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul!

        You’ll make a mutiny among my guests!

        You will set a cock-a-hoop! You’ll be the man! ‘

As we already know Capulet has sharp temper and we can presume he was trying to keep his calm. However as Tybalt kept persisting Capulet started to get frustrated and grind his teeth and then eventually lost his temper. This quote shows Capulet losing his temper with Tybalt and putting him in his place by telling him whom is in control. When Capulet is being pleasant to Tybalt he uses thou/thee/thy but when he becomes angry he switches to you. This again shows Capulet’s aggressive side of his personality. Tybalt is angry as he is made to look silly by Capulet, who tells him off and calls him a “saucy boy”. He blames Romeo for this but leaves Romeo alone, but his words are dramatically effective as they are heavy and threatening. He spits out alliteration:-

’Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting‘

This shows his contempt and anger of the situation and the fact that he has to be patient and tolerate his foe. This part of the play containing Tybalt is also dramatically effective as his speech shows the dramatically effective action within the play:-

        ’Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. ‘

Here we see Tybalt literally shaking with anger which highlights how difficult it is for him to be forced to hold his anger in. The action would express Tybalt’s anger to the audience as they would expect to see Tybalt juddering with anger.

I have formed an impression of Tybalt being a fiery person with a sharp temper. I think he is honourable and loyalty as he is a man of his word. I have formed this impression of the basis of this scene and Act 1 Scene 1. In Act 1 Scene 1 Tybalt starts a fight in the market place rather then ignoring the comment by the Capulet boys. This shows he is a man of pride who will not sacrifice it for any cost.

Tybalt’s exchange with Capulet has an effect of danger and excitement on the mood of the scene. His fiery temper lead the audience to believe that there will be trouble. His strong and dangerous words suggest danger for Romeo which builds up excitement as well as tension in the scene.

When Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time they speak in the form of a sonnet a rhyming fourteen line poem. After the anger it is a joy to see the romance between Romeo and Juliet when they meet. They speak in a sonnet which was often used by the poets of the time for writing about love affairs. This is unusual as a sonnet is usually spoken by one person.

The audience in the 16th Century audience would notice the sonnet as they heard the pattern of rhymes. Shakespeare uses it to portray Romeo as a lover who worships his beloved with religious devotion. This love scene is the main focus of the scene; the other events enhance the scene.The initial dialogue between Romeo and Juliet is split into three sections. The different sections in the dialogue represent the course of their love.

        ‘If I profane with my unworthiest had

        This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:

        My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

        To smooth that tough touch with a tender kiss,’

These four lines begin the romantic sonnet; in these lines Romeo declares his love to Juliet. Romeo refers to religious a theme within the play. Gentle sin is an oxymoron because “gentle” means noble or virtuous in the 16th Century while a sin is usually the opposite of noble. He compares her hand to a holy place shrine’ which he may defile ‘profane’ with his hand. He compares his lips to pilgrims that can “smooth” away the “rough touch” of the hand with a kiss. Juliet responds to this by saying:-

        ‘Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

        Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

        For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch

        And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss’

This is the second section where we see Juliet initial indication that she also likes Romeo. She continues with the religious theme referring to Romeo as a good holy traveller and telling him not to think so badly of himself subtly telling him he is worthy of her. Juliet continues to tease Romeo:-

          ’        Have not saints lips and holy palmers too? ‘

’Ay pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer‘

        ’O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands;

        They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. ‘

This is the third section where Juliet is playing hard to get. Juliet explains that handholding is the right kind of kiss for pilgrims, while lips are for praying. Romeo's witty response is to ask for permission to let his lips do what his hands are allowed to, and Juliet agrees to “grant” this for the sake of his prayers. When Romeo kisses her, Juliet says she has received the sin he has ‘purged’ from himself. Romeo insists at once that he must take it back - and kisses her again! In Shakespeare's theatre these romantic actions would have been staged with male actors in the female roles. I think there would be a very obvious and slow embrace, while the kiss would be easy to simulate. Shakespeare uses religious imagery throughout this sonnet. This is a reoccurring theme, as it was relevant to all in Shakespeare’s era. I think it appealed to the audience as in Shakespeare’s time romance and love would only lead to marriage a religious ritual declaring two peoples love and devotion for one and other. The language used in the sonnet and leading up to the kiss is dramatically effective as the audience are drawn into the romance when Romeo is declaring his love to Juliet and she is beating around the bush not confronting her feelings straight up like a stereotypical woman. This can relate to the modern audience as this is a stereotypical situation today. A boy like a girl and the girl likes the boy yet she teases with him or pretends not to like him.

I think we should take Romeo’s new love seriously as he falls in love at first sight and declares he has never seen a woman this beautiful. He speaks about her beauty and compares her beauty to the dark and nature, showing his love for her. He strides to speak to her and show her his love before even knowing her name. On the other hand we could assume he is seeing Juliet as such a beautiful woman as he is till heartbroken form Rosaline and is trying to get over her. Also that he is only using romantic religious imagery in attempt to persuade her to like him and get a kiss.

In this scene we learn Juliet has a different attitude to love than Romeo:-

’Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? ‘

’Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer‘

In the second line we see Juliet playing hard to get, whereas Romeo is upfront and comfortable to confront his feelings. Juliet in the other hand, does not deny her feelings, but is afraid to confront them. This is shown when Romeo says:-

        ’ If I profane with my unworthiest hand ‘

Juliet replies:-

        ’Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, ‘

This is an indication that she also likes Romeo as she reassures him that his hand is not as bad as he says. This dramatically effective for the audience as they are excited that Romeo and Juliet have finally met. However tension and suspense is built up as she continues to play hard to get. The audience are anxious as they have been waiting for this moment.

Juliet finds a crafty way to find out about Romeo. She casually asks about other gentlemen before she asks about Romeo so that the nurse does not get suspicious about her and Romeo. When she finds out he is a Montague she is very distraught:-

        ‘My only love sprung from my only hate!

        Too early seen unknown, and known too late!  

        Prodigious birth of love it is to me

        That I must love a loathed enemy’

The contrast of the themes love and hate are mentioned again in juxtapositions along with the early and late and unknown and known. This shows how Juliet is feeling am moment ago she met the love of her life and was happy and now she knows he is her family’s enemy and they cannot be together. This is dramatically effective as the audience are unsure if Romeo’s premonition has become true. Although it seems this was a happy occasion they know that their families would never let them be.

I think this scene is dramatically effective as Shakespeare succeeds in maintaining tension and drama throughout the scene. The main part is Romeo and Juliet’s meeting with the romance that has been well awaited. Capulet is also an important character in this scene as when he arrives we are amazed at his personality change and his attempt to keep clam with Tybalt. Tybalt brings drama to the scene as he is furious at Romeo and wants to kill him, he argues with Capulet trying his patients to the limit. The scene ends with a cliff hanger as the audience have seen Romeo and Juliet meet but know that their families would not approve. We also know that this new love is ‘death marked love’. This makes the audience want to watch the rest of the play. I think the tension in this scene would still appeal to the modern audience. The character of Capulet still exists today a respectful gentleman with high public importance; however his sharp temper gets the better of him. Tybalt could be associated with an over protective brother, protecting his sister from heartbreaking boyfriends, perhaps a little dramatic. The religious imagery would perhaps not be as effective today but may still be appreciated by some. The love at first sight may not be so common today, however Juliet’s resistance to Romeo can still connect to audiences today.