In Act three, Scene one, Mercutio who is a Montague offers to fight Tybalt when Romeo refuses. This is an instance of dramatic irony because the audience know that Tybalt is now Romeo’s cousin as Romeo has just married Juliet in the previous scene. Mercutio is shocked by Romeo’s reaction: ‘O calm, dishonourable vile submission’. The audience are aware of Romeos marital link to the Capulets and would not have a shocked reaction. At the end of this scene, Mercutio is slain by Tybalt and Tybalt is killed by Romeo. This results in Romeo’s banishment from Verona by the prince: ‘And for that offence; immediately we do exile him hence.’ The effect of this quote is that the audience wouldn’t believe that Romeo is being banished. The language is very cold and harsh - ‘exile him’ – the prince does not care that Romeo is a citizen in Verona and wants him to get out instantly without emotion. It is a direct contrast to the jovial, comical language between Benvolio and Mercutio at the beginning of the scene.
One technique which also makes this play dramatically effective is tension. ‘Goodman boy. Am I the master here or you? Go to’. This is Lord Capulet insulting Tybalt calling him a commoner, not a gentleman, in Act five Scene One. The audience would feel that an argument or fight might break out by the sharp tone of ‘Go to!’ with the exclamation mark. Tybalt’s status is undeniably questioned in this scene and tension is created by the shock which the audience would expect from Tybalt’s reaction. Masque balls were supposed to be the picture of calm and order and it was the host’s responsibility to make sure this stayed with all the guests. Tension was also in Act three, Scene One, with Tybalt’s insult towards Romeo: ‘the love I bear thee can afford no better than this: thou art a villain.’ The audience would hang onto the word love at the beginning of the scene hoping for something positive. It is completely shattered by the word villain. Romeo should be angry at this but this never happens because Tybalt and Romeo are related – unknown to the villain Tybalt.
There are also moments of dramatic irony in the play. In Act one, Scene five there is an argument between Lord Capulet and Tybalt about Romeo’s appearance to his enemies party. Romeo is unaware about Tybalt knowing he is there – whereas the audience know otherwise – and continues to flirt with Juliet. ‘This by his voice should be a Montague.’ This moment is effective because it’s clearly showing the contrast between love and hate. With the audience knowing this, they will be in suspense to await any more violent moments such as the three way conflict in Act three, Scene One.
After the end of Romeo and Juliet’s sonnet, Mercutio leads Romeo away. Tybalt then swears revenge towards the intrusion. In Act three, Scene One, the irony is clearly shown. Tybalt is ready to fight Romeo but Romeo refuses. This is a clear shock to Mercutio and Tybalt as they don’t know that in the previous scene, Romeo and Juliet got married. Tybalt was now Romeo’s in – law or cousin. When Romeo says: ‘And so, good Capulet, which name I tender as clearly as mine own’, Mercutio feels that Romeo is giving up and draws his sword instead. This is dramatically effective because there are moments in the play that only the audience know. Perhaps there would be a knowing sneer from Elizabethan audiences at this point, and it also allows audience members to feel more powerful than characters such as Tybalt.
In Romeo and Juliet, there are moments of violence and conflict. In Act one, Scene five the conflict shown is between Lord Capulet and Tybalt. Tybalt is furious that Romeo has arrived at the Capulet mansion and tells his uncle of the situation. Lord Capulet is angered by Tybalt’s disregard for the part and insults him. ‘Goodman Boy’ ‘Princox’ ‘Cock – a – hoop’ are all insults that in the sixteenth century were vile and horrible to say to a person. The effect on the audience is that they think Tybalt and Lord Capulet are going to fight. Tybalt’s anger and frustration builds into tension that leads on into Act three, Scene one.
There are also moments of humour in the play especially in the beginning of Act Three, Scene One. This is mainly reflected by Mercutio’s mocking speech to Benvolio: ‘Thou art as hot a jack in thy mood as any in Italy...with quarrel with a man that have half a hair more…’Mercutio is saying that Benvolio will start a quarrel at any given opportunity. This is humorous to the audience because they keep on throwing insults to each other. Words such as Jack are sixteenth century insults but because this is put in to the context of comical banter, the audience would laugh and be calm for the later events in this scene. In Act one, Scene five, the silly banter of the servants is humorous to the audience because it shows that the play isn’t a completely violent or solemn tragedy. In Act one, Scene five, there are elements of humour: ‘Potpan, that the helps not to take away?’ This is the first line of the scene with the servants removing plates. If the audience were listening to this, they would imagine the first serving man rushing around frantically calling the line out. This is again calming the audience and preparing them for the events ahead.
Shakespeare makes Act one, Scene five and Act three, Scene one dramatically effective by using dramatic tension, irony, violence and humour. If Shakespeare forgot one of these things, the play would not be an energetic, violent tragedy. All four of these effects interlink with each other. For example, humour and conflict is linked in Mercutio and Benvolio’s insulting scene in Act three, Scene One. They are playing with comical words but are also preparing themselves for a fight which is dramatic tension comes in.