The prologue prepares for this scene as it states there is an ancient grudge that has been passed down through generations, and that “civil blood makes civil hands unclean”; this is linked to Tybalt as he wants to remove Romeo from the ball with his rapier. In the prologue also mentions two star crossed lovers; Romeo and Juliet even though they are from opposing families. In Act 1 Scene 1 Romeo confesses that he is madly in love with a women named Rosaline, some people doubt this as he is ‘in-love with Juliet’ later he says “O, she is rich in beauty” and that “she is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair” I think he is blinded by Rosaline’s beauty – that’s why he thinks he is in love with her. I think Rosaline is in the play as a distraction and to give Romeo a vulnerable look; as he is a “virtuous and well governed youth”. In act 1 scene 2 Benvolio says “and the rank poison of the old will die” he is making a reference to poison; Juliet’s poison. I think Shakespeare has planned this play well in comparison to the families hate towards each other; the two lovers have to work hard to actually be together.
The opposition between the two families is enforced all the way through the play, there is always hate and rage lurking in the emotions of characters. The opposition is either shown in a physical way or a verbal; or sometimes both. Some of the more physical aspects are when Tybalt is at the ball saying he will remove Romeo with his rapier, this scene could be played as follows; Old Capulet could be physically blocking Tybalt from going near Romeo and causing an uproar.
Marriage is shown in a different way than it is in modern life, the women could get married young. I think women were the more submissive gender as men seemed to be in control. In this scene Shakespeare develops Romeo and Juliet by useing the sonnet, this makes them appear poetic and romantic, and Romeo’s soliloquy about Juliet’s beauty shows that he is maturing into a man. The nurse in this scene is the key to Juliet leaving the scene; the nurse says that Juliet’s mother wants to talk to her; Shakespeare uses her to help Juliet in a lot of things such as her wedding with Romeo. Juliet seems to be out of control with her life, her dad seems to control her and what she does. He has the influence over her marriage as he wants her to marry Paris. Juliet wants to be independent and wants to decide who she marries by herself and not her father. The development of Capulet plays a big part of how the two families hate each other; in scene 1 act 1 he wants his sword to hurt Old Montague he says “give me my sword” and “My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, and flourishes his blade in spite of me”. Capulet also has to do a dual role in act 1 scene 5, he talks to his guests and welcomes them; even has a little joke with them about how the women don’t dance he swears have corns. His other role is that he is keeping control of Tybalt; telling him he will not allow him to cause an uproar at his ball.
I think the main poetic technique in this play is the sonnet in Act 1 Scene 5; this is the introduction of the relationship and love between Romeo and Juliet. The Sonnet is cut short; you can see this by the pattern, this signals an interruption and indeed there was by the nurse; as she says that Juliet’s mother wants to talk to her. The sonnet has religious values in it as he says “holy shrine”. Sonnets are a very fashionable love poem; they were originally from Italy, but were very popular and used a lot in Elizabethan England. The imagery in this scene is used well as when Romeo first sees Juliet he says that “she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night; As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear” this means she is radiant in beauty, and she is like a jewel in the ear of any black African; she stands out from the rest. He is comparing the jewel to Juliet and the ear to the night, and that the contrast between the two is amazing. He also says he has “Ne’er saw true beauty till this night” this means he thinks she is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.
The variance in the dramatic techniques is interesting in this scene. One way that Shakespeare keeps the audiences attention is that he has Romeo and Juliet in the centre; with a lot of commotion around them such as the servants handing drinks out and other people dancing around them. This scene is really important to the play as it tells the audience about the couple; that they are from opposing families, this is the irony; the audience know this but Romeo and Juliet soon find out too. In this scene Shakespeare wanted to create a clear understanding of how Romeo and Juliet fall in love, and I think he achieved that in great succession in this scene. We know there is a great grudge between the families, and this is proven by Tybalt and his hostility towards Romeo; as he wants to kill Romeo for intruding on the party. Old Capulet stop him from doing so as he tells Tybalt “He shall be endured”.
