When the Capulets arrive Mercutio stirs trouble with Tybalt, but Tybalt doesn’t really want to hurt Mercutio, “ Well, peace be with you sir. Here comes my man.” This shows he wants Romeo and has no intent to harm Mercutio but Romeos friend ignores this.
Tybalt accuses Romeo of being a villain, Romeo tries to talk to Tybalt, and even says ‘And so good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own, be satisfied´. Mercutio cannot believe this, as Romeo has just backed down from a fight with his family’s sworn enemies, the Capulets, so he shows slightly more hatred towards Tybalt. I think he is stirring trouble with Tybalt like this because at the start of the scene, he is shown to be feeling bored, so I think that this may be a way of keeping him entertained. As a good friend of Romeo, Mercutio would do what a good friend would do, and stick up for Romeo. In the Zefferelli version, Tybalt doesn’t do much in the way of threatening Romeo, but Mercutio seems like he wants a fight. He says- “ Use me.” Which means “deal with me” In the Luhrman version however, Tybalt beats Romeo down before Mercutio steps in. This shows the audience that this is a good reason for Mercutio to intervene, but in Zefferelli´s version, we don’t see a real enough reason for Mercutio to fight. It is obvious that Romeo doesn’t want to see anybody get hurt, “ Forbear this outrage!” so he reminds the two men about what the Prince said if anyone is caught fighting in the streets, but the fight continues, but Tybalt takes it one step further and fatally wounds Mercutio. The set changes on the Luhrman version when Mercutio staggers up to an old stage, the clouds gather, this is when the audience knows that something is wrong.
Tybalt and Romeo probably thought that Mercutio, being the joker that he is, was just pretending and faking his wound to try and teach the two families a lesson and we see that Mercutio may be playing when he tells us that his wound is nothing but a scratch. Romeo says that Mercutio should be a little more courageous, and that his wound cannot be much, but Mercutio knows that his life is slipping away. We know this because Mercutio says, ‘Ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man´. As Mercutio is dieing, he puts the blame upon Romeo, and asks why he came into the fight between him and Tybalt. As Mercutio passes away, Romeo uses irony in his words when he says ‘This days black fate on mo day’s doth depend´. He is telling us that he knew in the back of his mind he knew that something would go wrong.
Tybalt then proceeds to where Romeo and Benvolio are standing, another fight takes place and Romeo delivers a fatal wound to Tybalt. This is carried out differently in the two versions, In the Luhrman version, after Mercutio is slain, Tybalt tries to escape in a car. And Romeo follows him. The action is fast and furious with a lot of camera work on the two men’s eyes; the music is very up-tempo as well. Romeo crashes his car into Tybalt´s. The two make their way out of the wreckage and Tybalt pulls out his gun. The rain starts pouring down and this is another sign that something bad is about to happen. The two men fight until Tybalt drops his gun. Out of pure hatred for killing his best friend, Romeo executes Tybalt with his own gun. Benvolio asks why Romeo is staying, as he fears for Romeos life if he is caught because the Prince banned street fighting, the two men then speed away. In the Zefferelli version, the swordfight doesn’t seem as serious as the modern version, but still ends in the same sort of way. We see Romeo and Tybalt in a sword fight, until Romeo, it seems, accidentally kills Tybalt, and Romeo hurries away. Zefferelli didn’t use any change of scene in his version of the fight, which lowers the effect and seriousness of Tybalt´s death. I think that if he saw the two films, after recovering from the shock of television’s existence, Shakespeare would have greatly preferred the Luhrman version because it has much more impact, and is more exiting than the Zefferelli version.
If I were asked to direct the main fight scene in this play at the theatre I would use the whole stage to gain effect. For example when Mercutio and Tybalt start to exchange words I would place them at opposite sides of the stage. This would enable the effect of the tension building between the two characters because when Mercutio begins to torment Tybalt I would make them pace gradually towards the centre of the stage and by the time they draw their swords they would be at the point that they were right in each other’s faces.
On the other hand, if I had the task of directing this scene in a film then I would use a vast quantity of different shots; Long shots in slow motion would begin as the two began to fight. During that banter I would use close ups on the eyes of each character to show the anger and perspiration caused by the rise in temperature.
I think Lurhman did a wonderful job when it came to directing Romeo and Juliet especially in the action scenes. You really get the impression of a hot, hostile environment where the scene is set in the built up to the battle. The way he placed Mercutio under an old Stage with clouds gathering overhead was very dramatic and a fantastic use of imagery.
The second, more palatable theme of Shakespearian drama is love. The un-dying love between the young couple is a total contrast to the last scene that I described.
Act 3 Scene 5 is set in the Capulet house where Romeo is in Juliet’s bed. The lovers are saying goodbye. They have lost track of time whilst they have been together and cannot decide weather it is night or morning as the light outside is low but not pitch black.
Juliet believes it is night as she claims to have heard the call of a nightingale. Wilst thou be gone? It is not yet near day: It was the nightingale and not the lark. That pierc’d the fearful hollow of thine ear.” In other words she is saying that she heard a bird which she believes was a nightingale so it is still night which means Romeo can stay as he wont be caught.
Romeo replies by saying- “It was the lark, the herald or morning. No nightingale. Nights candles are burnt out. I must be gone and live or stay and die.” So what Romeo is saying is a total contrast to what his new wife said. He says it is day and if he is caught he will die as the prince had banished him from Verona after he killed Tybalt in a fit of rage. Romeo is being very poetic. For example he uses phrases like “ Nights candles” when he is talking about the stars. He also refers to “Cynthia’s brow” Cynthia in is the mythical name for the god of the moon so he is clearly referring to the moon.
The two scenes have very separate themes, love and death. The two scenes both work towards final and in which the enemy families of Capulets and Montagues are drawn together. The love between Romeo and Juliet is the initial factor as this brings two members of the apposing families together then the death acts as a binding force as both families have to overcome the deaths of their children.
The idea of the families being drawn together by the deaths are stated in the finial lines of the play when the price of Verona says, “A glooming peace this morning with it brings; the sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things. Never was a story more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” So He has told the families to mourn the deaths together as they are both in the same sad situation
THE END
