As the conflict takes place Mercutio steps up as Tybalt’s opponent. Mercutio taunts Tybalt, but Tybalt ignores his insults as he’s seeking Romeo.
‘Well, peace be with you, sir
Here comes my man.’
Making Mercutio the opponent to Tybalt, proves an effective device as Tybalt and Mercutio are equally matched as aggressive individuals. Shakespeare is evidently setting up the audience, engaging them in this tense scene.
Dramatic irony becomes evident when Romeo enters, as the audience are aware of his recent marriage to Juliet, therefore making him and Tybalt family.
Tybalt’s insistence on Romeo being a villain and Romeo’s ‘vile submission’ angers Mercutio.
‘Mercutio, thou consort’st with Romeo’
Tybalt questions, which in modern context is the correspondence of asking him if he’s having a sexual relationship with Romeo. This helps build up anger in Mercutio, making him so wound up he’s the equivalence of a ticking bomb. Assembling Shakespeare to add dramatic quality to the drama.
As Romeo enters Tybalt and Mercutio constantly anger one an other before Tybalt draws his sword.
‘Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up’
Again Shakespeare uses Juxta-position, making the enthralled audience believe that Romeo’s going to make peace. As in Franco Zeferreli’s version, Romeo’s nature changed since his marriage to Juliet.
However in Baz Luhrmans edition, not only were swords swapped by guns, to engage a modern audience, but Romeo’s nature was also softer as he allowed Tybalt to beat him severely as he sat there defencelessly.
Angered that Romeo wasn’t striking back, Mercutio stepped in. Equally matched as aggressive individuals, this battle was unpredictable, making it effective, captivating the audience.
‘They have made worms meat of me’
As the mortally wounded Mercutio struggles, Shakespeare has effectively positioned puns throughout his speech.
‘Ask for me tomorrow and you’ll find me a grave man’
Mercutio makes the audience believe that he’s only got a minor injury, but he knows his wound is fatal. Shakespeare makes the audience aware of this.
‘Go, villain fetch a surgeon’
Therefore making Mercutio’s death predicable.
The excitement of the audience is increased throughout Mercutio’s death as Shakespeare’s direction causes Mercutio’s use of language to be effective.
In the Baz Luhrman edition Mercutio joked and calmed the scene making everyone assume he was ok.
‘A scratch, a scratch’
However as shown elements of his language notified us that he was mortally wounded.
Foreshadowing is another effective device Shakespeare uses to keep the audience captivated as their not sure of where fate will lead Mercutio.
The fight between Romeo and Tybalt is spellbinding, as we haven’t yet seen Romeo in conflict.
The force of blind rage causes Romeo to battle with Tybalt. Fire eyed fury also makes Romeo determined to track Romeo down.
This causes excitement to the audience as in Franco Zeferreli’s version performs this scene using swords. The fight also varies its scene, moving through various streets and levels. Romeo is portrayed as the less experience swordsman between them, adding greater excitement and worry to the audience. Meaning the captivation of the audience was kept flowing throughout the fight. Giving Shakespeare the power to keep rowdy Elizabethan audiences engaged.
At Tybalts death, the audience are kept in conflict, as they know Romeo will pay for it.
However Romeo had retired to Friar Lawrence, making the audience unsure of whether he will be caught or not. Romeo’s line ‘I am fortunes fool’ shows Shakespeare’s use of fate and the roll it plays throughout ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Romeo and Juliet would have been performed to an Elizabethan audience who believed very strongly in “fate” and “fortune”. Fate was destined to happen and no one could alter it. Throughout the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare constantly utilises the motif of stars to convey and develop the prominent theme of fate. Even and early as the prologue, the words
“A pair of star-cross’d lovers…”
Reveal Shakespeare’s intent in conveying the association of fate with this motif. Like stars, fate exists in the heavens. It is Romeo and Juliet’s misfortune that leads to the sorrowful and tragic ending of the play.
Conclusion
Its fast-pace dramatic action also keeps the audience involved throughout this theatrical play as the increasing tension insures that the audience are kept engaged. Shakespeare had expertly placed this scene in the middle, as it’s the turning point of the play, as up until this point the audience believe that it may end happily. Evidence of this is in Capulet speech in the Capulet’s ball.
‘Verona brags of Romeo to be a well-governed youth’
This leaves the audience believing that Romeo and Juliet could have been happily married with lord Capulets blessing.
Elizabethan audiences would have been religious and so would have believed in fate. Shakespeare used this factor throughout Romeo and Juliet, to make the staging, and the scene effective and dramatic. He had an effective use of language and dramatic quality also played a large part in captivating boisterous Elizabethan audiences.
