Romeo and Juliet deals with the universal theme of love, hate, family feuds and teenage rebellion.

DW1 Mount St Mary’s High school Mandlenkosi Ronald Maposa

Introduction

Romeo and Juliet deals with the universal theme of love, hate, family feuds and teenage rebellion. Its one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays because it is timeless and appeals to people of all age. The audience look forward to this scene because they want to fine out if Romeo will see Rosaline and if the maskers will be discovered.

Capulet is relaxed at first and is happy about all guests. He teases them. He is not bothered about Romeo coming. He is happy and jokes with the women, “ladies that have toes unplagu’d with corns will walk about with you”. This is a friendly talk a way to tease politely.

It is getting dark and hot and Capulet ordered the servants to put on more light. This shows that the party was good and they were all enjoying. Capulet and his cousin discuss their day’s maskers and said it was now past their dancing days. Capulet and his cousin have a friendly disagreement. Cousin Capulet says, “Berlady, thirty years and Lord Capulet says, “Some five and twenty years, and then we must mask’d”. This shows that they are enjoying themselves but in a warning that Capulet will always defend his point of view.

When Romeo first sees Juliet he describes her as a silver jewel in the night. He speaks in the rhyming language of love. Like when he says, “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the check of night” He sees her as a radiant. He says he is unworthy to touch her sacred.

From the first sight Romeo could not draw his eyes away from Juliet he looks at her from across the room and cannot take his eyes away from Juliet beauty. This is an electric moment for ...

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When Romeo first sees Juliet he describes her as a silver jewel in the night. He speaks in the rhyming language of love. Like when he says, “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the check of night” He sees her as a radiant. He says he is unworthy to touch her sacred.

From the first sight Romeo could not draw his eyes away from Juliet he looks at her from across the room and cannot take his eyes away from Juliet beauty. This is an electric moment for the audience for that split second he sets eyes on Juliet.

4(a) Tybalt’s reaction as soon as he notices Romeo is to show hatred. He feels as if

an enemy has entered his territory. He insults Romeo’s presence. He wants to fight and asks for his rapier. He shows he hates all Montague’s when he says, “To strike him dead I hold it not a sin”. This shows more hate and he would love to kill Romeo.

Tybalt’s character never changes, he is still the same as he was in scene 1 always looking for trouble. Tybalt filled with hatred, does not fear fighting and insists people to respect his family. Till his death he never changed.

Capulet is not bothered about Romeo being at the party. All he wants is everyone to have fun because he has heard that Romeo is a man of peace. He advised Tybalt to leave Romeo alone and tells him to be friendly and get rid of his frown.But even though Tybalt disagrees with his uncle. Capulet gets angry and says to him, “What, good man boy, I say he shall, go to! You’ll not endure him?

DW2 Mount St Mary’s High School Mandlenkosi Ronald Maposa

God shall mend my soul you’ll make a mutiny among my guests!” This shows he was angry and did not want to hear anymore from Tybalt.

Tybalt and leaves threatening to kill Romeo and get his revenge as he says, “Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting: I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall” showing that he was going to get his revenge.

Tybalt and Capulet’s behaviour here is important later because Tybalt disobeys Lord Capulet and goes on to fight Mercutio which leads to the deaths of two people Mercutio and Tybalt, and Romeo’s, banishment.

5a) Romeo’s seeing Juliet for the first time across a crowded room is an electric

moment for the audience. At the same time they can visualise Tybalt, Hearing him fate, love and hate are captured in the same breathtaking moment.

Romeo uses a rhyming love language as he says, “ O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the chick of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear beauty too rich for earth to dear”. This shows that his eyes and mind have been drawn to Juliet. He calls her a torch that burns so bright because she is too beautiful for his eye to take in.

Earlier in the play Romeo had been in love with Rosaline. He behaved abnormally he was love sick, despairing and had a troubled mind. Similarly Juliet was about to be married to a man that she did not really want. However she was willing to do what her parents asked.

Breaking the spell Romeo and Juliet being brought back to the real world not there love world the nurse informs Juliet who Rome really is. The real world infringes on Romeo and Juliet’s love as he discovers the truth about Juliet’s family, his words predict his own death. Romeo’s response suggest that he is destined to die. Fate is clearly going to play a part in the lovers life, “My life is my foe’s dept”. This shows that danger and tension is once again a part of this scene.

In act 1 scene 4 just before the ball, Romeo had a feeling of misgiving that

something in his future was going to happen something terrible.

c) As Juliet waits to discover the truth about Romeo’s family from the nurse unknowingly predicts her own death. “If he be married,/ my grave is likely to be my wedding bed”.

Juliet believes if Romeo were married she would rather be dead. The nurse returns with bad news. The themes of loves and death are united in Juliet’s desperate realisation that, “My only love sprung from my only hate!” she realises that she is in love with a Montague. The mood of the scene is now filled with tension /sense of danger.

DW3 Mount St Mary’s High School Mandlenkosi Ronald Maposa

Conclusion

Tybalt is angered about Romeo being at the ball and he goes on to provokes Mercutio and this leads to Mercutio’s death. Lord Capulet will try to force Juliet to marry Paris after Tybalt’s death. Romeo will be told to banish due to Tybalt’s death. Juliet plans her false death with friar. Romeo then kills himself and Juliet as well. Fate and death in this scene warn us of the outcome.