The next day, with the help of Romeo's friend Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet are secretly married. Tybalt is out to get Romeo for crashing the Capulet's party so he starts a fight with his friends. Romeo shows up, but does not want to fight Tybalt because he no longer holds a grudge against Juliet's family. A swordfight with Tybalt follows. Mercutio is killed. To avenge the death of his friend, Romeo kills Tybalt. The Prince of Verona banishes Romeo and he is forced to leave Juliet. Old Capulet, not knowing of his daughter's marriage, decides to marry her to another young man named Paris. Friar Laurence advises her to agree to the marriage, but on the morning of the wedding, she will drink a potion. The potion will make it look like Juliet is dead and she will be put into the Capulet burial vault. Then, the Friar will send Romeo to rescue her. Before the Friar can tell Romeo of the plan, Romeo hears from someone else that Juliet is dead. Romeo buys a poison and goes to Juliet's tomb to die beside his wife. Juliet awakens and with no reason left to live, Juliet kills herself with Romeo's dagger. The families are hurt so much by the death of their children that they agree to never fight again.
I shall now analyse the prologue and the first five scenes of act one in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Firstly, to look at how a prologue is used and how it affects the viewer. The prologue is a chorus that was used in Greek theatre as a commentary on events and also sets the scene for the play. In this prologue the ending is given, this has been done to manipulate the viewer, as they know of the tragedy and clues are given of star-crossed lovers. This creates suspense and you are curious on how this tragedy comes about.
In Act 1, Scene 1 the hatred is seen the most were fighting between the two families erupts rapidly in a public market. The families’ servants are loyal and entwined within the feud. There is a large contrast between Tybalt of the Capulets and Benvolio of the Montagues that is shown in this scene.
”I do but keep the peace”
Benvolio is trying not to start a fight with the Capulets as he prefers peace to violence, but this is hard to avoid when Tybalt is there.
”Talk of peace! I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: Have at thee, coward!”
Tybalt mocks Benvolio, as he is a sworn enemy of the Montagues, It shows that Tybalt is a hotheaded character.
This scene is constructed to show the violence, the men are promoting the fight but the women are worried.
”Give me my long sword, ho!”
”A crutch, a crutch! Why call for a sword?”
This quote shows how Old Capulet wants his sword to fight the Montagues, but Lady Capulet is telling him he needs a crutch to support him as he is to old to fight.
The fighting is eventually stopped by the Prince and his men.
”If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”
We also learn a bit about Romeo in this scene. When we meet him we find that he is intoxicated with his love for Rosaline, a Capulet. He to, contrasts the violence.
” Bid a sick man in sadness make his will: Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill! In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman”
He feels saddened by his love and likes to be alone to think about it.
”She hath not seen the change of fourteen years”
”Younger than she a happy mother made”
”Earth have swallowed all my hopes but she”
”Woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart”
Here in Act 1, Scene 2 Old Capulet and Paris are talking about Juliet. Paris is asking for permission to marry Juliet but Capulet wants him to wait, as she is his only child and special to him. Paris argues that mothers younger than her have been happy with a child. But he basically tells her to chat her up in a formal manner and win her heart.
”Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I pray, can you read any thing you see?”
”Ay, if I know the letters and the language”
There is now the use of coincidence in this scene, where the Capulets decide to throw a party. The servant that happens to be giving out the invitations cannot read properly, and so asks Romeo to read the invitations not knowing that he is a Montague. Romeo decides to gate crash this party to see Rosaline. Benvolio agrees to take him to get him out of his rut, he thinks that he will probably be not that interested in her anyway and it might turn him back to normal.
In Act 1, Scene 3 we see the close bond between the Nurse and Juliet as the Nurse tells how she has found memories of Juliet when she was young. The nurse is very gossipy and Lady Capulet looks down upon her.
”Yea,’ quoth he, ‘dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;
Wilt thou not, Jule?…
A bump as big as a young cockerel’s stone; A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly: ‘Yea,’ quoth my husband,’fall’st upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age; Wilt thou not, Jule?”
Here the Nurse is joking about how she remembers when Juliet fell over when she was young. Now that she is older she will fall backward (meaning to have sex). Lady Capulet wants to have a serious conversation with Juliet. but the Nurse interrupts with a long reminiscence about Juliet's weaning and what Juliet said about falling on her back. Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Paris wants to marry her, and urges her to look him over and see that he is the husband for her.
”I’ll look to like, if looking liking move: but no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly”
She is saying that she will try to like him and make him like her but only when she has her mother’s permission will she take it any further. She is trying to be a good girl and do what her mother says.
Act 1, Scene 4 is where Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio are talking about the party.
”Some consequence yet hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date with this night’s revels and expire the term of a despised life closed in my breast by some vile forfeit of untimely death. But He, that hath the steerage of my course, direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen”
Romeo tells of how he thinks he can see something bad happening in the stars. He believes in fate so he just hopes things will turn out okay. It gives us a clue to what will happen in the story.
I shall now take a close analysis of Act 1, Scene 5. This is the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet one another at the Capulet’s party. We are introduced to this scene with the servants rushing around and trying to get everything ready.
”I have seen the day that I have worn a visor and could tell a whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear”
Old Capulet is telling how he remembers when he used to be younger and talk to girls at parties. He is making everyone feel welcome and telling people to have a dance.
”What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight?”
Romeo notices Juliet and asks a servant who she is but coincidentally he does not know.
” I know not, sir”
” O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear; beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”
Now Romeo has gone from liking Rosaline who he was infatuated with to loving Juliet from the first time he sees her.
” By his voice, should be a Montague… to strike him dead, I hold it not a sin”
Tybalt recognises Romeo and goes to tell Old Capulet so that he can attack Romeo for coming to the party.
” ’Tis he, that villain Romeo”
” Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone”
” It fits, when such a villain is a guest: I’ll not endure him”
” He shall be endured”
Tybalt acts rather childishly and so Capulet does not want him to make a scene and ruin his party. Tybalt becomes even angrier as he has been publicly humiliated.
” Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again”
” You kiss by the book”
When Romeo and Juliet first meet they fall in love with each other and eventually kiss, in those times this was a big thing to do on your first meeting.
”Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt”
”His name is Romeo, and a Montague; the only son of your great enemy”
Romeo surprisingly enough discovers that Juliet is a Capulet and she later finds out that he is a Montague.
”My only love sprung from my only hate!”
Shakespeare has used coincidence in this play to give us lovers from two families that hate one another.
After analysing the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ I have found that Act 1, Scene 5 can be argued to a large extent to be the most crucial scene in the play. This is because William Shakespeare’s use of coincidence brings Romeo and Juliet to meet and fall in love, which is definitely the key part of the entire play. Without that scene there would be no other way that the story could continue as it did to its tragic ending.
