Capulet has decided to change his mind about the marriage because he is afraid that Paris would change his mind about marrying Juliet as he may be impatient and move on to other girls. If this were to happen it would be a catastrophe, Paris is highly important to Capulet as he is from a noble family. Capulet is also afraid he may be next to die so he wants to be there when Juliet gets married.
Shakespeare shows the presence of time by having many references of time in the conversation between Capulet and Paris, Capulet also doesn’t know what day it is
‘What day is this?’
He shows time is moving fast and everything is getting out of control which makes it obvious that there will be a tragic ending. Capulet has told Paris that Juliet will agree to marry because she is obedient. I know this because he says to Paris
‘I think she will be rul’d in all respects by me’.
In Shakespearian time’s men has more status than women so women were expected to obey men. Capulet speaks to his wife like dirt and thinks that her opinion doesn’t count.
Act 3 scene 5 begins in the morning of Juliet’s bedroom where Juliet has just consummated her marriage with Romeo. No one knows that Romeo is in Capulet’s house except the nurse. Rome must now leave Juliet as he is banished to Mantua. In this scene Shakespeare uses images of death, the scene is gloomy and sad because this is the last time the two lovers will see each other alive. Juliet tries to persuade Roe to stay by pretending that it is still dark and it was the nightingale not the lark that they could hear. Romeo says to Juliet
‘Let me be ta’en, let me put to death’
This is the first reference of death which reminds a clue to the audience about the death of Romeo which happens at the end of the play. As Romeo goes down the ladder Juliet imagines him in a grave
‘Methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb’.
Shakespeare uses dramatic irony here because Romeo rally does end up in a tomb, dead. Romeo leaves Juliet. Lady Capulet calls Juliet. At this point of the scene things are happening quicker which leaves the audience in suspense because Lady Capulet is coming. Lady Capulet thinks that Juliet is still upset over Tybalt’s death and wants revenge on Romeo. She threatens to:
‘give him such an unaccustom’d dram that he shall soon keep Tybalt company’.
Lady Capulet plans to kill Romeo by poison; Shakespeare also uses dramatic iron here because Romeo kills himself with poison. Juliet is careful on how she is speaking; she was upset about Romeo being banished, not over Tybalt’s death which Lady Capulet assumes. This shows that Juliet is a secretive person. Lady Capulet tells Juliet about her marriage to Paris. Juliet refuses to marry Paris because she is already secretly married to Romeo. Lady Capulet is surprised by Juliet’s reaction so she has asked Lord Capulet for help.
Lord Capulet is shocked that Juliet has disobeyed him. Juliet says that she is grateful for this offer but she does not want to marry him. Another image of death is shown here when Lady Capulet says
‘I would the fool were married to her grave’.
Lord Capulet has given Juliet abusive remarks to her and has threatened her. Lord Capulet says
‘…To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s church, or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither’.
Juliet feels abandoned and upset by this. She is upset about being forced to marry and that Romeo has gone. Lord Capulet then says
‘I tell thee what, get thee to church o’Thursday, Or never after look me in the face’.
This remark puts Juliet in a more difficult situation because her father will listen to her no more. He is calling Juliet anaemic and pale because of her crying. Lord Capulet is very angry now which makes Juliet feel more abandoned and upset; she is very emotional right now.
Lord Capulet is acting this way because he was expecting Juliet to obey him. Juliet is distraught that there is no one to comfort her so she turns to the Nurse for advice. The Nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris, Juliet was shocked by this. The Nurse said
‘Romeo’s a dishclout to him’.
Juliet cannot even think about being disloyal to her husband as this is a sin against heaven.
Juliet can no longer trust anyone. With no choice left but to go to Friar Lawrence it was the last thing she could do. Her choice of going to Friar Lawrence contributes to the tragic ending. Friar Lawrence has come up with a plan to help Juliet. Juliet has to take some sort of potion to make it look like as if she was dead but she is actually sleeping. When her family see that she is ‘dead; they would take her to Capulet’s tomb where Romeo would find her. Friar Lawrence’s plan did not work because he could not send the message to Romeo about the plan causing Romeo to thin that Juliet was really dead. Romeo is so upset he ends up buying poison and killing himself. Juliet wakes up to find him dead, she takes the dagger and also kills herself. If Friar Lawrence’s plan worked the two lovers would not have ended up killing themselves.
This scene prepares the audience because of the hints throughout; Shakespeare has used dramatic irony and images of death in these scenes which give the reader an idea of what would happen in the end of this tragic play.
