“Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shift a trencher? He scrape a trencher? ”
This tells the audience that the servants are preparing for a party. The mood of the scene is hectic and frantic. The audience feel excited and expectant.
In the second section Lord Capulet greets his guests urging them to dance and have fun. He also talks to his Cousin and they reminisce about the old days when they were both young.
“For you and I are past are dancing days”
In this line Capulet is discussing the past, and suggesting that he is getting old which contrasts with the youth of Romeo and Juliet. The mood of the section is friendly and amiable making the audience feel settled and calm. Compared to the first section this scene is much more relaxed and quiet making it contrast with the nosiness of the first section.
The third section of the scene is Romeo's soliloquy. In this soliloquy Romeo proclaims his love for Juliet, he seems overwhelmed by her beauty. In his soliloquy Romeo talks constantly about how unique and wonderful Juliet is. The audience might think Romeo is not sincere about his love for Juliet because of how easily he forgot Rosaline. Even though Romeo has moved on so quickly the audience still want him to fall in love with Juliet. The mood of this section is focused and tense but at the same time enchanting because of how Romeo describes Juliet:
"For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night'
In this section we also see the dramatic irony because the audience knows what awaits Romeo and Juliet.
In section four Tybalt hears Romeo speaking about Juliet and recognises his voice. He calls immediately for his sword, and is ready to fight Romeo. Capulet gets in his way though telling Tybalt to be quiet and leave Romeo alone saying:
"Verona brags of him to be a virtuous and well governed youth"
We can see this infuriates Tybalt, making the audience question what he will do next. Overall the mood of this section is loud and dangerous. Making it contrast with the peaceful and tranquil soliloquy of Romeo. The audience feel anxious and scared for Romeo, but at the same time they feel excited because they want to know what Tybalt will do to Romeo.
In the fifth section Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time, share their first kiss and fall in love. This section is quite spellbinding because Romeo and Juliet seem to be in a world of their own. The section is romantic, but the dramatic irony means that the audience are caught between joy for the two lovers and unhappiness because of their inevitable death. The audience feel tension because they don't want Romeo and Juliet to meet but they do.
In the following section Romeo finds out that Juliet is a Capulet.
"O dear account, my life is my foe’s debt”
This tells us that Romeo's love for Juliet is absolute, and that his life is in Juliet’s hands. Romeo is upset because he knows that Juliet can’t be with him because their families are enemies. The mood of this section is sad, and shocking. The audience feel disappointment because Romeo and Juliet’s families are sworn enemies.
In the last section Juliet is distraught by the news that Romeo is a Montague.
"My only love sprung from my only hate"
This is the final section in the scene, the audience realize that the two lovers must keep their love a secret. This section is similar to the last because the characters both find out that the person they love is their enemy. They audience again feel sad and disappointed. They wonder what will become of Romeo and Juliet’s love and there is a longing for the two characters to be together.
Shakespeare uses language to dramatic effect in Act 1 Scene V. The servants use prose because they are lower class, the use of prose tells the audience that the people speaking are lower class and probably servants. Shakespeare’s uses prose to set the beginning of the scene when the servants are preparing for the party, using prose makes the scene seem more hectic and fast. The nobles in the play use blank verse to show that they are upper class and wealthy.
When Romeo sees Juliet he performs a soliloquy. The language Romeo uses is exotic and romantic. Romeo’ soliloquy has a dramatic impact on the audience because Romeo is sharing his thoughts with them. In his soliloquy Romeo constantly compares Juliet to light, using metaphor:
“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright"
Shakespeare has said this to show how beautiful Juliet really is, this would have been important because in Shakespeare’s theatre girls were not allowed to act. Juliet would have been played by a young boy so the audience would have to imagine Juliet’s beauty using the imagery provided by Shakespeare.
We see that Shakespeare continues to use light to describe Juliet throughout the play. Romeo says:
“So shows a snowy dove trooping crows”
"It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night. As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear"
These comparisons tie in with the theme of light and dark in the play.
Shakespeare uses light to describe Juliet because it makes her seem holy and pure. The use of light also emphasizes Juliet’s beauty.
The meeting between Romeo and Juliet happens at the same time as the party. Shakespeare makes the audience forget about everything going on in the background and makes them focus on Romeo and Juliet. One way he achieved this was through the change of language. When Romeo and Juliet first meet they speak just 14 lines before they kiss. These fourteen lines make up a shared sonnet with the rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg. A sonnet is a traditional form of love poetry which creates an artificial world for Romeo and Juliet which leaves the audience enchanted. Romeo and Juliet use the sonnet to exaggerate their love for each other. The audience see that Romeo and Juliet are finally coming together because they are sharing the sonnet. It also makes them seem as ‘one’ and alike in mind and body.
In Shakespeare’s time most people were religious so by using religious imagery this would help convince the audience that Romeo and Juliet’s love was real. This also makes their love seem like God made it happen and reinforces the image of love and devotion.
I think that Act 1 Scene V is a very effective piece of drama it keeps the audience interested and excited. It makes the audience want to know more about what fate will decide for Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare has been very clever because he has put little stories into one scene which captivates the audience. The audience would have received the scene well, everything has been leading up to it and when Romeo and Juliet finally meet the audience are not disappointed but rewarded for their patience.
A modern audience would also question Romeo and Juliet’s love, whereas Shakespeare’s audience could have believed that Romeo and Juliet’s love was genuine because of the use of religious imagery, a modern audience would not accept this concept as easily. Living in the world that we live in today where money is everything an audience would have questioned whether Romeo really loved Juliet or her money. I think that a modern audience would over analyse the scene and not fully understand that it is just the story of two people who fall in love.
In my opinion Act 1 Scene V is effective because it keeps you interested and you want to believe that Romeo and Juliet do fall in love and that their love is real.
