Shakespeare Component -

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NEAB / AQA GCSE English / English Literature Coursework

Shakespeare Component - "Romeo and Juliet"

        I see Act III Scene V as a particularly significant scene in the play because it leads to, and indeed causes, important events later on.

        Before it, Tybalt slaughters Romeo's friend, Mercutio, a relation of the Prince, Escalus.

        Romeo wreaks vengeance on Tybalt by killing him, at which point the Prince banishes him from Verona. Before he leaves, he spends one night with Juliet.

        After the scene, Juliet is desperate and appeals to Friar Lawrence for help. He aids her in falsifying her own death to avoid marriage to Paris. A letter is sent to Romeo, but is unable to reach him in time.

        He goes back to Verona, sees Juliet "dead" and kills himself with grief. If only he had waited a few minutes more, for Juliet wakes up, seeing him dead, and takes her own life.

        If I were directing the play, I would have it set in 19th or 20th Century Africa, for the simple reason that Romeo and Juliet has far too frequently been portrayed in 16th Century Italy, and I think that the audience would appreciate the novelty. Also, I find the conflict between the Mau Mau and white men a good setting for the play. The Mau Mau were a black tribe who had to take an oath to hate and kill whites (or else their family would be murdered). The whites fought back and many Africans died at their hands. The Capulets could be the Mau Mau and the Montagues could be the white men, but it doesn't really make much difference, as they are so very similar, yet their differences were being exploited. The Prince could be someone of high authority employed to end the fighting.

        Although laden with wealth, Juliet's bedroom wouldn't be as fine as portrayed in other interpretations of the play, simply because of the setting. The bed would be in the centre of the room, with a small table either side and upon each a lamp. It would be good to display contrast between her room and Romeo's, bearing in mind that the white men were strangers in an unfamiliar country and so were unable to adapt quite as well as those accustomed to the culture and climate). Her room will reflect her culture, whereas Romeo's will reflect his.

        A thrust stage would be well suited for this play, as it enhances soliloquy and also enables the audience to feel more involved in the storyline. I would most likely place the bed on the thrust part of the stage, with all of the action revolving round it.

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        Lighting would be dim, as I feel that bright lighting would be out of place for a story of such tragedy.

        The actors would be dressed in historically accurate clothing (eg. very little for the natives and Western clothing for the visitors), which shows the audience that each are different, for the sole reason that I wish to prove that it is only clothing and culture which dictate the differences between the two groups of people.

        There are four "movements" within this scene. I would suggest that the first one was from the beginning of the scene until Romeo's ...

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