Juliet’s first instinct is to cover up what has been going on with Romeo. She does in such a way that it seems that she is sobbing over Tybalt’s death. Juliet says, “Madam I am not well”. This is ironic as she is not grieving for Tybalt but for Romeo. Shakespeare does this to make the audience aware of the up coming ambiguous meanings and, more importantly, to involve the audience on her side because of her fateful marriage with Romeo.
Lady Capulet’s reaction to this is to be impatient to Juliet. She asks, “wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears”. She says this as she has news to tell Juliet and her sobbing is not going to receive the news well. The effect of Lady Capulet’s words is that the audience are more for Juliet and her predicament. Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she has cried enough and that the “villain” Romeo still lives. Juliet uses ambiguous language, where she says one ting to Lady Capulet but has another meaning to the audience. There are many examples of ambiguous language, an example of this is when Juliet says “I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him-dead-is my poor heart”. To Lady Capulet Juliet is saying that she wants Romeo dead and that she has been grieved by all what has happened, however to the audience Juliet is longing till Romeo returns and that her heart is dead without him.
Lady Capulet breaks the news to Juliet that she is to marry Paris on the arranged date; Lady Capulet tried to make it sound heartening by using repetition of the words “joy” and “joyful”. This is ironic as the marriage to Paris would not be joyful as she is married to Romeo. Juliet emphatically declines the proposal of marriage, as she would be disloyal Romeo and it would be illegal. Juliet goes on further using ambiguous language in opposition to the arranged marriage. Shakespeare does this to strengthen the bond of the audience with Juliet’s emotions. Lady Capulet’s reaction to this is, that Juliet should tell Capulet who is approaching and see how he takes it.
Capulet enters the room with storm imagery “conduit girl”, “showering”, “raging” and “tempest” referring to Juliet’s excessive crying. This is ironic s Capulet would be “raging” with a storm of his harsh words which are about to break out as Lady Capulet tells him “but she will none” the marriage of Paris. Shakespeare does this to further create anger from the audience against Lady Capulet. Capulet is first bewildered in why Juliet doesn’t want to marry Paris as he asks question “doth she not give us thanks”. He then becomes enraged by Juliet’s defiance, resulting to verbal abuse such as “minion”, “green-sickness carrion”, “baggage” and “tallow face”. Shakespeare does this to make the audience have stronger faith in Juliet and to despise her parents. Capulet goes on further to say “against Thursday, next, to go with Paris to Saint Peters Church, or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither”, tension at this point is high as Capulet has issued a stark warning. Shakespeare has made this part of the scene that each time someone speaks the situation gets worse for Juliet.
Juliet begs on her “knees” for Capulet to listen to her. Capulet replies by insulting her with “baggage” and a “disobedient wretch”. Capulet repeats his warning to Juliet, he follows this up by repetition of negative language using the word “not”, to emphasise the point, for Juliet not to speak.
The situation at that point is ironic as earlier in the play, in Act 1 Scene 2 when Capulet tells Paris “within her scope of choice lies my consent”, this contrasts with the progression of the play, where Capulet has stated that if it need be, he will force her to go on a “hurdle thither”.
Nurse is very brave to step in at this point on Juliet’s behalf, but she is no use as she is pushed off by Capulet’s overwhelming presence. Lady Capulet tells Capulet to calm down. Regardless, Capulet carries on saying how hard he has worked to get
Juliet, such a groom as Paris. He moves on to say that all his efforts have been spoilt by Juliet, who is seen by Capulet to be a “whining mamment”. From Capulet’s view on the situation is that he has made such an effort to get the groom and that Juliet has now wasted all his efforts.
With his last words to Juliet, Capulet orders an ultimatum, in it he says that if she doesn’t accept she will have to “graze” or find elsewhere to live as Capulet will not “house” her. He says that she is his property “mine”, and if she doesn’t accept marrying Paris then he will throw her out to “hang, beg, starve, die on the street” and never acknowledge that she exists. Capulet then swiftly leaves, creating a poignant moment, as it is the last time they speak to each other. Juliet then looks to her mother for salvation to “delay this marriage for a month, a week”, if she doesn’t then Juliet would want her “Bridal bed, in the dim monument where Tybalt lies”. This is very ironic as it is where she ends up, as promised.
Lady Capulet’s reaction to this is plainly simple, “talk not to me, for I ‘ill not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee”. Lady Capulet leaves the scene. Juliet has only the nurse to turn to. Nurse does the opposite to what Juliet thought she would do, nurse describes Romeo as “banished” and no longer useful, as if seen again he will be killed, she goes on to say that marrying Paris is the “best” option. Nurse carries on saying that “Romeo is a dishclout” compared to Paris, and that she would be happier in the “second match” and that Juliet living where she is, would pose no use to Romeo. What nurse said was ironic as before when arranging the marriage between Romeo and Juliet she described Romeo as “his face better than any mans”, but now she degrades him as a “dishclout”. Another major factor is that nurse may not have a job if Juliet is encouraged to run away, she may have also done it with good intention, as she loved Juliet more like her own.
Juliet who is astounded by what she is hearing wants confirmation by nurse from her “heart”. Nurse replies by saying that it was from her “soul” too. This totally outraged Juliet inside her, but on the outside she then said very sarcastically that nurse had “comforted me marvellous much” and that Juliet was going to Friar Lawrence’s cell after “displeasing” her father. Nurse complies thinking that brought her around. Nurse leave and Juliet is left on her own. Juliet begins a soliloquy, in which she is angry at nurse, who she feels ahs let her down, and now is referred to as “she”, for betraying her is switching sides from pro- Romeo to pro-Paris. She goes on further to say that if she doesn’t find a remedy with the friar then she would have the “power” to take her own life. This is ironic as in the end she takes her own life.
This scene is the most important and dramatic because of the high of tension and emotion through the scene. It is the scene where the whole plays future is set and is the scene where the most ifs and maybes could have changed the course of the play for the audience, although the audience were told the storyline of the play in the chorus. Shakespeare did this for the audience to think about wider issues such as relationships between parents and their children and bearing grudges, which reasons have been forgotten. In this play Shakespeare has tried to make the audience on the issues raised.
