Although a very complex speech when this is spoken it must be emphatically and with slight confusion. She understands however that if her husband hadn’t slain Tybalt then Tybalt would have slain him so some relief will also be shown in the speech. She is in a way pleading with her lord for answers so she will perhaps use a questioning tone and pleading arm and hand gestures. She will have a pleading expression on her face and also look increasingly confused. Tears may fall from her eyes and her emotions will be all over the place she may look guilty after speaking of Romeo in such a way and her hands may run through her hair in a nervous manner.
After consulting with the Friar Romeo arrives at the Capulet home to consummate his marriage with his young bride. If Romeo were to be caught he would surly be killed by the Capulets so the intensity of the night will be increased. Romeo must leave first thing in the morning so the lovers will have to say an emotional farewell as the sun rises.
So begins scene 3 act 5 as the young lovers awake and must say there goodbyes quickly as Lady Capulet approaches Juliet’s chambers. Considering the previace occurrences I have spoken about. I am now going to show how I feel the following quotes should be said.
Juliet.
Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day:
It was the nightingale, and not the lark,
That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear;
Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree:
Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.
This is the first thing Juliet says after awaking and seeing Romeo stare out of the bedroom window. It should be said both questingly and convincingly as Juliet is trying to convince Romeo he does not need to leave yet. She will speak briskly and happily as she has for the first time woken up with her husband. She will make a gentle caring gesture towards Romeo by perhaps stoking his cheek or his hair. She will speak in a steady pace because as far as she knows there is no rush for her lover to leave. Her eyes will squint at the new light which shines upon her face and a small smile will cross her lips.
Romeo explains to her that it was infact the lark which had sang and the time he must leave was approaching. After hearing this news that her lover was readying himself for leaving her and setting off on his journey to his future sanctuary Mantua Juliet replies:
Yond light is not daylight, I know it, I:
It is some meteor that the sun exhales
To be to thee this night a torch-bearer
And light thee on the way to Mantua:
Therefore stay yet, thou need'st not to be gone.
These words should be spoken in a slightly panicked and pleading tone as Juliet does not want her husband to leave her side. In a way she is making an argument and she is convinced that the light Romeo sees is not the light of day as he suspects. She will speak with a reasonably fast pace as she will want to give Romeo the reasons he should not leave quickly in an attempt to persuade him to stay. Her facial expression will be panicked and the smile which was previously [placed on her lips is disappeared. She may make gestures towards the window as she tells Romeo the light he sees is not that of day. After listening to Juliet’s panicked persuasion Romeo replies:
Romeo.
Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death;
I am content, so thou wilt have it so.
I'll say yon gray is not the morning's eye,
'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow;
Nor that is not the lark whose notes do beat
The vaulty heaven so high above our heads:
I have more care to stay than will to go.--
Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so.--
How is't, my soul? let's talk,--it is not day.
The words spoken by Romeo will have a hint of caring sarcasm as he realises that in her own loving way Juliet is being naive about the situation. He will speak these words with a slight sense of humour be careful however not to mock Juliet. He will talk in a reassuring and caring manor as he does not wish to distress his bride anymore than needed. He will talk with a steady pace and will show caring gestures towards Juliet by stroking her long hair and caressing her smooth skin.
After Romeo has finished Juliet realises the seriousness of their predicament and immediately begins to usher Romeo away as she sees the morning light is beginning to brighten. Romeo also notices the increase in speed of the coming day and says:
Romeo.
More light and light,--more dark and dark our woes!
Here Romeo is repressing feelings of grief as he points out that as the light increases the worse their troubles become. His pace will be slow as the sadness of his departure slowly dawns on him and his grief sets in. Sadness will slowly begin to show on his face and as he speaks of the increasing light he may gesture with his arms towards the window.
Suddenly the Nurse comes rushing into the chambers shouting Juliet and tells her:
Nurse.
Your lady mother is coming to your chamber:
The day is broke; be wary, look about.
The Nurse will speak these words very dramatically as she is trying to get across how little time the lovers have. Her tone will be one of much panic and she will speak with a surprisingly fast tone of voice. She will wave her arms towards the window to show to Romeo the fact that he must leave immediately. Her face will be bright red with the extreme and immense feeling she is putting into her words.
Juliet takes Romeo to the window horridly and after one final kiss Romeo climbs down from the window. As Juliet looks down upon him she asks him if Romeo believes they will ever meet again and explains to Romeo that the time she spends away from him feels like an eternity and that she must hear from him as often as possible to suppress her worry. She then says with extreme sadness:
Juliet.
O God! I have an ill-divining soul!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb:
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale
These words will be spoken with immense feeling as Juliet looks down on Romeo she feels as if she is looking at him lying in a tomb. Her words will be spoken with extreme sadness and longing her pace will be slow and soft and her facial expression will show the look of dread she is feeling that she will never see her loved husband again. She will reach out towards the ground where her lover stands
As Romeo Says his final goodbye and departs Lady Capulet enters Juliet’s chambers with the intent to give her the information that her father has decided she is to be married on the morning of the coming Thursday. Things which need to be taken into consideration about the previous events and the impact they have had on Lady Capulet are: The fact that Tybalt was killed by Romeo and that she will wish great vengeance upon him. In the society as it was she would have very little say over the decisions her husband made and if she questioned his authority she would be at risk of getting immense grief off her husband. She may already have an idea that Juliet will not be impressed with the arrangement and therefore will approach with caution. She seems just as involved in the vendetta between the two families as the rest of both family members par our two young lovers. All these things will have to be taken into consideration when I decide how her dialogue will be spoken and the way in which she will present it.
As her mother enters Juliet says:
Juliet.
Who is't that calls? is it my lady mother?
Is she not down so late, or up so early?
What unaccustom'd cause procures her hither?
These words will be spoken in a rather concealing manner as Juliet will wish to give her mother the impression she had no idea she was going to arrive. She may apply a little too much emphasis into her speech to ensure that her mother doesn’t suspect anything. She will sound concerned about her mother as she asks why she visits her chambers so early in the morning and will speak with a very steady and easy pace. She will smile at her mother showing her devotion to her but deep in her eyes there will be a hint of guilt as she has to keep so much information from her parents. After telling her mother she is not well her mother replies:
Lady Capulet.
Evermore weeping for your cousin's death?
What, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears?
An if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live;
Therefore have done: some grief shows much of love;
But much of grief shows still some want of wit.
Lady Capulet will speak these words with a sense of superiority towards Juliet she is trying to tell her that no matter how many tears she sheds she will not be able to bring Tybalt Back from the dead and that is she continues crying she is being foolish. She may also speak with a sense of motherly understanding towards her daughter as she understands the loss of a loved one at such a young age can have dramatic repacutions. She may speak in a rather matter of fact way as she feels that Juliet’s sorrow should instead be anger towards Romeo. Her facial expression will be one of both understanding and authority and her eyes will show caring towards Juliet. She is likely to make very few gestures at this moment in time.
Lady Capulet then explains to her daughter that her sorrow should be feeling of anger towards the villain who slaughtered her cousin meaning Romeo. Juliet then proceeds to talk of Romeo in an ambiguous way so her mother believes she hates Romeo and wishes vengeance upon him however the audience understands that she is talking of Romeo in a very devoted manner careful not to say anything offensive about him in the eyes of her lord. After her mother believes Juliet has wished vengeance upon Romeo she replies:
Lady Capulet.
We will have vengeance for it, fear thou not:
Then weep no more. I'll send to one in Mantua,--
Where that same banish'd runagate doth live,--
Shall give him such an unaccustom'd dram
That he shall soon keep Tybalt company:
And then I hope thou wilt be satisfied.
The words will be spoken with extreme anger and bitterness towards Romeo they will thrive on deep emotion and a strong sense of hate towards her daughter’s lover but under all the terrible emotions there will also be a sense of reassurance aimed towards Juliet that the death of her cousin will eventually be avenged. She will speak these words with a gradual pace and a strong tone of voice they will be spoken with confidence as Lady Capulet believes her family will have vengeance. Her facial expression will show the anger she is feeling and her eyes will portray the hate towards Romeo she will take hold of Juliet as she speaks these words to increase the emphasis of what she is saying. To this Juliet replies:
Juliet.
Indeed I never shall be satisfied
With Romeo till I behold him--dead--
Is my poor heart so for a kinsman vexed:
Madam, if you could find out but a man
To bear a poison, I would temper it,
That Romeo should, upon receipt thereof,
Soon sleep in quiet. O, how my heart abhors
To hear him nam'd,--and cannot come to him,--
To wreak the love I bore my cousin Tybalt
Upon his body that hath slaughter'd him!
These words are spoken ambiguously. The following lines are very important to the scene: “With Romeo till I behold him--dead-- Is my poor heart so for a kinsman vex'd.” These words will be taken by Lady Capulet to mean that Juliet will never be satisfied until she sees Romeo dead however the audience will understand that what she is actually saying is that she will not be satisfied until she sees Romeo, dead is her poor heart from her lovers departure. Many of the lines spoken by Juliet in this scene to both her mother and her father are taken an entirely different way by her parents than by the audience. These words will be spoken with sorrow and pain but she will also be careful that nothing she says is taken the wrong way by her mother so there will be certain uneasiness to her speech. She will talk with a rather slow pace careful of how she says her words. Her facial expression will show the pain she is feeling inside but her mother will think this is due to the death of Tybalt and the audience knows it is because of her longing to be with her Husband.
Her mother now tells her that there is good news to this Juliet is exited she may think that Romeo is no longer banished even though this may be a naïve thought. Her mother then tells her that she has a very loving father who is only interested in her well being and that he has arranged a joyful day that will solve all their problems. To this Juliet asks her mother what day she speaks of and she replies:
Lady Capulet.
Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn
The gallant, young, and noble gentleman,
The County Paris, at St. Peter's Church,
Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride
These words will be spoken with authority however they may be a certain uneasiness to her words as she is not sure how her daughter will taken the news. She will sound extremely exited and supportive of the idea to try and persuade her daughter that this is right. She will look at Juliet will a look of longing as she awaits her daughters reply. She will have a smile on her face and will look as though this is the solution to all the families’ problems.
After finding out the news Juliet tells her mother that she would rather marry Romeo the murder of her cousin than marry Paris and pleads with her mother to tell her father she will not marry. As she says this her father walks in with the Nurse.
As with all the other characters there are certain things which must be taken into account about how the previous incidents in the scenes prior to this one have affected Capulet. Being the head of the household and the head of the vendetta between the two families Capulet will feel unbelievable anger over Tybalts death although he will not show this to his family he will keep his ill feelings pent up inside but like a volcano he will eventually erupt. There are many reasons he may have organised his daughters marriage to Paris. He may feel that having the support of a man such as Paris may assist him in getting his vengeance on Romeo, he will feel his daughter needs security from the opposing family and Paris could fulfil this. He may also want his daughter to grow up fast as he will understand that if he carries out vengeance on Romeo he will then be the main target for Romeos families’ retaliation and then have no father figure. Finally he will believe that such a celebration may help the spirits of his family after such a tragedy as Tybalt’s death.
As Capulet enters the room he will seem rather jolly and cheerful as he does not wish to allow his family to see his true feeling about the incidents which took place the previous day. As he enters he says:
Capulet.
When the sun sets, the air doth drizzle dew;
But for the sunset of my brother's son
It rains downright.--
How now! a conduit, girl? what, still in tears?
Evermore showering? In one little body
Thou counterfeit'st a bark, a sea, a wind:
For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea,
Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is,
Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sighs;
Who,--raging with thy tears and they with them,--
Without a sudden calm, will overset
Thy tempest-tossed body.--How now, wife!
Have you deliver'd to her our decree?
These words will be spoken with enthusiasm and a certain warmth with them as he is hoping his daughter will be over the moon with the news. Capulet believes Juliet should do what he tells her to as she is his daughter he will probably have very little doubt that his daughter will obey his request. His words will be spoken at a rather speedy pace as he is intending to come off as if his is in an extremely good mood. He will have a happy domineer about his presence and a look on his face which would present him as cheerful in the eyes of his daughter and wife. The end of the lines will obviously be spoken in a questing manner and his pace may slow as he asks his wife the question she replies to him:
Lady Capulet.
Ay, sir; but she will none, she gives you thanks.
I would the fool were married to her grave!
These words will be spoken in and annoyed tone sop as to give her husband the impression she agrees completely with him and is annoyed with her. It will be spoken in a fast matter of fact pace and her expression will show the annoyance she feels she may make a waving gesture as she dismisses her daughter. After hearing the news that his daughter will not obey him Capulet looses his temper and screams:
Capulet.
Soft! take me with you, take me with you, wife.
How! will she none? doth she not give us thanks?
Is she not proud? doth she not count her bles'd,
Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought
So worthy a gentleman to be her bridegroom?
These words will be spoken with a furious tone Capulet will feel so much anger build up in him at his daughters disobedience. All this anger will not however be caused by Juliet the feelings that Capulet has pent up will all come flooding out as Juliet manages to tip him over the edge. His face will contort with anger and turn a deep shade of red anger will flourish in his eyes like a bonfire in its prime. He will make extremely dramatic gestures along with his angry words.
Seeing the immense anger in her fathers eyes Juliet realises she must make all efforts to calm him so she replies:
Juliet.
Not proud you have; but thankful that you have:
Proud can I never be of what I hate;
But thankful even for hate that is meant love.
Juliet will speak these words in a very soft tone in order not to anger her father further she will speak in an almost pleading tone try to show her father that although she appreciates the gesture she hates the idea of being married to Paris. She will talk with a steady pace to show her father she is not attempting to argue with him. She will have an innocent and young expression on her face as she tries to appeal to her fathers natural love for his daughter. But still these words do not calm her father in a way they just anger him more and he then goes on to say:
Capulet.
How now, how now, chop-logic! What is this?
Proud,--and, I thank you,--and I thank you not;--
And yet not proud:--mistress minion, you,
Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds,
But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next
To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church,
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.
Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage!
You tallow-face!
These words are spoken with repulsion as Capulet shows his wounded pride he speaks with bitter determination as in his mind his daughter will be married and there is nothing she can do about it. He will speak with a fast and strong pace making sure his words have the impact on his daughter which he intends. His expression will show his increasing anger as his face gets a darker and darker shade of red his eyes will stare straight into his daughters as he begins to use a threatening and harsh tone on her, these words will be spoken at a slightly faster pace. Lady Capulet show then shows her shock at what her husband had threatened their daughter with. Juliet then begins to plead with her father:
Juliet.
Good father, I beseech you on my knees,
Hear me with patience but to speak a word.
These words will be spoken in a pleading tone as Juliet desperately tries to reason with her father. She will talk with a quick pace desperately trying to calm her father down. Her expression will show the hurt she is feeling as her father threatens her, her eyes may glaze over as she tries to push back her tears she may make a gesture towards her father hoping for him to give her comfort but at this Capulet becomes more angry and goes on to shout at his daughter:
Capulet.
Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what,--get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face:
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me;
My fingers itch.--Wife, we scarce thought us bles'd
That God had lent us but this only child;
But now I see this one is one too much,
And that we have a curse in having her:
Out on her, hilding!
These words will be spoken with the greatest disgust, humiliation and shock as Capulet continues to let all his emotions flow out. He is now as furious as a person can get his body will convulse with anger and his face will be as red as humanly possible. He is no longer even hearing what he is saying he is just piling all his anger onto his daughter. He will make angry gestures and his fists will be so tightly clench that they are the same colour as his face. With this the Nurse who although she has no place in questioning her master cannot suppress her feelings any longer and interrupts Capulet:
Nurse.
God in heaven bless her!--
You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so.
These words will be spoken with shock and slight disgust at the way her master is treating his daughter. Her first line will be spoken with a very fast pace and a caring tone towards Juliet her expression will show shock and she will move to Juliet in a gesture to comfort her. Her second then will begin with a fast pace but then slow as she fishes what she says as it dawns on her she has out-stepped her place and that her master is already enraged. Her tone will have an accusing manner to it and her expression will show shock and disgust she may make slight eye contact with Capulet but then quickly break the contact as she sees his anger. At this Capulet is not impressed but he just dismisses the Nurse and accuses her of being a gossip then orders her to leave but the Nurse does not accept this and then asks:
Nurse.
May not one speak?
These words will be in a calm and questioning tone. She will speak with a steady place ensuring not to anger Capulet. Her expression will show his questioning tone in her eyes as she still tries to avoid eye contact with Capulet. To this Capulet who is still enraged replies:
Capulet.
Peace, you mumbling fool!
Utter your gravity o'er a gossip's bowl,
For here we need it not.
These words will be spoken in angry and superior tone as he simply dismisses the Nurse’s opion. He will speak with a snappy pace and show in his expression the strong anger which is still flowing through his veins. He may make a dismissive gesture towards the Nurse with this Capulet and his wife retire from the room leaving only the weeping Juliet and the Nurse. Now they are alone the Nurse can then talk to Juliet about her love and loyalty towards Romeo.
Nurse.
Faith, here 'tis; Romeo
Is banished; and all the world to nothing
That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you;
Or if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,
I think it best you married with the county.
O, he's a lovely gentleman!
Romeo's a dishclout to him; an eagle, madam,
Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye
As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart,
I think you are happy in this second match,
For it excels your first: or if it did not,
Your first is dead; or 'twere as good he were,
As living here, and you no use of him.
These words will be spoken very carefully as not to upset Juliet the Nurse is trying to explain to Juliet that she should re-marry as this will make her much happier in the long run. The Nurse will speak with a tone which implied great experience and wisdom and also the near mother like feelings the Nurse has towards Juliet. She will speak with a gentle caring pace and her expression will be a mix of the sadness she feels realising how much pain Juliet must be going through and also trying to make out to Juliet that she will be much better off. She will make gentle comforting gestures towards Juliet. To this Juliet asks the Nurse if she speaks from the heart and the Nurse tells her she speaks from the heart aswell as her sole and is she is lying she would have neither to this Juliet exclaims:
Juliet.
Amen!
These words will be spoken with a sense of happiness as Juliet realises that no longer can she trust her Nurse to help her with her problems so she chooses to let her believe she has convinced Juliet to go along with the new marriage. She will exclaim this quickly and abruptly and may make a kind gesture towards the Nurse. The Nurse asks Juliet “What?” and to this Juliet replies:
Juliet.
Well, thou hast comforted me marvellous much.
Go in; and tell my lady I am gone,
Having displeas'd my father, to Lawrence' cell,
To make confession and to be absolv'd.
These words will be spoken with the same tone as Amen as Juliet wishes to make the Nurse believe she is over Romeo and accepts she must move on. She will also speak with a demanding tone as she tells the Nurse to go tell her mother she has gone to see the Friar and that she will marry. But her expression may still show the sorrow in her eyes which she is feeling more so than ever before. With this the Nurse tells Juliet she has made a wise decision and leaves to tell lady Capulet. Now that Juliet is alone her emotions will release and she may kneel down and weep for her lover. She then says to herself:
Juliet.
Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!
Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn,
Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue
Which she hath prais'd him with above compare
So many thousand times?--Go, counsellor;
Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain.--
I'll to the friar to know his remedy;
If all else fail, myself have power to die.
These words will be spoken with deep emotion as Juliet she will speak with a tone of desperation and sorrow. She will speak with a slow pace through her sobs of pain. Her expression will show the extreme pain her heart is feeling as she realises she is all alone and her husband is far away. Now her only hope is the Friar and then as she says at the end of the speech with a very matter of fact and desperate manner if all else fails she still has the power to die.
English Shakespeare Assignment: Audience Reactions
Audiences then where not used to having detailed, sensitive and complex characters and where also not used to watching the characters develop on stage. They where more used to types of characters like the stereotypes we have for most sit coms in the present day. Take the show ‘Friends’ for example in this there are three main male characters and they are easily defined as the funny one, the geeky one and the romancer. But this was Shakespeare’s greatest talent giving his audiences complex individuals for characters and showing in his writing the characters grow into strong people.
Shakespeare does this with Romeo throughout the play as at first we are introduced to a young man struggling to understand the world which surrounds him, he is desperately in lust for a young girl and suffers to the peer pressure of his friends. Then we watch as Romeo changes into a strong young man who has taken complete control of his life, he is now deeply in love with Juliet and does not agree with the fighting taking place between the two families, we get to see many sides of Romeo throughout the play we see his anger at Tybalt, his love for Juliet and his strong brother like feelings towards Mercutio.
Juliet is also shown throughout the play from many different angles, she matures immensely and her loyalty and love towards Romeo cannot be broken. The audience get a stronger insight into Juliet’s character than Romeo’s because in scenes such as Act 3, Scene 5 the audience hears what she is thinking as well as what she is saying to her mother which helps the audience understand her character better.
I think that the audiences back then would have been thrilled to be able to watch Shakespeare’s characters develop right in front of their eyes, I think they would have been glad of the change and be extremely intrigued with what they where watching. Which is why Shakespeare will always be one of the most influential playwrights in history.
English Shakespeare Assignment: Play To Poem
Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest tragedies of all time as the audience watches the two main characters develop and fall in love the audience must then watch them both die in each others arms. It follows the basic structure of all tragedies exposition, complication and resolution but in way very rarely seen anywhere else. Shakespeare based his play on a poem published in 1562 based on a French translation of Bandello’s Italian version of a popular legend about two lovers. Some things in the poem are common to the play such as; Fate, fortune and the description of Verona. But there are many more differences. In the poem the lovers have three months of marriage but Shakespeare only gave the lovers one night. The characters of Benvolio, Mercutio, the Nurse and Tybalt are developed well beyond their function in the plot.
The biggest difference is the attitudes towards the two young lovers. Shakespeare wrote the play to undoubtedly get the audience on the lover’s side whereas the poem openly disapproves of the lovers affair saying that it was un honest love and that they where disobeying authority most definitely Bandello was trying to portray the lovers as rebels who made no good reason to fight for their love and who should just listen to authority.
I think when you look at the out come of the story it is easy to see who was right and who was wrong. Even though the two young lovers where not as mature and had little experience they fought for what they believed in and they saw it through to the end together. Their parents where fighting for no good reason and killing each other to prove who was stronger and in the end they drove their most beautiful daughter and intelligent son to death if they had only been more understanding towards the two youngsters they would have never lost them.
I believe that the play is much more relevant to the audiences of today. Young people now have much more of a say in what they do and when they choose to do it, many young couples who are in love whose parents disagree run away together or have considered it so the play would be extremely relevant to these teens and I also think that parents who watch this will also agree that the lovers parents where wrong because they drove the two young lovers to their death. I do not think that the poem would be accepted by the youth of today because authority no longer has that much power over young peoples decisions.
English Shakespeare Assignment: Shakespeare’s Stagecraft
It was extremely important for Shakespeare to maintain the pace of act 3 in order to maintain the audience’s interest and add drama to the unfolding events. But Shakespeare was a genius in all aspects of his plays. He knew how he could use the limitations of the Globe to his advantage. There where two levels to the Globe and so Shakespeare used The upper level for the balcony scene, without the two levels the famous scene would have never been possible and would not exist today. Although there where many more restrictions in Shakespeare’s time he used this to his advantage because as there where no fixed scenery or props he could change the locations of the scenes by simply making references in the character’s speech. This meant that the scene could play continuously without any breaks which meant that he could keep the intensity level high to keep the audience entertained. The poorer audience would watch from the pit in front of the stage while lords and royalty could get seats on the actual stage Shakespeare had to ensure the play was equally enjoyable for all segments of the audience. Shakespeare also knew had had to ensure that as the scene was moving so fast he had to allow his actors time to gather their breathe, that is why the second chorus at the beginning of scene two was placed there to allow the actor playing Romeo to take rest before the balcony scene.