The dramatic impact of Romeo and Juliet in Act 3, scene 5.

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Romeo & Juliet Coursework

This assignment is an analysis of the dramatic impact of Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, scene 5.

Romeo and Juliet, perhaps the most famous love story of all times tells the tale two lovers, children of enemies who have been fighting for years whose love ends up in a tragedy. Issues rose within Romeo and Juliet are very much relevant today as it deals with affairs of love, hatred and violence. This novel has inspired an innumerable amount of plays, musicals, films, paintings etc, and continues to inspire many more.

We have studied two versions of the film, the Franco Zeffirelli version (1968) which contains a setting back in time into the Elizabethan era, with the Elizabethan style clothes and houses, and the Baz Luhrman version (1997) which contains a more modern setting, with modern clothes and houses, but also with a futuristic feel.

Act 3, scene 5 is a key scene due to it being the middle of the play in which the audience would expect a high impact scene with a huge turning point of the story line and of the characters. This scene contains a multitude of emotions, from the love and harmony to the drama and desperation. The scene is very powerfully filled with high tension and lots of action and it is this immense dramaticy which has a significant impact on the audience. It reveals to the audience a lot about the morals and values of the characters; Juliet changes completely in this scene. No longer do we see the sweet, naive, obedient girl who respects and obeys her parents, we perceive a strong, tough young woman who has alienated herself from the only adults she knew and is willing to die than obey them.  

The scene begins with the morning after Romeo and Juliet have spent their one and only night together; their marriage consummated and the audience very conscious of this act. The atmosphere is calm and tranquil, very amorous and romantic though with a sense of sorrow. Both films have expressed this with tranquil, serene music playing softly in order to enhance the atmosphere.

The lovers passionately speak to each other, Juliet does not wish for Romeo to leave, “Will though be gone? It is not yet near the day”. Romeo’s reply, “Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund the day”, is very imagistic and poetic. Juliet strongly wishes for Romeo to stay as she knows that the day will bring Romeo’s departure, “And light thee on thy way to Mantua”. Romeo plays with the words, “Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so”, though this is ominous and ironic as the audience are aware that this will be their fate. A contrast between light and dark is seen as the play so far has associated light with lust, fighting, anger and it is the night in which they can be together and love one another.  

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In the films, the lovers play almost childishly together under the white bed sheets, white emphasizing their innocence and how playful they are. They are in their own world, totally remote from the rest of the fighting, violence and bloodshed. Juliet poeticises to Romeo, “Love, lord, ay husband, friend” revealing the extent of Romeo to Juliet ,he is her lover, lord, husband and friend. The audience feel sympathetic towards these two lovers, even more sorrow as learn from the previous scene Capulet had already arranged the marriage between Juliet and Paris, an effective use of dramatic irony.

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