Romeo gets dressed rapidly into a casual white shirt and dark green leggings. He is also dressed in bandages round the waist and has fresh cuts over his face and arms; a result from the fight with Tybalt (Act 3 Scene 1 line 135).
Naturally when Romeo leaves out on the Balcony the background sounds of birds singing and trees rustling in the wind should louder (outside), but suddenly when lady Capulet calls in an unnatural motherly tone “Ho daughter are you up? A screech of Violins will sound. Juliet calls asking what unusual reason brought her mother to her (it proves that Lady Capulet doesn’t spend much time with Juliet) and then hurry’s back into her room to bump face to face into her mother. Lady Capulet is a selfish woman, married and yet flirtatious. She has dark brown hair, curly but tight up in a bun.
The Nurse tidies Juliet’s bed in the blurred background. Lady Capulet; nervous of speaking to Juliet, goes over to the Nurse, straightens a corner of the bed and then sits on it. A two shot of Juliet and lady Capulet's heads should now be shown whilst they talk.
“Even weeping for your cousins death? What, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears?
An if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live.” Lady Capulet says practically. She pauses, clears her throat, and looks down at the floor and then at Juliet. She then continues-“ Therefore have done; some grief shows still some want of wit.” It is obvious that she is upset after Tybalt’s death.
The age gap between Lady Capulet and Juliet shows that there a two different generations. Whilst Lady Capulet talks on, Juliet joins in the conversation but is talking with a double meaning, referring to Romeo when her mother thinks she is talking about Tybalt. “Indeed I shall never be satisfied With Romeo, till I behold him-dead-Is my poor heart so for a kinsman vexed.”- Juliet and Lady Capulet refer to different people.
Lady Capulet switches from sadness to contempt on line 80. She says in strength “Well girl, thou weep’st not so much for his death (-change to hate-) as that villain lives which slaughtered him.”
Juliet is confused and dreading that her mother is about to mention Romeo, but still asks “What villain Madam?”
Lady Capulet answers “ That same villain Romeo” Juliet’s heart sinks. A close up Juliet is shot with a blurred lady Capulet behind and she now whispers aside line 81-83. “Villain and he be many miles asunder-God pardon him; I do with all my heart; And yet no man like he doth grieve my heart.”
Lady Capulet and Juliet continue to talk, Lady Capulet suggests that she hires an assign to kill Romeo, whilst Juliet talks with double meaning once again. Lines 103&104; spoken by lady Capulet, are expressed with sarcasm.
Lady Capulet tries to change the subject by hinting to Juliet of Paris’s proposal. She says- Well, Well, thou hast a careful father child, one who put thee from heaviness hath sorted out a sudden day of joy, that thou expects not, nor I looked for.”
Juliet is sat on her bed at this moment with her chin on her knees staring out of the window. She replys with little interest “ Madam, in happy time what day is that?” As soon as the word of marriage left Lady Capulets lips Juliet jolted her head toward Lady Capulet in fright. Lady Capulet continues telling her of the arranged marriage with excitement. Juliet; in shock, jumps up and freezes shaking her head with her eyes wide and staring at the floor, as if thousands of thoughts were running through her head. Spluttering and almost in tears Juliet explains with great strength that she will and cannot be a joyful bride next Thursday morning. Lady Capulet loses her calmness thus resulting in her not contributing in the argument between Capulet and Juliet who is now trying not to hurt her parents; whom she cherishes, but to also trying to express her feeling at the same time.
When this play was written, a daughter’s obedience was expected and it was generally the case. Juliet is accustomed to this but at this time she is forced to rebel. An Elizabethan audience would have been shocked that a writer would have included such freedom to woman in general. They would have been astonished by the fact of “two star-crossed lovers take their life”, but would also have felt pity for Romeo and his heroin Juliet.
Capulet enters smiling and with a skip in his step. He asks his wife “Have you delivered to her our decree?” he pauses whilst smiling at Lady Capulet awaiting a reply.
However she turns a blind eye (despite the fact she proposed to Paris for Juliet and had to persuade Capulet to agree) and answers without a care a in the world “Ay sir, but she will none, she gives you thanks. I would the fool were married to her grave.”(Dramatic irony)
Capulet’s expression slowly changes from smiling to a confused frown. Through his following lines he gradually loses his temper. Servants prepare for the wedding in the background. He towers over Juliet whilst going red in the face he shouts with anger and Juliet shouts back in fear begging for him to give her pardon. He insults her and threatens to slap her “ My fingers itch!” Juliet is knelt in submission in tears. Juliet is Capulets beloved only child, and he is confused why she disobeys him. He believes the marriage between Juliet and Paris would be perfect, he does not know that Juliet is already married to Romeo and that is why she protests strongly to his decision.
According to who is speaking the camera moves between Capulet and Juliet. The two characters speak quickly with rage. Whilst the tussle takes place the dramatic symphony; Serge Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, The Montagues and Capulet’s plays in the background to make the fight more dramatic.
Capulet storms out red in the face slamming the door behind him.
Throughout this scene the younger generation (Juliet) has been overpowered by the older generation (Capulet & Lady Capulet). The most dramatic of all being Juliet and Capulets argument.
The practical Italian Nurse comforts Juliet and puts her head on her shoulder whilst stroking her hair. She only wishes the best for Juliet so she suggests that she should try and forget about Romeo and marry Paris exactly as her parents wished. The seriousness on the Nurses face pulls Juliet together; she stops crying and makes a very cleaver decision.
One shot of Juliet to make the audience feel that she feels that she is on her own from now on. The Nurse is to tell her mother that she has gone to friar Lawrence for confession and has agreed to willingly marry Paris as of their wishes.
The end of scene shot is of Juliet, on her own, stern, with a single tear running down her face. The background lights dim until dark and then Juliet’s spotlight does the same.
In conclusion, my film version of this scene would be set in the 1990’s, in Verona. Some of the language would be altered but most of it remaining. None of the characters would be particularly stunning (looks), I believe that too many modern day love stories are presented with beautiful actors. This film would consist with all of the genres, romance, action, comedy and so on. Particular characters such as the Nurse would appear funny to the audience. The original play by William Shakespeare does include all of the mentioned genres but the audience needs a little help to see it.
Rachel Pullinger
1,604 Words
