I think that this scene is important because it is the opening scene in the plays and it is a key violence scene because it gives us an idea about the two families fighting.
The first fight starts because of an offensive gesture that the Capulets do to the Montagues.
‘Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?’
This escalates to the point that this gesture is obviously very offensive and just likes sticking your middle finger up at someone. The Montagues don’t like people taking the mick out of them so they start fighting.
The prince wants to stop all the fighting because it is disturbing the peaceful streets of Verona.
‘If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. For this time, all the rest depart away’
The prince threatens the servants and tells them unless they don’t stop fighting and if they ever disturb the streets again they will get the death penalty.
The next vital violence scene is Act 3 Scene 1.
Benvolio is anxious walking around the streets of Verona while the capulets are about but Mercutio ignores his warning and they meet. Tybalt who is looking for Romeo. When Romeo arrives Tybalt tries to provoke him into a fight but Romeo should put up with Tybalts insults. Mercutio challenges tybalt himself as Romeo is trying to stop the fight Mercutio is wounded. Tybalt runs away and Mercutio is carried off cursing the Montague – capulets feud. When Romeo learns that Mercutio has died he is appalled at his earlier peacemaker fight with tybalt and kills him when the prince arrives. Benvolio reports what has happened and as punishment Romeo gets banished from Verona.
It is important when Mercutio and Tybalt are killed because the consequences of the fight were that Romeo gets banished from Verona.
‘ And for that offence immediately we do not exile him hence’
In the first scene the prince told tem that if they were to disturb the quiet and peaceful streets of Verona again they would be punished and as Romeo was to lame he got banished from Verona away from his family.
The third violence scene in Act 3 Scene 5.
Romeo stays at Juliet’s and she urges him to be gone from her room before he is captured. As soon as he leaves lady capulet enters to inform her daughter hat she is to marry Paris on Thursday. Lord capulet comes in to the room and when Juliet refuses to marry the court. Capulets flies in to rage and tells her that she will obey him or be thrown out on to the streets. When Juliet’s parents have gone the nurse advises Juliet to marry Paris given that Romeo will never be able to return to Verona. Juliet goes to the friar for advice.
Juliet’s cousin has died in scene 1 and she make it out to her mother that she is really upset about it and wants the person who done it to be killed knowing that it was Romeo.
‘Indeed shall never be satisfied with Romeo till I behold him dead.’
Although tybalt is Juliet’s cousin she sees though that Romeo had killed him. What she really means when she says this is that she wont be happy until she is with him till she dies.
Juliet loved her cousin but she also loves Romeo.
To wreck the love I bore my cousin upon his body that hath slaughtered him.
She avenges her love for her cousin but she wants to physically express her love for Romeo the person who killed her cousin. She would rather love the enemy then her flesh and blood.
Juliet’s father in this scene seems to be a very violent man.
‘Thank me no thankings nor proud me no prouds but fettle your fine joints gainst Thursday next to go with Paris to Saint Peters church or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither out, you green-sickness carrion! Out you baggage. You tallow face.’
Her father has arranged a good marriage for Juliet but she is throwing it back in his face. The one thing that her father has always been concerned about has been providing her with a suitable husband. He his telling her that he is in charge and that she will do what he says or she will be out on the streets. But when she answers him back he doesn’t like and gets angry.
‘ How… Chop-Logic’
He orders her that she will marry Paris and blackmailing her by saying you will marry him or you will be ruined. He is very tempted to hit her when he is talking.
‘My fingers itch’
Many of Shakespeare’s plays show conflict between parents and child especially between father and daughter.
The nurse sticks up for Juliet.
‘You are to blame my lord to rate her so.’
The nurse stands up the capulets and tells him that he verbally abuses Juliet and that he is to blame for what she has done.
The next violence scene is Act 5 Scene 3.
Paris arrives at the tomb bringing flowers to the place by Juliet. He tells his page to wait outside but as he is about to enter he hears someone approaching it is Romeo saying goodbye to Balthaser. Paris tries to arrest Romeo they fight and Paris is killed. Romeo then realises who he has killed and carries the body to the tomb to lie with the capulets. Romeo gazes at Juliet for the last time kisses her and drinks the poison. Friar Lawrence arrives questions Balthaser and enters the tomb to find Romeo dead. Juliet awakes the friar tries to explain what has happened but hearing but the hearing the watch approaching runs away Juliet stays behind and after kisses Romeo stabs herself and dies. The watch discover the bodies the prince and Juliet s parents arrive and then Romeo’s father enters to report that his wife has died of the grief from her sons banishment. The friar gives an account of what has happened and Paris’s page and Balthaser add further details. In their grief Capulet and Montagues make peace with each other. The prince promising that some people will be pardoned and some punished.
This scene is important because Romeo and Juliet kill themselves. The two families that have a grudge make peace
‘O brother Montague, give me thy hand. This is my daughter’s jointure for no more I demand’
After everything that had happened between the two families the death of Romeo and Juliet made them think that the grudge was stupid and there were more important things to worry about.
Romeo’s mum died because of the grief of Romeo being banished.
‘Alas. My liege, my wife is dead tonight; grief of my son’s exile hath stopped her breathe.’
The banishment of Romeo was far too much for his mother to handle and she was nothing without him being there.
In conclusion I think that Romeo and Juliet is a violent play because the thing that I remembered most about the play is Romeo and Juliet dying and they are being violent to themselves. My favourite scene in the play is Act 5 Scene 3 because when Romeo hears that Juliet is dead he is willing to take his life. He realises that he can’t go on without her and when Juliet awakes to find him dead she kills herself because she loved him.
