At this moment, Shakespeare introduces Tybalt, a kinsman to the house of the Capulet’s. Noticing Benvolio’s drawn sword, Tybalt presents his own and humiliates him: Tybalt states that Benvolio should be ashamed of himself for drawing his sword among such inferiors. Benvolio provides a mature reply: “I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me.” Although, Benvolio explains that he is simply trying to keep the peace, Tybalt protests at this utterance and says: Tybalt professes a hatred for peace, as strong as his hatred for the Montague’s and attacks. The inclusion of “hate hell” within Tybalt’s confession is recognized as emotive language. Shakespeare has used this technique to have an immediate effect on the audience and intrigue them emotionally. Also, by placing repetition (I hate…/As I hate hell…), within his affirmation, Shakespeare emphasises the central theme of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, which is hate.
The brawl spreads as more citizens become involved. Shakespeare provides excellent characterisation of Benvolio as thoughtful and fearful of the law and Tybalt as a hothead.
The riot between the two households allows Shakespeare to capture the audience’s attention with ease, because there would be a lot of movement and action on the stage.
Shakespeare then presents the masters of the feuding families. Capulet demands for his sword, “Give me my long sword, ho!”, and Montague insists on participating in the brawl but Lady Montague prevents this from happening, “Hold me not, let me go.” A while after the heads of both households appear on the scene, Shakespeare greets Prince Escales with his train, who quells the riot with a long speech. The Prince commands the fighting to stop on penalty of torture: “If ever you disturb our streets again/ Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.” The conflicts between the Capulet’s and Montague’s seemed to divide and disturb all of Verona. Forbidding any further outbreaks of violence on pain of death, Prince Escales departs with his train and Lord Capulet, whom he will be having a direct conversation with, regarding this matter. Shakespeare evidently wants to portray the Prince as an important individual, who occupies the social and political pinnacle. Shakespeare allows the Prince to speak in blank verse because he is trying to represent him as a nobleman, as opposed to the servants. Shakespeare uses this effect sparingly, with strong and powerful words to help reflect the character of the Prince.
Throughout this scene, Shakespeare has exposed the consequences of arguments which hold futile causes. The affluent households bring death upon themselves, when there is no need for it and they wouldn’t have to face such difficulty if the Capulet’s and Montague’s were not blinded by honour and hatred.
Act 3 Scene 1 unwraps with Benvolio and Mercutio touring through a street in Verona, beneath the scorching fireball. Within this scene, Shakespeare has inserted dramatic devices to create tension and conflict. Moreover, Shakespeare uses a range of language devices to create a number of different moods, atmospheres and effects for the audience.
Benvolio submits an instruction to Mercutio: “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire/ The day is hot, the Capels are abroad/ And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl/ For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” Benvolio struggles to usher Mercutio away from the specific area where the Capulets are likely to arrive, therefore he mirrors Mercutio’s temper and compares it to the torridity that surrounded them. The recommendation made by Benvolio allows the audience to recognise him as a mature and concerned individual. As viewers of the play, we would be aware of the instructions made by the Prince that anyone who disturbs the peace of Verona again, shall be exterminated, consequently Shakespeare depicts Benvolio as a peacemaker. Mercutio notifies Benvolio that he possesses a similar temper to any man in Italy, and so should not criticize others for their short fuses: “thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy.” The differing opinions of Mercutio and Benvolio unbalance the atmosphere. The effect of the unstable atmosphere, causes dramatic tension, which unsettles the audience, resulting in anticipation as to what could happen next. Failing to persuade Mercutio to migrate to another location in Verona, Benvolio notices the Capulets approaching: “By my head, here comes the Capulets.” However, when Tybalt enters with his allies, Mercutio responds insouciantly: “By my heel, I care not.” The formation of Mercutio’s agitation delivers the idea that he is prepared to arouse a battle, even though he is familiar with the Prince’s warning. Shakespeare has shown Mercutio and Benvolio as contradictory characters, because they’re personalities differ extensively. Mercutio’s extravagant attempts at provoking a fray with Tybalt become ineffective, because he is eager to communicate with Romeo: “Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo.” Although “consortest” implies “to associate with”, it can also refer to Mercutio being homosexual. Mercutio interrupts Tybalt with another exclamation: “Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords.” Consort may also indicate “to sing in concert with”, therefore Mercutio deliberately takes it in this sense and acts highly humiliated. “Here’s my fiddlestick, here’s that shall make you dance”- this is another attempt by Mercutio to inflame a fight with Tybalt. This punning remark spoken by Mercutio may illustrate him drawing his sword from his scabbard or exposing his masculine genitals to make Tybalt dance. Benvolio tries to relax the atmosphere and tranquilise the situation brewing between the noblemen. Furthermore, Benvolio advises Mercutio and Tybalt not to fight in public and requests them to take the quarrel elsewhere: “We talk here in the public haunt of men/ Either withdraw unto some private place/ Or reason coldly of your grievances/ Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.” However, Mercutio shows no concern towards Benvolio’s suggestion and replies: “Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze/ I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I.” This informs the audience that Mercutio will not withdraw from the argument.
At this instance, Shakespeare presents a protagonist, Romeo, who obtains Tybalt’s attention immediately. Romeo is instantly showered with insults, as he approaches Tybalt. Tybalt tries to infuriate Romeo and establish a brawl with him by proclaiming: “Thou art a villain.” “ Villain” meaning peasant, was known as an incredibly insulting term if you were rich. Through the insults, Shakespeare shows the historical culture of the fifteenth century people. Shakespeare has also applied dramatic irony within this scene to build tension and suspense. As an audience we are conscious of Romeo and Juliet marrying secretly, thence Romeo replies: “Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee/ Doth much excuse the appertaining rage/ To such a greeting. Villain am I none/ Therefore farewell, I see thou knowest me not.” Romeo declares to Tybalt that he has a reason to love him, therefore he will overlook the insult. Shakespeare affects the audience by raising symapthy for Romeo, because Tybalt continues to insult Romeo, even though he dedicates admiration for him. Romeo appears to be leaving, but this exasperates Tybalt marvelously.
Although the society we dwell in today condones meager insults, inhabitants of the fifteen century did not avoid them very easily. “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me.” “Boy“ indicates that Romeo is not strong enough to call himself a man, however Romeo pardons this insult, once again. Receiving affection from Romeo, Tybalt becomes frustrated and demands for him to draw his sword, but Romeo refuses to do this: “I do protest I never injured thee/ But love thee better than thou canst devise/ Till thou shalt know the reason of my love/ And so, good Capulet, which name I tender/ As dearly as mine own, be satisfied.” Although, as viewers of the play, we understand the reason to why Romeo has begun to cherish the name of the Capulet’s as dearly as his own, Mercutio is unaware of this and assumes that Romeo has transformed into a coward. Mercutio desired to battle with Tybalt before Romeo emerged into the scene, and this temptation strengthened incredibly after Romeo’s arrival, because Mercutio believes that Tybalt’s pretensions have shaken him. Mercutio delivers a series of obscene insults: In simple terms, the insult implies: “What I will have of you, coward, is one of your nine lives, and if removing that life doesn't compel you to behave appropriately towards me, then I'll just have to dry-beat(thrash without drawing blood) your other eight lives.” Mercutio pursues this up with an insulting pun on the word, "ears": .” If something has to be pulled by its ears to make it come, it’s reluctant and doesn't wish to come, so if Tybalt's sword doesn't want to come out of the scabbard, it’s simply because he doesn't yearn to fight. This reinforces the vehemence of Tybalt’s attack, erupting the verbal confrontation into a wild battle. The conflict between the opponets gives the audience an early indication that something terrible is about to happen. Trying to cease the conflict between Mercutio and Tybalt, Romeo instructs Benvolio to knock their weapons and reminds the opponents of the Prince’s warning. Thence, this scene becomes the most pivotal event in the play, because it creates the domino effect, which eventually leads to the tragic deaths of the death-marked lovers.
In his attempt to restore the peace, Romeo throws himself between the combatants. Romeo’s intervention causes Tybalt‘s sword to slip under his arm and pierce Mercutio’s chest. Having performed a swordfight pusillanimously, Tybalt absconds with his cronies. Mercutio reports his injury by placing a curse upon the feuding households: “A plague a’both houses. I am sped.” Elizabethan audience believed in curses, because they believed they had potency, particularly the curse of a dying man. Mercutio continues to deliver witticisms: “Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch, marry, ’tis enough.” As spectators of the play, we would consider this declaration as slightly amusing, because Mercutio describes his injury as a minor scratch, however, he also admits that it is enough to eradicate him, consequently Benvolio flees to bring a surgeon. Mercutio continues to repeat the curse: “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man…A plague a’both your houses! I was hurt under your arm.” This utterance is known as a double entendre, as it holds two possible meanings; (a) find me tomorrow and I shall be in my grave, (b) find me tomorrow and I shall be a happy man. The effect of the pun leaves the audience with another rhetorical question, “Will he live or die?”
“Help me into some house, Benvolio, or I shall faint. A plague a’both your houses!...Your houses.” Shakespeare has continued to replicate the curse, because this highlights its prominence for the Elizabethan audience, who held a supreme belief in them, and also the inclusion of three repetitions will stay with the viewers. The significance of repeating the curse three times tells the audience that he considers both the Capulet’s and the Montague’s responsible for his death, because the generational feud was the reason to Mercutio becoming the victim. Mercutio wants the households to be punished, therefore, with his last breaths, he repeats the curse to reinforce his point. This excites the atmosphere because it leaves the audience with a rhetorical question; “Will the curse affect the two families or not?
Benvolio transfers Mercutio elsewhere, leaving Romeo to shatter with immeasurable guilt. Romeo declares that Juliet’s beauty has caressed his heart and made him effeminate: “O sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate, and in my temper softened valour’s steel!” The word effeminate is applied by the public world of honour upon those things it does not respect. In using the term to describe his present state, Romeo accepts the responsibilities thrust upon him by the social institutions of honour and family duty.
Benvolio reappears to broadcast the death of Mercutio: “O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead.” Whilst Romeo is buried in bitterness and overpowered by guilt, Tybalt reenters the stage to alight the ambiance by augmenting Romeo’s infuriation: “…for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him company:” Romeo announces the presence of Mercutio’s soul, hovering above their heads, which is waiting to be accompanied by Tybalt.
The exasperated combatants commence a fight, which enables Shakespeare to seize the viewer’s interest and intensify the atmosphere. The conflict also supports the theme of the play, “hatred”, as well as promoting an excellent climax for the tragedy. Standing before Tybalt’s corpse, Romeo is struck by sheer bewilderment. Benvolio urges Romeo to escape, by reminding him of the Prince’s notification. A group of citizens outraged at the recurring street fights, advance towards the scene, followed by the members of the grudging households, and Prince Escales.
The Prince questions Benvolio: “Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?” Benvolio reports a detailed version of the brawl to the Prince, emphasizing Romeo’s attempt to keep the peace, however, Lady Capulet doesn’t believe him, because Benvolio is a kinsman to the Montague’s: “He is a kinsman to the Montague/Affection makes him false, he speaks not true:/ Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,/And all those twenty could but kill one life./I beg for justice, which thou, Prince, must give:/Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.”
Romeo’s killing of Tybalt is marked by rashness and vengeance, characteristics prized by noblemen, but which threaten the public order that citizen’s desire and the Prince has a responsibility to uphold. As one who has displayed such traits, Romeo is banished from Verona. Earlier, the Prince acted to repress the hatred of the Montague’s and the Capulet’s in order to preserve public peace; now, still acting to avert outbreaks of violence, the Prince unwittingly acts to thwart the love of Romeo and Juliet. Consequently, with their love censured not only by the Montague’s and Capulet’s but by the ruler of Verona, Romeo and Juliet’s relationship puts Romeo in danger of violent reprisal from both Juliet’s kinsmen and the state.
Throughout this scene, Shakespeare uses dramatic devices in an explosive way to shock the audience, and prepare them for an even bigger event. The scene can be described as the most pivotal scene in the play, because it consists of all the key events; Mercutio’s death leading to Romeo’s change of character, which breaks the tense atmosphere, that builds up to the death of Romeo and Juliet, therefore the magnitude of this scene is crucial.
Shakespeare illustrates Lord Capulet as a typical 16th century patriarch in Act 3 Scene 5 of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Within this crucial scene, Shakespeare has applied effective language and dramatic devices to convey the various obstacles confronting the protagonists.
Shakespeare conveys the vast distance between the relationship of Juliet and her mother, Lady Capulet: (Lady Capulet) “Ho, daughter, are you up?” (Juliet) “Who is’t that calls?” As viewers of the play, we can identify a fragile bond between the mother and the daughter, because Juliet shows no recognition of her mother’s voice. Juliet mourns at Romeo’s departure, but informs her mother that she is unwell: “Madam, I am not well.” Lady Capulet, unaware that Juliet grieves for Romeo’s banishment rather than the death of Tybalt, concludes that Juliet is weeping over Tybalt’s absence: “Evermore weeping for your cousins death?” Lady Capulet proceeds to deliver rhetorical questions: “What wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears? /And if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live; /Therefore have done.” Lady Capulet states that even if Juliet’s tears were able to sweep Tybalt out from his grave, she couldn’t bring him back to life, therefore Juliet should relinquish her sorrows. Lady Capulet further states: “Some grief shows much of love, But much of grief shows still some want of wit.” Lady Capulet notifies Juliet that although some grief reflects her love for Tybalt, too much of it is not wise. Hence, Shakespeare mirrors the relationship between Juliet and her mother through the lack of sympathy she is given.
Juliet, who is deeply engrossed in thoughts of Romeo, replies: “Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss.” Although “feeling” suggests “emotionally affecting”, it can also indicate physical contact; Juliet feels the loss of feeling Romeo. Lady Capulet continues to assume that Juliet laments Tybalt’s absence and makes another mistaken assumption when she utters: “Well, girl, thou weep’st not so much for his death.” Unknown to her mother, Juliet speaks about Romeo being incredibly far away from being a villain when she says: “Villain and he be many miles asunder.” However to her mother, Juliet says, “God pardon him”, which allows her to think that only God can forgive such a sinful person like Romeo. Throughout this scene, Shakespeare has brilliantly used double entendre’s for comical effect. By establishing a context in which a word will have one interpretation, but can also be used in another sense, Shakespeare brings in humour.
Lady Capulet, unable to understand the cause of her daughter’s unhappiness, tries to comfort Juliet with her plans to avenge Tybalt’s death by poisoning Romeo: “Shall give him such an unaccustomed dram/ That he shall soon keep Tybalt company.” Shakespeare intentionally portrays Lady Capulet as a revengeful character rather than a sorrowful one whilst making this statement, because it allows him to express the central theme of the play “hatred”, with ease. Lady Capulet hopes that her scheme of poisoning Romeo will satisfy Juliet, alas to this assurance made by her mother, Juliet replies: “Indeed, I never shall be satisfied/ With Romeo, till I behold him – dead - /Is my poor heart so, so for a kinsman vexed.” Within Juliet’s speech, Shakespeare has included double entendres very intelligently. The concept of Romeo dying with poison foreshadows the catastrophe of the play, however at this stage, Juliet is saying that her heart is so apprehensive for her closest kinsman (her husband) that she will never be satisfied until he is with her again. However, Lady Capulet assumes that Juliet will not be content until she ‘beholds him – dead –’. Shakespeare inserts the hyphen, because it is a dramatic device, which produces a dramatic pause. Shakespeare makes the hyphen the most prominent device in Juliet’s speech, because it allows him to highlight another dramatic device, known as dramatic irony. Juliet continues to deliver double entendres: “Madam, if you could find out but a man/ To bear a poison, I would temper it, / That Romeo should upon a receipt thereof/ Soon sleep in quiet.” Juliet proclaims that she would weaken the poison that her mother will prepare for Romeo, which will only make him unconscious. However, Lady Capulet concludes the opposite; Juliet will make the poison even more poisonous. Shakespeare depicts a dramatic device, whilst Juliet continues to speak with ambiguity: “O how my heart abhors/ To hear him named and cannot come to him, / To wreak the love I bore my cousin/ Upon his body that hath slaughtered him!” Using another impressive pun, Juliet voices her hatred in hearing Romeo’s name when she ‘cannot come to him’. As an audience, we would realise that Juliet will "wreak the love . . . upon his body", with caresses, but Lady Capulet mistakes Juliet’s verbalisation as continued hatred for Romeo. Juliet dominates the conversation with her mother, who cannot keep up with Juliet’s intelligence and therefore has no idea that Juliet is proclaiming her love for Romeo under the guise of saying just the opposite. Shakespeare has skillfully adapted this method to portray dramatic irony and absorb the viewer’s interest.
Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to project the oncoming impediments awaiting the central characters. Lady Capulet publishes the news of Juliet’s marriage proposal before her, as she proclaims: “Thou hast a careful father, child/ One who, to put thee from thy heaviness, / Hath sorted out a sudden day of joy.” As told by her lady mother, Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet is “careful”, creating the impression that he is concerned for Juliet’s welfare and happiness, consequently he has introduced a method to elevate Juliet from her misery. Hence, Lord Capulet has thoroughly selected a jubilant day which is “sudden”, because it’s both astonishing and imminent. Promoting her desires, Juliet answers: “I will not marry yet, and when I do, I swear/ It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, / Rather than Paris.” Juliet expresses her detestation in marrying Paris.
During this moment, Shakespeare introduces Lord Capulet: “How now, conduit girl?...Evermore show’ring?...Thou counterfeits, a bark, a sea, a wind:/ For still thy eyes,… Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is, / Sailing in this salt flood; the wind, thy sighs, / Who, raging with thy tears and they with them, /Without a sudden calm, will overset/ Thy tempest-tossèd body.” Capulet compares Juliet’s tears to the rain and her to a conduit (fountain). Shakespeare gifts Lord Capulet an elaborate speech, within which he incorporates an extended metaphor to demonstrate sarcasm. Capulet displays sympathy for Juliet by comparing her body to a boat, her eyes to the sea, because they ebb and flow in tears and her sighs with the wind. Shakespeare personifies Capulet as a caring father by stating that Juliet will drown in the storm of her own grief, unless there is a ‘sudden calm.’ Furthermore, the sarcasm delivered by Capulet would be humorous for the audience.
When Capulet refused, in Act one, Scene two, to consent to his daughter’s marriage to Paris unless she was also willing, he seemed concerned for Juliet’s welfare. Such parental concern altogether evaporates into authoritarian, patriarchal ranting as Capulet shouts epithets: “Out, you green sickness carrion!” Capulet describes Juliet as rotting meat, because he is enraged after knowing that she is not willing to co-operate. Capulet uses a double insult; ‘green’ signifies her appearance; Juliet looks as green as something that’s been dead for a long time, and it means she is afflicted with the disgusting sickness that comes from being a girl, and not a married woman. Capulet expects his daughter to rejoice to the news of her wedding, because Paris is a high-born man and this celebration will elevate Juliet from her grief. Lord Capulet’s irritation progresses: “Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!...My fingers itch.” Capulet expresses a violent force of emotion by voicing ‘hang’. He further calls Juliet a ‘baggage’, indicating that she is a burden and describes her as a ‘wretch’, suggesting that she is a beast. Moreover, Capulet’s ‘fingers itch’ because he wishes to slap her. Shakespeare shows that the verbal confrontation is developing into a physical one. Capulet feels that Paris will be able to help their household financially and be an ally to them. This sudden change in Capulet’s character brings tension, friction and suspense within the play.
In the confrontation with her parents after Romeo’s departure, Juliet shows her full maturity. Shakespeare situates this maturation directly after Juliet’s wedding night, linking the idea of development from childhood to adulthood with sexual experience. Indeed, Juliet feels so strong that she defies her father, but in that action she learns the limit of her power. Strong as she might be, Juliet is still a woman in a male-dominated world.
Capulet’s rage is escalating, as he further speaks: “Graze where you will, you shall not house with me.” This implicates that Juliet is an animal. Capulet threatens Juliet with violence and disinheritance if she continues to disobey him, “hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, /For by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee.” Shakespeare provides the audience with some knowledge about the 16th century patriarchal society. Through Lord Capulet, Shakespeare tells us that women were subordinate to men, therefore they were not permitted to hold their own opinions, views or lifestyle. Furthermore, we are told that the men dominated and ruled everything, consequently if women were disowned by their family, they would have no where to go.
Once again, Shakespeare shows the weak bond between the mother and daughter relationship: “Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” One conclusion that we can derive from this as to why Lady Capulet is not being sympathetic towards her daughter is that she may feel that she had to go through the same process when she was Juliet’s age, therefore if her opinion did not hold any importance, then why should her daughter’s. Secondly, Lady Capulet has to obey her husband’s order and stand by it, regardless if she agrees with it or not. Also, the women were known as the angels of the house, therefore if they refused to conform, shame would be brought upon the family and they would lose their reputation or status in society. Placing this into social context, arranged marriages do not exist as much in the 21st century. However, in cultures where this is still present, women have to confront similar problems to those of the Elizabethan period.
The Nurse, who has been more of a mother figure to Juliet than her biological mother, fails Juliet at this critical moment. To comfort Juliet in her desperate situation, the Nurse offers her an easy solution-marry Paris and forget the “dishclout” Romeo. This amoral recommendation betrays Juliet’s trust and indicates the Nurse’s inability to understand the passionate intensity and spiritual nature of Romeo and Juliet’s love.
William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ holds a message for the 21st century as well as the Elizabethan period, because it consists of certain activities which are still practiced in some cultures throughout today’s society. A pivotal theme displayed by Shakespeare, which still holds its importance in some western and asian cultures is ‘Arranged Marriages.’ Women, who verbally defy their parent’s decision, regarding her marriage, confront similar consequences to those of the 16th century and are belittled to a great extent. Although sexism has gradually diminished since the 16th century, within some male-dominated cultures, sexism still exists. Shakespeare has successfully published the calamitous consequences that absurd and ridiculous arguments possess, by illustrating the feud between the Capulet and Montague household, the reason to which was unknown throughout the play.
Lucky Boparai
