Both old men want to go out and join the fight. Montague is admiring his sword, and Capulet is calling for his. These old men might be frightening if they weren’t so silly. Montague cant get to the fight because his wife is holding on to him and wont let go. And when Capulet calls for his sword, his wife says sarcastically, “A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?.” In the middle of all this mess comes the ruler of Verona: Prince Escalus, with his followers. Prince Escalus’s followers, immediately separates the extreme fight, whilst the prince waits until he is heard. He then goes on, anyone who disturbs the peace in the future will lead to death, after he’d threaten everyone with death, he then takes Capulet with him, leaving Benvolio alone with Montague and Lady Montague to deal with later. Lady Montague then asks where Romeo is, and Benvolio offers to find out what’s wrong with him. Seeing Romeo coming, Montague and Lady Montague leave Benvolio alone to speak with their son. Benvolio soon discovers that Romeo’s problem is that he love’s a woman who doesn’t return his love. Benvolio also tries to get Romeo to solve his problem by looking for another woman, but Romeo seems determined to love and suffer.
This scene is important because we can see already, what a few of the main characters are like judging by their reactions and personalities also what they are saying and how they are saying it. We are also introduced into the main situation of the whole storyline, which is that there is an ancient grudge between the two families, because in this first scene there is this Violent fight between the two, this gives us a good idea on how much friction really is between them. Finally we see who is “boss” over words meaning who is the leader of them all, we can clearly see that this is Prince Escalus as he makes a strong entrance into the play with his followers. He lays down his rules to the town, and makes sure that everyone is clear of this. After this being announced, he sharply demands that the Capulets are to come with him. Overall in this first scene it is important because we see violence and conflict taking place in the fight, and the Prince who is the most powerful and controlling character in the play.
The second scene in which there is violence is Act 3, scene 1, which this leads to the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio. The scene takes place on a street in Verona and happens soon after Romeo and Juliet get married.
The day is hot, and Benvolio and Mercutio are hanging out on the streets of Verona, but Benvolio suggests to Mercutio, “I pray thee good Mercutio, lets retire: The day is hot, the Capulets are abroad”, he is suggesting in over words that they go indoors, because he knows that the Capulets are out, and fearing that a fight will be unavoidable should they bump into Capulet men, this also shows us as audience that Benvolio is sensible and trying to avoid a fight, on the over hands Mercutio doesn’t want to believe that his buddy is afraid of a fight, so he tries and tricks Benvolio into a different way of thinking. He says that Benvolio is like a fellow who goes into a pub, Benvolio asks “Am I like such a fellow?”.Mercutio replies, “Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved” what he is saying is that Banvolio has a quick and angry temper as any man in Italy, and should not tell others off for their short tempers. However, soon as they know, Tybalt and his followers approach them, Benvolio exclaims, “By my head, here come the Capulets”, and Mercutio responses, “By my heel, I care not”. This shows us that Benvolio is alarmed, but Mercutio is tough also that he isn’t at the least bothered or felt threatened by Tybalt or the Capulets.
When Tybalt and Mercutio speak to one another there is tension between them. Tybalt says “Mercutio, thou consort’st with Romeo--“, only to be interrupted by Mercutio, “Consort! What, dost thou make us minstrels?” Mercutio acts highly insulted to this and still tries to pick a fight by drawing his sword and answers back to Tybalt. Benvolio tries to calm things down by telling Mercutio and Tybalt that they shouldn’t fight in public. He asks to take it somewhere private, or talk it out, or just walk away. Mercutio however he demands, “Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them glaze / I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I”. “I will not budge for no man’s pleasure”. This tells us that he will not back down he is standing tall. It is unusual and out of character as we know Tybalt, it seems that Mercutio isn’t able to provoke him to a fight, but the reason becomes clear when Romeo shows up. Tybalt immediately turns and looks at Romeo, he tries to begin a fight with him by saying “Turn and, draw”. The audience knows that Romeo has just married Juliet. Because Juliet is Tybalts cousin, Romeo will not fight someone who is now a member of his family. Romeo then tries to hint that he is married, but it seems he didn’t understand. Then Tybalt orders Romeo to take out his sword and fight. Tybalt wants to fight Romeo because he is furious that Romeo gate-crashed the Capulets party, even though Tybalt’s uncle said that it was fine for Romeo to come, and also the fact that they are enemies. Because Tybalt didn’t get the “hint”, he of-course doesn’t understand why he will not fight him. Mercutio is disgusted at Romeo and exclaims, “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!” he thinks that he is letting Tybalt walk all over him, therefore Mercutio takes action with Tybalts instead, which leads to a fight. As soon as it starts, Romeo tries to stop it. He asks Benvolio to help stop Mercutio and Tybalt form fighting. Then he reminds both of them that they will be in serious trouble if the Prince comes, because this exactly what he doesn’t want. Both members of the family do not take any notice and carry on. Romeo quickly steps into help, however this completely backfires as Romeo tries to push Mercutio away, Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeos right arm into the open left of Mercutio’s chest, straight into his heart. Then having stabbed Mercutio, Tybalt and his men hurry away.
Mercutio dies, cursing both the Montagues and the Capulets: “A plague o’ both your houses”, and still goes on his wicked curse: “A for me tomorrow, and / you shall find me a grave man”. When Romeo sees that his friend lays there dieing with pouring blood, his mood obviously changes. His whole facial expression just shows how much anger, frustration and disappointment is across his face. This is shown when he says “Either thou or I, or both must go with him”. Romeo is ashamed of himself for letting Mercutio do the fighting for him, and because of this he will get revenge on Tybalt to avenge Mercutio. Later that day Tybalt returns, Romeo then reacts by drawing his sword and begins to fight. During the fight, Romeo manages to quickly overcome Tybalts technique. As soon as this happens Tybalt falls, and Romeo finishes him off. Romeo then quickly darts from the scene. Soon after this event, citizens begin to appear, looking for the murderer of Mercutio. Once again the Prince has to deal with the Capulets and Montague. As a result of the death’s of Mercutio and Tybalt, the Prince has no choice but to punish Romeo, he says “And for that offence/immediately we do exile him hence”. In others words, Romeo is band from Verona. These consequences are terrible for Romeo because it means that he will not be able to see Juliet or his family in Verona.
This scene is important because it involves two main characters Mercutio and Tybalt, who end up both being brutally murdered. Following after this event, the harsh punishment Romeo is faced with, by the Prince. Because of these consequences in this scene, overall it comes down to one person, which is Romeo to suffer the worst outcome of them all. His punishment is that he is band from the whole of Verona, this is because of the outcomes of the death’s of Mercutio and Tybalt, therefore this effects Romeo dramatically, this means that he will not be allow to see friends, family and most of all the love of his live Juliet. Overall in this scene we can see that it contains a lot of violence and conflict throughout, the fights between Mercutio and Tybalt, and Tybalt against Romeo, this is not just physically fighting but verbally fighting as well. This is where I can clearly sum it up, that the verbal abuse is the conflict, and the physical side is the violence between the characters in this scene.
The third scene in which there also contains violence and conflict is Act 5, scene 3, which is the scene of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
The scene begins with Paris and his Page, entering the churchyard at night, to scatter flowers on Juliet’s graves.
Paris then demands to his Page “Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground” Paris is saying to his Page, have your ear to the ground so that he can hear the foot steps of any one who approaches. If he does hear anyone, the Page must whistle, as a signal to Paris. Taking the flowers from the Page, Paris sends him away. Now alone, Paris begins by scattering the flowers over Juliet’s grave and speaking to her. “Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew”. In the middle of Paris speaking to Juliet, he gets interrupted by the pages whistle, Paris then says ”What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,/To cross my obsequies and true loves rite?”. Then he sees the light of a touch and withdraws into the darkness to observe. Meanwhile Romeo and Balthasar enter, equipped with a torch, a mattock, and a crow of iron. Romeo is in a hurry. He takes the tools from Balthasar as though he is ready to begin work right away, saying “Give me that mattock and wrenching iron”, then stops himself remembering that he has something else to take care of before he opens the grave ”Hold, take this letter; early in the morning / So thou deliver it to my lord and father”. The letter is not to be delivered until “early in the morning” because Romeo wants to be sure he is dead before his father receives the letter explaining why he died. Romeo now has to get rid of Balthasar by telling him a lie an so therefore Balthasar becomes very convinced an says, “I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you”, even though Balthasar rightly guesses that Romeo is going to do much more than take a ring from Juliet’s finger.
Now alone at the entrance of the tomb, Romeo gets to work, however Paris is looking on, and quickly identifies Romeo. Paris decides to arrest him, he steps out of the dark, an tells Romeo to stop, and says, “Obey, and go with me; for thou must die”.
Romeo answers, “I must indeed; and therefore came I hither”. Paris meant that Romeo must die for returning from banishment. Romeo then tries as hard as he can to get Paris to leave peaceably. He tries by putting the blame upon himself an even pleading with him, however none of this works. Paris then says again Romeo is under arrest, and Romeo, who only wants to be left alone with Juliet, attacks him. Paris’s page seeing the fight runs away to call the watch. Meanwhile, the fight is quickly over and Paris falls. Paris’s dying words are a plea to the man who killed him: “If thou be merciful, / Open the tomb, lay me Juliet”, remarkably Romeo agrees an says, “In faith, I will”. Romeo then picks up the body of Paris, enters the tomb and gently lays Paris near to Juliet, as Paris asked. Now moments from his own death, Romeo pledges his love to Juliet, then suddenly he spots in the corner of his eye the body of Tybalt and makes peace with his enemy by saying, “O, what more favour can I do to thee, / Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain / To sunder his that was thine enemy?”. By taking his own life, Romeo will make it up to Tybalt for taking his. He then goes to Juliet an pledges his love to her and also promises her, “I still will stay thee; / And never from this palace of dim night / Depart again”. The last finally minutes before his death he lays himself beside Juliet, then holds the cup up high (containing liquid poison) and says the words, “Here’s to my love!”, Romeo then drinks. Immediately he feels the poison and says, “O true apothecary! / Thy drugs are quick”. In the last moment of his life Romeo says, “Thus with a kiss I die” and he kisses Juliet. then his head drops on her and he is dead.
A moment after Romeo dies, Friar Laurence appears in the churchyard. Friar Laurence hears something, asks who there, and Balthasar steps out of the dark, identifying himself as a friend. Friar Laurence asks, “What torch is yond, that vainly lends his light / To grubs and eyeless skulls? as I discern, / it burneth in the Capel’s monument”. Balthasar tells him that Romeo is there, and has been for half an hour. Friar Laurence asks him to go with him to the grave, but Balthasar is afraid to disobey Romeo’s command to stay away, so Frair Laurence goes alone.
As he approaches the monument of the Capulet, he calls out for Romeo, then saw blood and the swords of Romeo and Paris. Next he discovers the two bodies of the two men who loved Juliet. Juliet, who is beginning to come out of her sleep, Friar Laurence tries to persuade her to come out of the grave by saying to her that he’ll find a place for her to live among a sisterhood of nuns, but she’s not interested in living, and she dismisses the Friar: “Go, get thee hence, for I will not away”. Friar Laurence hears the coming of the watch. Besides Juliet refusing to leave with him, he flees alone.
Now alone with him, she discovers the cup in his hand and immediately understands that he has poisoned himself. She then kisses his lips, “I will kiss thy lips; / Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, / To make me die with a restorative”. Juliet realizes that Romeo has no more poison left on his lips, therefore she takes Romeos dagger and stabs herself in the chest. Her last words were, “O happy dagger! / This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die”.
After Juliet’s death we hear, and see, Paris’Page lead the watchman to the monument of the Capulets. The first watchman, who is in charge, sees that the ground is bloody and sends off the others to search the churchyard and put in custody anyone they find. Then he comes across the bodies of Paris, Romeo and Juliet, he notes that Juliet is “bleeding, warm, and newly dead, / Who here hath lain these two days buried”. For the first watchman, this was shocking, and ordered some men to inform Prince Escalus, the Capulets, and the Montagues. Shortly after Balthasar and Friar Laurence are quickly found. The Prince arrives, followed by Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Montague, whose wife had died of grief at Romeo. This death is barely mentioned, and the focus stays on Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence tells his story, then Balthasar, then Paris’Page. Finally, Prince Escalus reads the letter that Romeo intended for his father, and basically tells him the details.
At the very end, out of the disaster comes some good. The Prince makes the feuding families put a stop to the hatred between them he says “Capulet! Montague! / See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, / That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love”. Capulet offers his hand to Montague, saying “O brother Montague, give me thy hand: / This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more / Can I demand”. Montague takes Capulet’s hand and promises that he will have a golden statue of Juliet built so that as long as Verona is Verona, “ There shall no figure at such rate be set / As that of true and faithful Juliet”. Capulet answers, “As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie; / Poor sacrifices of our enmity!”.
After the two men have promised to raise statues to each other’s children, the Prince brings the play to a end saying, “A glooming peace this morning with it brings: / The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head”. He tells everyone to leave the churchyard and promises that at another place everything will be discussed and dealt with “Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished”, although this situation seems to matter little, “For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo”.
This scene is extremely important because it’s the final scene of the play, which involves six tragic deaths two Included the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. They killed themselves to show their true love and their desire to be together without the hatred of their parents keeping them apart. We as audience can see that many things in the story could have changed the tragic ending. One being Friar Laurence’s plans to go right and two if Lord Capulet had not decided to change the wedding, then Friar’s plans may of worked out causing a change in the dramatic ending. However the plan didn’t go to plan an therefore Romeo and Juliet ended up dead which had a big affect on both families of the feud an in a result to that even ended up killing Lady Capulet dure to grief over Romeo. So overall act 5, scene 3 played an very important part in the story because of the hole outcome between the two selfish families.
If I had to direct Act 5, scene 3 for the stage, I would firstly leave out the killing of Paris, so that the audience could concentrate on Romeo getting to the monument of the Capulets so that he could see Juliet, however I known this wouldn’t help avoid Romeo’s death because Juliet would be still in her deep sleep, even though I would show Juliet’s emotions by having her scream at the top of her voice when she awakes to find Romeo next to her dead. The audience would think she was going mad with grief. Secondly the stage would be a dark and dusty tomb with dead bodies surrounding. This would give it a spooky and gloomy atmosphere. Finally I would leave out the part were Friar Laurence has the chance to persuade Juliet to come with him, so that Juliet just awakes finds Romeo dead and kills herself. This is so she dies with Romeo and isn’t given the opportunity of speaking to Friar. I think that scene is pointless due to the fact, it is obvious to me that she would not leave Romeo behind.
The play starts and ends with violent scenes. The reason for this is because of the ancient grudge creating friction between the two families Capulet’s and Montague’s. The consequences were death. Therefore I think this play is extremely violent. Furthermore, by reading and watching the play, I remember bit of hatred and love. I focused more on love reading it than hatred, because of the meaningful sentences said between the two lovers Romeo and Juliet. However, watching the play being acted out especially the fights, made me look at the play in the completely different concept, and automatically saw the hatred throughout the film. Finally my favourite scene was act 5, scene 3, because this is the ending the play were the two lovers Romeo and Juliet are finally together and rest in peace. Overall I thought the play contained a lot of violence however reading and watching I saw the love story behind it, therefore the play is a bit both hatred and love.