Before Act 3 scene 1, in act 2 scene 6 Romeo and Juliet meet up at Friar Laurence’s cell. They then get married in secret because Friar Laurence takes pity on Romeo and Juliet and they don’t want their families to find out because they are enemies.
The audience before act 3 scene 1 are probably feeling happy and relieved that Romeo and Juliet got married like they wanted to without anything bad happening but then in act 3 scene 1 it all changes.
Romeo before might have been seen as someone who would fight if someone challenged him, his mother, Lady Montague, seems to think that he is like this in act 1 scene 1 she says ‘right glad I am he was not at this fray.’ Meaning she is glad Romeo was not at the fight that took place that the beginning of the play. Also he might be seen as someone who is quite dreamy. He is always thinking of some girl but when he finds someone better he forgets about that one and thinks he has never loved any one else before ‘Did my heart love till now?’ he is asking himself have you loved any one before. He might also be seen as some one who is quite strong minded, doing what he wants even though his friends make fun of him.
Before act 3 scene 1 Mercutio might be thought as someone who is a good friend to Romeo even though he does make fun of him about his love for different people. Mercutio is very lively and is always having a joke. Maybe seen as someone who cant be serious.
Benvolio is probably seen as a peace keeping person who does not like violence and who does anything to keep the peace. He even lets Romeo and Mercutio make fun of him. He is the sensible one who can be a good friend if there is a problem.
At the begging of the play Tybalt was involved in the fight so form that the audience probably thought he could be quite violent. He says ‘talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montague’s, and thee.’ This shows that he is not a peaceful person and he hates Montague’s a lot. He is like Mercutio in that he is very energetic.
The weather for this play is hot because it is during the summer and it is set in Verona, North Italy. This adds to the atmosphere because the heat would make the fight more intense. The characters making reference to the weather makes the audience aware of what it is like. Benvolio says to Mercutio ‘the day is hot’ the heat gives the audience a sense that the charters could be more irritable. This increases the tension as the characters become inadvertently involved in the action.
In act 3 scene 1 Benvolio is telling Mercutio to come away because he is scared that there will be a fight when the Capulets come ‘the Capels are abroad, and, if we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl’ meaning that if they meet the Capulets they will probably fight. Benvolio always wants peace. Mercutio is energetic and if the Capulets come he wants to fight them and is teasing Benvolio.
Tybalt is angry and is trying to find Romeo for a fight. He is angry because Romeo came to the Capulet party.
When Mercutio is trying to make Tybalt fight he shows aggression by saying ‘Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?’ this is insulting Tybalt then asking him to fight because Romeo does not want to fight because he is happy from marring Juliet.
Fighting is shown when Mercutio says ‘come sir, your passado!’ a passado is a fencing trust so Mercutio is saying come on fight.
Violence is shown when Romeo is mad about Tybalt killing Mercutio and starts fighting with Tybalt Romeo says ‘This shall determine that (they fight Tybalt falls). This shows Romeo uses violence to make Tybalt fall. This shows the audience that Romeo is made his friends death and that he wants revenge.
Love is shown to the audience by Romeo going after Tybalt for killing his friend ‘either thou, or I, or both, must go with him’ this means that Romeo will fight till one of them die in avenge for Mercutio’s death.
The heat makes the scene more intense and the characters more irritable because they are hot and uncomfortable. The words that show heat are ‘the day is hot’ this is what Benvolio says to Mercutio to try to make him go indoors.
When Romeo came he was happy because he had just got married to Juliet but Tybalt was angry and provoked Romeo and Mercutio. Tybalt says to Mercutio, to try to make him fight, ‘Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?’ this is provoking Tybalt into fighting Mercutio instead of Romeo. Tybalt then taunts Mercutio by saying ‘you shall find me apt enough to that, sir, and you will give me occasion’ this means that Tybalt wants to fight and he knows Mercutio will give him a reason to fight him. Tybalt then ignores Mercutio when Romeo comes. Mercutio says to him ‘I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I’ this is saying that Mercutio will not move and wants to fight. Romeo then comes along and Tybalt wants to fight him as it was what he came for he says to Mercutio ‘well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.’ This makes Mercutio madder and he starts trying to provoke Tybalt. When Tybalt sees Romeo doesn’t want to fight and wont he fights with Mercutio.
Romeo, during Act 3 scene 1 feels really happy at the begging because has just got married to Juliet. He is happy so when Tybalt tries to provoke him into fighting but Romeo just makes fun of him by saying I love you and all Chaplet’s ‘but I love thee better then thou canst devise’, ‘good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own’ this is making Tybalt mad. When Tybalt and Mercutio are fighting Romeo is worried for Mercutio’s safety and him and Benvolio try to stop the fight.
When every one finds out that Mercutio is injured Romeo blames him self because he got in the way, which led to Mercutio getting, injured and dying. Mercutio knew he was dying ‘ tomorrow. And you shall find me a grave man, I am peppered’ this means tomorrow I will be dead, I am finished. Mercutio also knew Romeo getting in the way had made him get injured ‘why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.’ Mercutio is talking to Romeo when he says this and Romeo says ‘I thought this all for the best’ meaning he was trying to help.
After Mercutio dies Romeo is furious and wants revenge for his death
, so he goes after Tybalt for a fight. Romeo says ‘either thou, or I, or both, must go with him’ meaning either you or me should die with Mercutio. When he kills Tybalt he does not run away like Benvolio tells him to he stays.
When Tybalt sees Romeo at the Capulets party, Capulet tells him not to make a scene. This makes Tybalt made so he comes after Romeo wanting a fight.
If I were to direct this scene I would have Benvolio and Mercutio walking along, with Mercutio messing around. Benvolio would be looking worried and be looking nervously around. When Tybalt and the other Capulets turn up Mercutio would still be messing around. Tybalt would look quite angry and the light would be mostly on him so the audience would notice how angry he is. When Romeo came along I think the light would focus on him and Tybalt. But Romeo would be happy and be dancing around. Benvolio would be standing away from every one. When Mercutio and Tybalt are fighting I would have them walking in a circle not taking their eyes off each other. Every one else would be jeering except Benvolio and Romeo who would be trying to brake the fight up.
When Mercutio is dying I think Romeo would be waiting with the other people outside looking worried as Benvolio takes Mercutio inside. When Benvolio comes out side and says he’s dead every one would go quiet and the light would go down.
When Romeo and Tybalt are fighting I think it would be more violent with mean to kill. I would have the audience feel this by Romeo and Tybalt looking as if they are trying their hardest to kill each other with them putting all their effort in. Mercutio's death has serious consequences throughout the scene. It leads to Tybalt's death, and subsequently Romeo's banishment.
When Tybalt dies the music would stop abruptly, Romeo would step back panting with the light on his face and Tybalt body. When Mercutio dies he feels that Juliet’s love has made him gentler ‘ o sweet Juliet, they beauty hath made me effeminate’ meaning your beauty has made me not manly. He is says she has softened his temper ‘in my temper soften’d valours steel!’ he is comparing his temper softening to the weakening of steel.
Mercutio says ‘A plague o’ both your houses!’ he then says 2 lines later ‘ your houses!’ this is Mercutio saying I wish that the whole of your house/ family would die. This emphasising the fact that Mercutio is angry with Romeo and Tybalt.
The plague was in England at this time so you could tell an English person had written the play as Italy hadn’t been affected by the plague at this time.
In the rest of the play Juliet agrees to marry Paris as part of he Friar’s plan, then before the wedding day she takes a Poisson which makes her look dead. Juliet is placed in a tomb but before the Friar can tell Romeo that it’s all a plan Romeo goes to her tomb and drinks a poison to kill himself, to get into Juliet’s tomb he kills Paris. He then dies and Juliet wakes up sees Romeo dead and stabs her self with Romeo’s dagger even though the Friar comes to try to stop her. Montage and Capulet make up after they find the 3 young people dead and realise that because of them they died.
In conclusion to the question ‘What atmosphere does Shakespeare create in Act 3 scene 1 and how does he achieve this?’ I think that Shakespeare
