When all the guests have arrived, and Romeo and his friends have gatecrashed, Lord Capulet welcomes his guests. As soon as he starts talking, the audience can tell he’s a jolly, fun loving man, as he laughs with his friends and flirts with the ladies.
“foot it girls.”
This gets the audience in a good mood, seeing that everyone is having a laugh and having fun, dancing.
While Capulet and his cousin are watching the ladies dance, they talk about their past, and how they are now too old to carry on dancing themselves. The audience get the impression that Lord Capulet must have had a good young life, going to balls and dancing with girls, and now he’s watching his daughter dancing with other men.
Romeo is looking for Rosaline, but is distracted by Juliet. He first sees her dancing and wonders who she is. He immediately falls in love with her. And describes her as a dove among black crows.
“So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows.”
He says he’s never known his heart to love until this night. He wonders who she is though, and know things could go wrong here, as she is a Capulet.
He says Juliet is too good for this earth and compares her as a “jewel in an Ethiop’s ear”. This shows that she stands out and is unmissable to him. He immediately dismisses all thoughts about Rosaline and forgets that five minutes before, he was upset and obsessed with her. This shows he is obviously fickle.
Romeo and Benvolio were earlier talking about Rosaline. And Benvolio said as soon as they were at the party, he would see a hundred nicer girls and forget about Rosaline. Romeo wouldn’t have that because he was too madly in love with her, but then he proved Benvolio right, as he fell for Juliet.
As Romeo watched Juliet dance, he speaks aloud, describing her and comparing her to the brightly lit torches in the room. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, hears his voice. He knows it’s Romeo. He only recognises him by his voice, as it was a masked ball and his face was covered.
Tybalt is angry, and can’t believe that a Montague has dared to gatecrash the Capulet’s ball. It’s obvious that Tybalt wants to start a fight, because he storms off and goes to tell Lord Capulet that a Montague is present. This shows his fiery character, he doesn’t think about the consequences of his actions, and wants his own way all the time.
Lord Capulet doesn’t mind though, that Romeo is there as he says Romeo is not doing any harm and he is known as a well-behaved young man.
“And, to say with truth, Verona brags of him
To be virtuous and well-govern’d youth.”
So he says he can stay as he is not causing any trouble, just there to have fun. I think this shows that Lord Capulet does not want his party spoilt for his guests and doesn’t really have a problem all the time with the Montague’s as long as they behave themselves. Tybalt argues his opinion though,
“It fits when such a villain is a guest;
I’ll not endure him.”
When Capulet says Romeo can stay, Tybalt doesn’t like it and acts like a baby not getting his own way. He wants revenge on Romeo. We know that he would kill him if he got the chance because he hates the Montague’s so much. Capulet reacts by shouting at Tybalt though. This shows that Capulet wishes that Tybalt would stop being so childish, and that Capulet is in charge and overpowers Tyabalt.
Tension builds up, and there are hints of danger as the audience wonder whether this has anything to do with Romeo’s premonition of doom.
After Juliet’s dance, Romeo watches her to see where she goes so he can follow her. He takes her hand and hints he wants to kiss her.
“My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”
They fall in love with each other at first sight. They both use religious imagery and this shows that they worship each other as “godly” images such as “saints” and “holy palmers” are allowed to touch so they can.
The audience are focused on the two lovers and the atmosphere contrasts here with anger and aggression of Tybalt, as now the mood is gentle, calm and innocent.
Romeo and Juliet don’t yet know that they are enemies, that their families hate each other. Their love is pure and a sonnet verse is used to express their love, as sonnet’s were popular in Elizabethan times.
My opinion of Romeo here, is that he is shallow and fickle, forgetting the love of his life, Rosaline, and falling in love with someone else in the space of minutes.
The nurse interrupts Romeo and Juliet, telling Juliet that her mother craves a word with her. Juliet immediately leaves Romeo and quickly goes to see her mother. This shows that Juliet is very obedient and somewhat “scared” of her mother.
When Juliet has gone, Romeo is left alone with the nurse. He eagerly asks the nurse who the young girl is, as they don’t even know each other’s names yet, even though they are in love.
“Her mother is the lady of the house,”
is the nurses reply. With that answer, Romeo realises that Juliet is a Capulet and feels as if his life is over because they are sworn enemies. But he loves her so he will ignore his family’s wishes anyway.
“Is she a Capulet?
O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.”
The audience must link this up with what is going to happen next, with Romeo’s premonition of doom.
At the end of the party, Juliet finds out off the nurse that Romeo is a Montague. Romeo and Juliet both know it’s too late to change the way they feel, as they are already too much in love.
This is where the audience realise something is going to go wrong, and the relationship is doomed. It is preparing the audience for anything bad and unexpected that is to come. The atmosphere here has changed dramatically, from love and calmness to worry and curiosity.
