What do you learn about Juliet's relationship with her parents and the nurse in Act 3 scene 5 (lines 68 to the end of the scene) Why is this scene so dramatically important to the rest of the play? How does Shakespeare use language and dramatically device

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GCSE ENGLISH AND LITERATURE COURSEWORK

SHAKESPEARE UNIT:  ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’

 

What do you learn about Juliet’s relationship with her parents and the nurse in Act 3 scene 5 (lines 68 to the end of the scene) Why is this scene so dramatically important to the rest of the play? How does Shakespeare use language and dramatically devices effectively?

In my presentation of Romeo and Juliet I gave a background to the play. 

The play Romeo and Juliet is about two star crossed lovers whose lives end up in a tragedy that brings two feuding families together. Before the start of this scene, there had been a fray between the Montague and the Capulet families. The fray ended with the death of Romeo’s friend Mercutio and the death of Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin who is killed by Romeo. The death of Tybalt causes Romeo to be banished from the city of Verona. Juliet hears of the incident and is upset, but grateful Romeo is still alive. In Act 3 Juliet impatiently waits for the arrival of Romeo. The nurse brings her news, that Romeo had been banished. She experiences strong emotional reactions. She uses oxymorons in her speech, which shows her conflicting emotions towards Romeo. “He is a fiend angel and a damned saint.” She ends by not blaming Romeo and feeling very sad he had to go. She feels the pain of his absence, acutely. Before the start of Act 3 scene 5, Romeo visits Juliet. Romeo bids Juliet goodbye, and Romeo leaves to go to another city.

    I discussed Juliet’s relationship between herself and her parents drawing attention to the ambiguity in Juliet’s Language. In the first part of Act 3 Scene 5, Juliet’s mother visits her and tries to console her about the death of Tybalt. “Evermore weeping for your cousins?” Little does she know that Juliet mourns for Romeo her lover. Juliet answers her mother ambiguously. Her words have two meanings, “and yet no man like he doth grieve my heart.” She is really saying how much she loves Romeo, but her mother thinks Romeo grieves her because he killed Tybalt. Juliet’s mother does not know really much about Juliet. Juliet is not being completely honest with her mother and Lady Capulet does not have a strong relationship with her. Lady Capulet brings news that she thinks would cheer Juliet up, she thinks this news would lift Juliet’s mood. “I tell thee joyful tidings girl” She tells Juliet of the proposed marriage between her and Paris and waits for her delighted response. But she is wrong; Juliet shocks her with her reply. Juliet speaks to her mother bluntly. “I will not; and when I do, I swear, it shall be Romeo whom you know I hate.”

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     I spoke about parents expectations of children at the time. At that time children usually agreed with whatever their parents said, and went along with what they told them to you. Juliet is not acting like other girls at that time would have. She acts in a very independently way. This is different from the Juliet at the start of the play. Also Lady Capulet makes no attempt to try and understand her daughter’s feelings as a mother of today might have done. She also mentions she would rather “the fool be married to her grave!” than to have Juliet ...

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