"What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee."

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“What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.”

Certainly, these two lines encapsulate both the immense hatred shown in this film, and yet also the petty, antagonistic pointlessness of the feud that paves the way for the two “star-crossed lovers” to take the stage. This is one example of the dramatic expectation that binds the play together, as the two                  characters are talked of but not seen within the first scene, and this helps intrigue and entertain the audience as they hang onto otherwise unimportant conversations as soon as Romeo’s or Juliet’s name is mentioned, hoping for more information about the lead characters. This starting feud, however serious it gets, is started with a rather funny yet crass scene, and this amuses audiences, especially as the Thames-side where the Globe Theatre was was famous for its brothels and prostitutes. This rather unexpected opening would involve and amuse the audience from the start, and shows the variation and unexpectedness that Shakespeare liked to portray, even in such an ominous tragedy.  The play does not stay in this cheerful stage for long, as it progresses straight into the feud, which quickly escalates. This is shown perfectly in the 1998 Baz Luhrman modern day film version of the same title, where the scene starts with the Montague boys stopping at a petrol station to fill up, enjoying their loud music, and ends up as a full blown riot with a fire, one death and a gunfight. The tension created by the entrance of Tybalt is apparent, and this would wholly engross the audience when performed on stage, while also informing them of his character. Shakespeare teases the audience with the stop-start style as the fight is stopped and restarted with even greater numbers- are we going to have a fight on our hands or not? This informs the audience of how deep this feud actually goes, and how many people it sucks in. It is another example of Shakespeare generating dramatic expectation, as the audience wait for round 2- ‘We’ll get you next time’ seems to be the general attitude.

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Language is an important element of dramatic expectation, information and entertainment. Lots of variation in pace and tone contribute to slick, flowing scenes, while also personifying characters, synthesising themes and signalling intent. This is particularly evident in Baz Luhrman’s production, ranging from the menacing and aggressive, (the opening quotation of this essay) to the mischievous and humorous, (“…THRUST his maids to the wall.”) to the darker prefigurative humour, humorous but with a darker undertone, which would entertain the audience but also remind them that this is a serious feud. (“…Gregory, remember thy washing blow.”) These entertaining tones reserved ...

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