Romeo and Juliet is very much a play of division and opposites: light and dark; fate and freewill; love and hatred; death and life; language and reality. With these opposites comes contrast. A theme to contrast conflict and hate is love. There are various forms of love in this play: committed love between Romeo and Juliet; an infatuation of Rosaline from Romeo and a platonic love between the nurse and Juliet. But, despite the consequences and division, the love that Romeo and Juliet feel for one another always remains the same.
At the same time, not only do I feel that this scene is of the most dramatic importance, but that it is also the most captivating for the audience. The way in which the scene is structured allows a contrast between calm and conflict, sending the audience into catharsis. The tension sporadically heightens to and draws back from the climax, resulting in an array of emotions to be felt by the audience. The way in which Shakespeare allows this to happen is by introducing characters to the scene in such a way that the mood and tension is changed each time. His adaptation of language to each character allows this idea of mood change to be easier to detect by the audience. Gradually, throughout the scene, each character is seen to have abandoned Juliet, who I feel is the character of most importance to the scene as her character works off each of the other characters to clarify their dramatic personality metamorphosis.
Juliet, to me, is the character that has changed the most during this play, from an innocent and doting daughter that was introduced in the beginning of the play to a deceitful and disobedient girl by Act 3: Scene 5. This indicates that Juliet’s love for Romeo was her first true love, as she has allowed her feelings to change her so much. Girls of Juliet’s age in the sixteenth century would have been expected to be disciplined and dutiful, making her change all the more shocking to the audience. Also, Juliet’s character appears to show very different relationships to other characters in this play. Her love for Romeo is affectionate and sincere, made obvious in the opening of Act 3: Scene 5. She cannot seem to accept that Romeo must leave, causing a friction of reluctance to slow the pace of the scene, and tries to reassure him that it is not yet morning: ‘Wilt thou be gone?... thine ear,’ showing that although her love for Romeo is mature, her logic is slightly still immature, reminding the audience of her tender age. Also, Shakespeare reduced her age from sixteen years old (as in Arthur Brooke’s rendition, 1562,) to make her more endearing to the Elizabethan audience. Shakespeare made Juliet to use a lot of imagery in her speech; animal, bird and night-day imagery:
‘O now be gone…. It grows.’ In particular, he uses the night-day imagery to show daybreak on stage. The imagery also shows the theme of oppositions that run through the play, in this case language versus reality. Juliet seems to be given supernatural qualities when she has prophetic visions of Romeo’s death: ‘Methinks I see thee… of a tomb.’ The irony is unbeknown to Juliet; that her negativity and pessimism is foreboding the future, foreshadowing death. This is the last time that she will see Romeo alive and when he leaves she is briefly left alone. Her soliloquy to the audience leaves a touch of desperation to the mood: ‘Be fickle, Fortune… him back,’ conveying her longing and sense of loss over Romeo.
Juliet’s deceitfulness toward her mother strengthens the audience’s impression of her change. She leads Lady Capulet to believe that she weeps for Tybalt, not Romeo: ‘Yet let me… feeling loss.’ Shakespeare always has the audience in mind, so ambiguously manipulates Juliet’s language in such a way that her words are made equivocal- the audience know the truth behind these double meanings. When faced with the prospect of marrying another man, Juliet aggressively dismisses the idea. Her presence of mind which she earlier possesses, despite her despair, is lost. She is taken aback: ‘I wonder at this haste…to woo.’ Here, she protests she is too young to marry, showing that she has had to think quickly for an excuse, as during the 1500’s, 13 was a popular age to marry at. Again, Juliet changes at the entrance of her father.
Her tactics have now changed from almost self-pitying to confusion: ‘Not proud you…is meant love.’ Perhaps the confusion connotated from her dialogue reflects the confusion of her thoughts, but either way it shows further themes of opposition, though this one of love versus hatred. To heighten the tension and drama of the scene, Juliet is made to beg: ‘Good father… speak a word.’ This emphasizes her panic and desperation. By now, both her parents have left her aswell as Romeo, so now she is left to turn to the nurse to counsel and comfort her. The audience expects the nurse to say what Juliet wants to hear, because of the close bond that is present between them early on in the play, but after feeling let down by the nurses reaction, Juliet feels she is left to act without the help of the closest people around her: ‘I’ll to the Friar… to dies.’ This leaves the scene on a cliff-hanger- the audience are left to ask the question that if the Friar cannot help her, would she take such severe measures as to kill herself?
Romeo’s love for Juliet is, again, mature, represented by Shakespeare’s use of passionate and intense language between the two lovers in this scene, creating an affectionate mood. When compared to his earlier lustful infatuation for Rosaline, his love is deep and sincere toward Juliet. Despite his reluctance to leave Juliet, he is aware he must go and raises an ultimatum: ‘ I must be gone and live… or die.’ Shakespeare is reminding the audience of the extent of this situation and defining how strong the love between Romeo and Juliet is to risk a life over. But, overcome with love, Romeo is depicted by Shakespeare to have more desire to stay, than willpower to go, but with death on their minds, the mood is turned sombre: ‘Let me be tane… wilt have it so.’ This accentuates that he is willing to sacrifice his life for a few more moments spent with Juliet. As like Juliet, Romeo uses night-day imagery in his speech too, and ironically, he describes the day break as a ‘jocund day.’ It announces the end of their happiness and the ending of his life. For Romeo the coming of day means the coming of death. In using more light imagery, Shakespeare allows Romeo to again conclude the irony of the situation: ‘More light and light… dark our woes.’ His power with words allows him to turn the positive association of light around, dwelling on his woe. However, later on into his farewell, he becomes optimistic and sanguine: ‘I doubt it not… to come.’ In his mind, this love is strong enough to overcome this separation and believes in their future together, contrasting the poignancy of their relationship with the tragedy of the outcome. His final farewell seems rushed: ‘Adieu, Adieu.’ This quickens the pace, adding to the tension.
A character who does not seem to change in this play is Lady Capulet. Right from the beginning there has been no display of mother/ daughter bonding; a clear distance between them. This then allows Shakespeare to use double meanings and deceit successfully and obviously for the audience. Lady Capulet, feeling that she knows Juliet, automatically assumes her to be mourning Tybalt’s death: ‘Evermore weeping… death?’ This is merely a rhetorical question which she answers herself. Her misjudgements emphasize the distance between herself and Juliet and also shows her family values; that sadness this deep should be expressed only over a death in the family. The water imagery she is made to use shows the extent of Juliet’s tears: ‘What, wilt thou wash… with tears.’ Again, Shakespeare has the audience in mind. In using all of this imagery, he is almost highlighting significant features to the audience.
Lady Capulet is here used as an essential dramatic device: ‘Marry, my child…joyful bride.’ By using Lady Capulet to introduce the news of Paris’ marriage proposal, Shakespeare can ‘hot’ up and prepare the scene for the tension climax which comes with her soon to follow argument with her father-the argument which determines Juliet’s actions for the rest of the play. On Lady Capulet’s exit from this scene, she leaves both Juliet and the audience in a state of shock: ‘I would the fool… her grave.’ This foreshadowing questions how a mother, no matter how piqued she may be, could wish such drastic acrimonious events on her own daughter.
Similarly to Lady Capulet, Capulet- a typical patriarch of the times-assumes Juliet’s tears are for Tybalt, made to seem sympathetic and fatherly by Shakespeare’s extended metaphor: ‘Who, raging with… tempest tossèd body.’ These words briefly pacify the situation, but on being enlightened to Juliet’s ingratitude of his chosen husband for her, his temper grows, as does the tension to its climax. He is angered at her ungratefulness and maintains that he had considerately chosen Paris: ‘Is she not proud?... be her bride?’ Here is the evidence of Capulet’s change. Here he is made to be sorely disappointed that Juliet will not marry Paris, whereas when he was first approached by Paris on this subject matter, he seemed just as opposed to the idea, saying she is not yet ready: ‘Let two more summers… be a bride.’ This gives an impression to the audience that his rage springs not from Juliet’s refusal, but from Juliet’s defiance. His choleric temperament leads him to mock Juliet: ‘How how, how… minion you?’ Perhaps this shows his immaturity also. The excessiveness of his confrontation fuels him to say some quite hot-headed things, enough so to even stir Lady Capulet: ‘Hang thee, young baggage… not answer me!’ The severity of his reaction hints at his ignorance of being so angered. Shakespeare used this argument between Capulet and Juliet as yet another dramatic device. This point is the trigger which drives Juliet to the Friar and determines the fate of the play, if he hadn’t of shown such raw anger, Juliet would not have been led to such actions. Both her mother and father, along with Romeo, have now left Juliet, leaving her to seek counsel and comfort from the nurse.
The nurse would have been a familiar figure in sixteenth century Italy amongst a wealthy family. Being a ‘wet nurse’ she would have suckled Juliet since birth, resulting in the maternal instincts that she holds over Juliet, evident in her resistance toward Capulet in defending Juliet: ‘God in heaven…rate her so.’ The audience would relate to the nurse as they would most probably be of her social class, so respecting her strong will. The trust and bond between Juliet and herself leads the nurse to becoming Romeo and Juliet’s confidênt, and in being the only one to know of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, she has been allowed as a catalyst to hurry along the scene. The way in which her entrance to the scene had been stage directed: ‘Enter nurse [hastily]’ means that the audience would pick up on the change of pace through her actions. The point at which Juliet sought comfort from the nurse would be expected to have soothed the tense atmosphere, but her pragmatic advice simply inflames it. Through her practical nature and love for Juliet, she tries to advise Juliet to do the right thing, despite seeming disloyal to Juliet. Previously in earlier scenes, the nurse speaks highly of Romeo: ‘Well, you have made… as a lamb.’ The nurse’s change of opinion comes when, in trying to convince Juliet to do what is best, disparages Romeo against Paris: ‘Romeo’s a dishclout to… no use of him.’ This can be taken as a betrayal to Juliet, but in watching the film, when asked of the sincerity of her opinion she seems to hesitate in answering. This suggests to the audience that her opinion has only been changed because she is practical. The nurse is now the final character to abandon Juliet, heightening the drama amongst the audience as to whether this is too much for Juliet to cope with.
In conclusion to analysing this scene in context with the rest of the play, I persist in my initial comment that Act 3: Scene 5 is the most dramatically important. I feel that Shakespeare’s biggest success is his ability to manipulate the audience’s impressions of characters merely by carefully crafting their language. All of the oppositions of the play come to a head in this scene, making the sense of contrast and tension at its strongest. Shakespeare’s considerately ordered actions are most crucial in this scene as, if they had occurred differently, this story may not have ended in they way that is globally known today!
