Shakespeare furthers the audiences understanding of the plot development effectively. How Shakespeare achieves this is I notice that Lady Capulet wants Juliet to marry already and we know that Juliet is not entirely happy with it because of he saying that she will only meet him because I think deep down she knows there is someone better than him that’s right for her and because we know from the start that R & J be with each other, Shakespeare makes sure that the audience thinks this and he has make this point clear effectively, and with great effect. So this scene is of great importance because if Juliet had of not went to the party to see Paris then she would definitely not had of met Romeo by chance.
Shakespeare’s meaning to this scene is that in Shakespearean times, the woman is dependant financially and securely dependant on the man, because the Capulet is a fairly wealthy family, then they have high expectations to which man their daughter should marry. The other meaning to this scene is also to tell the audience that Shakespeare has introduced their moral values in life and their key issues and Shakespeare has briskly introduced this. In my point of view, Shakespeare has put together a very effective scene that has a lot of dramatic importance to the play in many aspects.
Another scene I have studied is act two scene two, in this scene Romeo’s friends leave him, Romeo decides and approaches the Capulet house. Waiting underneath Juliet’s balcony window, Juliet appears and looks into the stars. Romeo meanwhile compares her to the Sun, which with more radiance of the moonlights up the garden. Romeo aside begs Juliet to marry him. He waits for Juliet to say something and her lips only move in sighs. He moves his attention to her eyes and wonders what would happen in the heavens if her beautiful eyes became stars. Juliet, unaware of his presence, speaks in which she utters his name, saying: “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” She he is wishing that he is not a Montague because of their families feud between the Montague’s and the Capulet’s that has been going on for many years. Juliet, professing her love says: “…Arose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In exchange for the rejection of his name, Juliet offers herself, and also Juliet offers all her love to Romeo. At this point, Romeo cannot contain himself and comes out into the moonlight to reveal him. He declares to Juliet that he will not be Romeo in order to win her. His voice startles Juliet until she recognises him. Juliet asks him how he got into the garden and is concerned for Romeos life if the guards find him. Romeo replies that he would rather face death than live without her love. Juliet realises she has betrayed her modesty by speaking out aloud, and being overheard. Juliet is embarrassed and it shows because of herself blushing, she’s is glad the night hides her embarrassment. She tells Romeo that her behaviour is not right and she should not be taken as a frivolous girl. Next up, Romeo is willing to swear by the moon, by his soul and by Juliet herself that he loves her truly. She forbids all swearing. Juliet tells Romeo to wait until the bud of love blooms into a flower and bids him good night, but Romeo will not let her go until they have properly pledged themselves to each other and exchanged vows. At this point, the nurse is calling for Juliet. Before going to bed, she returns to the window and tells Romeo that she will send a messenger to him the next morning. The messenger will tell Romeo where and when the couple can be married, so that she can follow him, her Lord, throughout the whole world. Juliet then exits. Romeo, left alone and unable to sleep, announces this decision to go at once to his confessor to arrange for the marriage. Day breaks as Romeo leaves the scene.
Shakespeare through this language in this scene has shown Romeo’s elated feelings by using Romeo speaking biblical love language. The strong powerful metaphors such as ”the brightness of that cheek would shame those stars…” etc. biblical things like comparing her to an angel (Juliet) showing how much he loves her. At the start of the scene Shakespeare uses Juliet’s language in questioning language for example “wherefore art thou Romeo?” then this is scene progresses on which sees Shakespeare using Juliet to use metaphors of a powerful nature to show her love towards Romeo. Things like this and other language he uses is why Shakespeare is one most successful playwright ever and this is why it is one of the most famous love scenes ever.
Shakespeare’s furthering understanding of the audience over the character development in the story shows because of I said about Romeo and elating and both them showing how much they love each other and how they fell from each other’s lasting love, they’re showing how romantic they can be at such a young age. And the audience pick up the idea of Shakespeare’s showing that no matter what family you come from, the matter what a feud the families have love conquers all and Shakespeare has shown this through Romeo and Juliet’s character.
How this scene is important to the further understanding of the narrative is that because they are now fell in love, they have kind of fell into a trap because it was their love for each other that they died and if they haven’t fell in love with each other in their fate would not be death. And from the scene events lead to their inevitable death. And Shakespeare is effectively showing what the audience what is going to happen.
Shakespeare’s meaning and major ideas or themes developed and explored in this scene is the morally being called “love conquers all”.
Another scene I have studied and now going to talk about is act 3 scene 5 when it is down on an early Tuesday morning, Romeo and Juliet, that was the morning after their honeymoon period after the wedding and also after Tybalt’s death due to Romeo’s actions. They do not want to leave each other, that Romeo says that he would rather die then going but Juliet changes her mind insists on him to go down the ladder. They part after a touching farewell.
Lady Capulet comes in, Juliet pretends to cry over to Tybalt’s death but she is really crying over Romeo. Capulet soon after comes in and tells all orders Juliet to marry the “perfect” Count Paris. Juliet say is that she is grateful but she would rather marry Romeo rather than Paris. Capulet (in rage) curses Juliet with abuse and blackmails Juliet that if she will not marry with Paris, he will disown her. The final attempt for sympathy with her mother fails, and when she turns on the best friend the nurse, nurse says that its all for the best. In rage Juliet sarcastically say’s things and tells of that she is going to see Friar Lawrence, she say’s if all fails, she will commit suicide. Now she has no one she feels almost alone in the world.
The language in act 3 scene 5 has again like many scenes that Shakespeare writes, has metaphors in, but what I noticed and understand was that in this scene, shake sphere used an extended metaphor. He uses it where he compares the light rain of a real sunset with the heavy downpours of Juliet’s tears for the metaphorical sunset (death) of his brother’s son. Then, Capulet develops this into the idea of a ship in a storm at sea- Juliet’s eyes are the sea, her body is the bark of a ship and her sighing throughout are the winds. And clever things like that teaches me just why Shakespeare is one of the greatest poets and playwrights of all time.
The most important feature of Juliet’s speech in this scene is the double meanings. When Lady Capulet says that Romeo (by killing Tybalt’s) has caused Juliet’s grief, she agrees that Romeo has made her sad, and that she would like to get her hands on him. By placing one word – “dead” – between two sentences, Juliet makes her mother think she wants Romeo dead, while really saying that her heart is dead because of him. This is very effective use of language and the audience loves it. When Capulet gets angry, he uses language inventively- the adjective proud becomes both verb and noun: “proud me no prouds”. This technique Shakespeare tells the audience and reminds us Capulets power over Juliet and brings out his character. This is dramatically effective and is important in this scene. Last there are the metaphors and similes in this scene, some include the one near the end where the Nurse describes Romeo to a “dish clout to him…” This and many other things makes the language used effectively used in this scene.
This scene is important in the narrative because it furthers our understanding that towards the end of this scene, Juliet has no one at all left and feels alone and she says that if all fails, she will commit suicide, she is feeling suicidal at this point. This furthers our understanding to an extent of what might or most probably will happen by the hinting of Shakespeare, which is tragedy… And this scene has been effectively used and structured to our understanding and of our knowledge of what might happen next. And the events that it might lead up to, tragedy, death and a sad ending. And this is what might develop to from things already established. Juliet’s love for Romeo, “Two star-crossed lovers”.
Shakespeare’s meaning in this scene is to explore ideas in irony, double meanings and Shakespeare has used very effective language and has developed those ideas for to develop the audiences understanding of the characters development, plot development and the effective language in the scenes.
The last scene we have studied was act 5 scene 3, in this scene; Juliet’s potion is beginning to wear off. Paris enters and places flowers on her tomb. He has posted a servant away, and told him to whistle if anyone comes nearby. When he hears the page whistle, he steps into Romeo and Balthasar. He takes the pickaxe and crowbar from Balthasar and tells him to deliver Father. He plans to open the vault of Juliet, see her face, and take a ring from her finger. He tells his servant not to interfere, but the anxious Balthasar lingers nearby.
While Romeo is engaged in opening the tomb, Paris comes forward. He recognises the killer of Tybalt’s when he reasons, was the cause of Juliet’s suicide. Paris demands that Romeo surrender so that he can be taken arrested for breaking exile. Romeo, in no mood for any fight, begs Paris to leave him alone so he will not have another murder. Paris refuses and attempts to arrest Romeo, who defends himself. In the fight that follows, Romeo kills his opponent. The dying wish of Paris is that he to be laid next to Juliet. By then, his page has run to the authorities of the killing. To his shock, Romeo discovers that his opponent was Paris, whom he failed to recognize in the dark Balthasar telling him about Juliet’s proposed marriage to Paris. He accepts the dead man as a fellow friend and lays him next to Juliet. When Romeo sees his true love, he is pleased that death has not denied beauty. Romeo then drinks the poison, kisses her then dies.
Friar Lawrence comes, Juliet then wakes up asking for Romeo, Friar Lawrence tells her of his sorrowful death. Friar Lawrence tells Juliet to join the sisterhood of nuns; Juliet refuses, kisses Romeo, snatches his dagger and kills herself, falling on to Romeo. Prince comes, then reads Romeos letter, realising what happened, implements no penalties; the tragedy before them is a sufficient punishment for them all. Capulet then expends his hand in friendship to Montague, and each promises to raise a statue in gold for each child. The Prince concludes that none has heard “a story of more woe than this of Juliet and Romeo.”
By now, there is not much change to the characters development but Romeo feels suicidal after seeing Juliet dead, he couldn’t believe she was dead and when he saw her he felt that he has no reason to live because he has lost his love of his life. So he commits suicide, tragedy. Paris feels the same but he does not realise of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet so he fights Romeo and he (Paris) is so in love with her as well he is also prepared to die for her. The audience understands that neither Romeo nor Paris can awake Juliet from the dead and they both feel suicidal. Tragedy when Juliet sees that her 2 lovers has died for her, she goes suicidal even more and just stabs herself because she wants to be with him in death forever.
The plot develops in the last scene, as the audience understands that both Romeo and Juliet would go at any length to be with each other. This last scene is a very effective ending to what an amazing, breathtaking tragic play. Early events such as Paris and Romeo fighting tragically leads to Paris’ death, then Romeos suicide because Romeo thinks Juliet is dead. Because Romeo is dead, when Juliet wakes up it leads to her suicide because her Romeo is dead. The audience sees that this scene develops to unity of Montague’s and Capulets and they agree to build gold statues of Juliet and her Romeo. Their family feud ends.
I think that Skakesphere’s recurring theme throughout this play has been the possibility of suicide. The climax of the tragedy is the double suicide in the Capulet tomb. Shakespeare suggests that where intense love is involved which cannot be fulfilled then suicide is the likely alternative. The passion that Romeo and Juliet have for each other cannot be stifled or suppresses and combined with their youth provides what I think a recipe for final and absolute tragedy. Being unable to live for their love, Romeo and Juliet die for it. Shakespeare makes a comment that the world in which they lived was not worthy of the love they had for each other, and so the lovers have robbed the world of their special love.
The closing scene has all the powerful forces ‘converging’ on the tragic set...