For example, in lines 5 and 6 of the prologue, the audience are told that:
"From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;"
These two lines tell the audience that the children of two enemies- a Montague and a Capulet- fall in love and, more importantly, they "take their lives"- commit suicide. It also implies their parents feud is the reason for their actions.
"The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,", line 9 of the prologue creates yet another indication that their romance will be tainted by death. The prologue creates amazing tension as throughout the play the audience are filled with suspense and curiosity, and they await the fearful event when things start to go wrong. This turning point comes in act 3, scene 1. Their is an immense sense of dramatic irony created in the play from the prologue, as the audience know what events are to come and yet the characters appear blissfully unaware.
Another vital point which dramatically increases the impact of act 3, scene 1 is the huge contrast between the terrible events of the actual scene and the optimistic feeling left from the previous scene. A mere scene before, Romeo and Juliet had succeeded in meeting and marrying in secret, and this was hopeful for them; their parents were considerable more likely to accept their relationship. In addition to this, up until this scene their had been no actual violence and although they had conflicts there had been no actual harm done, which was actually relatively good for two feuding families in a time when dueling was common. The whole change of outlook made the turning point much more defined.
The personalities of Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin), Mercutio (Romeos close friend) and Romeo combined contributed to the problematic events considerably; Mercutio’s cheeky nature irritated Tybalt’s argumentative persona to the extreme, and so a conflict was inevitable. When Mercutio is killed, Romeo's defensive and loyal side is shown and so their characteristics played a huge part in the lead up to the fight.
"I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring."
The opening words of Benvolio, the sensible, calm one on the scene, seem almost like a prediction, and also creates yet more dramatic irony. The words in themselves, such as "brawl" and "mad blood" create restless and negative feelings, as so does his description of the hot, humid day; Shakespeare expertly used his language to portray a (threatening) atmosphere.
The events of act 3, scene 1 completely transformed the play; the initial death of two fairly important characters is enough of a blow to Romeo and Juliet’s relationship already, however the events led to even more problems. This a perfect example of Shakespeare’s distinctive writing style in tragedies; one initial event or problem transforms the entire play. The main problem was that Romeo had been exiled from Verona on pain of death. This made their relationship very difficult; their communication was limited to using messengers unless Juliet was prepared to move. This put Juliet in a very difficult position; she was being asked to chose between her husband and her family. She also received pressure from her father; the death of Tybalt caused him to realize how short life could be, and insist on Juliet marrying Paris, unaware she was already taken!
In conclusion, act 3 scene 1 is a turning point because from that point Romeo and Juliet's relationship spiraled downhill; Before that point the situation was positive and light-hearted.. It also triggered the start of a string of unfortunate events, and completely changed the play. The events from this scene almost decide the play; if Tybalt had not killed Mercutio, Romeo would not have seeked vengeance by killing Tybalt nor been exiled, and Romeo and Juliet would not have died in such unjust circumstances.
