Shakespeare not only shows the contrast of atmosephere but he also does this in naming his character. One is named Benvolio he is a kind and loving character who wants to create peace between the two families. On the other hand there's Tybalt he does this because he wants his audience to know that he is an aggressive character who could also be considered as a destructive man. It also makes them realise that he will be against Romeo and Juliet relationship. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony, when audiences know more than characters.
Lord Capulet encourages his guests to dance and have good time, at this point Romeo catches his first sight of Juliet and is instantly bowled over by her beauty “beauty too rich for, use for earth too dear: so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows”. Romeo's romantic speech about Juliet contrasts greatly with Capulet's jocular manner, creating further drama throughout the scene. When Capulet makes his first speech he is a very teasing character. He says to the ladies, “ladies that have their toes unplagued with corns will have about with you. Ah ha, my mistresses! Which of you all will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty, she, I'll swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now?” What Capulet is trying to say is that all the ladies have to prove that they do not have corns on their feet, by dancing with him on the dance floor. He's saying it in a nice manner, he's not being horrible, he's just teasing them, because he wants everyone to be dancing on the dance floor. However when Romeo enters the party, He makes a romantic speech about Juliet, and how he feels. Shakespeare's use, many different techniques such as Imagery. He refers to Juliet as a dove, which we know is small and pretty and is a symbol for love and peace. He then refers to Rosaline as a swan. Which is a lot bigger creature, and it isn't as loving, or romantic. Shakespeare also uses rhyming. The end of every line Romeo speaks rhymes. For example “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” At this moment, Romeo is forgetting all about his love for Rosaline, which shows the Shakespearean audience that he was never in real love. Romeo's language at this stage of the play is also a contrast to his earlier talk about Rosaline. When he talked about Rosaline he referred to mythological creatures such as Cupid, and the goddess Diana. But when he talks about Juliet, he refers to Christianity references. Which would relate to the Shakespearean audience a lot more. Capulet's and Romeo's speech are a big contrast to each other, because Capulet says his in a very joy full way, and he knows what he wants to say, whereas Romeos is a lot more different. Mainly because of the way that the playwright has made his speech so effective, with the use of rhyming and Image
Just after Romeo's very romantic speech about Juliet, Shakespeare takes us straight to the character of Tybalt. Who has just seen Romeo at the party. His speech is very dramatic, as he wants to cause a fight with Romeo and kill him. In this part of the play the tension would become very high, as Shakespeare would fill up the stage with lots of people. Tybalt refers to Romeo as a slave, and how it would not be a sin to kill him. This is a huge contrast between love and hate. Because we have Romeo, who is talking all about love and Tybalt who's words are full of nothing but hate and anger towards Romeo. Another way in which Shakespeare makes this scene very effective is that Romeo is oblivious to the fact that Tybalt is threatening his presence. As in the play, there would be Romeo on one side of the stage, and Tybalt on the other. I know that at this point the audience know that something will happen, but they don't know what to expect. So they would be very on edge, because it might make them think that Romeo is already going to be killed. Because we know that something was going to happen to Romeo, after he mentions a dream he had which showed him that something bad was going to happen, if he went to the party. When Capulet finds Tybalt in his storming rage, there is a fight between the two of them. Capulet tells Tybalt to leave Romeo alone, and to let him enjoy the party, but Tybalt argues that he shouldn't be there. There is then a power struggle at this point, because Tybalt is an older son and he is expected to inherit the Capulet's family fortune, but Capulet threatens to take away his inheritance, if he doesn't do what he says.
When Romeo and Juliet meet, the tension levels change drastically. Shakespeare uses many ways to make this part of the play effective. There is a big change on stage, as we go from a high tension point with many people running around on stage, to a low tension point where we don't have as many people on stage or there is just Romeo and Juliet alone. In this scene Shakespeare uses metaphors. Romeo refers to Juliet as a shrine and himself as a pilgrim. They also talk in a shared sonnet together. In this part of the play the sonnet makes it very effective, as it means we can tell that there is a connection between the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet's speech is very formal and patterning it is a gentle expression of love. After their speech the nurse comes in saying, “Madam, your mother craves a word with you.” This brings the reality back. Juliet has to leave.
Audience now know that Romeo's love which he expressed for Rosaline wasn't real. His language with Juliet shows a lot more emotion in what he is saying. One of the main reasons why I don't believe Romeo's love for Rosaline is because when he talked about her he referred to mythological creatures, which is not real. But when he talked about Juliet he talked all about Christianity. Also Romeo compares Juliet to as a lot more things which symbolise with love. I think that the Shakespearean audience would have agreed with audience now, that Romeo's love for Rosaline was not real. I personally think that Romeo was in love with being in love, and I think that his behaviour when he thought he was in love with Rosaline was very attention seeking. I think that the Shakespearean audience would have thought that Romeo was attention seeking as well. As in the beginning of the play, lady Montague is saying about how Romeo has been acting. She says that in the day Romeo just walks off himself all on his own and at night just locks himself away and cries. In a way it sounds as if he is trying to get attention by doing this. In class we discussed about how we thought that this was normal behaviour for a teenager, and a teenager in love.
The effect of at the end of Act 1 scene 5 makes this part of the play very effective, as the tension gets even higher when Romeo and Juliet find out they are each other’s enemy.
Scene 5, it is when Romeo and Juliet find out that they are each other’s enemy. This is a very effective ending. Because they have fallen in love everything has happened. When Romeo finds out that Juliet is a Capulet he says “O dear account! My life is my foe's debt.” What he means by this is that he now owes his life to his enemy. Because now he's in love with her. So it means his life is now always going to have his enemy in it. After Romeo has found out about Juliet being a Capulet, she then asks her nurse to find out who Romeo is. But she is very careful, as first she asks who another man is, before asking who Romeo is. She says to the nurse “Go ask his name: if he be married. My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” She is asking the nurse to find out if he's married; she then says that if he is already married she will die. When the nurse tells her that he is Romeo and a son of her enemy. Juliet says “My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.” What she's saying here is that she has already seen him now, and she's fallen in love with him, she says it’s too late she's in love with her enemy, and she can't turn back now. Juliet also introduces the theme of death as Juliet's lover. Because she says “my grave is like to be my wedding bed.” This moment for both of the characters is a very high tension point, as they don't know what will happen to them. It will make the Shakespearean audience very uncertain on what will happen next. After finding out each other’s real identity, both Romeo and Juliet want to see each other again. Both of them still want to be together.
In conclusion, Act 1 scene 5 is very dramatic because of all of the techniques Shakespeare uses. Like the big contrasts of love and hate throughout the play. It would be all quiet and calm, then it would go into a big fight or argument, it just shows that Romeo and Juliet would never be able to be together in peace. I also like the way that Shakespeare uses imagery. Especially when Romeo is describing Juliet, it gives us the picture that Juliet is beautiful. I also love the way which Shakespeare has used the love sonnets. When I read the part when Romeo and Juliet first meet, the sonnets really made me feel as if there was a connection between the two of them, as if they were meant to be, but you have to bear in mind, the fact that they cannot be together because of this huge family feud. Shakespeare also uses a lot of dramatic Irony which makes the scenes very effective, because Romeo has the dream in which tells him that either him or someone else will die, and yet he just ignores it. Some of the oxymoron's which Shakespeare uses really make Romeo's speeches about Rosaline effective. They make him sound confused and as if he doesn't know what to do or say. There is other very effective and dramatic scene such as the balcony scene which is very romantic, and before Romeo is banished to Mantua. Romeo and Juliet spend a very romantic night together. I think that Act 1 scene 5 really engages the audience as it is so romantic. It is also very eventful, especially when Tybalt starts to threaten to kill Romeo, in the middle of a party. This scene of Romeo and Juliet meeting is very crucial because if they hadn't have met there would be no story. If Romeo and Juliet's families were not enemies, then it would not be very dramatic or exciting. If we didn't have the contrast of love and hate it would make the play boring, as we wouldn't have the fights and the romance. I really enjoyed this part of the play as it is so romantic, and when I read the part of Romeo and Juliet meeting I felt as if something bad was going to happen straight after which is true, because at this point Tybalt wanted to kill him. It really built some tension, as I didn't know whether Romeo was going to get killed straight away, or whether there was going to be a fight. So there for I think that Shakespeare has made Act1 scene 5 very effective as he has used so many different techniques which people today can still emphasise with.
