The Prologue contains a hint of verbal irony. Verbal irony is when one thing is said but it has a completely different meaning. For example, the Prologue opens with "Two households, both alike in dignity”. When read, we think that the two families are very formal, solemn and noble. But as the play goes on, however, we realize that each family is violently competitive. And they are similarly undignified.
The Prologue reflects some of the themes of the play. Love and hate: The play contrasts Romeo and Juliet's love against their families' hate as illustrated by the feud. In the Prologue, we're told that their love is stronger than the hatred of the feud, but it's a bitter struggle. Hatred is strong enough to separate the lovers, kill Mercutio, Tybalt, and Paris, banish Romeo, and finally force Romeo and Juliet to commit suicide. But love is even stronger: nothing can kill the love between Romeo and Juliet, and this finally triumphs. Fate: In the Prologue, we're told that the lovers are "star-crossed," which implies that fate has it in for them. The number of fateful coincidences and accidents in the play are too numerous to miss: Romeo finds out about the Capulets' party from an uninformed servant; he winds up in the Capulets' orchard; Mercutio is killed under his arm. Every plan that the lovers make is thwarted. They're destined to die, and nothing can stop it.
In Act one scene one, a fight erupts in the public square. Benvolio, Montague's nephew, and Tybalt, Capulet's nephew, arrive from different directions. They join in the fight. Before they have chance to say much, Prince Escalus arrives and stops the fight.
In Act One Scene one, foreshadowing is used by Shakespeare to drop us hints. Act one scene one of Romeo and Juliet summarises all the action that is to come later in the play by introducing the feud that exists between the houses of Capulet and Montague. However, the prince’s speech also reveals to us what has happened before and what is destined to happen.
The Prince refers to everyone fighting as “rebellious subjects”. When referring to everyone as “rebellious subjects”, the prince believes the people fighting are rebelling against him and the city. The rebels, the Montague and Capulet, are breaking the peace in Verona.
In the first line, an oxymoron is used. As mentioned before an oxymoron is when two juxtaposed words are put next to each other. It states “enemies to peace”. The words enemies and peace are two completely different words and they are placed next to each other. This creates an affect as the line on its own means that the Capulets and Montagues are enemies to peace. When the audience hears this phrase, they think that the two families will never reconcile or try and create peace between them.
The Prince’s speech is full of rhetoric and exaggerated language. He is not listened to immediately. This is evident in the line “will they not hear?” This shows us that he is frustrated with the two families fighting and he has to shout to make himself heard above the fighting. This is also evident in the line when he states “What, ho!” .We can imagine him surrounded by the brawlers on stage, who slowly become aware of his presence. The speech not only summarises for us what has happened previously, this being the last of three ‘civil brawls’ but demonstrates how the conflict between the two families, whose names are mentioned here again, comes from the slightest spark – in this case, an ‘airy word’. The speech ends with all present being threatened with death if they cause trouble on the streets again.
Anger is clearly seen through the language used. The Prince calls the ones fighting “beasts”. We learn that the ones fighting are angry as well as the prince. The Prince states “with purple fountains issuing from your veins”. When he sates this, he refers to the blood pumping through their veins at such a speed due to anger that they appear to be purple. Shakespeare uses a metaphor here to portray an image of the anger present during the situation and conflict. Shakespeare also portrays the anger and frustration of Prince Escalus through threats. This is clearly seen in the line: “on pain of torture, from those bloody hands/throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground”. Prince Escalus threatens to torture the fighters if they do not throw down their weapons to the ground.
Prince Escalus may portray to us through his threats and tone that he is angry, but he himself declares that he is angry when he states “And hear the sentence of your moved Prince.” When he states “moved”, he means angry. The audience starts to feel the anger and frustration of the Prince through his words and actions. We as an audience may feel that the Prince has had enough of the fights breaking out between the Capulets and the Montagues. We also see the hatred between the two families through the fight and this once again makes is feel sympathetic towards Romeo and Juliet and we come to see how the antagonism will affect their relationship and will create destruction in their path towards the future.
Not only do we learn from the Prince that “three civil brawls, bred of an airy word” have taken place, but we also learn that the fighting has involved the “ancient citizens” of Verona. The old citizens have had “to wield old partisans, in hands as old/canker’d with peace, to part your canker’d hate”. From this statement we learn that old citizens of Verona have taken out weapons which are as old as them, to stop the hate between the families and to stop the fighting between the families. The Prince again threatens the Capulets and Montagues. “If you ever disturb our streets again/ your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”. The Prince tells them that their penalty for fighting once again would be death. The Prince concludes his speech by telling everyone to go and ask Lord Capulet to come with him and asks the Montagues to come in the afternoon.
The Prince’s speech has ten syllables in each line; however it does not contain a rhyming scheme. Due to the same amount of syllables in each line, the Prince’s speech has a steady pace and keeps the audience engaged. All the anger and frustration also engages the audience and this prepares them for what is to come next by gaining their full attention. After watching this scene, the audience may believe that there will be no more fights as the penalty for a fight is death: so if they think there will be no more fights between the two families, they would start to wonder what will cause the unfortunate tragedy between Romeo and Juliet. These questions engage the audience and at the same time they keep the audience eager to keep watching.
Shakespeare uses examples of personification in Act one Scene one. For example, he uses the term “mistemper’d weapons”. The term “mistemper’d weapons could mean angry. Weapons cannot be described as angry as this is a feeling weapons cannot feel. Being angry is a human feeling and not feelings for objects. The use of personification portrays the image of how the weapons were being used. They were being used violently.
In Act one Scene five, Romeo falls in love with Juliet as soon as he sets his eyes on her. When Romeo first sees her, he exclaims “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" by this he means that her beauty is brighter than the blaze of any torch and that her presence makes the whole room light up. This makes us feel sympathetic towards Romeo as he starts to fall in love with her and we, as an audience, know that the idea of the two lovers uniting has destruction and doom written all over it. Shakespeare uses a lot of dramatic irony as the audience knows who Juliet is, they know that she is a Capulet, the biggest enemy of the Montagues, but Romeo does not know that and neither does Juliet. Romeo also proclaims that Juliet’s beauty is too rich and she is too pretty to be on earth. He states: “Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!” However Romeo has forgotten all about Rosaline, the lady he was so dearly in love with, and whom he came to see at the party, but he seems to have forgotten about her and starts to fall in love all over again. Romeo also sates “And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand”. He uses the term blessed; this could portray the religious symbolism used. Romeo feels that when he touches Juliet, his hand will be blessed. The audience once again becomes eager to know how Romeo and Juliet fall in love. We learn that Romeo falls in love at the first sight of Juliet.
When Romeo states: "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night” we learn that Romeo did not really love Rosaline, it was just lust as he seems to have forgotten about her the minute he sees Juliet. Romeo realises that he never loved Rosaline before as he proclaims that Juliet holds true beauty. However he is still unaware of the fact that she is a Capulet and the tension of the dramatic irony increases as the audience really know who Juliet is.
As Romeo is talking to himself about Juliet and her beauty, Tybalt, the nephew of Lord Capulet and Juliet’s cousin recognises Romeo’s voice. Tybalt is not able to see Romeo’s face as it is a masquerade ball, Romeo is wearing a mask. Tybalt states: “this, by his voice, should be a Montague”
Romeo is wearing a mask, which is what "cover'd with an antic face" must refer to. The speech also portrays Tybalt's arrogance. As soon as he identifies a Montague he sends his "boy" for his sword which is referred to as “rapier” and justifies his intended murder by the "honour of my kin."
Tybalt does not see killing Romeo as sin as he states: “To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.” Once again the enmity and antagonism is portrayed through the arrogance of Tybalt. We can see how much the Montagues are hated by the Capulets and Tybalt calls it an “honour of his kin” to kill Romeo, a Montague, and he also declares it not to be a sin. However, Capulet sees the anger on Tybalt's face and asks him: “Why, how now, kinsman! Wherefore storm you so?” and Tybalt points to Romeo and tells Capulet that he is a Montague who he refers to as a foe and as a villain. He also says that Romeo has “"come in spite, / To scorn at our solemnity this night"
Capulet asks: “young Romeo is it?” and Tybalt replies saying it is, and that he's a villain. Capulet knows what Tybalt is thinking to do and states: "Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone; / He bears him like a portly gentleman". Capulet is asking Tybalt to be “portly” meaning well mannered and asks him to leave Romeo alone. Despite Capulet's friendly words of wisdom, Tybalt is still angry, so Capulet makes a personal appeal, saying that Romeo has a good reputation throughout Verona, so that "I would not for the wealth of all the town / Here in my house do him disparagement”. What happens "Here in my house" is very important to Capulet; he doesn't want Tybalt to make any embarrassing trouble. We as an audience feel that Capulet is being fair whereas Tybalt is being arrogant. We feel the tension building up as we are aware of the hatred building up inside Tybalt and the hatred is portrayed through Tybalt’s arrogance.
However, Tybalt doesn't seem to be responding, so Capulet turns up the heat and he becomes angrier. He tells Tybalt that even if he can't stand Romeo, he needs to wipe the frown off his face, out of respect for Capulet: "It is my will, the which if thou respect, / Show a fair presence and put off these frowns, / An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast". Tybalt responds, "It fits, when such a villain is a guest: I'll not endure him". Tybalt's "It fits" is his response to Capulet's statement that Tybalt's frowns make "An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast." Tybalt means that his frowns fit the occasion because Romeo is a villain.
Tybalt is so arrogant and self-centered that he's forgotten that he is talking to his uncle and had forgotten that he is at his uncle’s party where there are many guests. He's contradicting the master of the house and saying "I'll not endure him" just as though he owned the place. This earns him a humiliating tongue-lashing from Capulet, starting with "He shall be endured: / What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to; / Am I the master here, or you? go to". "Go to" is a phrase that was as common as "go on" is now, andHe calls Tybalt "boy" and mocks him and sneers "you'll be the man!”. Tybalt is apparently surprised by Capulet's anger, and says, "Why, uncle, 'tis a shame", but now it's too late to say anything to the old man, who makes threats and takes the whole thing very personally, growling, "This trick may chance to scathe you. I know what: / You must contrary me!"
Not only is Capulet very angry, but he tries to cover the embarrassment of the moment by calling out to his guests, "What, cheerly, my hearts!", as though he were perfectly happy. Tybalt's only choice is to shut up and leave, which he does, but not before making a promise to himself that Romeo will pay. He says, "I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall / Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall".
As an audience, we are clearly able to see the power Capulet has over his nephew and how controlling he can be and we are also able to see the arrogance of Tybalt. When Tybalt declares to himself that Romeo will pay, the audience knows that there is more tragedy on its way and it will be between Romeo and Tybalt. Tybalt has made his threat clear and the audience expects something to happen between the two families.
As the Tybalt exits, we are brought back to Romeo and Juliet and their meeting. We now see Romeo holding Juliet's hand and wittily offering to kiss it. He says, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand / this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: / My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss". This quotation shows us clear religious devotion and religious imagery used. Romeo is having fun with that idea by offering to pay the “fine” for touching Juliet's hand which he refers to as “the holy shrine”, by kissing it. Juliet willingly joins in Romeo's game. Showing us that she is not the innocent girl we thought she was, she tells him that there's nothing wrong with his hand and that he's showing proper devotion by holding her hand and that a kiss is not required. She adds, “for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, / And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss", meaning that it's allowed to touch the hand of a saint, and that the touch of pilgrims' ("palmers'") hands is in itself holy kissing.
Not discouraged by this, Romeo asks if it's true that both saints and pilgrims have lips. Juliet replies, "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.” This means that saints and pilgrims must use their lips to pray, which sounds like a no-kissing statement, but "pray" also meant "ask for," which is a hint that if Romeo wants a kiss, he's going to have to actually ask for it.
Romeo catches the hint and makes his prayer: "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; / They pray grant thou, lest faith turn to despair". He's asking for permission to let his lips pray and kiss. He's also saying that if she doesn't grant his prayer, she won't be fulfilling her duties as a saint, because saints are supposed to make faith stronger, not make it turn into despair.
Juliet, playing her role as saint in this love-game, points out that "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake" . In other words, saints don't make requests ("move"), but they do grant requests when they are prayed to.
They kiss, and Romeo expresses his happiness: "Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged", meaning that the kiss of his saint has cleansed him of sin. This gives Juliet an opportunity to tease him into another kiss. She says that if her lips have taken away his sin then her lips must now have his sin. Romeo knows that that couldn't be right, so he takes his sin back with another kiss.
Juliet, probably laughing, says, "You kiss by the book". To do something "by the book," is to do it according to the rules, and she is suggesting that Romeo is very good at interpreting the rules in a way which results in a kiss.
The tension of dramatic irony increases as Juliet does not know that Romeo is a Montague and Romeo does not know that Juliet is a Capulet. The audience knowing who the two lovers are become keen to keep watching and find out how the new love between the two lovers comes to an end and how it results in the death of the two lovers.
During Juliet’s meeting with Romeo, we see Juliet change from the innocent and obedient girl to the disobedient girl. Juliet is supposed to be analysing Paris as her parents want her to marry him, but instead she ends up with Romeo and does not refuse to be with him which makes her disobedient as she is disobeying her parents by being with someone other than Paris.
The Nurse appears with the news that Juliet's mother wants to speak with her. Juliet obediently turns away, and Romeo asks the Nurse who Juliet's mother is. The Nurse informs him that her mother is the lady of the house, and that she herself is Juliet's nurse, and that "he that can lay hold of her / Shall have the chinks". So the Nurse means that the husband of Juliet, only heir to a rich man, will make her husband rich. However, upon learning that Juliet is a Capulet, Romeo shows that he doesn't care about Juliet's money. He exclaims, "O dear account! my life is my foe's debt". Because he is in love, he now owes his very life to Juliet, and she (as a Capulet) is his foe. We as an audience can see that Romeo relay loves Juliet and is willing to be with her even though she is a Capulet.