How does Shakespeare make Act 3 Scene 1 dramatically effective?

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How does Shakespeare make Act 3 Scene 1 dramatically effective?

“Romeo and Juliet” is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the 1590’s, about two young “star-cross'd lovers” whose untimely deaths unite their feuding families. “Romeo and Juliet” is set in Verona, Northern Italy. The play is all about love and family honour. There is a feud going on between the Capulet and Montague families. People who were involved in the feud had to defend their families honour – even if that meant bloodshed. Children were meant to listen to their parents and follow their orders. Romeo and Juliet were going against their parents and violating the feud when they fell in love. “Romeo and Juliet” became very successful as it contained everything (– romance, violence, revenge) that was needed in a popular and dramatic play. I am going to analyse how Shakespeare conveys all the emotions in this scene and how Act 3 Scene 1 is made dramatically effective.

Act 3 Scene 1 occurs immediately after Romeo and Juliet get married thus explaining Romeo’s happy mood. Juliet talks about how happy she is and uses words like “happiness” and “wealth”. Shakespeare creates a mood for the audience that everything is going well. But it’s a completely different story in Act 3 Scene 1. In the opening of this scene, Benvolio is advising Mercutio to go home as it is very hot and the Capulets are around, “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire; the day is hot, the Capels are abroad, and if we meet we shall not scrape a brawl, For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.”

I think he knows that there will be a fight as violence has been brewing for days. This is a sign of foreshadowing as we know there will be some sort of a fight. Mercutio responds by saying “Thou art like one of those fellows that claps me his sword upon the table and says “God send me no need of thee!”. He is in a bad mood and is taking his anger out on Benvolio saying that he is lecturing Mercutio about not quarrelling when he would fight a man for no reason. He says “Nay and there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other”. This is foreshadowing what will happen as he means someone will get killed if there was a fight. Mercutio says to Benvolio “Thou art as hot as a jack in thy mood as any in Italy”. It’s ironic as Mercutio is actually describing himself and is the complete opposite of Benvolio’s mannerism’s and behaviour. He is not very bothered when Benvolio announces the Capulets have come, “By my heel, I care not.”

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When Tybalt arrives, he addresses Mercutio and Benvolio saying “Gentlemen, good den, a word with one of you.” He is exaggerating his arrogance as he would never use civil terms towards two Montagues. As Mercutio is in an irritating mood, he makes fun of what Tybalt is saying “And but a word with one of us? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow”. Meaning why just talk, let’s have a fight. I believe Mercutio is in a sort of fighting mood. He makes fun of Tybalt when he says he wants to “consortest” with Romeo, ...

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