A big part of family honour was street fights because it was a way of dealing with disputes. Also the law and order was extremely weak, which meant that some fights were often quite lethal.
This scene fits in to the play as a whole, as it is the great turning point. Where all the things that the audience has dreaded occurs and from this point onwards, the audience realises that the whole story, plot and situation changes. For example, when Romeo kills Tybalt, the audience knows that his relationships will never be the same. We get the evidence in these scenes that categorise this play as a tragedy.
Shakespeare uses dramatic devices within the scene to interest, involve and affect the audience. The methods Shakespeare uses to create mood and atmosphere at the start of the scene are dramatic irony and change from relative calm to an atmosphere of tension. We notice this when Mercutio teases Benvolio about his argumentative and moody nature, when really it is Mercutio who is like this. Shakespeare shows us in his next speech how hot headed he can be: “Thou art as hot a jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.”
By doing this the audience is given specific examples of what Mercutio is likely to do, a form of foreshadowing, which of course we then see examples of as the scene progresses. “And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow.” He is the one who becomes aggressive not Tybalt.
The way Shakespeare contrasts the mood of this scene with the romantic atmosphere of the previous scene, is that in the previous scene the mood is happy, as Romeo and Juliet have been united in the bond of marriage. In the next scene; act 3 scene 1; we see Mercutio and Benvolio who are alone but are soon joined by the Capulets, which is where all the tension starts.
It is contrasted as the romance is followed up by tension and hate. He juxtaposes the innocence and the beauty of the marriage scene with hate and tension in the fight scene. “In my behalf, my reputation stained with Tybalt’s slander – Tybalt, that an hour hath been my cousin. O sweet Juliet thy beauty hath made me effeminate and in my temper softened valour’s steel!”
This links up two scenes as it clearly states in this quote that he had a very happy relationship with Juliet but the change from relative calm to the atmosphere of tension means that there is a drastic change in Romeo’s behavior and mood.
The scene links to previous events in the play, as the feud between the Capulets and the Montague’s is linked to Romeo and Tybalt’s fight and the previous public brawls, also it refers back to the princes warnings that Romeo tried to warn Mercutio and Tybalt about. “Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath forbid this bandying in Verona streets…” This means that there was a previous incident like this that the prince forbade.
Dramatic irony in this part of the scene is shown when the audience knows that Romeo and Juliet have just been married and most of the characters are not aware of this, apart from Romeo, Juliet, the nurse and Friar Lawrence. Romeo does not wish to fight Tybalt as Tybalt is now part of his family, and is also Juliet’s cousin. Romeo expresses his love for him in the hope that the fight could be averted. “Tybalt the reason I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain I am none…”
However it becomes unexpected for the audience when Romeo kills Tybalt as it is an event that should not have taken place.
The conflict between the Capulets and the Montague’s means that the audience would not have expected a Capulet’s daughter and a Montague’s son to fall in love, despite knowing that both families are sworn enemies. Juliet is well aware of this as she says “my only love sprang from my only hate!” They both know the fates of their families and what causes a huge impact on the audience is the fact that both families want to kill each other on one hand and Romeo and Juliet who are willing to sacrifice and give their lives up for each other on the other hand.
Another incident is when Mercutio and Tybalt fight, Mercutio, who is neither a Montague or Capulet, dies trying to get Romeo to fight, which ends up in him fighting Tybalt himself. This causes tense moments for the audience as it is a really fierce battle, and they know that one of them will eventually get seriously hurt. This incident causes Mercutio to lose his life and he departs cursing both houses. “A plague o’ both your houses!”
The effect of this repetition and the dramatic irony used has a great impact on the audience as they are left bewildered. This is because Romeo seems to think that Mercutio is joking and playing around and does not take him seriously, whereas the audience realize that Mercutio is badly wounded and they wait with baited breath until his final moment is up.
There is dramatic impact in the entrances and exits, particularly those involving Mercutio’s death, Tybalt enters the scene with an air of confidence and bravery, however we see this change when he is scared and disturbed after his stabbing of Mercutio leads Mercutio to his death, and that’s when he exits. Another of such incidents is when Romeo enters the same scene extremely happy – fresh from his marriage with Juliet, but unfortunately leaves angry and sad, cursing fate when Tybalt is killed at the hands of him. “O I am fortunes fool.”
After this particular incident the arrival of the Prince and the angry citizens shifts the focus of the play to a different sort of public sphere.
The use of Benvolio as a narrator shows that the story and the way he narrated was not one sided or biased, either from a view of Capulet or Montague. He was shown to be a calm and quiet person and in search of peace. “I do but keep the peace…”
He didn’t like conflict and tried to prevent fights and although his friend Romeo was a Montague and so was he, he did not lie or blame everything on to Tybalt. “There lies the man, slain by young Romeo, that slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio…”
This proves that Benvolio is a truthful and honest person. This is appropriate as the audience knows that this is a person they can rely on and the audience get involved in the story as they know that Benvolio is a reliable person, which is shown constantly through out the play.
The way the plot development in this scene is used to create suspense, using the repetition of the phrase “a plague on both your houses” and the use of puns. These create suspense as phrases said by Mercutio (“A scratch, a scratch.” “They have made worms meat out of me.” “Ask for me tomorrow and I will be a grave man.”)
Tell us that he is not being entirely truthful as the audience knows that his wound is quite deep, although he continues to laugh and joke. Also worms’ meat simply means dead meat, which shows that he is trying to say that they have made meat out of him and that he will be a man in the grave when they ask for him tomorrow. This creates suspense as the audience advances on to the part where they wait with baited breath, till the moment of tension passes, i.e. Mercutio’s death. When Mercutio says on the verge of death “ a plague on both your houses,” the audiences knows and feels the suspense and the concern, this is because Mercutio who is a comic and amusing character, suddenly becomes serious and this worries the audience and the characters.
Act 3 scene1 is such a dramatic and important scene in the play; overall this scene affects the audience as the atmosphere and the mood in this scene is extremely tense, with many of the characters having high tempers and raging to fight. This makes the audience await the suspense, as they crave to know what happens next and what more trouble and suspense is going to follow. It also involves the audience and creates an atmosphere where the audience experiences the feelings of the characters and get involved in the events that take place in the scenes, which bring out their emotions.
Act 3 scene 1, is made the turning point in the play as it changes the whole atmosphere of the play. As the whole story passes through the fights and brawls of the two families, although none of them are serious or lethal. It is the turning point because, as the play advances on to bringing the two families closer through Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, an unfortunate barrier is placed in between them again and the hatred aroused is more tense and fiery, this happens when Romeo kills Tybalt for vengeance. This makes a turning point because the audience knows that the situation and the relations between the characters will never be the same.
The Prince’s words at the end of the play involve and interest the members of the audience. As the prince at this point announces the fate of Romeo and the audience awaits many tense moments to know what will happen to Romeo and what will be the outcome of Romeo and Juliet’s love. Also the expression of the Prince and how he is feeling, due to the loss of his kinsman Mercutio, is very important, as it could make a difference in his final judgment in Romeo’s sentence. “Let Romeo hence in haste, else when he is found that hour is his last. Bear hence this body, and attend will. Mercy but murder pardoning those that kill.”
My opinion of this particular scene is that, it is a very touching and emotional scene, where many of the characters face tragedy. I think that it is a very strong and emotionally powerful scene, especially with the ways the dialogues is structured with exquisite rhyming techniques and the repetition. To me the play has been very successful and appreciated throughout the ages, and is one of the many controversial pieces I have known from William Shakespeare.
