Up until Act 3 scene 1 lover’s fortune is steadily increasing however there is foreshadowing of tragedy and violence. Before the Montague’s gate crash the Capulet ball Romeo has a premonition that something bad is going to happen but they decide to go anyway. The Montague’s go to the Capulet ball so Romeo can find a new lover and get over Roseline’s rejection.
Whilst they are at the ball Romeo meets Juliet and as soon as they set eyes on each other they become head over heals in love with each other. Tybalt sees Romeo at the ball and gets so angry that a Montague has gate crashed the party the first thing he thinks about is violence “give me my rapier… this intrusion, now seeming sweet, shall convert to bitterest gall.” Tybalt reacts like this because a Montague, the family they hate, went to a Caplet ball was an insult to there family honour which is a big theme in the play.
Tybalt sends a letter to Romeo challenging him to a fight; we find this out through a discussion between Benvolio and Mercutio “Tybalt, the kinsman of old Capulet, hath sent a letter to his father’s house.” This foreshadows that Tybalt and Romeo are going to fight. Romeo and Juliet get married in secret, which is a good dramatic device because the other characters are unaware of the marriage but the audience does.
Mercutio is an important character in Act 3 Scene 1 but we are first introduced to him before the Capulet ball in the Queen Mab speech. During Act 3 scene 1 we are shown that Mercutio is witty, funny and lively “Thou consort’s with Romeo…” Tybalt asked, “Consort! What dost thou make us minstrels? And thou makes minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddle-stick; here’s that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!” This shows Mercutio playing with Tybalt’s words when he said consort’s meaning are associated, to consort meaning a company of hired musicians. This is how Mercutio provokes Tybalt, this leads to his downfall.
Romeo has a premonition, a dream that something dreadful is going to happen that might even lead to his death “some consequence yet hanging in the stars shall bitterly his fearful date with this nights revels, and expire the term of a despised life clos’d in my breast by some vile forfeit of untimely death.” This introduces a note of foreboding and is just like Romeo’s premonition earlier in the play. Romeos premonition can be linked to Juliet’s premonition that darkens the atmosphere making it sorrow. In Act 1 scene 5 at the Capulet ball there is a juxta position of love and hate. We also see the potential for a tragedy.
At the beginning of act 3 scene 1 you have Benvolio and Mercutio talking to each other and Benvolio is getting scared that the Capulet’s might come “I pray thee good Mercutio, lets retire: the day is hot, the Capels are abroad, and if we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl, for now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” This creates tension because Benvolio hints that something is going to happen. We learn more about the character of Benvolio and that he is a peacemaker which is seen in Act 1 Scene 1.
When Tybalt enters, the mood of the play changes from peace to hate and violence, the opposite to Benvolio who wants peace between the families. When Romeo enters the scene, the atmosphere changes because Romeo doesn’t want to fight because he has just married Juliet. This makes Romeo have to love Tybalt because he is now family.
Tybalt tries to fight Romeo but he won’t and this annoys and surprises Mercutio because Romeo isn’t defending his family name so he chooses to fight Tybalt for him “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!” Tybalt kills Mercutio and as Mercutio dies his last words are “a plague o’ both your houses!” which is his curse, ill fortune on the Capulet’s and the Montague’s and a dying mans words was thought to be powerful. He blames the families in contrast he blames Romeo for getting in-between him and Tybalt so Tybalt could fatally wound him.
After Mercutio dies Tybalt runs away but he has just killed Romeos best friend. Romeo gets really angry that his best friend had been murdered so he chases after Tybalt. When he catches up with him he challenges him to fight. Tybalt being as honourable to his family name as he could, he accepts. They fight and Romeo kills Tybalt but Romeo isn’t happy with what he has done “O, I am Fortune’s fool.” He says this because he has just killed his wife’s cousin and now he is going to be punished for killing Tybalt as well.
The effect of Romeo’s banishment is Romeo and Juliet are split apart and Juliet nearly gets married to Paris but she pretends to kill herself to stop the wedding and be with Romeo. But Romeo doesn’t get the message that she is faking the death and thinks she is really dead so he kills himself to be with her in death. She wakes up and sees him dying next to her so she kills herself as well. If Romeo wasn’t banished then he and Juliet would still be together, Juliet would not have to marry Paris and fake her own death.
I think act 3 scene 1 is important and affects the play by splitting up the two main characters Romeo and Juliet. This stops the love theme and leads to many dramatic things to happen. Also when Mecutio gets killed he puts a curse on the families giving them both bad fortune like when the message about Juliet faking her death doesn’t get to Romeo and they both kill themselves.
