Romeo and Juliet - Is Act 1 Scene 5 and effective piece of drama

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December 2006                                   English Coursework                                          Romeo and Juliet

Why is Act 1 Scene 5 an effective piece of drama?

The purpose of this coursework is to analyse one of the most famous and moving scenes in William Shakespeare’s playwrights and for sure the most emotional one in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

I will start to give some background information about the play and the social and historical context, afterwards I will continue and try to reflect on the characters, structure and language.

It is always important to take into consideration that Shakespeare was a practical theatre writer having in mind the real Globe Theatre in Bankside.

The evidence suggests that it was a three-story, open-air amphitheatre that could house around 3,000 spectators. The cheapest tickets cost one penny and were in the yard, this was in front of the stage. The balcony housed the musicians and could also be used for scenes requiring an upper space, such as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.

The difference between the theatres today and the special quality was - apart from the buildings - the proximity from the audience and the actors.

 

Everyone was allowed to see Shakespeare’s plays and people liked to see the world of rich families combined with a drama.

The play starts with a prologue where the audience finds the storyline out. The show plays in the Italian city of Verona, where two rich families with their whole household are living. The Capulets and Montagues. These two families are for ages in a feud, none knows exactly when and why this started. This feud ranges from the Lord to the most gentry servant from each household. They like to argue and fight with the hated family.

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The daughters from such  rich families live very protected, they have no close relationship with their parents. The nurse is their closest person, before they get married.  Girls never meet people at the same age. The only opportunity to meet many people are the parties their father give. Like Lord Capulet does in this special scene.

The first reason for this party is to introduce Juliet to Paris – the man he has choosen to be her husband. The marriages are always arranged by their father and the girls are not allowed to choose a husband by ...

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