Throughout the whole play we are constantly reminded of how strongly felt Juliet’s family are of their religion. Evidence of this can be seen at many points during the play. For instance, Juliet time after time, goes to the church seeking Friar Lawrence’s advice. In Juliet’s eyes, Friar Lawrence is someone she can ask questions and receive the replies she’s in aid to hear. To show how religious Juliet and her family are, in her bedroom there are two main props, a bible and an ornament. The bible to show her commitment to God and the ornament to emphasise her own personal beliefs in God.
Time is important in the play as a whole because the scene is played out during two days. Above the arch is an electronic time display. Its purpose is to show a more accurate time of the day. What’s more, it communicates the idea that the family is modern.
My set design is spacious to enable several props to be placed around the room. To create the idea that the family is rich and wealthy there are a number of props, these are: Van Gogh sunflower painting, two 18th century vases, a 21st century television set with PS2 built-in, a modern wooden floor and a gold jewellery box. In addition, I’ve tried to show how high their security levels would be by connecting up security CCTV cameras. This shows how powerful the family is as a whole. All the other props aim to show wealth and the high standard of living that the Capulet’s have.
Some people believe that fate is ‘hidden in the stars’ and control our lives. From evidence taken from the play we’re made aware that Juliet believes in fate,
“Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars”
To emphasise this to the audience a magazine with the page about horoscopes is on view. Furthermore with their being gemstones and moon phase items around the room, the audience should get the impression of Juliet’s belief in fate.
The characters costumes in this scene are of much importance if the audience are to notice the different status of the characters. For Lord Capulet, he would be wearing a long robe of gold and tonnes of jewellery around his neck, wrists and large gold rings on every other finger. He would wear high shoes to gain the extra height to emphasise the importance of Capulet and his place in the family hierarchy. Lady Capulet should wear a black silky dress and have a huge necklace of diamonds hanging from her neck. She would be wearing stylish shoes to emphasise her position of hierarchy in the family. When choosing the costume for the nurse, I would want her to look quite formally dressed to emphasise to the audience how rich the family are. She should wear an overall with a dress. The costume should be black and white to communicate the idea of opposite opinions during the scene. Finally, Juliet would wear a strong red dress to symbolise the love dilemma she has. She should wear minimal jewellery to emphasise how she is has not as much importance in the family as to her parents.
Near the beginning of Act 3, Scene 5 Lady Capulet uses persuasive language to encourage Juliet to agree to marry Paris. For instance:
“joyful tidings’, and ‘sudden day of joy”
However, Juliet rejects any say of the matter. She reacts very determinly and aggressively by saying:
“He shall not make thee there a joyful bride”
The audience are now aware of her feelings towards the marriage. The actress playing Juliet should keep full eye contact wit Lady Capulet and her body language should show a strong, single-minded character.
At this point, the audience would sympathise with Juliet due to the position she’s been put in. They have seen her fall in love and yet she has no choice but to obey her parents and marry Paris. The audience should see from Juliet’s facial expression that she is confused and overwhelmed by her dilemma. In addition, I would have a powerful light shining on Juliet to create anxiety for the audience to notice. Lady Capulet should seem shocked by her daughter’s revelations. Almost as if she can’t be bothered to continue her argument with Juliet, she responds by saying:
“Here comes your father; tell him yourself”
I would try to make the tone of Lady Capulet’s voice seem as though it’s a threat towards Juliet, purposely to scare her. Her body language would suggest that it is Juliets problem now, and to sort it out with her father.
When Capulet enters, the audience will be worried about how he will take the news of Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris. Therefore, the manner in which Capulet strolls into the room is crucial to later see the difference in reaction. I would want him to seem very joyful and carefree. This is because he feels he’s been a noble father by finding a wealthy and young man for Juliet to marry.
As Juliet is upset over Romeo’s departure and uncertainty over whether she’ll ever see him again, Capulet suggests that Juliet is crying over the death of Tybalt. Lord Capulet attempts to comfort his daughter by saying:
“How now, a conduit, girl? What, still in tears?”
This shows Lord Capulet’s fatherly concern towards his daughter. At this stage in the scene, I would make sure that Capulet was in some w ay supporting Juliet, possibly by having his arm around her, hugging her, or stroking her face for comfort. Anyway in which will show affection from Capulet towards Juliet.
Capulet then asks his wife,
“Have you delivered to her our decree?”
In Lady Capulet’s reply, she creates more drama. “I would the fool were married to her grave”. This shows how important Juliet’s refusal is and how her parents are so quick to abandon her. For the audience to notice, I would have Lady Capulet straight after having said her reply, turn and slowly walk in the opposite direction of her daughter allowing Capulet to become the key figure of that part of the scene.
At first, Capulet would seem quite calm and trying to understand what he’s just heard. The first questions he asks are formal such as “Doth she not give us thanks? Is she not proud?” Capulet at this point would be angrily asking these questions and finding it very hard to take in. The audience at this point would be able to see Capulet resisting an outburst of anger by his facial expressions. He’d be twitching his fingers and walking back and forwards, stopping at every time he spoke.
Capulet continues to argue with his daughter but Juliet tries hard to explain that she thanks him for the gesture but that she won’t be accepting it. Capulet replies by threatening Juliet that she will “go with Paris to Saint Peter’s church” even if he has to “drag thee on a hurdle thither”.
He would say this in an angrily manner and I’d have him waving his arms around to emphasise his frustration to the audience. This is the first sign of violence towards Juliet since Capulet showed a fatherly concern. He would speak the words “drag thee on a hurdle thither” in a stronger tone voice to create a tense atmosphere. At this point in the scene, Juliet would be on the floor at her father’s feet begging for forgiveness.
Following on from these threats he begins to insult his daughter by calling her a “tallow-face” and “a young baggage”. He should shout these insults to her with full eye contact to show his explosion of anger towards Juliet. The audience should be so involved in the scene that they feel for Juliet’s safety. This should be achieved by Capulet’s rage towards Juliet. There would be a vase on a shelf to the side of the door which he would throw at Juliet to create a violent atmosphere. Furthermore he’d punch the walls in frustration and shout at the top of his voice to increase the tension. A few lines on Capulet creates an image of violence by saying that “his fingers itch”, almost as if he was on the brink of hitting Juliet.
Capulet even goes as far to say that having Juliet was a mistake and that “We have a curse in having her”. The moment he finishes speaking, all characters would turn and look at Capulet in disbelief to what he has just said. By doing this, the audience will be able to see the reactions of the other characters.
Throughout the play we have seen the nurse and Juliet develop a strong relationship. The nurse feels that Juliet doesn’t deserve the treatment she is receiving and so tries to stick up for Juliet by saying to Capulet “you are to blame, my lord, to rate her so”. Capulet takes no notice of the nurses input into the conversation and responds in an ill tempered manner by saying “peace, you mumbling fool!” Whilst saying this, the character playing Capulet should almost dismiss the nurse as a “gossip” and make it clear how the nurse has nothing to do with the dilemma between Juliet and her father.
Having patronised the nurse and insulted his daughter vigorously, Lady Capulet feels that her husband needs to calm down. She tells him that he is “too hot” and angry. Lady Capulet should speak in a concerning tone voice and speak as a strong whisper. But instead of taking on board his wife’s advice he begins to be even more furious and reaches his ultimatum.
Lord Capulet tries to explain his temper with:
“God’s bread, it makes me mad Day, night, work, play, Alone, in company, still my care hath been to have her matched”
This should be spoke quite slowly (for the audience to notice) and with passion, the character’s just found a reliable young man for his daughter to marry but has found out that she’d refused to marry Paris. The character would be feeling awful and that he has failed at being a father. The audience should get the impression that Lord Capulet has only ever thought of his daughter’s happiness and that having it chucked back in his face must have been very disobedient and insulting on Juliet’s behalf. Especially when considering the time period in which the play was set, the parents were supposed to be respected and obeyed.
Capulet erupts and conveys his feelings towards Juliet’s ungratefulness. He gives Juliet and ultimatum – that unless she marries Paris, he will “ne’er acknowledge her”. There should be a long pause following on from this being said to create drama and tension between the characters. Capulet carries on to say that what isn’t his “shall never do thee good”. I would ask the actor playing Capulet to speak this in a strong toned voice, purposely to remind Juliet what she’s risking to lose if she refuses to marry Paris. As soon as Capulet has ended his ultimatum, he should leave the room in an angry manner, with little respect for his daughter. The audience should have a totally contradicted view of Capulet since his entrance when he seemed very fatherly concerned over his daughter.
Juliet makes a final plea to her mother “O sweet mother, cast me not away”, whilst saying this Juliet should be at her mothers feet begging. Juliet’s body language should show disbelief to how her father came to give her an ultimatum by looking at the ground and unable to look at her mother. Even her suicide threat “make the bridal bed in that dim monument where Tybalt lies” makes an impact on Lady Capulet. At the precise moment Juliet finishes her threat, I would have Lady Capulet looking down at Juliet on the floor, with disgust and shame. She would then walk off looking straight forward, leaving her daughter in tears.
Juliet is then left alone with the nurse. From scenes beforehand, the audience have become aware of the two characters very close relationship. Therefore the audience would expect the nurse to stand by Juliet during her dilemma. Instead, she abandons her and suggests that she marries “with the County”. She adds how “he’s a lovely gentleman!” This is the first time that the nurse has not stood by Juliet in her desperate time of need. The way in which I would get the reactions from both characters is that Juliet’s face would dictate what she is thinking. Juliet at this stage hasn’t even considered the nurse letting her down, it’s almost as if no one will trust her and support her. She shows how dearly she needs the nurse “Comfort me, counsel me”. Therefore, Juliet’s facial expressions are very important. She would seem lost and shocked to have listened to the nurse agree with Lord Capulet. The nurse probably is only trying to persuade Juliet to marry Paris due to over stepping the mark earlier on, simply to keep her job. For this reason, she should seem nervous when Juliet asks, “Speak’st thou from thy heart?” She would make direct eye contact for a second and then look away as soon as finished her response.
Juliet realises how her trust with the nurse has ended so doesn’t feel badly when lying to her, by saying that she will “marry, and this is wisely done”. Following on from this, Juliet has a soliloquy, making clear to the audience how she is feeling “O most wicked fiend”. She feels betrayed by the nurse. She should be shaking her head at this point in disgust. Juliet continues on to say that “if all else fail, myself have power to die”. This is the ending sentence of the scene and I would want the actress to sound out the last word “die” to create suspense leading into the next act.
