The murder of Tybalt would have shocked the Elizabethan audience because they have not yet seen Romeo play any part in the feud. He is drawn into the fight against his will, his pride and love for Juliet gives him the power he needs to defeat Tybalt. Romeo's regret immediately after the murder of Tybalt creates dramatic tension. 'I am fortunes fool'. When Romeo realise the consequences of what he has done, the audience realises that he has not only been banished from Verona, but has also has been torn from life itself, 'Heaven is here where Juliet lives.' (Act 3 scene 3, lines 29-30)
The audience's anxiety increases when Romeo threatens to commit suicide.
‘Tell me that I may sack/The hateful mansion'. (Act 3 Scene 3, line 107)
The audience wonders in suspense if the death of Romeo will come so soon in such misguided circumstances.
Juliet, emotionally beside herself, echoes Romeo's actions by threatening to kill herself if this second marriage is not prevented
'with this knife I shall help it presently'.
This shows Juliet’s desperation to be with Romeo and not with Paris. She would rather be 'hidden with a dead man’ and many other abhorrences, to escape this unwanted marriage.
There are several opportunities for the lives of 'Romeo and Juliet' to be taken. For example, Romeo could die in the fight with Tybalt, and Juliet could kill herself with the dagger in the Friar's cell. The audience already knows that the deaths of 'Romeo and Juliet' will come, as foretold in the prologue, but do not know when, guessing as to the time and place. Consequently, continuously building up dramatic tension and suspense.
In Act1 Scene1, a fight breaks out between the servants of the Montagues and the Capulets. ‘I do bite my thumb sir!’ the coarseness of the servant's language contrasts with ‘Romeo and Juliet's’ love affair that is played out against a background of hate. This battle establishes the notion of the age-old feud, ‘Thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets’, helping the audience to understand how serious both houses are about the hatred between them, proving that 'Romeo and Juliet' are not going to have an easy time trying to stay together.
Benvolio attempts to make the peace,
‘Part fools put up your swords’. (Act1 Scene1, lines 55-56)
The prince puts an abrupt end to the battle. ‘Your lives shall pay the forfeit’. The audience wonders how long the family can contain the hatred and violence that they have against each other. In the next outbreak of violence Tybalt kills Mercutio who is then slain by Romeo. Men from both households are looking for trouble. The hot summers day creates tension between the characters and shortens their tempers.
The Capulets assume Juliet pines for Tybalt, not for the banishment of Romeo, and consequently the marriage with Paris is arranged, in order to end her misery.
‘a`Thursday tell her, /she shall be married.’ (Act 3 Scene 4)
A hasty marriage that is quietly introduced adds greater momentum to the pace of events, and the velocity of the play increases, Juliet shows great desperation to escape an unwanted marriage.
Juliet's domineering father sympathises with her over the supposed grief of Tybalt but when Juliet refuses to obey him, he will ‘drag thee on a hurdle thither’ and will repudiate her. Daughters in Elizabethan times would not have had much control as to what happened in their lives. They had no say in where they lived, whom they married, or where they went. An attitude, or culture that is very much reflected in Lord Capulet’s with his daughter.
'Romeo and Juliet', is a play anchored by time and fate. It may have been fate that the illiterate servant of the Capulets asks Romeo to read the party invitation for him. Romeo commits suicide in Juliet’s tomb seconds before the Friar enters, had he come sooner 'Romeo and Juliet' would still be alive. Also, the letter that Friar John fails to deliver so Romeo grieves for Juliet leading to his suicide. The letter gives hope to the audience that Juliet will overcome these tragic events, but when it cannot be delivered, the audience is shocked and emotionally disheartened, because they wish the lovers to prevail.
Certain incidents in the play have a slower pace than others. For example, time stands still when 'Romeo and Juliet' exchange their vows in the orchard. From this moment on the play rapidly speeds up. The Friar paradoxically says
‘wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast.’ (Act 2 Scene 3)
As the play precipitates, the atmosphere intensifies. In Act 2 Scene 5, Shakespeare uses Juliet’s soliloquy as an opportunity to quicken the pace through the language. Many of the phrases included in the soliloquy are time phrases, ‘the clock struck nine’ and ‘wind - swift cupid wings’. Juliet waits in anticipation for the arrival of the nurse with news of Romeo, she curses the nurse’s weariness, she says that the nurse is ‘unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead’. This shows the contrast between the impatience of youth, and the caution of old age. By introducing words that describe the slowness of the nurse immediately after the fast pace Juliet set, the audience can associate with Juliet’s anticipation, creating suspense and dramatic tension.
The pace hastens as major events begin to happen one after the other. The audience is omnipresent; they see ‘Romeo and Juliet’ before and after they met. The couple meet, fall in love, marry and die in the space of five days. These are events which would normally occur over a much longer period of time, nevertheless, tumultuous events conspire to force 'Romeo and Juliet' to hasten their actions This creates tension because the audience witnesses the struggle both characters have to stay together after the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt.
'Romeo and Juliet' die and are destined to symbolise the waste in all divided societies. 'All are punishèd'. ‘Romeo and Juliet's’ deaths are a direct corollary of the hatreds in the society, which they have found themselves. Their deaths make them permanent symbols of the power of love, which is achieved through all adversity.
Shakespeare was aware of the power of individual free will. The characters often ignore the authority of the state, family and church. Daughters should have obeyed their fathers, Mercutio should have obeyed the rules set by the prince. The Friar preaches about the sin of suicide, and yet 'Romeo and Juliet' eventually choose to take that path, in the tomb, to be reunited. The Friar is afraid to be caught in case he is blamed, and held responsible, for the tragedy and deaths of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
‘I dare no longer stay’ (Act 5 Scene 3).
This also shows that the Friar did not care much for the lives of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, because he does not say much to persuade Juliet to follow him out of the tomb.
Shakespeare creates dramatic tension and an atmosphere of suspense, by generating a number of reasons for the deaths of 'Romeo and Juliet'. The lovers are unstoppably impelled through a sequence of events and caught up in circumstances beyond their control. Fate has taken over and the actions they take are written in the stars. It is the pace of events and urgency in the play that creates the apprehensive atmosphere and compelling drama.