Shakespeare uses oxymoron’s to describe Romeo’s love for Rosaline. When Romeo falls in love with Juliet, Shakespeare uses more romantic language. The audience may get the impression that Romeo wasn’t really in love with Rosaline as Romeo was overdramatic whereas when he fell in love with Juliet he seemed more genuine.
Juliet feels that she had no control over falling in love with Romeo. Juliet describes falling in love as ‘my only love sprung from my only hate’. The audience can see that Juliet feels that she had no choice over whether or not she fell in love.
Love prepares the audience for the final scene by Romeo and Juliet’s attitudes to love being negative, therefore the audience can see that the end of the play is likely to be negative.
The theme of death is introduced in the prologue. The prologue explains that Romeo and Juliet’s love is ‘death-marked’. From this the audience will know that their love is not going to last long and when it does end it will result in death.
Death is mentioned throughout the play. In Act 2, Friar Lawrence says ‘these violent delights, have violent ends’. The audience will not be surprised by this because of the prologue, but it does enable the audience to think about how Romeo and Juliet die as the word ‘violent’ is mentioned.
Shakespeare makes references to death in every act of the play. The references become more intense towards the final scene. In Act 5, Scene 1, Romeo says ‘I dreamt my lady came and found me dead’. The audience is gradually building up a bigger picture of the final scene and they can see that Romeo is unstable.
Death prepares the audience for the final scene by letting the audience know that Romeo and Juliet’s love is ‘death-marked’. Throughout the play references to death give the audience a larger insight into the final scene.
The theme of fate is also introduced in the prologue, as the lovers are described as being ‘star-crossed’. The audience will be able to tell that Romeo and Juliet were not destined to be together.
The characters do not have control over the events that finally happen as it happened due to fate.
Romeo and Juliet both have dreams or premonitions. In act 3, Scene 5, Juliet had a premonition – ‘methinks I see thee now, thou art so low/ As one dead in the bottom of the tomb’. This is a premonition she has about Romeo. Romeo has a dream in Act 5, Scene 1 – ‘I dreamt my lady came and found me dead’. This builds up a picture of the final scene and prepares the audience.
There are many unlucky events that lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo killing Tybalt is one, as this results in Romeo being ‘banished to Mantua’, which leads to Juliet becoming suicidal and the events which happen in the final scene. Also, Friar John’s failure to give Romeo the letter is another event which leads to the deaths as Romeo doesn’t know the plan and gets the wrong news (that Juliet has died), which results in him killing himself.
Shakespeare prepares the audience for tragic events in many ways; some of the key ways are in the prologue, premonitions and dreams as these inform the audience of what will happen.
The audience may feel upset, tearful and worried during the final scene. Shakespeare has chosen to end like this as it is a memorable ending as most plays end happily and although the last part of the final scene is happy majority of the final scene isn’t.
