How Does Shakespeare Increase Tension in Act Three Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet?
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How does Shakespeare create Tension in Act Three Scene 1 of Rome and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet is the most popular play in history. Its so popular its even been turned in to a musical called “west side story” in 1956.Shakespeare is so popular because instead of using stereotypes of villain and heroes/heroines, he uses individuals. Most people believe Romeo and Juliet was written around 1592 but we cant be too positive about that as it was to far back.
Shakespeare often makes sure at least one of his characters refers to the stars or the moon, as he does in Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 5 where Romeo says “some consequence yet hanging in the stars.”
The idea of violence and hatred are explored a lot during Romeo and Juliet as most of the characters end up dead for reason either linked to violence or love.
The philosophical context of the play is that the forces of love and hate are very strong throughout the play. You have both love and hate during the Capulates party in Act 1 Scene 5 for example the magical moment when Romeo meets Juliet and then they fall in love. This is immediately followed by Tybalts vow “now seeming sweet, convert to bittrest gall”this means he will be nice now but he is going to kill him later.
Romeo and Juliet were destined to die, it was fate as it says in the starting chorus “a pair of star – crossd lovers take their life;” this is also called foreshadowing.
Act 3 Scene 1 has a colossal impact on the audience because it is the first major death in the play, the death of Mercutio. The death was so unexpected because all of the play up to there is romantic. Before Act 3 Scene 1 its all about the love as Romeo meets Juliet and they agree to marry. So the audience who have heard or seen the play will have forgotten that Romeo and Juliet was one of the most tragic love story ever written. So when Mercutio dies the audience will have the look of terror in their eyes from the sudden change of atmosphere, from then on the play is an utter tragedy fated to be.
Act 3 Scene 1 was also very dramatic as this is the Scene of the banishment of Romeo, he gets exiled to Mantua because Tybalt challenges him to a duel but he doesnt want to fight him as he had just married Tybalts cousin (Juliet) on the same day. Backing down from a fight in those days was considered very bad as you were seen as a cowered.
After seeing Romeo publicly embarrass himself by backing down from a fight, Mercutio draws his sword and says to Tybalt “Tybalt, you rat catcher”
This is basically calling Tybalt a peasant. This insult tips Tybalt over the edge causing both Mercutio and Tybalt to die and Romeo to be exiled.
Although Shakespeare has done a lot of foreshadowing like in Act 1 Scene 4 Romeo says ” by some vile forfeit of untimely death.” which means by some bad payment of early death.
The audience couldnt prepare themselves for all the violence and the first major death in the play. As they were lulled into false sense of security by the scenes before this one as they were full of love and romance. Such as the Capulates party were Romeo and Juliet falls in love and the balcony scene were they declare their love for each other and agree to marry.
In Act 3 Scene1 the use of pathetic fallacy is used as Benvolio says “the day is hot”, the word hot is repeated in this Scene as the plot is getting hotter and tempers are starting to boil.
There is a lot of irony used in this Scene as Mercutio describes Benvolio as a man who would start a fight over “.cracking nuts”. Where the truth is that Mercutio is a man like that and Benvolio is a peacemaker.
The irony continues as Benvolio jokes with Mercutio by saying “but the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.” Which means you can but an hour and a quarter of my life, however it is ironic as within an hour and a quarter Mercutio is dead.
The tension of Act 3 Scene 1 is raised when Tybalt enters the stage and Mercutio uses insulting monosyllabic words like “by my heel, I care not” which raises the tension to the audience as the know theres a fight about to happen. What really raises the tension of the audience is when Tybalt calls Mercutio a “minstrel” as in Elizabethan times the word minstrel meant a peasant and calling a noble young Italian this, it is very insulting as in Elizabethan times