Romeo And Juliett
Essay Preview: Romeo And Juliett
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How does Shakespeare shape our response to the lovers first meeting in
Act 1 Scene 5?
Romeo and Juliet is a play based around two lovers, who have been brought up into families undergoing an ancient feud (the feud is between the Montague family and the Capulet family). The play is set in Verona in Italy and was written by an English play writer call William Shakespeare, in 1595-1596. Shakespeare was given the idea for this play from a poem named “The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet” by Arthur Brooke. Shakespeare then took the general story line of this poem and changed it into a popular play, which has lived on through the ages.
Shakespeare used many techniques in this play to prepare the viewing audience for the lover first meeting. His techniques set the mood of the play and related to what was happening. It is important to remember however, that the techniques Shakespeare used in this play was very popular at the time it was written, it would fill in for the lack of special effects.
Shakespeare opens the play with a prologue (a typical technique used in tragedies), which would be preformed by the chorus and was told in order to give the audience a brief outline of the play. Shakespeare would have used this in his plays to inform the audience of what was happening and get them excited for the forthcoming play. The prologue was preformed in a sonnet, which consists of 14 lines and 10 syllables per line. This was very popular in Shakespeares day (Elizabethan times).
The prologue states that there are two families equally “alike in dignity” who make “new mutiny” from an “ancient grudge”. In this prologue Romeo and Juliet are described as “a pair of star-crossd lovers” who “take their lives” This is important, as the audience in Shakespeares day, believed that the stars foretold your destiny and whatever the stars foretold could not be changed. So as a result we know that, these two lovers will fall in love and will take their lives as a result of their families feud. Shakespeare uses word such as “foe” “mutiny” “rage” and “lovers” to set the mood for the forthcoming play and the lovers first meeting.
The opening of the first scene in Romeo and Juliet is a fight scene, which starts as a result of, some of the servants of the two families getting into an argument. This scene is a strong reminder of the violence about to unfold in the play; an officer gives his view of the violence by saying “Clubs, bills and partisans! Strike! Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!” this language would have only have been used in a tragedy. This scene also revels the true hatred between the two families, in which the two lovers would soon have to endure. During the fight in the opening scene Shakespeare introduces two characters of different qualities. One of these characters is Benvolio who is part of the Montague family and is Romeos cousin; the other is Tybalt who is part of the Capulet family and is Juliets cousin. (We also get our first glimpse of Romeo.)
Benvoilo is immediately seen as a responsible character and tries to stop the fight “I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me.” Where as Tybalt is always up for a fight and tries to let it continue “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee.” We immediately see Tybalt as a troublemaker and someone who is always up for a fight.
The prince stops the fight and threatens the two families by saying “If you ever disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.”
The prince automatically resets the mood of the play reminding the audience that the play is based on love and not of violence.
After the fight we hear conversation between Romeos parents and Benvolio, which is over the unusual behaviour of Romeo. We find out that Romeo is upset and shielding himself from the world in order to grieve. When Romeo speaks to his cousin Benvolio he explains that he is still in love with a woman named Rosaline, however the audience assume Romeo is in “courtly love” which is not true love. We can tell this because; Romeo is over dramatic with his feelings towards Rosaline, saying “O brawling love! O loving hate.” This is very dramatic.
Romeos speech is also filled with many oxymorons which shows he is contradicting himself by saying words such as “bright smoke” “cold fire” “feather of lead” “sick health”. Both sets of words have different meanings, which shows Romeo is confused.
I believe Shakespeare would have added Romeos feelings towards Rosaline in the play, to make the lovers first meeting seem more romantic and real, as Romeo would have changed his feeling for Rosaline, just by meeting Juliet.
In scene two we see meet a new character in the play, who-although is not an important character-helps us shape our response to the lovers first meeting. The characters name is Paris and the scene starts with him asking Capulet for his daughters hand in marriage. It is important to remember that in Elizabethan times rich families would arrange their daughters marriage, to suitable wealthy men. Capulet however, hesitates to give up his daughter, as Juliet is his only child; he also thinks Juliet is too young to be married “My child is yet a stranger to the world” because of this he will let Juliet decide weather to go through with the marriage. The audience knows by this that Capulet cares for his daughter very much. Capulet then decides to host a masked party, which would be an opportunity for Paris and Juliet to meet. Capulet sends a servant out with a guest list for the party.
Romeo and Benvolio enter the scene, and by luck the two of them come across Capulets servant who ask them for help in reading the guess list for the party. Romeo sees Rosalines name on the list so as a result decides to gatecrash the party; Benvolio is convinced that he will be able to show Romeo, women that are more beautiful then Rosaline at this party “compare her face with some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow” However Romeo is convinced that Rosaline is the most beautiful thing ever to walk the planet “one fairer than my love! The all seeing sun neer saw her match since first the world begun.” This speech is a reminder to the audience of Romeos immaturity and courtly love.
I believe Shakespeare included Paris in the