Discuss The Importance Of Act Three, Scene 5. How Does Shakespeare Use Dramatic Devices In Order To Make It Such An Interesting And Important Scene?
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Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a tragic love story. The story concerns the love between two young people, Romeo and Juliet. This is set against a feud between their two families: the Montagues and the Capulets. This feud develops the themes of conflict, deception and dignity in the play. The play includes a lot of themes, love, family, hate, deception and revenge.
In the Elizabethan period, women were subordinate to men. They were considered to be inferior beings who were controlled by their husbands, fathers or any other men in the family. Women were not allowed to hold their own opinions, views or lifestyles. Men had control of everything, some of these included money, politics, work, children, women and home.
The scene Act 3 Scene 5 is where Romeo and Juliet have spent the night together and Romeo is forced to leave because of his banishment from Verona. The nurse and Lord and Lady Capulet come in. They tell Juliet that her wedding with County Paris is next Thursday at St. Peters church. She refuses because she is already married to Romeo but her parents do not know this. She then receives insults and threats from her parents; once they leave Juliet finds out that the nurse has turned against her as well so now she is on her own.
The scene starts with a loving interaction between Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is trying to persuade Romeo not to leave saying that it is still night by referring to the background scenery:
“It was the nightingale and not the lark that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear.”
Romeo contradicts Juliet saying that it is the lark – the bird of morning:
“It was the lark, the herald of the morn.”
Just before Romeo leaves the dialogue goes into rhyming couplets, showing the audience there is a strong connection between Romeo and Juliet.
Juliet: “Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray,
Hunting thee hence with hunts-up to the day.
O now be gone, more light and light it grows.”
Romeo: “More light and light, more dark and dark our woes”
The atmosphere changes with the hasty entrance of the nurse, showing that there is urgency and this creates a dramatic effect. She says that Lady Capulet is coming to Juliets chamber. She then leaves the stage. This also creates dramatic build-up, the audience questions whether Romeo and Juliet will be found out.
As Romeo and Juliet say goodbye, their utterances end with many exclamation marks, with Juliet uttering O. This repetition emphasises the love between Romeo and Juliet. Quotes to show this are:
Juliet: “O by this count I shall be much in years
Ere I again behold my Romeo!”
Romeo: “Farewell!
Juliet: “O thinkst thou we shall ever meet again?
“O God, I have an ill-divining soul!”
Romeo: “Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu!”
This repetition emphasises the love between Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare introduces the use of dramatic irony into the play. Dramatic irony is when the audience know more than the characters on the stage. Lady Capulet thinks Juliet is crying because of cousin Tybalts death but the audience really know that she is crying about Romeos departure:
Lady Capulet: “Evermore weeping for your cousins death?
And if thou couldst not make him live;
Therefore have done. Some grief shops much of love;
But much grief shows still some want of wit.”
Lady Capulet wants to have revenge on Romeo for killing Tybalt. She continuously refers to Romeo as a villain and uses threats against him. She plans to send someone to him and poison him in his food and drink.
Lady Capulet:
“We will have vengeance for it, fear thou not;
Then weeps no more. Ill send one in Mantua,
Where that same banished runagate doth live,
Shall give him such an unaccustomed dram
That he shall soon keep Tybalt company”
This shows that there is much hate for Romeo in the Capulet household apart from Juliet, who she loves. This creates a lot of tension and coldness in the atmosphere.
Lady Capulet reveals to Juliet that her wedding with County Paris is arranged next Thursday at St. Peters church. Lady Capulet says this in a happy way expecting Juliet to be proud and thrilled by the news.
Lady Capulet: “Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn,
The gallant, young, and noble gentlemen,
The County Paris at Saint Peters church,
Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.”
Juliet is struck by this news and is not happy but is also worried because she is already married to Romeo and she will therefore become unfaithful if she marries Paris. Again this is dramatic irony.
Juliet: “Now by Saint Peters church and Peter too,
He shall not make me there a joyful bride.
I wonder at this haste, that I must wed”
Juliet is clearly not happy because of her raise in tone and anger about this and refuses to marry Paris. Lady Capulet is surprised by her daughters reply so she tells Juliet to say it to her father.
Lady Capulet: “Here comes your father, tell him so yourself;
And see how he will take it at your hands.”
Lord Capulet enters hears the news of Juliets refusal. He then thinks that Juliet is ungrateful and not proud about everything that she receives.
Lord Capulet: “How,