Romeo And Juliet Act 1 Scene 5

Throughout this scene there are moods of excitement, romance and danger. These moods help the audience react in certain ways to the play. These moods also give us clues to what will happen later on in the play.

At the start of the scene we see the servants running around frantically trying to complete the last minute touches to the house so that the party will go smoothly. The audience can see that a significant moment in the storyline is approaching because of the eagerness of the servants to make sure everything is perfect.

The stage directions say, “hurry about the stage.” One servant orders another servant to “be brisk,” and at the end of the lines there are exclamation lines. All these quotations help create an exciting atmosphere. This continues when Old Capulet is welcoming his guests. He makes jokes to the guests, followed by laughter and dancing.

He also continues the rushing, frantic mood that the servants conveyed earlier, by ordering them about on stage.

He tells them to “quench the fire” and shouts “more light, you knaves!” His lines also conclude with exclamation marks, once again emphasizing that the atmosphere is exciting. This shows the audience that a party is about to happen and that there will be an important meeting between the two children.

When Romeo and Juliet first talk to each other they speak a sonnet. A sonnet was a very popular verse form in the Elizabethan age, often used, by Shakespeare for love poems. Shakespeare uses the sonnet form with rhyming couplets to emphasise the love and romantic nature of the scene.

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It creates an atmosphere of romance. Both Romeo and Juliet speak in metaphors about saints and pilgrims, yet they both understand what each other is saying to each other. This shows the audience that Romeo and Juliet have a certain kind of bond and their minds work in similar ways. It suggests to us that they are deeply in love already. This part of the scene is in complete contrast with the rest of the scene. The start of scene five is busy and frantic. The sonnet which Romeo and Juliet share between them is self-contained. It is almost as if time has stopped still. This helps create an atmosphere of romance.

We as the audience completely forget about the hustle and bustle and our emotions are drawn into this love scene. The audience is also thinking about how immature Romeo is. Only an hour ago he was in love with another woman, Rosaline. On Romeo’s first sight of Juliet he says “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!” Clearly even the smallest thought of Rosaline has vanished from his mind. At this first sight, Romeo uses many similes describing Juliet as a number of different things. He is very corny and cheesy and has a set way of describing women and knows how to win their hearts. He is only a teenage boy and we assume that he has fallen in and out of love many times. It is quite probable that he does not even know what love actually is.

The audience is filled with tension and excitement when Tybalt over hears Romeo talking. Tybalt declares, “This by his voice, should be a Montague”. He fills up with rage and shouts “Fetch me my rapier”. With this the audience are sitting on the edge of their seats. Old Capulet shouts at Tybalt for causing a scene and wanting to start a fight with Romeo. This is quite ironic because Old Capulet, himself, is causing a scene by shouting at fiery Tybalt. Old Capulet uses bad language to Tybalt and is extremely rude, showing how angry he is. He calls him a “goodman boy”, a “saucy boy” and a “princox.” This telling off from Capulet creates and atmosphere of excitement and danger. We, as the audience, feel that maybe the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is a mistake. We see how angry Tybalt is to see Romeo at the party, and we dread to think what he would do if he found out about their romance. When the lovers first fall in love, it is the exact same time as Tybalt notices Romeo. The differing reactions of both Capulet and Tybalt are the main creators of the tension. It makes the audience tense, as they know how Tybalt and Romeo are foes. Romeo’s presence intices Tybalt he feels as though his masculine honour has been threatened, even challenged and as if Romeo is mocking him. This annoys Tybalt, as has a very short-tempered personality.

After Tybalt gets his scolding from Old Capulet he says some very threatening, harmful words, which make us see a glimpse of what will happen later on in the play. Tybalt says “but this intrusion shall/Now seemingly sweet convert to bitterest gall.” He is saying that the presence of Romeo seems quite harmless at the moment however it will change to a bitter scenario. This gives us a clue that maybe the reason Romeo and Juliet end up so tragically is partly to be blamed on Tybalt. Later on in the play this turns out to be true. Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo, in a rage, and gets his revenge on Tybalt. These events end up with Romeo’s banishment. At the end of the scene Juliet says, “My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” What she thinks she is saying is that she will die if she cannot marry him. However, we know that at the end they both die together in the Capulet tomb.

This may or may not be clear to the audience however it is an undercurrent of danger. The audience already know that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to death but they are given an insight into the events leading up to their death and which people have a part to play i.e. Tybalt. At the end of this scene the two lovers find out whom they have fallen in love with. They both react badly realising how fatal this relation is. Juliet says, “My only love sprung from my only hate.” Romeo says, “O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” Both their reactions remind us about the tragic ending and how their relationship is dangerous.