Dramatic Tension in Romeo and Juliet

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Examine how Shakespeare creates dramatic tension at the lovers’ first meeting in Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet. How easy is it to relate to them?

Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most important scenes in the play because it is the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet. The play is fundamentally about two families: the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. It is during Act 1 Scene 5 where they first fall in love; however, they’re unaware that they are from their rival families, which creates dramatic tension. From the very beginning, the prologue informs us that this play is going to be a tragedy; therefore we know that this will create tension within the scene because we are told that when Romeo and Juliet first meet, they will become: ‘Star crossed lovers’. We know that this is condemned love because it goes on to say: ‘Take their life’ and ‘death mark’d love’.

The tension is already built up before Romeo and Juliet first meet; Shakespeare shows his infatuation with Rosaline with this quotation: “Well in that hit you miss: she’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow.” This illustrates that Rosaline doesn’t love him back. This will lead the audience feeling anticipated as to what will happen during the party scene.

The scene starts with the servants preparing for the masquerade. This is significant because it gives an awareness to the lower class’ point of view; the groundlings who would be standing at the front to watch the play.

Rivalries between characters are a frequently used technique to create tension. It is greatly sensed in Tybalt and Lord Capulets argument. The discussion begins when Tybalt angrily notices Romeo in the masquerade and wants to challenge him. However, Lo...

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...In conclusion, Shakespeare creates dramatic tension using a few techniques: using conflict between characters like how Tybalt sees Romeo and wants to fight him, remarkable linguistic devices and, one of the most present themes of the play, love. We can relate to the play because most of the themes in Romeo and Juliet have been carried into the modern society; people fall in love; there are still rival families who consider themselves to be worst enemies and always argue. Their younger generation would be born into a world where hatred is all around them, and may even be taught to hate their enemies. It might transform into something so extreme that there is death, like how Tybalt kills Mercutio, out of malevolence. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and never let something like that happen again, and ironically, its death that stops the feud in Romeo and Juliet.

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