Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Question

How does Shakespeare create and sustain dramatic tension in Act 1

Scene 5?

Answer

Romeo and Juliet sounds like a simple story of boy meets girl. In

fact, its boy meets girl, their families quarrel and circumstances

beyond their control prevent them from revealing their love. When they

eventually get together unfortunate accidents and misunderstandings

lead to their deaths (by suicide).

In Act 1, Romeo who is infatuated by Rosaline (who we never meet),

goes to the party held by Lord Capulet in order to see Rosaline. He is

persuaded by Mercutio and Benvolio to compare Rosaline to the women at

the party; the intention being to show Romeo that there is nothing

special about Rosaline. He meets Juliet at the party and forgetting

Rosaline, falls in love with her. However, the Act ends with the

lovers discovering each other’s identity, and the threatening fact

that, as Juliet is a Capulet and Romeo a Montague, they belong to

feuding families, who would never let them see each other.

Some of the most important themes of the play are shown in Act 1 Scene

5. There is affection and religion between Romeo & Juliet and loathing

between the Capulets and Montagues. The spectators expect a sizzling

scene as Juliet has to judge Paris, who could become her husband.

Romeo cheers up, forgets about Rosaline and falls in love with Juliet.

At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 5, the servants are busy in Capulet’s

house cleaning the hall for the dance which is to follow the meal. The

atmosphere at the beginning of the scene is busy and loud yet relaxed.

We can see this by “Welcome gentlemen. Ladies that have their toes,

unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you”. This shows that

Capulet is in a happy mood and is ordering them to have a dance.

Capulet welcomes the maskers and watches the dance, whilst

recollecting with his cousin about his dancing days long ago.