Dramatic Effect in Act Three Scene One of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Dramatic Effect in Act Three Scene One of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

As soon as you read the opening lines of Act3, Scene 1 you can tell

that they will soon be followed by violence and intensity although it

is quite unexpected after the romantic and blissful wedding scene.

Straight away, Shakespeare prepares us for conflict and brutality as

Benvolio starts the scene, by telling Mercutio to go indoors because

'the day is hot, the Capels are abroad, and if we meet we shall not

scape a brawl'. This immediately creates tension and is dramatically

effective because we already know that fighting is banned in Verona

streets and would lead to greater consequences. Benvolio knows that

the dry, torrid weather means fights are more probable and these

conditions also mean that they are hot, tired and not in a fighting

mood. In his fourth line, Benvolio follows by saying, 'for now, these

hot days, is the mad blood stirring.' Italian summer afternoons are

quite hot, and it is sensible to retire to the shade or even indoors,

so that is why the ever cautious Benvolio, is trying to recommend this

to Mercutio. He is also trying to point out that their sworn enemies,

the Capulet Family are about in the streets and if they see them, they

will not be able to avoid a fight because of the 'mad blood stirring'.

By this, Benvolio means that people are likely to act aggressively and

almost fanatically and insanely. Also, the heat of the weather mirrors

this line and in the Baz Luhrmann version, the director extends the

idea to creating a brewing thunderstorm as a metaphor for the

confrontation that is about to take place. This is a dramatically

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...future.

Finally, the scene ends with the Prince's decision: Romeo's life will

not be taken s he was provoked by the death of Mercutio. Instead he

will be banished but will he ever see Juliet again? What will happen

to their relationship? How will they cope apart? This concerning and

dramatic scene leaves readers with many questions and eager to know

what will happen next.

Overall I think this is the most effectively dramatic scene in the

play because it expresses a variety of emotions from Mercutio's witty

comments to the excitement of the fights and also the sadness of the

outcomes. The range of mood can go from high to low in a matter of

lines and there is a strong atmosphere throughout. The dramatic irony

used makes you feel part of the play itself and you do feel for the

characters as though they were real.