Dramatic Effect of Act 1 Scene 5 of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
'Romeo and Juliet' is a tragic story about love and hate; nowhere is
this more apparent than in Act 1, scene 5. Up to this point in the
story we have been introduced to the entire cast and their specific
characteristics and difficulties. In this scene they all come together
for the first time at the Capulet mansion for a great party, which
leads us to the real plot behind the story, the audience are now
expecting Romeo and Juliet to fall in love finally, they have been
waiting for almost a whole Act for the moment both characters will
meet, and both Romeo and Juliet will fulfil their destiny as depicted
by the Prologue.
This climactic end of Act 1 is coupled with the tension of having a
masked party, because now it is difficult for guests to guess whom
each other are. We know that to be the case because we hear Capulet
say "how long is't now since last yourself and I were in a mask?". It
is especially tense because the audience knows Romeo and Juliet will
meet, and they also know that they will not realise who they have
fallen in love with.
The first part of the scene involves some servant characters talking
about their work, "he shift a trencher? He scrape a trencher?" This
conversation appears unimportant to the audience, but it is very
important in setting the scene, and setting the party atmosphere. They
speak in prose not verse so that people in Shakespeare's time would
have known it was not important to the plot.
Next, in comes Capulet. He makes a grand entrance into the great hall;
we can just imagine his voice resounding heavily. He tells all ...
... middle of paper ...
... feel that this scene is very dramatically effective because not only
does it surprise us with a change of pace and drama, the whole story,
including the eventual climax, have changed for the characters and the
new ideas are now beginning to be formed. It also very effective
because the audience already know how the story will end and how it
will start (with Romeo and Juliet falling in love) but they do not
know what is in the middle, and as such Shakespeare has put several
clues and several possibilities, especially as concerns Tybalt's want
for revenge.
The argument between Tybalt and Capulet, and the final comments from
Juliet give us an expanded view of the level of hatred each family
feels for the other.
. And yet, out of this hatred comes a love that will eventually stop
the fighting between the families.
of tune”, is a lark, not a nightingale and thus it are dawn and Romeo
As soon as we open act 1 scene 1, we immediately see the theme of the
The Dramatic Effectiveness of Act III Scene I of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet In this climatic central scene of the play Tybalt kills Mercutio (a close friend to Romeo.) Romeo kills Tybalt (his cousin in-law.) and is banished forever from Verona (where his wife- Juliet lives.). The audience are aware that Romeo and Juliet had fallen in love at the Capulet ball and have been married by the Friar Lawrence in the previous scene.
As soon as you read the opening lines of Act3, Scene 1 you can tell
The Ways that Shakespeare Makes Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet Dramatically Effective
whether he was really in love with Rosaline, or did he just want to be
party is a masked ball and so they dress up. This party is for Juliet
and hate in the play. Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight at
play just in the opening, so we know what is going to happen from the
although it is only at the end of the first act that we see the extent
the audiences mind is that at the end of act 1 between Gerald and the
point? Act 1 scene 5 is a significant scene as the scene tells us a
Act 3 scene 1 is one of the most important parts in the play; there
The Significance of Act 3 Scene 5 in Relation to the Mood of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
In Act 3 Scene 3 (the scene following on from the one in question) the