How Shakespeare Chose to Craft the Scenes Act 4 Scene 3 and Act 5 Scene 1 in Romeo and Juliet

How Shakespeare Chose to Craft the Scenes Act 4 Scene 3 and Act 5 Scene 1 in Romeo and Juliet

The Scenes Act 4 Scene 3 - Act 5 Scene 1 in “Romeo and Juliet” can be

performed in a variety of different ways. However the way in which

Shakespeare wrote the play and the literary devices that he used

within the play such as imagery, characterization and certain

theatrical devices can and will never change. The only way that these

literary devices differ from performance to performance is the way in

which they are portrayed and interpreted. In theory, every individual

can read the same play, with the same literary devices and choose to

perform it in a different style or manner. It is this personal

interpretation of the play, which is the most important factor that

can help to decide whether or not the performance will be a success.

These chosen scenes are possibly some of the most tense and dramatic

of the whole play and in order to create this atmosphere Shakespeare

has used various forms of imagery including similies.

Or if I live, is it not very like

The horrible conceit of death and night,

Act 4 Scene 3, Lines 36 and 37.

Juliet says this in her soliloquy and it reinforces the audience’s

belief that she is so opposed to her impending marriage with Paris

that she is prepared to die. In her mind the thought of living is just

as bad, if not worse than dying as there is no light or hope ahead.

Without imagery this tense and uneasy atmosphere would not exist and

the audience would not be as interested in the play.

In Shakespearian times imagery was one of the most important aspects

of a play as scenery and props were limited....

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...uld have and the way that Shakespeare imagined them to be when he

wrote it. Although modern audiences have modern needs Romeo and Juliet

is a timeless classic and does not need to be changed for the modern

world. In my opinion the perfect performance of Romeo and Juliet is

one with little or no scenery and little or no props. In this way

there are no distractions and audiences can concentrate on what the

characters are saying and what the characters mean. Shakespeare chose

to craft these scenes with plenty of imagery and theatrical devices.

These literary devices have a huge effect on the play’s performance.

They were used for a reason so they must be enhanced to gain their

full potential. Without them a performance of Romeo and Juliet would

not allow the audience to engage in the play and it would have no

originality.