The Dramatic Impact of Act 3, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet

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The Dramatic Impact of Act 3, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet

The dramatic impact of Act 3, Scene 1 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is quite a

large one, it is the scene where everything starts to go downhill for

Romeo, as it is the scene where Mercutio dies, and Romeo seals his

fate. He does this by fighting, then killing one of his new family

members, Tybalt, in revenge of killing Mercutio. At hearing the news

of this the Prince Escalus, a kinsman of Mercutio, decides not to kill

Romeo, but banish him, to Mantua, which sends him away from his wife,

and his family.

This scene is quite a contrast to the previous one, whereas the

previous one was happy, because Romeo and Juliet were married in

secret by Friar Lawrence, who said that their marriage would end the

feud,

‘FRIAR LAWRENCE: These violent delights have violent ends,

And in their triumph die like fire and powder,

Which as they kiss consume.’

Friar Lawrence states here that the feud will die like a fire, it will

be snuffed out as Romeo and Juliet kiss. But, in fact in this scene

the feud deepens. It starts off with Mercutio and Benvolio joking

around, with Benvolio telling Mercutio to go back home, because the

Capulets are about, and they might get into a brawl, and Mercutio

replies using his wit, asking how Benvolio, a man who could get into a

fight with anyone, over almost anything, could lecture him about not

getting into a quarrel with someone. Next follows the scene in which

Tybalt enters, and asks for Romeo, but everything that he says,

Mercutio finds another meaning for it and uses his words against him.

‘TYBALT : Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo.

MERCUTIO: Consort?

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