Aleena Aamir

Romeo and Juliet

How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet in order to make it such an interesting, exciting and important scene?
Romeo and Juliet! is a pla" written #" $illiam Shakespeare in the 1%th &entur"' (t is set in )erona, (tal" and is a#out two families who are constantl" feuding, the *ontagues and the &apulets' $hen Romeo, a *ontague falls in love with Juliet, the #eloved daughter of the &apulets, the" are forced to hide their relationship as the" know it could cause havoc #etween the two families' (n societ" at the time women+s roles were to sta" at home and help out in the house until the" were married' However, Juliet+s parents gave her a choice and in that sense the" were ,uite modern #ecause at the time this was an unusual thing to do' At the time there was no such concept of love marriages and parents alwa"s chose who their children were going to marr"' -his pla", #eing a Shakespearean traged", tells the audience that the main characters alwa"s die at the end and in the prologue most of the stor" is given awa" to the audience. the fearful passage of their death/ mark+d love'! -he main theme of this pla" is love as it is showed throughout the pla" in different wa"s as when Romeo thinks he loves Rosaline #ut as soon as he sees Juliet he knows that his love for Rosaline was not real as the 0riar calls it doting! love' Act 3 Scene 1 is the turning point of the pla" #ecause it is the first time that a death takes place, which is a traged"' -his scene is at the heart of the pla" where something interesting needs to happen in order to keep the audience captivated1 this is the fight #etween -"#alt and *ercutio, after Romeo has 2ust got married to Juliet' -his is dramatic iron" as the audience knows more than the characters' At the #eginning of the scene Shakespeare is tr"ing to create tension as he shows in the conversation #etween *ercutio and 3envolio' 3envolio is tr"ing to persuade *ercutio to head home #ecause he knows the &apulets are around and that if the" were to run into each other there would #e a fight. if we meet, we shall not escape a #rawl'! *ercutio is tr"ing to tease 3envolio and we can see that he is in a mood to fight, thou wilt ,uarrel with a man that hath a hair more, or a hair less, in his #eard, than thou hast'! 3envolio then informs *ercutio that the &apulets have arrived, 3" m" head, here come the &apulets! *ercutio replies, 3" m" heel, ( care not'! -his shows that *ercutio is read" to fight with -"#alt and that if the" were to fight he would #e the one to win' -"#alt then approaches them and *ercutio is eager to fight him, one word with one of us? &ouple it with a word and a #low'! -"#alt does not want to fight *ercutio and tells him that he wants to see Romeo. *ercutio, thou consort+st with Romeo'! *ercutio then replies. &onsort4

Aleena Aamir

$hat, dost thou make us minstrels?! A pun is used here and shows that *ercutio deli#eratel" acts insulted #" -"#alt+s words' $hen Romeo arrives on the stage, -"a#lt leaves *ercutio, $ell peace #e with "ou, sir. here comes m" man! -he use of the possesive pronoun m"! tells the audience that there is going to #e a fight as *ercutio is determined to get revenge for Romeo' -"#alt then refers to Romeo as a villain! and Romeo replies, the reason ( have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting'! -"#alt is furious #" this as he thinks that Romeo is teasing him' -"#alt did not come to Romeo looking for words of love and he is adamant to fight him. 3o", this shall not excuse the in2uries that thou hast done me'! -his links #ack to previous events that took place #etween #oth families when -"#alt sees Romeo at a part" at the &apulets house and informs his uncle, -is he, that villain Romeo! his uncle does not listen to him and tells -"#alt to leave him alone as he does not want a fight among his guests' -"#alt is then em#arrassed as his uncle was not taking his side, he wasn+t going to let Romeo an enem" get awa" without a fight' However, Romeo does not want to fight him #ecause -"#alt is now related to Romeo which is dramatic iron" as -"#alt has no clue of how Romeo is related to his famil" which makes the scene more humorous, good &apulet, which name ( tender as dearl" as m" own'! -"#alt thinks that Romeo is teasing him and *ercutio is furious at -"#alt+s insolence and wants to fight him which is dramatic iron"' As the" #egin to fight, Romeo tries to stop this #" referring to the 5rince+s warnings. the prince expressl" hath for#idden #and"ing in )erona streets'!-his shows that Romeo is tr"ing to stop this as he doesn+t want an"one to #e hurt which makes the audience feel s"mpathetic towards him' -"#alt then attacks *ercutio and realises he has attacked him severel" and runs off with his followers' -he events that have taken place shocks the audience, and the atmosphere has changed, *ercutio is hurt and curses #oth the families, A plague o+ #oth "our houses4 (s he gone and hath nothing? *ercutio feels cheated that he has #een hurt #" -"#alt and he has gotten awa" without a scratch' As *ercutio was hurt under Romeo+s arm the audience and the characters are not completel" aware that *ercutio has #een fatall" wounded and 3envolio replies. $hat, art thou hurt?! *ercutio replies with #itter iron", A", a", a scratch1 marr", +tis enough'! Although *ercutio sa"s that it is onl" a scratch he knows that it is enough to kill him' He also sa"s. ask for me tomorrow, and "ou shall find me a grave man! this is a pun #ecause the word grave! can mean a serious person although *ercutio is tr"ing to impl" that he will #e dead in his grave tomorrow' -his ,uote also shows that even though *ercutio+s life is slipping awa" *ercutio can still pun a#out himself and his fate' Romeo then feels guilt" #ecause *ercutio ma" #e fatall" wounded, wh" the devil did "ou come #etween us? ( was hurt under "our arm'! *ercutio asks 3envolio to help him and the" #oth exit the stage' -his leaves Romeo feeling guilt" as to how he could let this happen, *" ver" friend, hath got his mortal hurt in m" #ehalf1 m" reputation stain+d'! Shakespeare uses 3envolio as the narrator to keep the audience informed of

Aleena Aamir

what exactl" is happening, the death of *ercutio has to take place off stage #ecause another death is a#out to happen in that same scene' He then appears on stage which makes the audience anxious as to whether *ercutio is dead' He then sa"s, 6 Romeo, 6 Romeo, #rave *ercutio+s dead'! *ercutio+s death adds to the confusion of the scene #ecause the audience is left guessing as to exactl" what has happened' -he tone of the pla" changes and #ecomes serious and dark in comparison to #eing happ" and light hearted' -he language now #ecomes darker, #lack fate,! in order to change the atmosphere of the whole scene to make it seem more dramatic' $hen -"#alt re/enters the stage Romeo is a#solutel" furious which is ironic #ecause he is defending his famil" when he has alread" committed a great crime #" marr"ing the enemies daughter and we see him a completel" different person, -"#alt, take the villain #ack again'''either thou,or (, or #oth, must go with him'! Romeo then in his fur" attacks -"#alt and he is killed' Romeo then sa"s, 6, ( am fortune+s fool4! this refers to his unluckiness of #eing forced to kill his wife+s cousin and therefore will lead to his getting #anished' Romeo also #lames fate for what has happened to him' -his is the first time in the pla" that two deaths happen at once, this makes the scene even more dramatic as it is tragic that Romeo has killed Juliet+s cousin which leaves the audience wondering as to what will happen next and whether their relationship will last at all' -owards the end of the scene 3envolio is once again used as the narrator to recap on what exactl" has happened so the audience are not confused and he is #iased towards Romeo as he la"s the #lame on -"#alt who is not actuall" to #lame for the two deaths that have occurred' (n conclusion, this scene is ver" important and exciting as it is the turning point of the pla" and leads to the traged" that happens at the end' -his scene keeps the audience a#sor#ed #ecause it makes the audience wonder what Juliet will think of Romeo once she finds out a#out the crime he has committed' (n a Shakespearean traged" it is crucial that the audience feels s"mpathetic towards the characters' -he fact that two deaths occur in the same scene leaves the audience shocked #ecause the" ma" not have expected the death of -"#alt, which leaves the audience feeling sorr" for #oth Romeo and Juliet as the" were a newl" married couple' ( think that *ercutio is to #lame for the two deaths that took place #ecause if he hadn+t started a fight with -"#alt in the first place then #oth these deaths wouldn+t have taken place' After having #een attacked #" -"#alt he tried to make Romeo feel guilt" as if to #lame him for the attack which onl" made Romeo want to avenge his death whereas Romeo wasn+t at fault' 6verall, ( think this scene was a ver" essential part of this pla" as it leads to the traged" that happens at the end and it was necessar" for #oth deaths to take place #ecause *ercutio+s death lead to Romeo killing -"#alt which was necessar" in order to have Romeo leave which would leave the audience wondering whether Romeo and Juliet would ever #e a#le to fulfil their marriage'