Summary:
Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare and was performed in 1597 at the theatre in Shoreditch. Shakespeare wrote this play about tragedy mainly because the audience enjoyed watching this type of play. It was very popular to have a tragedy in a play at this period of time. In most of Shakespeare's plays there is a sad or bad ending and they are usually based on long poems.
Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare and was performed in 1597 at the theatre in Shoreditch. Shakespeare wrote this play about tragedy mainly because the audience enjoyed watching this type of play. It was very popular to have a tragedy in a play at this period of time. In most of Shakespeare's plays there is a sad or bad ending and they are usually based on long poems.
Shakespeare studied traditional Greeks and Romans. He used a five-part structure in all his plays. Shakespeare's traditions usually involved great male characters. This is often recognised in the titles of the plays e.g. Macbeth, Othello, King Lear and Hamlet but Romeo and Juliet is dissimilar to them because the names in the play indicate not one central character but two central characters. This play was unique and was similar to some of his more recent plays.
In act one perhaps all of the "ingredients" can be introduced e.g. characters, setting, general idea of the play, love, hate, power, anger, attitude etc. This is so that the audience can understand and relate to the play itself.
In the beginning of act one scene five the servants are preparing for the banquet (party). The mood is very humorous at this point as the servants are rushed off their feet to get the banquet ready, the servants tell people what to do and how to do it. They also tell them to save scraps of food so they can eat and drink. The servants talk about how they will smuggle their girlfriends into the banquet, it says "as thou loves me lot the porter let in such grindstone one Nell. Antonym and Potpan!" This shows that the servants are joking about smuggling their girlfriends into the banquet. The audience find this very amusing. The servants are under a lot of pressure preparing for the banquet, it says "where's Potpan that he helps not to take away? He shifts a trencher! He scrapes a trencher!" This is also a humorous part of the scene as you can see by the punctuation used. They move furniture and cupboards in the kitchen; it says, "away with the join-steels, remove the court-cubbert, look to the plate." This is another pressure upon the servants. The atmosphere is intense and exciting but the audience find this amusing and are eager to find out what happens next.
The atmosphere of the excitement and some humour in the first lines of the scene also serve to provide a change and contrast to what has gone on in the previous scene as this was a very serious tone between Romeo and his friends.
Mercutio and Benvolio wanted to go to the banquet as gate crashers. Romeo knew he would not necessarily be welcome and had a sense of foreboding, a premonition that the party would start off events leading to his death. In this way the audience are given a worrying view of what's going to happen and they need a few lighter moments whilst the anticipation builds up some more. Romeo also says that he feels something bad is about to occur like his death at such an early age, it may happen on the night's celebration, someone has planned an evil forfeit.
After the opening part of the scene, in which the servants are rushing around and complaining there is a change in tone and place.
Maskers are already on stage. They entered with the servants. Now the important guests walk on lead by their host Capulet. He greets them warmly. He seems unconcerned about their identity. Capulet talks about the older generation and how much they are matured, it says "'Tis more, 'tis more: his son is elder sir; His son is thirty." Then the second Capulet says, "will you tell me that"" There is a gentle argument between the two of them. There is then a change of tone when Romeo is speaking; he says "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night." He is talking about love at first sight. There is a change from older generation to younger generation. The audience like the contrast, change and the arguments that take place.
Later on there is confrontation between Tybalt and Romeo, it says I'll not endure him." "He shall be endured." The phrasing is matched and you can see there is a tension between these two characters, which the audience will immediately pick up. Tybalt also says, "Fetch me my rapier boy." This shows Tybalt is willing and longing to fight with Romeo. The audience may interpret this as a feud between the characters. This makes the audience excited and ambitious.
Juliet is eager to know what Romeo said to the nurse but she holds on to what she knows for as long as possible. "O god, she comes! O honey nurse, what news hast thou met with him:
Romeo is serious and is rushing into things by saying he wants to marry her straight away "save what thou must combine, by holy marriage."
Friar Lawrence is trying to tell them that this love is dangerous and not to get wrapped up in it "These violent delights have violent ends."
Many of the things people say in Romeo and Juliet are said like a poem, this is called iambic pentameter e.g. "I'll not endure him, He shall be endured." This line is split, the two different phrases are similar, you can tell it is an argumentative conversation at this point in the play by the way the sentences are put across.
The sonnet is a form of poem. It always has fourteen lines. The fourteen lines can be divided up in two ways. English readers before Shakespeare found the original type of sonnet, tune in their reading of foreign literature. Most educated young men in Shakespeare's era would have known them.
Patriarch's sonnets are structured in two parts, in the first part, with eight lines.
Shakespeare developed a new form of sonnet. It has three four-line units called quatrains. Each of these will present the subjected in a different way, probably with a new image of metaphor. Then the last unit, a separate rhyming couplet, will sum up his message.
Romeo and Juliet are sharing actions. Both of these show how quickly Romeo and Juliet have become attuned to each other. The audience hear their togetherness; now they can also see their togetherness as they share the hand position of prayer. This connects with the religious imagery in their talk. It also shows their relationship will develop in a faithful way.
Romeo reminds Juliet that even the holiest people have a physical side to them. He is beginning gently to ask for a kiss. Juliet shows her quick whit and her modesty with her response; lips are used for prayer. Romeo replies that lips should touch, as hands do in prayer and cleverly adds that if she denies him a kiss he will "despair." As well as meaning he will be extremely miserable, this word also keeps up the religious imagery, it can mean to lose hope of Christian salvation. In the final couplet Romeo and Juliet share a rhyming line each, Juliet says as a "saint" she might remain still. Romeo takes advantage of this and takes his kiss, but the religious words have made the kiss seem special, a pure moment.
Act one scene five of Romeo and Juliet affects the audience in many ways. There are many themes such as generation, love at first sight, confrontation and excitement. This adds to the image and atmosphere of the play. This is a very important scene, which gives the play a lot of structure.
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