Analyse the dramatic qualities of act three scene five of "Romeo and Juliet"

Essay by CyanosisHigh School, 11th gradeD+, March 2004

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1. Brief introduction

In this scene Juliet rows with her parents about getting married to a suitor named Paris. She does this in a typical teenage manner.

It is dramatic because Romeo her husband has stayed his last night with her. So after he leaves she weeps but her mother thinks it will help to cheer her up if she gets married, Which would be bigamy.

2. Basic content

This scene is after Romeo and Juliet's marriage, which was done without their parents knowing.

At the beginning of this play Romeo seems to be hopelessly in love with Rosalyn. Proclaiming that she is the only girl for him.

At the Capulet ball Romeo sees Juliet and decides that he is now in love with her. He starts to woo her and she thinks the same of him. Also Paris realises that Romeo is there.

Just before this scene Romeo is rushed out of his wife's room by the coming of Juliet's mother to her bedchamber.

This is Romeos last night with her.

The audience knows that Juliet is married to Romeo and she cannot get married again for it will be bigamy and she will be evicted from the church.

3. The scene itself

What is dramatic about Romeo's leaving?

When Romeo leaves, Juliet says, "Then window let day in and let light out" this is dramatic because by saying this she is really saying that Romeo is her life and she cannot live without him. Also Romeo has just stayed his last night with Juliet, Which was against the law because he was meant to be out of the city the day before. This says that Romeo is willing to give his life for time with Juliet, Because if he gets caught he is sentenced to death.

What is dramatic about Juliet's conversation with her mother?

When Juliet speaks to her mother (Lady Capulet) the audience know s that she is weeping for her loss of Romeo not for her loss of Tybalt. Her mother is under the impression that she is weeping for the loss of her cousin. So in a vain attempt to cheer her up she tells her of marriage plans.

These are not happily accepted because she is married to the man she thinks is her one true love, she throws a tantrum

What is dramatic about Lady Capulet's response?

Lady Capulet says, "I would the fool were married to her grave". This is dramatic because she is saying that she wishes Juliet was dead. All because she will not marry the man they want her to, which was not uncommon in those times. But still this is a very extreme thing to say to your daughter.

She says this after she has fetched lord Capulet. Which means she is showing him how much this is bothering her and that he should act in the same manner.

What is dramatic about Lord Capulet's response?

Lord Capulet's response is dramatic because of the way he throws his voice at Juliet in a hateful way. This is not the way you would expect a father to treat his beloved daughter. Lord Capulet says "out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage!" This shows his rage at this point towards his daughter. He tells her that if she will not do what he wants she will be thrown out onto the streets. In this time this meant either death by starvation or a life of prostitution.

What is dramatic about the nurse's betrayal?

The nurse's betrayal is dramatic because before Romeo and Juliet were married she was encouraging Juliet to marry him. The nurse says, "I think it best you married with the county. O, he's a lovely gentleman! Romeo's a dishclout to him." this show she has completely changed her opinion. She is now disrespecting Romeo and saying that Juliet would be better if she committed bigamy. In this time bigamy was punishable, the priest would have been expelled from the church and Juliet would have been banished from the city. So when the nurse says her short speech it is almost like she is saying she doesn't care for Juliet anymore, even after all those years she brought her up and cared for her.

What is dramatic about Juliet's soliloquy?

Juliet speaks about her aloneness in her soliloquy. This is dramatic because she has no one to turn to, she has lost her friend the nurse and she has lost her husband. So the only person she can talk to is the friar. She also says that if all else fails she will commit suicide. This is a typical teenager thing to do.

4. Fathers and daughters

This scene suggests that fathers in Shakespeare day were less loving towards their daughters. They probably saw their daughters as more of a way of gaining money and respect rather than a love child. Daughters probably had little control over whom they married, and may have spent their lives with men they hated. Daughters seem to be unwanted until they were suitable for marriage. Then they were forced to marry whom the lord/lady wished them to.

5. Conclusion

The most dramatic part of the scene is where lord Capulet loses his temper and threatens to throw Juliet onto the streets, Because he is her father, he brought her into this world, and he should be showing a lot more compassion than he is in this scene. I think that Lord Capulet is usually a cheerful man and his rage is most uncommon. I also think that he does not see his action's as out of line because he see himself as king of the household and that he has everything at his command. Juliet seems to be a typical teenager, she cries get her own way then, when she doesn't, she starts to say that she will kill herself. Shakespeare wanted to make his audiences think that his play was the most dramatic so they would come to see another of his plays.