Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay In this play Romeo and Juliet I am going to be analysing the way in which the key themes of love and hate are used within the play; focus in particular on the way they are used in Act 3 Scene 1 with reference to events, language and staging.The background of the play Romeo and Juliet is set in one of the romantic places in the world, Verona in Italy. This setting is brilliant as it is based on an earlier romantic poem from Italy written in the 14th century. Also Verona like many places has a violent part to it where the Capulets and the Montagues fight. William Shakespeare also uses a lot of sexual references in the play which might indicate that most of our swear words and sexual references came from William Shakespeares plays.The summary of the play Romeo and Juliet is that in the play the Capulets and the Montagues have yet another fight in an ongoing feud, which ends up with blood spilt in the street. Prince Escalus tries to prevent further conflicts between the families by decre eing death for any individual who disturbs the peace. Meanwhile Romeo who doesnt really know what love is, thinks he is in love with this woman called Rosaline who doesnt return his affections.Lady Capulet on the other hand is trying to persuade Juliet to marry Paris a nobleman but all Juliet says is that she will have a look at him at the party. Mercutio, Romeo and his other friends arrive at the Capulets party and all of a sudden Romeo forgets about Rosaline as he sees a beautiful lady (Juliet)and falls in love with her. Meanwhile Tybalt, Juliets blood thirsty cousin sees Romeo and is enraged and plans revenge after the party. Romeo and Juliet kiss not even knowing each others names. Not long after Romeo asks Juliet to marry him and she agrees. They marry secretly because if anyone found out Juliet could be harmed. But Rome is drawn back into the feud when his best friend is killed. He kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona. He meets Juliet for one night of love but then leaves for Mantua.Juliet then faces a forced marriage to Count Paris. Feeling alone and abandoned she threatens to kill herself rather than betray Romeo. She goes to the priest who persuades her instead to take a potion that will make her seem dead in fortunately Romeo doesnt get the message explaining this and hears only that she has died. He returns and takes poison. When Juliet awakes she realises he is dead and cant face the world without him. She stabs herself. These deaths finally bring peace between the two families whos fighting has caused their childrens death.The main themes that run through the play Romeo and Juliet are: Love, hate and fate. The theme love is used all the way through the play, the Capulets and the Montagues really dislike each other and love is the cause of more violence. Romeo kills Tybalt out of love and guilt for his best friend Mercutio. Romeo says in the play that love has made him more of a girl than a man. In Juliets relationship with her parents love is not really shown as it should be, there is more cruelty and resentment than love which links their relationship closer to hate than love.The other theme that runs through the play is hate, this is probably the major theme. The Montagues and the Capulets absolutely hate each other, every time they come face to face with each other there is violence and Tybalt is mainly the one that stirs thing up. Hate is closely linked in Juliets relationship with her parents for example, Juliets mother Lady Capulet says to JulietI would the fool were in your grave.You can tell from this statement that Lady Capulets relationship with her daughter is not good. They also say to her.If you were mine I give you to my friend, if not die in the street.You can tell from this statement that the Capulets hate their daughter at this point, because that is not something that you would say to your own daughter.The final theme that is used a lot in the play is fate. We are told in the prologue that Romeo and Jul iet take their lives. William Shakespeares idea in the play is that fate uses Romeo and Juliet to punish their parents. In our key scene Act 3 Scene 1 Romeo calls on fate are killing Tybalt and says,I am fortunes fool.That statement tells the audience that fate is in control of the events.Love and hate run through the story. These themes are inter-related and this is shown in events such as the opening scene. The Capulets and the Montagues servants meet each other and fighting shows hatred but they also show love for their masters.The quarrel in between our masters and us their men.This shows that both the servants love their master and will do anything for them. They all most like football hooligans who fight because they love their team.Romeo is obsessed with love but doesnt really know what it is. He has a crush on a lady called Rosaline but when we listen to him describing his feeling they are very shallow.Shes fair I love.This shows that Romeo links love to looks more than to p ersonality. He also says,She wont ope her lap to saint inducing gold.This quote show he links love with money instead of personality. Until he meets Juliet and talks to her that he falls for her personality as well as her looks.Act 3 Scene 1 is a important scene, it is a climatic scene of violence where love is the confronted by hate and afterwards things go wrong for the lovers. It also forms a climax in the structure. Up to this point Romeo and Juliet have being learning about what love is and now that they have found true love they think they can over come the hate between their families through their marriage, but from this point things go terribly wrong for the lover. They become, Fortunes fools and love turns to violence and hate. This scene begins the run to death the prologue had said.The opening scene Act 3 Scene 1 is used to create atmosphere for the audience. The audience knows Romeo and Juliet have got married but the other actors dont. This shows that dramatic irony is being used as love is suddenly changed to hate.For these hot days is the mad blood stirring. Benvolio warns the audience that blood will be spilt.The stage setting would probably be bright, all the characters would be acting nervous and sweating, the atmosphere would be full of tension and excitement because the audience knows that there is violent coming up in the performance.Mercutio is once again chatting, he is a character who is full of nervous energy, he is also very bright and entertaining, but Romeos best friend is supposed to make the audience feel uneasy because of the lack of control he has. Shakespeare would have probably get Mercutio this name because it is like mercury an unstable metal. He talks a lot about violence, death and fighting so that the audience knows that there is going to be violence coming up in the performance. Benvolio, Romeos peace making cousin tells us that Mercutio is apt to quarrel and that his life will not last very long if he keeps going on the way he is. That is ironic as Mercutio dies.When Tybalt arrives looking for Romeo who he has challenged. The tension in the atmosphere dramatically increases mostly because Mercutio is wanting to provoke Tybalt.Make it a word and a blow. he says to Tybalt when he asks if he could have a word with one of them. Mercutio might be looking to fight Tybalt but he might be acting his way out of love for his best friend Romeo. He thinks Romeo will not survive the fight with Tybalt. Mercutio has said that Romeo is already dead.Stabbed.his heart cleft with the blind bow boys butt shaft. This means that he has already been shot with an arrow of love and is not fit to fight. Ironically Mercutio has no idea that love for Juliet will kill Romeo in the end.Mercutio is at the point of duelling with Tybalt when Romeo arrives. Tybalt challenges Romeo not knowing that Romeo is now his cousin but Romeo refuses to fight, he controls his temper showing that as the Capulets said he is a well governed yout h.Tybalt tries to insult Romeo by calling him a Villain and a Boy but he doesnt get the response he wanted of Romeo. He still refuses to fight and acts like a good loving friend. Romeo hints about his marriage to Juliet but doesnt speak to openly just in case he put Juliet at risk by sayingGood Capulet, whose l name I love to tender as dearly as my ownTybalt is fuming and frustrated in the Luhrmann film version of the play. He attacks Romeo who does absolutely nothing to defend himself. The other characters dont know Romeo motives. Mercutio is angry at what he is seeingVile submission Mercutio challenges Tybalt to defend his best friends honour, which was important in them days. Romeo tries his very best to stop the fight but as a result of that Mercutio dies.I was killed under your arm. Mercutio tells RomeoRomeo realises he bares the guilt of Mercutios death. Love hath made me effeminate.He is saying that love has made him more or a girl than a man and it has took this pride and co urage away. He ceases to be well governed and as the priest warned in his speech about plants he lets rude will or hate take control. Romeo challenges Tybalt and ends up killing him but immediately knew that he had made the wrong decision.I am fortunes fool. he says dramatically, he realises fate had played a trick on him. If he had not acted out of hate Tybalt would had been executed because the Capulets wouldnt have been able to afford the blood price for the princes cousin. Romeo now realises that bringing peace back between the two families is now pretty impossible, this is prove when Juliets mother acting in the most unfeminine way, demanding his blood.Shakespeares plays are written mainly in blank verse. Blank verse has a regular rhythm but does not rhyme it is a very flexible medium, which is capable like the human speaking voice of a wide range of tones.Shakespeare used a particular form of blank verse called Iambic Pentameter.In Iambic Pentameter the lines are ten syllable s long. Each line is divided into pairs of syllables or feet. Each foot has one stressed and one unstressed syllable a pattern which often appears in normal English speech, for example;TybaltWhat, (rt thou dr(wn am(ng these h(artless hinds?T(rn thee, Benv(lio, lo(k up(n thy d(ath.BenvolioI d( but ke(p the p(ace. Put (p thy sw(rdOr m(nage it to p(rt these m(n with m(TybaltWhat, dr(wn, and t(lk of p(ace? I h(te the w(rdAs I hate h(ll, all M(ntagues, and the(Have (t thee, c(ward.Here the Pentameter accommodates a variety of speech tones Tybalts angry challenges, Benvolios steady calm, and the acorn and hatred with which Tybalt renews his attackMost of Act 3 Scene 1 is written n blank verse however towards the end this changes to rhyming coupletsI beg for justice, which thou, Prince, must give:Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.This is effective because it is far more dramatic and shows depth of emotionIn Act 3 Scene 1 there is a lot of opportunity to interpret stage direction, pa rticularly in the two fight scenes.They fight Shakespeare says.The fights are very different. To help make the audience feel involved, i would stage the play outside so it makes the audience feel part of the cast as well. Mercutio and Tybalts fight is very different to Romeo and Tybalts. Mercutio and Tybalt are very skilled swords men and their fight is less violent and more like a dance. It becomes violent only when Mercutio died because Romeo interferes. On the other hand Romeo and Tybalts fight is extremely violent. Romeo is not a very skilled swords man so during the fight he uses props to protect himself rather than fight back. But both plan to kill not just wound, this is meant to frighten and horrify the audience.Even though Romeo and Juliet is over 400 years old. I think It is still valid to a modern audience because of the themes. The story of the two lovers from opposing families is used again and again. Rosie and Craig are examples of characters like Romeo and Juliet who appear in a soap called Coronation Street. Daz and Zoe a book read at school dealt with the same issues but set in Northern Ireland. In our modern multi-cultural society we can easily imagine the Romeo and Juliet story happening in real life. Children also often feel under pressure from t heir parents to line up to their wishes and ideals so we can still relate to the story Romeo and Juliet.The two versions of the play I have seen were on film, they were different: One was traditional (Franco Zefferlis) set in the 14th century, Italy. I liked the costumes they were beautiful and it helped me understand the historical context of the play. The other one was Baz Luhrmenns, it is set in modern day times in east coast America. The swords have been changed to guns but the language is the same. I enjoyed the modern version more because of the setting. I also understood the language better and the themes which had seem unfamiliar, I could suddenly relate it to parents who want you to do som ething you dont want to . Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay Example Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Paper In this play Romeo and Juliet I am going to be analysing the way in which the key themes of love and hate are used within the play; focus in particular on the way they are used in Act 3 Scene 1 with reference to events, language and staging.The background of the play Romeo and Juliet is set in one of the romantic places in the world, Verona in Italy. This setting is brilliant as it is based on an earlier romantic poem from Italy written in the 14th century. Also Verona like many places has a violent part to it where the Capulets and the Montagues fight. William Shakespeare also uses a lot of sexual references in the play which might indicate that most of our swear words and sexual references came from William Shakespeares plays.The summary of the play Romeo and Juliet is that in the play the Capulets and the Montagues have yet another fight in an ongoing feud, which ends up with blood spilt in the street. Prince Escalus tries to prevent further conflicts between the families by decre eing death for any individual who disturbs the peace. Meanwhile Romeo who doesnt really know what love is, thinks he is in love with this woman called Rosaline who doesnt return his affections.Lady Capulet on the other hand is trying to persuade Juliet to marry Paris a nobleman but all Juliet says is that she will have a look at him at the party. Mercutio, Romeo and his other friends arrive at the Capulets party and all of a sudden Romeo forgets about Rosaline as he sees a beautiful lady (Juliet)and falls in love with her. Meanwhile Tybalt, Juliets blood thirsty cousin sees Romeo and is enraged and plans revenge after the party. Romeo and Juliet kiss not even knowing each others names. Not long after Romeo asks Juliet to marry him and she agrees. They marry secretly because if anyone found out Juliet could be harmed. But Rome is drawn back into the feud when his best friend is killed. He kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona. He meets Juliet for one night of love but then leaves for Mantua.Juliet then faces a forced marriage to Count Paris. Feeling alone and abandoned she threatens to kill herself rather than betray Romeo. She goes to the priest who persuades her instead to take a potion that will make her seem dead in fortunately Romeo doesnt get the message explaining this and hears only that she has died. He returns and takes poison. When Juliet awakes she realises he is dead and cant face the world without him. She stabs herself. These deaths finally bring peace between the two families whos fighting has caused their childrens death.The main themes that run through the play Romeo and Juliet are: Love, hate and fate. The theme love is used all the way through the play, the Capulets and the Montagues really dislike each other and love is the cause of more violence. Romeo kills Tybalt out of love and guilt for his best friend Mercutio. Romeo says in the play that love has made him more of a girl than a man. In Juliets relationship with her parents love is not really shown as it should be, there is more cruelty and resentment than love which links their relationship closer to hate than love.The other theme that runs through the play is hate, this is probably the major theme. The Montagues and the Capulets absolutely hate each other, every time they come face to face with each other there is violence and Tybalt is mainly the one that stirs thing up. Hate is closely linked in Juliets relationship with her parents for example, Juliets mother Lady Capulet says to JulietI would the fool were in your grave.You can tell from this statement that Lady Capulets relationship with her daughter is not good. They also say to her.If you were mine I give you to my friend, if not die in the street.You can tell from this statement that the Capulets hate their daughter at this point, because that is not something that you would say to your own daughter.The final theme that is used a lot in the play is fate. We are told in the prologue that Romeo and Jul iet take their lives. William Shakespeares idea in the play is that fate uses Romeo and Juliet to punish their parents. In our key scene Act 3 Scene 1 Romeo calls on fate are killing Tybalt and says,I am fortunes fool.That statement tells the audience that fate is in control of the events.Love and hate run through the story. These themes are inter-related and this is shown in events such as the opening scene. The Capulets and the Montagues servants meet each other and fighting shows hatred but they also show love for their masters.The quarrel in between our masters and us their men.This shows that both the servants love their master and will do anything for them. They all most like football hooligans who fight because they love their team.Romeo is obsessed with love but doesnt really know what it is. He has a crush on a lady called Rosaline but when we listen to him describing his feeling they are very shallow.Shes fair I love.This shows that Romeo links love to looks more than to p ersonality. He also says,She wont ope her lap to saint inducing gold.This quote show he links love with money instead of personality. Until he meets Juliet and talks to her that he falls for her personality as well as her looks.Act 3 Scene 1 is a important scene, it is a climatic scene of violence where love is the confronted by hate and afterwards things go wrong for the lovers. It also forms a climax in the structure. Up to this point Romeo and Juliet have being learning about what love is and now that they have found true love they think they can over come the hate between their families through their marriage, but from this point things go terribly wrong for the lover. They become, Fortunes fools and love turns to violence and hate. This scene begins the run to death the prologue had said.The opening scene Act 3 Scene 1 is used to create atmosphere for the audience. The audience knows Romeo and Juliet have got married but the other actors dont. This shows that dramatic irony is being used as love is suddenly changed to hate.For these hot days is the mad blood stirring. Benvolio warns the audience that blood will be spilt.The stage setting would probably be bright, all the characters would be acting nervous and sweating, the atmosphere would be full of tension and excitement because the audience knows that there is violent coming up in the performance.Mercutio is once again chatting, he is a character who is full of nervous energy, he is also very bright and entertaining, but Romeos best friend is supposed to make the audience feel uneasy because of the lack of control he has. Shakespeare would have probably get Mercutio this name because it is like mercury an unstable metal. He talks a lot about violence, death and fighting so that the audience knows that there is going to be violence coming up in the performance. Benvolio, Romeos peace making cousin tells us that Mercutio is apt to quarrel and that his life will not last very long if he keeps going on the way he is. That is ironic as Mercutio dies.When Tybalt arrives looking for Romeo who he has challenged. The tension in the atmosphere dramatically increases mostly because Mercutio is wanting to provoke Tybalt.Make it a word and a blow. he says to Tybalt when he asks if he could have a word with one of them. Mercutio might be looking to fight Tybalt but he might be acting his way out of love for his best friend Romeo. He thinks Romeo will not survive the fight with Tybalt. Mercutio has said that Romeo is already dead.Stabbed.his heart cleft with the blind bow boys butt shaft. This means that he has already been shot with an arrow of love and is not fit to fight. Ironically Mercutio has no idea that love for Juliet will kill Romeo in the end.Mercutio is at the point of duelling with Tybalt when Romeo arrives. Tybalt challenges Romeo not knowing that Romeo is now his cousin but Romeo refuses to fight, he controls his temper showing that as the Capulets said he is a well governed yout h.Tybalt tries to insult Romeo by calling him a Villain and a Boy but he doesnt get the response he wanted of Romeo. He still refuses to fight and acts like a good loving friend. Romeo hints about his marriage to Juliet but doesnt speak to openly just in case he put Juliet at risk by sayingGood Capulet, whose l name I love to tender as dearly as my ownTybalt is fuming and frustrated in the Luhrmann film version of the play. He attacks Romeo who does absolutely nothing to defend himself. The other characters dont know Romeo motives. Mercutio is angry at what he is seeingVile submission Mercutio challenges Tybalt to defend his best friends honour, which was important in them days. Romeo tries his very best to stop the fight but as a result of that Mercutio dies.I was killed under your arm. Mercutio tells RomeoRomeo realises he bares the guilt of Mercutios death. Love hath made me effeminate.He is saying that love has made him more or a girl than a man and it has took this pride and co urage away. He ceases to be well governed and as the priest warned in his speech about plants he lets rude will or hate take control. Romeo challenges Tybalt and ends up killing him but immediately knew that he had made the wrong decision.I am fortunes fool. he says dramatically, he realises fate had played a trick on him. If he had not acted out of hate Tybalt would had been executed because the Capulets wouldnt have been able to afford the blood price for the princes cousin. Romeo now realises that bringing peace back between the two families is now pretty impossible, this is prove when Juliets mother acting in the most unfeminine way, demanding his blood.Shakespeares plays are written mainly in blank verse. Blank verse has a regular rhythm but does not rhyme it is a very flexible medium, which is capable like the human speaking voice of a wide range of tones.Shakespeare used a particular form of blank verse called Iambic Pentameter.In Iambic Pentameter the lines are ten syllable s long. Each line is divided into pairs of syllables or feet. Each foot has one stressed and one unstressed syllable a pattern which often appears in normal English speech, for example;TybaltWhat, (rt thou dr(wn am(ng these h(artless hinds?T(rn thee, Benv(lio, lo(k up(n thy d(ath.BenvolioI d( but ke(p the p(ace. Put (p thy sw(rdOr m(nage it to p(rt these m(n with m(TybaltWhat, dr(wn, and t(lk of p(ace? I h(te the w(rdAs I hate h(ll, all M(ntagues, and the(Have (t thee, c(ward.Here the Pentameter accommodates a variety of speech tones Tybalts angry challenges, Benvolios steady calm, and the acorn and hatred with which Tybalt renews his attackMost of Act 3 Scene 1 is written n blank verse however towards the end this changes to rhyming coupletsI beg for justice, which thou, Prince, must give:Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.This is effective because it is far more dramatic and shows depth of emotionIn Act 3 Scene 1 there is a lot of opportunity to interpret stage direction, pa rticularly in the two fight scenes.They fight Shakespeare says.The fights are very different. To help make the audience feel involved, i would stage the play outside so it makes the audience feel part of the cast as well. Mercutio and Tybalts fight is very different to Romeo and Tybalts. Mercutio and Tybalt are very skilled swords men and their fight is less violent and more like a dance. It becomes violent only when Mercutio died because Romeo interferes. On the other hand Romeo and Tybalts fight is extremely violent. Romeo is not a very skilled swords man so during the fight he uses props to protect himself rather than fight back. But both plan to kill not just wound, this is meant to frighten and horrify the audience.Even though Romeo and Juliet is over 400 years old. I think It is still valid to a modern audience because of the themes. The story of the two lovers from opposing families is used again and again. Rosie and Craig are examples of characters like Romeo and Juliet who appear in a soap called Coronation Street. Daz and Zoe a book read at school dealt with the same issues but set in Northern Ireland. In our modern multi-cultural society we can easily imagine the Romeo and Juliet story happening in real life. Children also often feel under pressure from t heir parents to line up to their wishes and ideals so we can still relate to the story Romeo and Juliet.The two versions of the play I have seen were on film, they were different: One was traditional (Franco Zefferlis) set in the 14th century, Italy. I liked the costumes they were beautiful and it helped me understand the historical context of the play. The other one was Baz Luhrmenns, it is set in modern day times in east coast America. The swords have been changed to guns but the language is the same. I enjoyed the modern version more because of the setting. I also understood the language better and the themes which had seem unfamiliar, I could suddenly relate it to parents who want you to do som ething you dont want to . Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay Example Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is about true love and how it fights against all odds to overcome the problems in their lives. Too many ironic co-incidents, two feuding families and two rebellious lovers; Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is shown as the ideal Renaissance women, the dutiful daughter of Capulet. She is obedient and respectful, however with changing circumstances came a complicated Juliet; objective and opinionated. In the eyes of a Renaissance audience this was an outrage, though a modern audience would be more accepting of Juliet and praise her bravery. I think the development of Juliet from a young girl to a love struck women makes her an admirable character in the play, as she tries to break the rules that women of the Elizabethan era were meant to abide by. Juliet at the beginning of the play is a calm and collected person. Surprisingly Juliet uses a very formal register with her mother, making us think her relationship with Lady Capulet is limited. Juliet seems to have a more loving relationship with the Nurse and sees her as a mother figure. Juliets use of language in Act 1, Scene 3 is very short and formal, for example when her mother asks : How stands your dispositions to be married? Juliet replies It is an honour I dream not of Juliet does not show emotion to what her mother is asking her, her reply is straight to the point. Even though Juliets replies are short, she is very assertive and answers calmly, in spite of the fact that her mother seems impatient and wants Juliet to answer in brief, as though she has not got time for any long winded replies. Juliet in this scene is shown as a young girl, who does not make decisions for herself. Throughout the scene you realise that Juliet is a very level headed person whist being respectful as well and you can tell this by her use of words, as she does describe marriage as an honour, though saying she has not thought much about it, however this indicates that she might give it more thought as this is what her parents want. This was expected of all girls in the Renaissance era, they were given expectations to marry when they were told to marry, but most importantly to marry who they were asked so they could provide good bonds with richer and more influential famili es than their own, afterwards cementing that relationship by having children as soon as possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the ball scene we see another facet to Juliet that was unknown to the audience until this point. Romeo has spotted Juliet and has fallen in love with her at first sight. Juliets flirting with Romeo is totally unexpected because of her behavior and attitude earlier in the play you dont think that she would be confident or daring enough to be flirtatious with him. However, she is confident and after Romeo kisses her she says to him, You kiss by thbook This makes you think that she is experienced, although there has never been any mention of her ever being experienced earlier on. She changes a lot throughout this scene as she is no longer quiet and speaks to him flirtatiously as she plays with him through words, she shows emotion towards Romeo as when the Nurse call hers, she asks the Nurse to go ask his name and says If he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed She makes up her mind that this is the man for her having only just met Romeo, and despite having been told by the Nurse that he is an impossible choice, he is a Montague. Shakespeare here is also giving some hints to the audience, about what may appear later in the play; these techniques grab attention and keep the onlookers curious. In the Balcony scene, Juliet does not know that Romeo is there and confesses her love for him, and also says the fact that him being a Montague does not matter at all, as it is just a name, It is nor hand nor foot, nor arm nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. The language used reveals that Juliet is reassuring herself that Romeo being a Montague does not matter. The effect of her saying this makes her more assured that what she is feeling and thinking is right. When Romeo finally answers her and declares himself to her she has a lot of mixed emotions. Juliet is wary that men can say they love you without meaning it, she tells him that she should have gone through the usual act of being more modest, however she cannot do it making her more honest and truthful than most women of the Elizabethan Era, as they were to act very shy before they confess their love. She tells Romeo she wants a simple answer though after the Nurse calls her, Juliet changes her mind and says that she will send a messenger to Romeo to arrange the wedding. This shows she maybe was feeling confused and acting rash but overall, shes very spontaneous and confident her decision is right. In Act 3, Scene 2, we see a very different persona of Juliet. Juliet is excited that Romeo is coming to her, and is anticipating his arrival. Juliet is ecstatic, as she knows that they will be able to consummate their marriage and become man and wife lawfully, Thou sober-suited matron all in black, and learn me how to lose a winning match , played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods. Juliet is awaiting night to fall, as it will bring her lover to her. She asks the night to teach her how to love him; this shows a very sensual side to Juliet. Her language used is a passionate as well, as she describes herself losing her virginity, then gaining Romeo forever. Thinking in the intense way that Juliet is was probably extremely rare in the Renaissance Era, showing she was a very advanced for the women in that age. This was probably shocking to the audience, drawing a lot of attention to the play. The effect of the language on Juliet is exciting her, making her look forward to seeing Romeo. The change in her character is extraordinary, from her language to her tone, from her thinking to her actions has changed. Juliets happiness is shattered from devastating news from the Nurse; Tybalt has died at the hands of Romeo. Juliets reaction is what we would expect of her, she is saddened and shocked, she describes Romeo as, A damned saint, an honourable villain Juliets language shows how frustrated and confused she is feeling , her use of an oxymoron suggests she is not sure of what to think and is deeply troubled. However her belief in him is still intact as after thinking about it she says: But wherefore villain didst thou kill my cousin? That cousin would have killed my husband. Juliet questions herself and then answers the question herself, she knows that her husband is before any other member of her family, fulfilling her duty as a ideal Renaissance women, as they had been brought up to know that a husband meant everything for a women, without him, a women would be incomplete. Juliet loves Romeo, more than she loved Tybalt and her faith in Romeo is unbroken as she decides to stand by him. This shows the intensity of their relationship and that their relationship is very strong, and everything that has come in the way of them has not affected how they feel for one another. Juliet knows that Romeo is right, she has an amazing belief in him, considering all of the problems they have been faced with. Juliet has become very seductive, through her use of language in Act 3, Scene 5, she says to Romeo: Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near the day. It was the nightingale, and not the larkBelieve me love, it was the nightingale. Juliets questions are rhetorical and short, while her language has been repeated, she is trying to be convincing. Her tone does have an effect on Romeo as he is ready to believe her, although he knows what she is saying is nonsense. You can tell that Juliet loves Romeo dearly as afterwards she is ready to be separated from him, so that he is safe. This shows that their love is unbreakable and their relationship as well. Later, in the same scene, Lady Capulet arrives trying to console her daughter. Juliet replies to her mother as she talks about her hatred for Romeo, Juliet says: Indeed I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him dead is my poor heart so for a kinsmen vexed. Juliets language is so complicated and completely unlike her at the start of the play. She speaks with a double meaning, confusing the situation. She talks of her kinsmen being Romeo, however Lady Capulet thinks of the kinsmen being Tybalt. This is a great change from the truth telling, assertive girl we saw at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet although hurt and depressed, is being sly and manipulative and lies to the parents she once respected above everyone else. For Juliet, her love for Romeo is subliminal, furthermore her language itself is more deeper and meaningful than before. Lady Capulet, in a feeble attempt tries to uplift Juliets mood by telling her she has good news. Marry my child, early next Thursday morn, the gallant, young and noble gentleman , the county Paris, at St Peters church, shall happily make thee there a joyful bride. Lady Capulet is extremely happy her daughter is to be married, although she seems even happier that Paris is the person Juliet is to be married to. You can tell Paris means a lot to Juliets mother as she describes him as gallant, young, noble . In her eyes, he has no faults, nor can he do anything wrong. This shows Lady Capulet has a much stronger relationship with Paris than her own blood, her own daughter. Juliets reply is most unexpected for Lady Capulet and Capulet, as she says: He shall not make me there a joyful bride. I wonder at this haste, that I must wed. Juliet flatly refuses to marry Paris, and even says she would rather marry Romeo, the villain. Shakespeare has obviously used dramatic irony here as he wanted to grip the attention of the audience, as we know that Juliet has married Romeo. Juliet seems to be saying what she is feeling and what she wants, as opposed to attempting to please her parents by saying what they would prefer to hear. A definite change has appeared in her, she is thinking of Romeo and herself, rather than the expectations of others. She is extremely honest for a women in the Renaissance era, as she they would do what they were told, she is different, more modern; Juliet speaks her mind. Capulets towering rage is shocking too, after hearing his daughters refusal to marry Paris he says: How, how, how, how, chop-logic. What is this? proud, and I thank you, and I thank you not, and yet not proud out you green-sickness carrion, out you baggage Capulets language is disgusting and considering he is talking to his daughter in this manner shows what a ruthless man he truly is. He mimics her pleas and calls her baggage, which is horrible and talks about her as she is merely a load that he has to carry and as she is refusing to marry, that weight will stay on him. He sees her as he sees his property and clothes, something that can be passed down. Capulets true side is nasty and inexcusable. A Renaissance audience would be accepting of this, as they would feel if Juliet has refused marriage from the man her parents have chosen for her, she would bring shame onto them, though in contrast a modern audience would be sympathetic toward Juliet as they can understand the dilemma she is in. The punctuation used tells a lot as well as he says you tallow-face!, the exclamation mark emphasises his fury to the fullest. Capulets also repeats a lot of his words suggesting maybe his disbelief at what Juliet is saying, the news has totally sho cked him, as he has always know the well-mannered Juliet and now, she is the antithesis of her former self. Juliet is fighting a losing battle with her parents and tries to make them see reason, Good father, I beseech you on my knees. As daughters obeyed their parents during the Elizabethan era, Juliet is in a difficult position. Any father seeing their daughter begging in front of them, would calm down, or at the very least listen however, Capulet has none of it. He is furious, Juliet is kneeling down in front of him in, though his anger does not alter in anyway. Capulet obviously shows no pity, no feelings for his daughter at all and even sees her as unworthy of Paris, which is an appalling thing to say. It shows he has no respect for his daughter at all and sees her as a second-class citizen. Capulet before this scene was show as a very considerate father, for example when he is talking to Paris he says: yet a stranger in this world, she hath not seen a change of fourteen years. Let two more summers wither in their pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. He thinks she is too young to be married and also says that he would give his consent to marrying the man she chooses, however you can sense that he feels his daughter will choose the man he chooses, so he is putting an act on for Paris to show what a great father he is. Capulet also has a lot of expectations from Juliet and is certain she will obey them as he does say I think she will be ruled in all respects by me, He still thinks Juliet is a young girl who will change her decision but is unknown to the fact she has a mind of her own and is no longer a girl but a young women. However, in Act 3, Scene 5 you see a change in Capulet, he is harsh and quite hard hearted. Lady Capulet and Capulet both do not support Juliet, which leaves her totally heart broken, her relationship with them had deteriorated rapidly. Juliet shows another manipulative side again after she tells her mother she is going to the church to ask for forgiveness for what she had done, and for the way she had spoken to her father, however they do not know how cunning she is. Nevertheless you cannot blame Juliet for deceiving her parents as they had refused to listen to her, and misunderstood her. She feels lost and sees this as the only way out. At the new of Juliets death, Lady Capulet is distraught. She screams at Juliet to wake up or she will die. Both parents feel a sense of loss, as Juliet was their only child. After she died they realise what she meant to them. Lady Capulet screams, O me, o me, my child, my only life. Revive, look up or I will die with thee. Help, help! Call help. Lady Capulet is obviously devastated of Juliets death, and her language backs up her shock, as she seems horrified and repeatedly calls or help, despite of the fact the Nurse has already pronounced Juliet dead. This is a very big change in her from Act 3, Scene 5 and she feels she will die with Juliet, if she does not wake up. Capulet is traumatised, he says, O, child! O, child! My soul and not my child. Dead art thou, alack my child is dead, and with my child my joys are buried. Capulet also like Lady Capulet in is utter amazement that this has happened. The day Juliet would have got married would have been the day Capulet would have been free from his duties and passed his daughter to Paris. The dreams he saw for Juliet, the expectations he had for her were now all gone. He truly realises, after the death of Juliet what she meant to him. Juliets relationship with the Nurse is a very loving relationship. Juliets sees a mother in the Nurse. The Nurse has fulfilled the role of a mother more than her own mother as she breast fed Juliet, brought her up, became a friend to her in need and sympathised with her in her time of need. In Act 1, Scene 3 Juliets mother tells the Nurse to go way but then calls her again, as if she cannot talk to her daughter without the Nurse there. The Nurse seems a very loud character and when she remembers Juliet as a toddler, it gives you the idea that the Nurse was far more involved in Juliets childhood than her mother, as Lady Capulet seems left out while the Nurse is talking. From this you assume that Juliets spent a lot of time with the Nurse and they share some nice memories together. The Nurse also gets very happy when she finds out Juliet is getting married as she says, I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish. This shows that she does care a lot for Juliet and sees her as her own daughter. In Act 2, Scene 5 the Nurse goes against everyone for Juliet as she knows that Romeo is Juliets happiness; the Nurse is the one Juliet shares all her feelings with and the only person apart from Romeo that she can confide in. However in Act 3, Scene 5,this changes. When Capulet was arguing with Juliet the Nurse is the one who backed her up, despite her Mother standing there watching, she sided with Capulet. Juliet is distraught, she wants advice, some reassurance that everything will be fine but the Nurse tells her to forget Romeo and marry Paris. Juliet is shocked as she asks the Nurse if she means it, and the Nurse says yes. Modern audiences may wonder why does Juliet not pretend to go through with the marriage? Even so Shakespeares audience knew that it was a mortal sin to attempt marriage when you were already married. If you succeeded to remarry, you would go to Hell which was what the Renaissance e ra believed as they were very religious during this period of time, and believed there was a heaven and hell. After the Nurse leaves Juliet calls the Nurse an, Ancient Damnation! O most wicked fiend!. Here language is shocking as you cant believe that Juliet is talking about the Nurse like this, calling her these foul names. This is the same Nurse that Juliet trusted beyond her parents throughout the play, the same Nurse she loved so much. From here on Juliet has changed a lot. Once the girl who used to depend of the Nurse for everything, the Nurse who helped her arrange her marriage to Romeo, is now the Nurse that Juliet feels has betrayed her. Its from here when she makes her own decisions, and is no longer dependant on the Nurse, and feels alone in her problems. As Juliet tries to solve her problems, it shows she is a fighter, and has become independent finally. Juliet is now a women. If I had to present Juliet to a modern audience I would make her be very elegant. Being the daughter of the Noble Capulet I would expect her to be very reserved. I would choose the Ball scene to perform to a modern audience as this is the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet and where their lov e begins from. It is also where they both flirt with each other and realise they are from two feuding families. I would ask the actress performing Juliet to be very dignified and sophisticated as Romeo says, so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows. It means she would have to stand out of the crowd like a white dove would between black crows. Her tone of voice and delivery of speech should be very formal and posh, as Juliet is from an aristocratic family. Her movement around the stage should be done with grace as Romeo watches her move. When Romeo goes up to her and talks to her, I would expect Romeo to hold her hand, as he talks about holy shrines and unworthy hand . There would also be the kissing scene and there would have to be a flirtatious atmosphere. Juliets body language would be very relaxed and almost as if she is enjoying Romeo wooing her, and would be acting very coy. There would be a lot of eye contact between the two and a small proxemic to emphasise the fact how close they are and how much they have fallen in love with each other. You would probably be able to hear music in the background that people are dancing to, but show that Romeo and Juliet are lost in their own wor ld. The lighting would be done to show Juliet as beautiful as Romeo thinks she is, as she he says, O she doth teach the torches to burn light. Romeo means that she is such a bright beauty that she even teaches the torches to burn light. The lights would be dim and more light would be focusing on Juliet to show how radiant she is. After they part I would show Juliet, forgetting that everyone else is there, lost in her own thoughts as she would be thinking deeply about Romeo and if he is married how she wont be able to live without him. She would look quite sad, though optimistic as well as she is determined they will meet again. Throughout the play Juliet has changed, at the start she was an naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve girl, the dutiful daughter and even accepted her parents wishes for her to marry Paris. I think this shows she has a lot of respect for her parents and a very close relationship with the Nurse. She is a very determined girl and you learn she has a lot of strength throughout the play, because at the start of the play she is determined for her parents sake to like Paris, and later when she sees Romeo she is determined to be with him, although they come from families that hate each other. You learn that for Juliet, her love was everything for her and she would go to any length to escape her families plan to get her married. There was also a difference in how Juliet appeared to be and how she really was. For example in Act 4 Scene 2 , Juliet appears to be the innocent daughter of Capulet, who obeys his every wish. However, in reality, Juliet lies to her father and pretends to live up to his expectations in o rder to escape her fate. I think the most interesting thing about Juliet was how she changed from a young girl into a independent, loyal, and capable woman. I think that her strength and determination was interesting too, as she realised that there were only a few people she could trust, she matured and knew she had to face her fate on her own. She also knew of the dangers of drinking the potion that Friar Lawrence had given Juliet to drink, she was sensible and thought of all the possibilities, but decided that this was her only option and drank the potion bravely. I admire Juliets character for trying to break the mould of the way women were expected to behave, and break the expectations given to them. I admired that fact that she fought against her family because she knew she was right, and her love for Romeo was pure and true, which you get the feel of because of the way Shakespeare portrayed their first meeting by using words such as holy, shrine and sin; this makes you feel their love is right and holy . Also Juliets decision to go to the tomb and kill herself shows the intensity of their love. The presentation of Juliet to our understanding and enjoyment of the play is vital because the play itself is about Romeo and Juliet and how they were before they fell in love and after, the journey they take to be together. If Juliet did not change throughout the play we would see the same boring person, so when you see changing sides of Juliet it makes the play better to watch, so your enjoyment increases. The play also shows the effects of love on a person, and how they are willing to kill themselves to overcome the difficulties that people had given them, and be together in death.