In act 3 scene 1, the turning point of the play occurs; the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt, which leads to both of their deaths. In the previous scene Romeo and Juliet were married and Friar Lawrence ironically says, “These violent delights have violent ends.” In act 3 scene 1 there is also talk of violence, which immediately strikes fear into the audience as they know that a fight between the Montagues and the Capulets would cause more hardship for the lovers. The contrast between this and the previous scene causes more pity from the audience who have just witnessed the happy marriage and know from the prologue that the play does not end happily. Since the Montagues “shall not scape a brawl” if they meet with the Capulets in this scene, the audience starts to expect events that will damage Romeo and Juliets’ future happiness.
When Romeo faces Tybalt he is insulted by him but still claims his love for him and his family, here the audience pity Romeo as he is called a “villain” by Tybalt. This shows how even though Romeo shows Tybalt politeness and kindness Tybalt still has anger towards him due to the family feud. Romeo and Juliets’ relationship hopes to challenge this feud and aggression but the audience knows that the feud will not end until they are both dead, “the continuance of their parents’ rage, / which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,” therefore the audience fear that Tybalt will not back away from the fight.
After Mercutios’ death there is huge pity felt for Romeo as he has lost one of his best friends in a fight he was trying to prevent, “Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.” Also the audience fear for both of the lovers as Mercutio angrily announces “A plague a both your houses!” And more fear is felt as Romeo says he will take revenge and fight with Tybalt for Mercutios’ death, “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.” The audience knows that if Romeo kills Tybalt he should be killed as well and therefore they fear for his life as well as for the feud between the families, which Romeo may prevent from ever ending if he fights with Tybalt. The fear turns to pity when, after Tybalts’ death, Romeo realizes this too; “O, I am fortune’s fool!” This is very moving as it shows that Romeo sees that his fate has been sealed by this, and any future happiness lost.
At the end of the scene Romeo is banished from Verona so the audience feels sad for him but more so for Juliet who does not yet know of Romeo’s banishment or her cousin, Tybalts death. By having this event straight after the couple’s marriage, the audience has more pity for the lovers who have not yet spent time together or had their wedding night, but have already been torn apart. The audience may also fear that Romeo will stay in Verona to see Juliet and therefore be killed.
While act 3, scene 1 features Romeo but not Juliet, and more pity felt for Romeo in the scene, pity for Juliet is clearly created in act 3, scene 5 where Juliet not only has to say goodbye to Romeo, but also learns that she must marry Paris in a few days.
The language at the start of the scene is very poetic so it seems very romantic, and as Romeo and Juliet are parting the audience can see how much they are in love, which makes their separation more devastating and provokes more sympathy, and the irony in Juliet’s words “Methinks I see thee, now thou art below, / As one dead in the bottom of a tomb,” makes the audience fear for the lovers as they know that they will both die by the end of the play.
There is more sympathy for Juliet throughout the scene as, before she does, the audience knows that Capulet has agreed that Juliet will marry Paris, and this would cause Juliet to commit bigamy. Her reaction to the news: “by Saint Peter’s Church and Peter too, / He shall not make me there a hopeful bride,” would be shocking to the audience because for a daughter to go against her father’s wishes was unusual. When Capulet hears that Juliet refuses to marry Paris he gets very angry and tells her to “Go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church, / Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither,” and it seems that Juliet has little choice. This is a sad change in the character of her father, who, in act 1, said he would let Juliet choose her husband, and now even though she begs “Good father, I beseech you on my knees, / Here me with patience but to speak a word,” he will not change his mind and threatens to chuck her out, “hang, beg, starve, die in the streets.” The audience knows that if Juliet were to marry Paris she would be committing bigamy, and therefore not only fears for her happiness but for her soul and conscience and for Friar Lawrence who could not marry her to another man.
By the end of the scene Juliet is all alone, and so this would cause the audience to feel her loneliness and create a stronger feeling of suffering and a sense of woe; she has been separated from her new husband, her mother will do nothing to help her; “do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” And her last friend, her nurse, betrays her. By saying she should marry Paris, “I think you are very happy in this second match, / for it excels your first.” The final monologue Juliet speaks at the end of the scene makes the audience see her desperation and sadness and this would very effectively cause a lot of pity and sadness to be felt creating a very moving end to the scene. Juliet decides that if there is no way to escape marrying the County Paris, she will commit suicide, “I’ll to the friar to know his remedy; / If all else fail, myself have power to die.”
These two scenes are very moving they create a strong feeling of pity from the audience and an understanding of the tragedy of the doomed relationship.
