The scene starts with Romeo leaving for Mantua. As he leaves Lady Capulet enters, she tells Juliet that Capulet has offered her hand in marriage to Paris. Then Capulet walks in with the nurse and reiterates what is wife had said. Juliet refuses to marry Paris and her father bursts out in rage. When the Scene concludes, we see Juliet feel isolated as everyone she has turned to has given her the same advice, marry Paris. The only person who can help her is Friar Laurence.
During Shakespeare times, arranged marriages were very common, but as generations developed they found their own love and had to betray there own families. In modern audiences they may be struggling to see this as it is a regular practice to find your own love these days. Shakespeare’s audience know that it is a mortal sin to attempt marriage when you are already married. Shakespeare’s audience believe that if you do this you are sure to go to hell.
This scene is very important to the context of the play because firstly the scene presents division between the older generation and the younger generation. We also learn the tensions between the older generation and the younger generation. We also learn the tensions between the parents and the children.
What’s more we notice a dilemma between Juliet and her parents over marriage.
“He shall not make me there a joyful bride.”
This quote suggests to us that Parris will not make Juliet happy and it is Romeo she wants to marry.
As the play proceeds Juliet shows us her reaction to Tybalt’s death, she uses it to cover up her emotions for Romeo.
“Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss.”
The tension increases as only the audience is aware of what she really means. Her loss is due to Romeo’s departure.
Juliet is defiant and determined not to marry Paris. Her heart belongs to Romeo; she is already married to him. This use of dramatic irony creates suspense within the scene and involves the audience.
The outrage by Capulet, her father increases the tension and highlights the disintegration of their relationship.
“Disobedient wretch!”
This outrage represents the generational difference and the obvious conflict between parent and child.
As the scene draws to an end it shows the lose relationship between the nurse and Juliet and how that disappears.
This scene has great significance to the play because it tells us what is going to happen next. We can foresee that Juliet has got to resolve this situation on her own.
We find a lot out about the characters in this scene. Juliet shows us love and dedication towards Romeo
“God pardon him I do with all my heart.”
This quote is an aide quote it is said to the audience. Although she is pretending to be angry with Romeo we know she still loves him and has asked for his forgiveness.
The technique of dramatic irony is used once again to build up tension throughout the scene. The audience anticipate conflict.
Lady Capulet seems very concerned towards her daughters’ well being; she wants the best for her.
“Marry my child early next Thursday morn.”
But Lady Capulet finds she is becoming too rebellious she waits for her father to arrive.
“Here comes your father tell him so yourself;
And see how he takes it at your hands.”
This quote highlights that Capulet will not take her refusal well. He shows the audience the dilemma Juliet is in and we are involved and feel her stress.
Capulet is very caring for his daughter and has promised Paris, Juliet’s hand in marriage.
When he hears her refusal, he gets annoyed and upset and then suddenly leashes out on her. We then see a side that we have never seen before.
“hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!”
This sudden change in tone is dramatic and here the action of the scene creates fear and suspense in the audience. These insults continue. They are degrading and the word “disobedient” emphasises the conflict between the father and the daughter.
Finally there is the nurse; this scene changes the audience’s opinion towards her heavily. She has always seemed to understand Juliet’s problems and comprehend what matters to her. Only in this scene the nurse and Juliet are having different opinions over Juliet’s love.
“Romeo is banished…”; “he dares ne’er come back…” “I think its best you married the county…”
Her advice comes after Capulet’s outburst and although it is obvious that the nurse cares, she is worried for Juliet’s future and urges her to obey her father for peace’s sake.
After receiving this advice Juliet is upset and disappointed. By the end of the scene she is alone and isolated.
“If all else fail myself have power to die.”
This quote demonstrates her determination to be with Romeo. It also implies that if she has to die for him to be with him, she will.
The setting for these characters and there dilemmas would be in Juliet’s bedroom with criss-crossed windows to emphasis the fact that she is almost in prison, and gives the impression that she has nowhere to go and no one to turn to. There would be a king size bed in the centre of the room giving the message that there is space for two people and she has to choose between Romeo and Paris.
The colours I would add to their bedroom are bright pink with a hint of beige to show it’s a girl’s bedroom but to also show innocence. The paintings on the walls would show a girl in a tower being rescued by two people her true love and her arranged partner. This would be a mirror image of what is happening in the play and would add contrast from comic to reality.
The character would have to be dressed appropriately to bring the issue of night and day into prospective. The costumes would tell us what time of the day it is, in this case night time.
The appropriate clothing for Juliet would be an exquisite Elizabethan flowing dress to show that she is wealthy. Her hair should be long and loose like a shower of rain this being a metaphor of her tears.
The nurse should be wearing an outfit to show that she is not one of the family maybe a set uniform, it would be very bright and it would be given to her from Capulet. As the nurse is talking to Juliet she would be brushing her hair. This would highlight her close relationship. I think that there should not be too much activity otherwise the focus of the storyline will get taken away. The nurse’s shoes should be very simple to show that the family is not spending much money towards her.
Lady Capulet will be wearing a nightgown embedded with lots of gold detail and very high class slippers. I think it would be effective for her to be wearing glasses to show that she is very perceptive.
Capulet would be wearing pyjamas with very low detail and they would be very dull and dreary to show contrast between himself and the nurse. He will have a lot of hair but a bald patch on the top centre back part of the scalp.
My aim is to create as much reality as possible in just the costumes, but not to take the attention of the storyline and language away.
There would be a lot facial expressions because they can be very effective and emotive towards the audience.
As Romeo leaves for Mantua his expressions should be glum.
“Farewell, farewell. One kiss and I’ll descend.”
At this point I also think that Romeo should be holding Juliet’s hand and then lift it up and kiss it. This enhances the audiences view to their love.
Capulet’s anger towards Juliet is a striking moment to this scene.
“Speak not, reply not, do not answer me.
This line is very important to the scene as it is his first step towards his aggression.
My fingers itch”
As he says these lines his face should cringe with anger and disappointment he should also be gnashing his teeth and be pushing Juliet around.
This action towards Juliet would show the audience a side tat we have never seen before but always expected.
I think the most effective way of continuing this scene is by capturing a close up of Juliet and showing the tears rolling down her face as she says,
“Fie Fie, what are you mad!
As she speaks this I think she should be seen on her knees begging her father not to send her away.
Finally the nurse will be very cautious as to what she says to Juliet, I believe that throughout the scene she should be smiling trying to calm the situation down between Capulet and his daughter.
“God in heaven bless her.
If she does this then there is a lot of contrast between herself and Capulet. This sort of action is most likely what makes the audience more anxious
I would include a variety of sound effects one of them being a clock chiming this would illustrate to the audience that it is very late. I would then add, crickets croaking to show that there are moments of silence during the scene. There would be some sort of weather sound implement and I would use the wind whooshing to give a chilling effect towards the audience. In the background I would add a beat especially at nerve racking parts where Juliet speaks her monologue. This will show how her hearts pounds and I believe it would evoke the tension in the audience.
The camera shots I would employ to add maximum effect for the audience would firstly be a two shot over the shoulder close up on Romeo speaks his important words.
“Farewell!” “Loves in my eye so do you…”
The camera would be focused on Juliet so we can see what her expressions would be and vice versa, as the scene progresses when Romeo leaves I would record a high angled long shot to show both Romeos and Juliet’s expressions for one another, it would also show the entire action-taking place.
“Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu!”
As this line is said each of there expressions would be showing that they are sad because they are going to be parted from each other. The slay continues when Juliet and Lady Capulet are speaking to each other, there should be a medium wide shot this would show how they are reacting to what they say.
As Juliet’s father speaks the line
“To go with Paris to Saint Peters church!”
I believe the most effective way of showing his anger in his eyes is to do a big close up of him then the camera should slowly zoom out to record a high angled shot so we can see all of there reactions towards him.
When the nurse and Juliet speak to each other, I think the speed of the action should be a lot slower.
“Romeo is banished.”
As this quote is spoken a slow motion camera rolling effect should be applied, this would heighten the tension to show the nurse is thinking totally different to what Juliet is thinking.
The lighting plays a key part throughout the scene.
As Romeo is preparing to leave for Mantua I would put a red spotlight on both Juliet and her lover to illustrate there love for one another. As Romeo walks off the set the red spot will fade of him and a white spot will fade on Juliet and the Nurse as she hastily walks on the set.
As Lady Capulet enters I would fade down the spots and brighten up the whole set so it is clearer to see the action. I would use a number of different filters and gels to apply colour and contrast against the scenery.
As Capulet walks on, the back main lights should dim and the spot lights should appear on Juliet and Capulet.
“Disobedient wretch.”
At this quote there should be a complete blackout and the set should be filled with haze. Then a strobe light should flash to emphasis what is happening in slow motion allowing us to a part of the violence.
The strobe should promptly stop when the nurse says her line,
“God heaven bless her.”
As this line is spoken the main lights should fade up this will relieve the some of the anxiety from the audience allowing them to take a breath before the next nail biting, nerve wracking scene starts.
At the end of the scene I would have a blackout so it is easy for the characters to walk off the set without getting seen.
Of course, language is the most effective device because it helps to keep the reality of the play. Since language is central to an understanding of Shakespeare’s intentions I would keep it Elizabethan.
If it were filmed this way, the effect of the scene would be highly dramatic. With these features highlighted, the scene would be significant because it would stress the point that Capulet thinks he knows what upset his daughter, (tybalts death) but he is wrong. Lady Capulet knows as much as her husband (not a lot). Juliet knows about her marriage to Romeo but cannot explain the situation to her parents, although she doesn’t know; until they tell her, about there plan to marry Paris. The nurse, at this point knows about Juliet’s secrets.
Throughout the whole scene, Shakespeare carefully makes dramatic use of what people do or do not know.
The key dramatic moment by a video camera using the slow motion effect and adding a blue strobe flashing at 10 FPS this would enhance the effect when Capulet starts to push Juliet around.
The most significant word is, “out on her hilding.” Because this tells us that Capulet thinks his daughter is a useless person and we have not seen this verbal abuse from him till this point.
In Shakespeare’s own time there was no lighting effects no special effects or scenery. In those days they based the reality of the play I the acting, facial expressions and the costumes.
The impression might have been very different I the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the language may have been the same but the costumes would have been a lot more advanced.
The scenery and action would be very different because it would be live on stage and there would be camera shots allowing you to see only the selected parts whereas live on stage you would see the whole thing.
In conclusion I think my film version would be a lot easier to understand. I think it would have the same effect on different generations in the modern audience.
The scene therefore would be a lot more advanced. Overall, my film version of the scene would be very successful.
