Shakespeare uses various techniques to create different moods and atmospheres and to reveal the characters.
He uses comparisons in characters, the use of language and the use of tension.
It is one of the most important scenes as it is where Romeo and Juliet first meet and where we learn the most about main characters. Being an important scene, Shakespeare has made it very tense and entertaining.
The scene includes a lot of main key characters and we learn of the differences between the two families.
The audience are already looking forward to this scene, as we want to find out about and see Rosaline!
We are expecting fun as it is a party and want to know what happens with Juliet and Paris; will she marry marry him when she is of an older and more mature age?
Before this scene we found information about various main characters.
The audience found out that Romeo was in love with Rosaline at the very beginning and he was love sick and distraught with not seeing her.
Romeo had had a dream the night before about a bad thing happening at the Capulet’s party.
Being Romeo he believed his own thoughts and was nervous about going.
We also found out that Juliet, only 13 years of age, was the only daughter of the Capulet’s.
She has her own ‘nurse’ to look after her as she is not very mature and relies on other people.
Juliet is very distant from the rest of her family and does not get on with them the most majority of the time; she is a lonely child.
Capulet wanted Juliet to marry Paris, a rich older man but only when Juliet was older.
Capulet is a strong character, he tries to keep the peace between his family and the Montagues, but if the Montagues start a fight first then he will want to carry it on, as he doesn’t want to be seen as the loser.
Finally Tybalt, he is the nephew to Lady Capulet and despises the Montague’s and tries his hardest to start fights with them and will never hear a bad word spoken about him.
Immediately before this scene, the atmosphere is very gloomy as Romeo had a dream about a bad thing happening at Capulet’s party, this also gets us interested, as we want to find out if he is right and what will happen.
At the opening of scene 5 Capulet’s servants prepare for his party.
The atmosphere is very busy, rushed and fast moving.
All of the servants are rushing around preparing for the party.
They all talk to each other in short sentences; “You are look’d for, and call’d for, ask’d for…” This key line shows the short, snappy words the servants used.
‘For’ is repeatedly used as they are rushed and just use it as a joining word to get their sentence across before rushing off to prepare more things for the party once more.
The apostrophes are repeated in all three words as it shows they are rushed even in their speech; they have to shorten words to say what they wanted quicker; they can’t finish sentences and even words!
They do not have the time to stand and chat especially under the watchful eye of Capulet; they have too much to do for everything to be ready for when the party begins.
Capulet then welcomes guests into the party and tries to get them to dance.
The atmosphere is very humorous, as people are all in fancy dress; it is very vibrant, lively and very cheerful as people are having fun.
“Welcome Gentlemen, Ladies that have
their toes
unplagued with corns…”
Capulet repeats the word ‘Welcome’, this tells us that he is very pleased that everyone has come and he may have had too much to drink and forgets that he has already said it!
Capulet is eager to get the party off to a flying start and he teases all the ladies by telling they are welcome to attend his party if they have nice feet!
Capulet adds a jolly atmosphere to the party.
Once the party had got going, Romeo arrived and glimpses Juliet for the first time; the atmosphere was very romantic and slow.
“What Lady’s that which doth enrich the hand…”
Romeo compares Juliet to jewels, “…As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear-…”which shows he thinks very highly of her, he uses “What Lady’s that which doth enrich the hand…”in describing her as special.
He immediately falls in love with her and we see a different side to Romeo, his mood and feelings go from one extreme to the other, as he was totally in love with Rosaline but with one sight of Juliet he is head over heals in love with her, which is very typical of Romeo.
The effect on the audience is that we are privileged to share such an intimate moment between Romeo and Juliet.
After Romeo and Juliet met, Tybalt overhears Romeo talking about Juliet and was angry that a Montague had come to the Capulet’s own party.
An argument started between him and Capulet, Tybalt wanted to fight Romeo outside and told one of the servants to go and get his sword but Capulet stopped him and didn’t want any fight at his party and told him to leave it.
The atmosphere was very tense and violent; Tybalt was very aggressive towards Capulet and anyone who helped try and stop him from fighting.
“…Fetch me my rapier, boy…”
This suggests he has no respect for his servants and people around him; he speaks as he is higher up than everyone else and uses the word ‘boy’ to show his power over them.
Tybalt is impulsively violent; he acts first and thinks later, as he tries his hardest to start fights between him and the Montagues.
It tells us he really wanted to fight Romeo.
Capulet scolds Tybalt and he leaves the party sowing revenge.
Tybalt was very angry that Romeo turned up, ” He shall be endured…” Capulet is asserting his authority, as he wouldn’t let him do anything about it. Capulet is being very naïve, as he thinks he has solved the problem.
The atmosphere went from being very tense and un-settled to the audience finally having a breath of relief as the tense atmosphere is over.
After Tybalt had left, Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time and end up kissing.
The atmosphere is very romantic, as if it is slow motion because the camera focuses and continually flicks between Romeo and Juliet.
“If I profane with my
unworthiest hand
This holy shrine,…”
Romeo is very eager to impress, he is pleased that he had got to be with Juliet after wanting to all night.
Juliet responds in the same way, she is very flattered and equally eager to impress.
Whilst Romeo and Juliet were kissing Juliet’s nurse interrupted them, the atmosphere is very rushed and happens very rapidly.
Unfortunately, Romeo finds out that Juliet is a Capulet and is disappointed, as he knows he will never be able to be with her with people knowing because of their family differences, “…My life is my foe’s debt.” Romeo does not understand how Juliet could be a Capulet, he was very upset at first, and he was in the hands of his enemy.
The audience get anxious because of Romeo finding out she is his foe and the atmosphere gets very apprehensive.
The audience feel depressed that Romeo and Juliet cannot be together with their family despising each other even though they know there could be love between them.
Finally after Romeo finds out Juliet is a Capulet; vice versa for Juliet; she finds out Romeo is a Montague.
The atmosphere is very playful and menacing, as Romeo and Juliet are still hopeful for being with one another from the bad news, as they know they want to be together and do not care about the consequences of being together.
They were both very shocked and heartbroken about being enemies but they are not as naïve as their family and can see through differences and see love comparisons.
Juliet refers to graves, which is a sign of bad things about to happen; we could interoperate as death! “My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” Juliet may be thinking ahead, if she married Romeo her family would disown her and she may as well be dead to them.
She also may be thinking if she married Paris, she would be very unhappy. She doesn’t want to marry him but she wants to make Capulet and her family happy.
She knows she would have a bad life and would think of it as her deathbed!
In Act 1 scene 5, he brings across the characteristics and their personalities and uses a lot of tension.
Tybalt for example, when the atmosphere got tense because of Romeo being at the party, Tybalt lost his cool and started getting angry, which gives the audience his real personality.
Shakespeare creates different moods and reveals different characters because of Act 1 scene 5 is such an important scene. We know about some of the characters personalities but he shows us more, getting the audience looking forward to the scene from the tense build-up from the scene before.
He uses the two families to bring across the differences and personalities; this is how he creates different moods; mostly being tense.
He reveals different aspects of the main characters.
