Short essay about analysis of act 3 scene 1 of romeo and juliet

Make a close analysis of Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet. Explore how far this is the most dramatic turning point in the play and how it develops the themes of opposition and conflict. Imagine you are to direct this scene on stage, explain what advice you would give to actors and what setting you would use. This scene has been considered the most dramatic defining moment in the play, because it drastically changes the mood, from one of love and optimism to one of anger hatred and misery.

There have been two deaths already in the play; Romeo has lost his best friend and his wife. The play can almost be seen as a romantic drama, certainly not a tragedy, with Romeo and Juliet meeting and marrying so quickly, at the end of Act 2 there is happiness in the play with the marriage celebrations, but the change in the mood to come in Act 3 is a big shock to the audience. The events in this scene have awful repercussions, for the plot and the characters, which change the outcome of the play, it can be said to seal the fate of Romeo and Juliet, as Romeo says, “ O I am fortunes fool” his destiny is set, and the play now becomes a tragedy. The themes of opposition and conflict that run throughout the play also develop in this scene, examples oppositions in the play would be, love and hate, Motague and Capulet, War and Peace, Parris and Romeo, Tybalt and Romeo and Mercutio. These themes continue do develop in Act 3 of the play, especially the conflict of love and hate, for example when Romeo and Tybalt meet for the first time, and Tybalt wants to fight, and calls him “ villain” and “ boy” to try and aggravate Romeo, ad Romeo repels and he calls him “ good Capulet” a name that he quotes “ tender, as dearly as my own.” In opposition to Tybalts violent and raucous disposition and Mercutio who is infuriated by Romeo’s perceptible weakness “ O calm, dishonourable, vile submission” Another way that conflict is portrayed in the play, especially by Mercutio is when he accuses Benvolio of impulsive ad hasty, when what he is really doing is describing himself, down to the last detail.

Also Mercutio makes a joke about his own death at first, saying, “ Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.”, but his temper changes suddenly, and he becomes extremely stern and quotes,” A plague a’both you houses.” At the end of the scene, Benvolio explains to the Prince what has happened, and he highlights the diversity between the two sides, explaining that Romeo and Mercutio are innocent sufferers, he describes them as “ young Romeo” and “ brave Mercutio” and he goes on to say that Tybalt has bad temper, an that he is the villain. Looking at the opposition of free will and fate, I would say that Romeo’s fate is sealed, death is inevitable, if he as to live without Juliet, he will die, if he tries to return to Verona he will be killed, “ This is a black fate on more days doth depend; This but begins, the woe others must end, Just as stars decreed he and Juliet should love, Two star crossed lovers, now death has intervened and death is only the real outcome.” Romeo says to Fr. Lawrence, “ There is no world without Verona walls, there is no banished, is banished from the world, and worlds exceeds death.

If I was to direct this scene, I would use my knowledge of connotations and denotation, to represent the characters in such a way that will reflect the character that is being portrayed through the actor or actress, therefore I would, use period costume on all the characters, I would dress Juliet in a white dress to make her appear innocent, I would also use soft lighting and cam music when she is on stage. Whereas if I looked at the other extreme and chose a character such as Tyblat, I would dress him in dirty and rugged looking clothes, and the lighting when he is on stage would be a lot brighter and may even be given a red filter to signify an evil element. I think that this scene in the play is a dramatic turning point, and a very important part of the play, because it develops all themes conflict, which I have commented on.