Act 3 Scene I of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Act 3 Scene I of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Before Act 3 scene i we know that there are two feuding families, the

Capulets and the Montagues. The audience has been told at the start

that to resolve this dispute their children, two innocent lovers, must

die. The Prince had explicitly told the family that if there is

another brawl their ‘lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace’. Romeo

a Montague went unwelcome to the Capulets’ ball. Tybalt, a nephew of

old Capulet noticed Romeo. He was angry with the order from old

Capulet to prevent him acting against his enemy, so sent a letter to

challenge Romeo to a duel. Romeo hasn’t yet read this letter; for he

was secretly marrying Juliet, the daughter of Capulet and the cousin

of Tybalt.

To demonstrate how this scene is exciting and dramatic, I will look

at the three main characters, Mercutio, Tybalt and Romeo.

One of the first characters the audience sees is Mercutio, Romeo’s

best friend. It is obvious to the audience that ‘this hot day’,

affects his behaviour. So he contributes to the tension in this scene.

Mercutio is warned by his friend Benvolio to leave because ‘the Capels

are abroad, And if we meet we shall not ‘scape a brawl’. Mercutio does

not accept this advice and insists on staying. This is an indication

that he is looking to engage in conflict. He may not want to leave

because he isn’t worried about the Capulets because he is not a

Montague. From the outset of the scene the anticipation of a fight

raises the tension.

Mercutio incites Benvolio and teases him light heartedly ‘thou art as

hot as a Jack’. The audience and Mercutio both know that Benvolio is

n...

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...e that kill’

The audience are stunned. They can’t believe what has just happened.

This scene leaves many unanswered questions, like what’s going to

happen to Juliet now Romeo is banished. This creates a sense of

suspense for the audience.

This scene is full of tension and high drama. At the beginning when

Tybalt and Mercutio are quarrelling, the audience feels the tension.

The audience then awaits the outcome of Tybalt and Mercutio’s fight

and are disturbed by the result of Mercutio’s death. All through this

scene we are wondering what is going to happen next, there is so much

going on. We worry about Romeo’s safety throughout this scene, and

this is not resolved by the end, leaving the audience in suspense.

Shakespeare brings this story alive with exciting dramatic scenes that

capture the audience’s attention.