Examine The Dramatic Impact Of Act 3 Scene 5 of “Romeo and Juliet"

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Act 3 scene 5 is the most dramatic and significant part of the play, it is a crucial turning point of the play because the lovers are talking bout circumstances which could change (or take) their lives. Shakespeare uses language to describe the tragic actions and misunderstandings while foreshadowing their eventual death. The language throughout the play uses many powerful poetic phrases which stimulate strong images in our minds, the metaphors used contrast sharply from loving poetical language to dark images foreshadowing death. The beginning of the play also contrasts with the end because it starts off with the lovers enjoying each others company and ends with tragedy, pain and thoughts of suicide. The contrasts Shakespeare uses make the play very dramatic and cause the audience to become enthralled and captivated within the play. When the lovers are together at early hours of the morning they talk to each other using loving poetical language; “Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree: believe me, love it was the nightingale.” They show their intimacy through vivid images and language, this image gives the audience a beautiful images of birds, singing and rare fruit trees (very rare in fact they are from from Persia). In ancient culture the pomegranate was said to grow in the garden of paradise (Islam) and also is said to symbolise the suffering and resurrection of Christ, It is even an important part of Greek mythology (The myth of Persephone) which is a story of death, Suffering and the underworld. So there is already contrasts from heavenly images of paradise to darkness and doom, the language used is extremely poetical and Shakespeare must have understood a great deal about world mythology. All this imag... ... middle of paper ... ...sperateness and leavers her only one last resort which is to consult the friar. All the characters make a large impact in the play but I think the biggest impact is made by Juliet, not just because she is the main character but because she shows a huge change of attitude and shows the strength of character she has. She shows her strong personality by being determined and not giving up no matter what the other characters put her through and also by her bravery to stand up to her father even if he is very powerful and determined to get his way. She is also has the will to lie to her mother and risks everything to get out of her situation. The effect the scene has on the audience is that it confirms their fate and set the lovers on a course where no matter what they do the people around them will not ever understand them until their death at the end of the play.

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