Shakespeare successfully captures the interest of his audience in Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet through the use of several features. These include: the introduction of several dramatic plot lines, an exciting opening brawl, bawdy humour, and the establishment of an ominous tone at the end of the act. These techniques on a whole, serve to interest and engage the audience in the events of the play.
Shakespeare, in Act I of Romeo and Juliet, entices his audience through the introduction of several complex plot lines, whose final tragic culmination are already known, due to the opening chorus. This introduction of several “loose threads,” leaves the audience wanting to find out more. They already know the “why,” “who,” and “what” the plot points ultimately entail, yet, the journey to this final outcome is obscured. Hence, Shakespeare instils a yearning for knowledge which, subsequently traps the audience in the world of the play. Evidence for this can be seen in Act I, where the audience is introduced to three predominant intertwining factors. In scene one, Act 1, Shakespeare presents two warring families, Montague and Capulet, who have fought for centuries. In scenes two and three, he then further intrigues his audience, through a very young and unsure Juliet being openly encouraged to wed Paris. Finally, Shakespeare, in scene five, develops a romance, where the Montague Romeo and the Capulet Juliet fall in love, unknowing of their adverse heritages. All three of these features introduce complexity to the plot, each seemingly underpinning or complicating another; hence, capturing the interest of the audience as they wish to see how these overlapping scenarios resolve.
Shakespeare also uses fast paced action, through an opening brawl, a...
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...sharp turn. Juxtaposing and destroying the atmosphere of love with Tybalt’s foreboding words, “This intrusion/ Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall” (I, v, 92) the audience becomes keenly aware of an overhanging threat to their lover’s happiness which, in turn, generates an intense urge for the audience to continue with the play, to find out what lies in store for their Romeo and Juliet.
In conclusion, Shakespeare in Act I of his play Romeo and Juliet, fabricates an intensely thought and interest provoking opening to the entire performance. This is achieved through the use of certain features such as: intertwining plot lines, an unexpected opening brawl, surprising use of bawdy humour, and an ominous cliff-hanger conclusion. These techniques leave the viewer at the end of Act 1 with a profound urge for more information and hence, deep engagement in the play.
3 Dec. 2013. Kerschen, Lios. A. A “Critical Essay on ‘Romeo and Juliet’. ” Drama for Students. Ed.
How Shakespeare Engages the Audience in Act I scene v In Act I, scene v, Shakespeare alters the tone of the play into a lighter mood. However, despite this, there is an ominous sense of fate overshadowing the pair of star crossed lovers. Even today, the tragedy resembles a blue print of the problems the young adolescents of the twentieth century face each day. Shakespeare uses a masked ball to create suspense and mystery, as this would have engaged an Elizabethan audience. However the audience already knows what is going to happen due to the Prologue - "Do with their death bury their parents' strife" - but despite this knowledge the anticipation of the events leading to the arrival of these final tragic scenes adds excitement.
Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's first authentic tragedy. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when their feuding families prevent them from being together. The play has many characters, each with its own role in keeping the plot line. Some characters have very little to do with the plot; but some have the plot revolving around them. While the character of Friar Lawrence spends only a little time on stage, he is crucial to the development of the conclusion of the play. It is Friar Laurence’s good intentions, his willingness to take risks and his shortsightedness that lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet is the tragic story of two young, “star-crossed” lovers from feuding families, destined for disaster. The Capulets and the Montagues have an ancient grudge on one another that has been passed down over generations. Unfortunately, Romeo and Juliet end up victims of their families’ vicious loathing. Romeo and Juliet’s story has several intertwining themes such as the aforementioned hatred between the Capulets and Montagues and the revenge Romeo strives for after his friend Mercutio’s death. Also, the love and passion between Romeo and Juliet and the loyalty of Romeo and his friends. Honour and revenge also feature frquently throughout the play including Juliet’s pressure to honour her family, and the revenge Romeo sees as his duty when Tybalt kills Mercutio.
How Shakespeare Keeps the Audience Interest in Scene One of Romeo and Juliet The story Romeo and Juliet is a Tragi-love genre. This means that the
The Ways that Shakespeare Makes Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet Dramatically Effective
play just in the opening, so we know what is going to happen from the
They also had an argument on how long ago they both went to a masked
The use of drama throughout the play is most prevalent in the last few acts but is also shown thought the rest of the play. When Romeo is...
Shakespeare’s structure of the play; pitting two families against one another is what propels the characters in their decisions. Shakespeare uses the Capulet and Montague families’ feud to create the circumstances (plot) that hold Romeo and Juliet captive in their own existence, their own fate. They are incapable of escaping from this captivity because they can only see themselves in the circumstance of the here and now. They cannot look from the outside in.
“We met, we woo'd and made exchange of vow, I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, That thou consent to marry us to-day.” (Shakespeare II.III. 60). Romeo’s impulsiveness is clearly shown through this quote that he states. The reason for Romeo’s impulsiveness is because he just recently met Juliet and he decides to marry her very quickly. Also this quote reveals to the audience Romeo’s hamartia. Since he is too quick and rash it will inevitably lead him to his fatal death; and through this quote you could see where Romeo went wrong and how it will greatly affect him. Furthermore Romeo leads the audience to believe that he is just infatuated by Juliet’s looks; due to the fact he was strongly in love with Rosaline and then all of sudden falls in love with Juliet and forgets about Rosaline which he claimed to be his one and only love. “Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”(II.III.65). This quote that Friar Lawrence states planted into the readers mind that Romeo might not be truly in love but rather infatuated. This tragic play takes place in fair Verona where a quarrel between two families takes place due to an ancient grudge. Both families, Montague and Capulet hate each other with a great passion. Two lovers named Romeo and Juliet are both from the two opposing families and they love and marry each other in secret without their families knowing. Because of their impulsiveness and rash decisions it causes them to lead themselves to die a tragic death. Foil characters aid to heighten or highlight an attribute in another character which furthers the plot. Romeo is heightened and influenced by secondary characters that eventually brings out his hamartia, peripeteia, and anagnorisis. These chara...
Romeo and Juliet is a famous play that was first performed between 1594 and 1595, it was first printed in 1597. Romeo and Juliet is not entirely fictional as it is based on two lovers who lived in Verona. The Montague’s and Capulet’s are also real. Romeo and Juliet is one of the ten tragedies that William Shakespeare wrote. In this essay, I aim to investigate what act 1, scene1 makes you expect about the rest of the play.
The Scenes Act 4 Scene 3 - Act 5 Scene 1 in “Romeo and Juliet” can be
In the tremendous play of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Shakespeare’s ways engages the audience straight away. The astounding methods he uses hooks the audience into the play and allows them to read on, wondering what will happen. The tragic love story of Romeo & Juliet, as mentioned in the prologue, sets a variety of themes throughout Act 1 Scene 5. Many of the recognisable themes are: youth and age, revenge, forbidden love, fate, action and hate. The main idea of the play is a feud that had been going on between two families, The ‘Montagues and Capulets’, the son of the Montagues and the daughter of the Capulets fall in love and the story tells us how tragic, death, happiness and revenge find them throughout the play.
William Shakespeare has provided some of the most brilliant plays to ever be performed on the stage. He is also the author of numerous sonnets and poems, but he is best known for his plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. In this essay I would like to discuss the play and movie, "Romeo and Juliet", and also the movie, Shakespeare in Love.