The Drama of Shakespeare: Act 3, Scene 1

The Drama of Shakespeare: Act 3, Scene 1

There are many techniques in which Shakespeare uses in order to make

Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet dramatic. This scene is dramatic as

there is a case of two deaths of young men. The scene opens with

Mercutio in an argumentative (belligerent) mood because Romeo had

abandoned them at a Capulet's party in a previous scene which he had

become agitated by and tries to aggravate Benvolio into a fight.

Shakespeare uses the weather to indicate the dramatic atmosphere. When

Benvolio says “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire, the heat has

every one wound up”, it shows that Shakespeare sets the day as being a

hot day, where the heat represents anger, which represents agitation.

The weather had to be mentioned because in those days there were no

special effects to represent the weather. This technique is called

‘pathetic fallacy’, which is when the weather echoes the mood of a

character. This line is Benvolio telling Mercutio t oleave as the

Capulets were around as he could feel the heat of the day would bring

trouble. If the Capulets and the Montgues met, there would defiantly

be a fight due to the continuous rivalry between the two households.

Tybalt enters the scene in search of Romeo. Benvolio is scared when

Tybalt comes, not that he is scared of the fight that was likely to

start, but that he didn’t want a fight to break through due to the

Prince’s automatum mentioned earlier on in the play. ‘‘By my head here

comes the Capulet’s.’’ Benvolio says, when he first noticed Tybalt and

pleads with Mercutio that they should leave where they were for the

better. However Mercutio chooses the presen...

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...espeare used many different techniques in order to

make Act3 Scene1 dramatic, which many of the techniques being dramatic

irony and ironies on certain words e.g. ‘consort’ and ‘grave’. I think

the good use of dramatic irony gave this scene the outcome that is

has, as it the characters knew about Romeo and Juliet’s marriage there

would have been a different outcome.

Within the prologue the rivalry between the two households are

mentioned as well as the death of the star crossed lovers. So the

audience were aware that they would occur. Shakespeare also caused two

deaths which were not mentioned in the prologue to occur in the scene

bringing shock to the audience. The effect of this scene being

emotional yet dramatic would make the audience feel the tension as

well as being overwhelmed over the unexpected outcome.