The Dramatic Impact of Act 3 Scene of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

The Dramatic Impact of Act 3 Scene of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', and in particular Act 3 scene 5 is

full of dramatic tension, fuelled by various themes. Among the most

prominent of these themes are those of secrecy, conflicting public an

private worlds, dramatic irony, and the major contrasts in the

beginning of the scene when compared to the end of the scene. Many of

the stark contrasts that fill the play are clearly seen in Act 3 scene

5, and these include some of the major issues of the day (late 16th

century Britain) such as those of life and death, and loyalty and

honour. As well as these contrasts there are also contrasting

references to light and dark, such as the darkness of the night hide

the lovers and the use of whiteness or paleness which was often used

for images of beauty and love, and also the constant reminders of the

contrasts between the character's attitudes throughout the scene. In

this scene, Shakespeare uses oxymoron, contradictions contained in the

images themselves to great effect, and this coupled with his mastery

of imagery makes this a powerful and dramatic scene. 'Romeo and

Juliet' predates the four great Shakespearean tragedies of 'Hamlet',

'King Lear', 'Macbeth', and 'Othello'. Whilst still being a tragedy it

does not follow the classical pattern of the other four where a

person, usually of high social status, is doomed to disaster and death

because of one fatal weakness of character. In 'Romeo and Juliet's

fate and death are still prominent but there are still overtones of

chance, consequences of passion, the effect the old have on the young

and in the end i...

... middle of paper ...

... control in the scene is a reminder of the ignorance and hypocrisy that

power and wealth brings to men. It casts Juliet in the light of a

person who is a victim to outside influences and namely her father,

who cannot comprehend her position because they do not know what she

know. The one person in the play who does know most of what is going

on is the nurse and her betrayal is the most devastating for Juliet.

The audience knows the full story and also what will happen to them at

the end of the play, so they can empathise with her and also see the

dramatic irony in the prophesies and predictions that surround the

scene building the tension of the final impact when Juliet resolves to

take her own life if the Friar cannot present a resolution to her

problems and this builds the tension for the next scene and also the

end.