The Dramatic Importance of Act 3 Scene 5 in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet has been described as ‘the
most tragic love story the world has ever known.’ Set in Verona,
Shakespeare writes of two feuding families, the Montagues and the
Capulets. The cause of the feud is unknown; assumed to be an ancient
grudge. Unforeseen by both families, a love between a Montague and a
Capulet blossoms. Romeo and Juliet were married in confidence by Friar
Lawrence, but following a fatal incident, Romeo was banished to
Mantua. However, an ill-fated ploy to reunite Romeo and Juliet had
adverse consequences, which led Romeo to believe Juliet is dead, so
killed himself. Juliet, in absolute heartbreak, then killed herself!
The real tragedy is that it is only as a result of the young couple’s
tragic end that the opposing families reconcile.
I suspect that the key to Romeo and Juliet’s popularity is its
relevance to everyday people, both then and still today. The aspects
of a doomed love affair and oppositions to a love is very much of
human experience. And this play is not all fiction; some aspects are
true, such as the family names. In the original poem,- entitled
Tragecall Historye of Romius and Juliet, translated into French by a
man called Pierre Boaistuau in 1595- the story is of a political
deadlock between the Montecci’s of Verona and the Capelletti’s of
Cremona. But as far as accuracy goes, that is it. The doomed love and
other characters are fictional. This was then translated into English
by Arthur Brooke in 1562. Shakespeare then used this version to adapt
for stage, condensing its events in...
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... been changed because she is practical. The nurse is
now the final character to abandon Juliet, heightening the drama
amongst the audience as to whether this is too much for Juliet to cope
with.
In conclusion to analysing this scene in context with the rest of the
play, I persist in my initial comment that Act 3: Scene 5 is the most
dramatically important. I feel that Shakespeare’s biggest success is
his ability to manipulate the audience’s impressions of characters
merely by carefully crafting their language. All of the oppositions of
the play come to a head in this scene, making the sense of contrast
and tension at its strongest. Shakespeare’s considerately ordered
actions are most crucial in this scene as, if they had occurred
differently, this story may not have ended in they way that is
globally known today!