Why Act Three Scene One is Important in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. The
story is set in Verona, Italy in the 16thcentury. It is about two
young lovers, each from two different feuding families - the Montagues
and the Capulets - which have a historical hatred for each other.
Shakespeare describes the lovers as “star-cross’d” – meaning that
their love for each other is blinded by the reality of the feud
between their families, as if dazzled by the stars. The play ends with
the deaths of these lovers, as well as the deaths of many other
characters throughout the play.
The first two Acts of the play have a comedic, love-story feel and
there has hardly any sign of tragedy or death. Shakespeare also uses
the first two Acts as an opportunity to introduce both the central
characters of the play and the history of the family feud. The reader
has little knowledge of the dramatic events that will unfold, nor the
tragic ending, as Shakespeare gives little hint of this.
The only place in the first two Acts where Shakespeare demonstrates
signs of violence are in Act 1 Scene 1. Shakespeare demonstrates that
even with minor characters of the play, the family feud is apparent.
Samson and Gregory are both servants to Capulet, who meet with
Abraham, a servant to Montague. They give rude gestures to each other
(“do you bite your thumb at as sir?”) and are only separated from
fighting by the entrance of Benvolio, a nephew to Montague.
In Act 3 Scene 1, Shakespeare shows us how violence can lead to the
destruction of love and life by killing the characters of Mercutio, a
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by using many cases of dramatic irony, which overall, help to
emphasise to the audience, the play’s message: violence leads to the
destruction of love and life. Shakespeare also creates scenes of such
drama and suspense that it lets the audience think that they are
partially involved in the play. His use of different language
techniques in Act 3 Scene 1, including alliteration, simple sentences
and lists-of-three all help to increase the significance of the scene.
The stage becomes busy many times during the scene which helps to
create a chaotic atmosphere, this leads to the build up of tension and
trepidation, and for the audience it becomes exceptionally hectic and
hyped during the scene. Mercutio’s last words prophesise what happens
after his death, nothing but a tragedy. “A plague O both your houses!”