William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Dramatic Tension is the feeling established within an audience on the

obstacle courses of a character within a play. It is created in many

ways such as personification, speaking metaphorically, talking with

alliteration etc. In Romeo and Juliet’s case dramatic tension is the

feeling of tension created in the audience by the challenges faced by

both of them in their efforts to stay together. Dramatic Tension is

used so that the audience stays interested in the play. The scenes

where Romeo and Juliet meet are significant to my essay because there

is a very high amount of dramatic tension in those sections of the

play.

In Act1 Scene5 the banquet hall, there is a lot of dramatic tension in

it. Some parts of the scene which I think are important is when Juliet

and Romeo speak to each other for the first time.

“ If I profane with my unworthiest hand”

Firstly you have to look back to when Tybalt speaks about vengeance

which is already causing some type of tension, Romeo walks right into

talking to Juliet, showing his guts with women, there is a sense of

dramatic irony in that section because we know that they are rival

families while they do not.

Now in the quote he is saying that he is dishonouring her with his

unworthiest hand. I think this means that he wants to touch her, but

thinks he is not worthy to do so . It is also the beginning of a

sonnet.

“For Saints have hands that pilgrims’ hand do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers kiss”.

There is a great deal of reference on religion in that quote. She is

offering her hands to him aswele as vice versa. It could also mean

that they are using religion to justify how fast they are moving for a

first meeting. Also it could be said that she is giving her hand as

trust to Romeo. “palmers kiss” is a direct reference to Jesus and how

he is led to his downfall (Palm Sunday).