An Analysis of the Dramatic Qualities of Act 3 Scene 1 of...

An Analysis of the Dramatic Qualities of Act 3 Scene 1 of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Act 3 scene 1 is very effective because of where it is placed in the play. We have just ended on a happy note in Act 2. Friar Laurence wanted to unite the Montagues and the Capulets. So we have a scene full of love and joy, the wedding between Romeo and Juliet. This is a great contrast as what comes in the next scene is quite the opposite. Everything that has been before this has been closer to one of Shakespeares comedies, rather than his tragedies. There are comic figures in the play such as Mercutio and even one of the main protagonists in the tragedy, Romeo. He fits the comic role because he†¦show more content†¦We, as the audience, dont realise why at the time but it is setting up the path for tragedy. But it is not until Act 3 scene 1 that we see the tragic actions come in to the play. Briony Donnelly When the actual scene starts it is a completely different image than the last scene. The scene before was set in a church, a wedding where everything looks happy. Act 3 scene 1 starts off in Verona, and Benvolio tells us that it is a hot day. This paints imagery in the audiences heads, as everyone will be agitated and not cool and calm. He tries to get Mercutio to leave as he can tell that something bad is going to happen. For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. He is the wise one, the peacekeeper. Shakespeare also shows that Benvolio is calmer than Mercutio as Benvolios speech is written in blank verse, showing calmness, whereas Mercutios speech is written in prose antagonising the mood to indicate a chaotic force. Benvolio is trying to keep the peace but Mercutio says to him that he is just as fiery as himself. Mercutio is making jokes and puns, playing on words. Wordplay was very popular in the Elizabethan time so this works well. He continues to makes puns even when Tybalt is creating aShow MoreRelatedStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pages AP Literary and Rhetorical Terms 1. 2. alliteration- Used for poetic effect, a repetition of the initial sounds of several words in a group. The following line from Robert Frosts poem Acquainted with the Night provides us with an example of alliteration,: I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet. The repetition of the s sound creates a sense of quiet, reinforcing the meaning of the line 3. allegory – Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic