Notes about Romeo and Juliet

The play "Romeo and Juliet" is a story study of love, violence and death which originally took place in Verona, Italy.

The play is about a Montague boy and a Capulet girl. The boy, Romeo and the girl Juliet fall in love. The Montague and Capulet family are enemies. Romeo and Juliet get married, but die at the end. The play is about the two lovers, which go through violence, death and fate in the play to achieve their love and freedom. During the two scenes Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 3, Romeo goes through many changes of emotions and mood in the play.

At the beginning of the play Romeo is in love with Rosaline. Romeo and his friends decide to go and gatecrash Juliet's engagement party. Romeo's character seems very fickle as he keeps falling in and out of love. The mood illustrated in "Romeo and Juliet" changed radically from the beginning of the play to the end. This is shown throughout the story through the physical and emotional event that takes place in the two scenes.

Romeo sets his eyes on Juliet and it is love at first sight.Only when they realise that they are from feuding families and were brought up under the impression that they hate each other. This creates tension to the audience/reader as two lovers have a background of feuding families and are great enemies. This tightens the situation in between the two lovers as their love will be unsuccessful.

It is also a great shock to the audience/reader, because it was love at first sight and the two lovers cannot maintain their love in a passionate manner.However, Shakespeare uses feuding in between the two families as a dramatic device, as to the audience it will be a shock that two lovers of feuding family have fell in love at first sight, this will want the audience to continue watching/reading the play as they want to know how Romeo undergoes the pressure of achieving his love, Juliet. Act 2, Scene 2 takes place in the Capulet's Orchard, where Romeo climbs the wall. Romeo goes to meet Juliet and leaves his friends behind as he wants to be alone. Romeo seems to be very excited and uses metaphors to express his emotions to describe his feelings for Juliet.

Shakespeare through Romeo compares Juliet to the "sun" and asks her to arise and "kill the envious moon. " This metaphor portrays Romeo's feelings for Juliet effectively as it shows how much he adores her. Metaphors are constantly used by Shakespeare through out the play to communicate Romeo's mood, for example, at first he is feeling love for her and is comparing her to the moon, stars and uses the word "brightness", "light" to show hope, purity and love. However, a dramatic device is used such as the balcony scene.

Romeo starts to deliver his speech while Juliet is up on her balcony.Juliet is not alert to Romeo's presence, However Romeo knows that Juliet is there and he doesn't inform her but he still lets her deliver her speech. This is a dramatic device and is also dramatic irony because the audience realise something that the characters don't. Romeo and Juliet both exchange vows of love, however they are both apprehensive Juliet fears the suddenness of their love. Romeo believes that what is happening is just a dream, and it isn't genuine. "All this is but a dream".

Shakespeare does this to show the elegance of Juliet and that she, as a girl hasn't got the freedom as Romeo has.She needs to be married to preserve her reputation. The overall mood of Romeo is an ecstatic mood. When Juliet wants him to express his love for her, he continues to comparing her to romantic symbols: "but sworn my love".

Here Romeo's mood is very high and excited as he describes Juliet. Juliet moves on to talking about not being bothered about either background, "Romeo doff (cast off) thy name, and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself". This shows that, nothing will interfere with the two lovers nor matter what background they are as long as they are together.Imagery such as, metaphors and similes are used by Shakespeare to create vivid pictures in the imagination of the reader.

For example, "Winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wond'ring eyes of mortal that fall back to gaze on him, when he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds, and sail upon the bosom of the air". Therefore, the audience/reader can imagine what Romeo is feeling and saying and thus is able to communicate his mood effectively. Shakespeare uses metaphors such as, "the brightness of her cheeks would shame these stars, as daylight doth a lamp," to communicate the depth of Romeo's emotions to Juliet and the audience.By comparing Juliet to these metaphors the audience will be able to feel what Romeo feels.

If I was directing, I would make Romeo deliver his speech powerfully but intelligently. In the 'Baz Luhrmann' version of Romeo and Juliet, you can see that Romeo's speeches are delivered passionately, which informs the audience that Romeo adores Juliet. If this was to be directed upon stage I would want Romeo to use facial expressions and speak in a more enthusiastic way. Therefore, it will show that it is no ordinary crush but love at first sight and it isn't an illusion.

The repetition of words and phrases is another effective device used by Shakespeare to communicate Romeo's mood at different points in the play. The constant repetition of the word "love" tightens the tension of the plot as the two families are enemies and gives an extra insight into Romeo's character. This shows that Romeo is adamant and once he has made is mind up, then it cannot be changed. In addition, Romeo communicates in an affectionate manner towards the start, but as tension builds up and everything seems to get serious, words like "night" and "murder" are used.These words build up tension and show to the audience that something bad is about to happen. Later in Act 3, Scene 3, this takes place at the Friar Lawrence's cell.

Romeo gets the bad news from Friar Lawrence about his banishment. Friar Lawrence opens his speech with "Romeo, come forth, come forth, thou fear ful man", this shows that Romeo is frightened and knows that he didn't mean to kill Tybalt. As Romeo enters the scene he is shocked and scared, as he opens his speech he uses the word "sorrow", which shows "what else does he have to see". Friar Lawrence uses the quote, "Not body's death, but body's banishment".

This shows the audience that if Romeo dies his soul will still live on. Romeo has just realised that he has done something, which he will regret as he says, "Be merciful say death...

much more than death". Romeo is angry at hearing about is destiny. Friar Lawrence then moves on as Romeo's anger rises as Friar say's, "Be patient, for the world is broad and wide". This sows that he world is a large place able to live somewhere else.

Romeo's anger is still rising as he thinks about Juliet, "There is no world without Verona walls"; this is where Juliet hides in the streets of Verona.Romeo continues on madly and angrily and soon Friar Lawrence gets frustrated and say's, "O deadly sin! O rude unthankfulness", here Friar is trying to calm Romeo down and him to have respect for Friar, as Romeo is just babbling on. However, Romeo still talks about the "heaven" which is Juliet as he thinks what life would be without Juliet in his life. Here the audience will have a shock in that Romeo will lose Juliet and also that he will be banished.

Romeo's mood here is high tempered as he is already suffering the effects of banishment. Romeo refuses to be comforted as he is going through to much pain and anger.However, Shakespeare uses the nurse as a dramatic device and dramatically Romeo's mood changes "Nurse! " Romeo feels comforted as the nurse tells Romeo how Juliet is feeling "O she says nothing, sir, but weeps and weeps...

. and then Romeo cries, and then down falls again". Romeo feels the pain that Juliet is going through and tries to stab himself, "Tell me, that I may sack the hateful mansion (destroy my body)". However, the nurse snatches the dagger away, as he feels guilty of killing Tybalt and doesn't want Juliet to hate him and not to see him as a murderer.Shot from the deadly level of gun, did murder her, as that name's cursed hand murdered her kinsman. " However, the audience feel the same way as Romeo does; angry and feeling sympathetic of what Romeo has done to be hatred by Juliet.

Romeo's mood is comforted when the nurse give Romeo the ring from Juliet, "Here, sir, a ring she bid me give you, sir. " Romeo reply's "How well my comfort is revived by this". This shows that his mood is changing time to time and now he is being relaxed instead of highly tempered as he was in the beginning of the scene.Friar Lawrence rebukes Romeo for his lack of manliness, love and intelligence. He reminds Romeo of his good fortune and plans how he can eventually be recalled from exile.

Friar Lawrence delivers his long speech, first rebuking Romeo, then seeking to cheer him, then setting out a plan of action this keeps the audience interested in the scene. Romeo is trying to seek hope as he is anxious of meeting Juliet and afraid of losing her. Friar Lawrence sends Romeo to Juliet, warning him to leave early for the Mantua and await news.Sojourn (stay, wait) in Mantua: I'll find out your man, and he shall signify from time to time every good hap to you that chances here.

" Romeo is calm as Friar settles him down with his plan and he ends the scene with some hope for the future. William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet is a play full of dramatic devices, body language, facial expressions and especially Romeo's mood changes. Romeo in the play uses facial expressions, voice tone and body language to express his feelings and use the correct tone of voice to emphasise the anger and pain that he is going through.Shakespeare shows Romeo's change of mood and situation trough his choice of language, such as, when Romeo is feeling passionate he uses the word "bright", "sun" and "kill the envious moon" to express his feelings towards Juliet as well as the audience/reader.

However, when Romeo is in a critical state he uses words such as, "murder", "banishment" and "death" to express his feelings as this indicates that the situation in the story has become serious, which creates tension towards the audience and builds up the atmosphere.