The Turning Point in Romeo and Juliet - Essay Example

The Turning Point in Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare is typically thought of today as a serious subject that requires extensive, sober study if one is to understand his works. Of his most well-known plays today, most are tragedies or histories, with a few that extend outside of these bounds. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet sometime between 1594 and 1596 reflecting through his characters and action the Elizabethan values and traditions of England while focusing on the story of a young couple in Verona. In this way, he also incorporates some of the values that were understood in his time to have been important to people of an even earlier time. The play was likely first performed in the Globe Theatre in 1596 and has since stood as an example of foolish young love. The play builds through its action to the turning point at Act 3, scene 1, after which the young lovers are eternally doomed. The play begins with a prologue in which the audience is introduced to the play. This segment of the play was intended to help get the audience quieted down and entice them to pay attention by delivering a clever speech that summarizes the action to come without giving anything away. It does a good job of this as it tells the audience the essentials of the long-held feud between the Montagues and the Capulets; the love that springs up between Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet; and the disastrous end to the young couple that turns out to be the final end of the feud. Shakespeare makes his earliest reference to the climactic scene in this prologue as the chorus announces, “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean” (3-4, Prologue). This concept of new fighting is then carried forward into the play itself, causing the audience to remain unaware of how things are to play out. Shakespeare disguises the climactic scene of the play by allowing the first scene of the first act to be full of the kind of fighting hinted at in the prologue. Here, common men of the house of Montague and common men of the house of Capulet are involved in a street brawl that eventually involves Tybalt and Benvolio. The fight isn’t fully broken up until the arrival of the Prince, the ruler of the city, who informs all present “If ever you disturb our streets again / Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace” (I, i, 94-95). By this he means anyone of either house found fighting in the streets with anyone of the other house will be put to death for it. This takes on greater significance later in the play when fighting again breaks out between the houses. The love between Romeo and Juliet is first established during the Capulet feast, in which the Romeo finds out about the feast from an illiterate servant of the Capulet household who has been sent into the town to invite people on a written list to the dinner. This servant asks Romeo to help him discover who is to be invited and, in ignorance of Romeo’s identity, invites him to the party as well. Romeo decides to crash the party because Rosalind will be there, the girl he swears he’s in love with, but he ends up falling in love with Juliet instead. However, Tybalt overhears him and reveals his hot-headed nature as he prepares to fight on just the sound of Romeo’s voice: “This by his voice is a Montague / Fetch me my rapier, boy” (I, v, 54-55). Tybalt is interrupted in his plan by his uncle Capulet, but remains so adamant about fighting that he is finally publicly embarrassed and finds it necessary to swear vengeance on Romeo. It is this vengeance he is seeking when he picks the fight in Act 3, scene 1. Shakespeare builds the suspense of the play as Romeo and Juliet carry on their secret courtship, finally culminating in a secret marriage officiated by Friar Laurence. The Friar’s intentions are made clear as he agrees to Romeo’s request for marriage in Act 2, scene 3 by telling him, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be / For this alliance may so happy prove / To turn your households’ rancor to pure love” (II, iii, 90-92). Although the couple is recognized as being what is needed to end the feud between the houses, even the Friar recognizes that this may not turn out with a happy ending. This is proved in the next scene, the turning point of the play. All of the contentions and issues that have taken place to this point in the play come to a head in Act 3, scene 1 as Mercutio and Tybalt meet in the street and begin arguing. Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight as he seeks the revenge he swore during the Capulet dinner, but Romeo refuses to fight because he now knows Tybalt to be a kinsman following his marriage to Juliet: “I do protest I never injured thee / But love thee better than thou canst devise” (III, i, 67-68). Mercutio, ignorant of the wedding, can’t stand Romeo’s submission and volunteers to fight in Romeo’s place. When Romeo tries to stop the fight, Tybalt is able to get in a cheap thrust and kills Mercutio. Tybalt runs away at first, but then comes back and Romeo challenges and kills him. Although Benvolio is there and able to explain to the Prince what happened, Romeo is banished from Verona and no longer has the ability to win over the Capulets to accepting his marriage to their daughter. Looking at the four male characters of this scene, Shakespeare made it possible for things to work out different right up until the moment Mercutio is stabbed. Benvolio and Romeo act as peacemakers in the scene, both trying to cool the situation and urge the others to heed the prince’s warnings. Benvolio tells them, “We talk here in the public haunt of men / Either withdraw into some private place / And reason coldly of your grievances / Or else depart” (III, i, 49-52). In other words, he is telling them to go somewhere private and talk things out or to separate until they can. Romeo also tries to stop the fight, first by requesting Benvolio to help him and then by actually stepping between them. However, both Tybalt and Mercutio are eager to fight. Tybalt has already been established as a hot-head at the Capulet party and Mercutio is being lectured by Benvolio on the subject as the scene opens. The action that occurs after their deaths is directly caused by their inability to control their tempers. Although Act 3, scene 1 is the natural outcome of what has happened before, suggesting the strong role of fate in these events, this scene is the turning point in the play as the ‘star-cross’d lovers’ desperately try to work things out. The prologue makes it clear that fate is at work when it refers to the young couple as ‘star-cross’d lovers’ and Romeo feels its hand when he crashes the Capulet party. However, character also plays a large role in the play as Tybalt’s hot-headed nature drives his thirst for revenge and Mercutio’s eagerness to meet him. Romeo recognizes the role of fate in having these two characters meet in public so soon after Romeo’s secret wedding, but he is unable to stop the progression of events that cause him to be banned. This forces him to desperate measures as he tries to stay together with Juliet and this, in turn, leads to the couple’s untimely death. Without the ban, Romeo and Juliet might have been able to make things work and without the fight, Romeo would not have been banned. Read More